Fantastic Graphic Novel Series for Kids Ages 8-12

This adorable graphic novel follows four kids on their journeys to find a beloved pet and the animal rescue center, where they converge as the pets bring joy to their lives. It’s a great mash-up of PAWS meets Allergic and is perfect for young (capable) readers as young as the second grade. Ages 7+ 

With their Very Exciting Spy Technology and their tried-and-true, toilet-based travel techniques, the InvestiGators are undercover and on the case! And on their first mission together, they have not one but two mysteries to solve! Can Mango and Brash uncover the clues, crack their cases, and corral the crooks—or will the criminals wriggle out of their grasp? Ages 6+

I’m a HUGE fan of the Cupcake Diaries books so I was thrilled when they got a graphic novel adaptation. These books are short, all about baking and friendship, and overall so cute! Ages 7+

Something terrible is happening in the skies! Rats are eating the MOON! Only one hero can stop them: a cat with a microchip-enhanced brain. Along with the Moon Queen and a toe-clipping robot, the first cat in space has his work cut out for him. This book is bizarre (in the best way) but so entertaining, creative, and cinematic. Tween boys won’t be able to stop flipping the pages. Good for ages 8+

A trip to Florida to spend time with her grandfather at his senior’s community becomes life-changing for Sunny Lewin. This is another great graphic novel series that can be read out of order. Nearly all of the books are set in a different summer and follow Sunny’s adventures. I love how funny and thoughtful this series is and I think it’s a great pick for readers who enjoy historical fiction, graphic novels, and summery stories. Ages 9+

This is a sweet graphic novel about a Colombian-American boy who goes to visit his Abuela in Upstate NY and struggles with feeling at home because his Spanish isn’t as fluent as he’d like. Santiago doesn’t feel confident speaking Spanish so he’s nervous about spending the summer at Hillside even though all the kids there are welcoming. They even invite him to join their secret soccer club. When an incident reminds Santiago that his Spanish is still not up to par, all his new friendships begin to fall apart as he starts acting rashly. I liked that this book had a plot, is fairly lighthearted and I loved the friendship and soccer scenes and the fact that this is the first in a graphic novel series that will follow each of the Hillside kids. Perfect for fans of the Click series! Ages 8+

This book is about two best friends, Grace and Lola, who begin a project to study love. Their research (if you can call it that) opens their eyes to how fickle romantic love can be (especially among infatuated teens), the negative effects of stereotypes (a goth has more to her personality than the way she dresses, an assumed “bimbo” is more than just a pretty face). But it also forces them to examine their own friendship and how well they show up for each other. It covers many (maybe too many) themes, from parental separation to sexual harassment, but I think what it does best is extol the value of female friendships through the ups and downs of life. Ages 11+

This is an entertaining graphic novel about cousins Maya and Riley (Black and Muscogee), who end up living with their grandmother when Maya’s parents are deployed, and Riley’s parents move back in with her grandmother. At school, the girls quickly realize that their vice principal is suspicious, slashing arts, robotics and any budgets possible in favor of increasing the number of detention classrooms. With their grandmother’s advice about using their voices firm in their mind, the girls hatch a plan to expose VP Balderdash’s schemes. I loved many things about this series starter, including the natural, subtle way both girls share about their heritage and how they find home and community with their grandmother. This is also super short (under 200 pages), and the superhero and planning scenes feel like something out of a Spy Kids movie. Ages 8+

Olive “clicks” with everyone in the fifth grade—until one day she doesn’t. When a school variety show leaves Olive stranded without an act to join, she begins to panic, wondering why all her friends have already formed their own groups . . . without her. With the performance drawing closer by the minute, will Olive be able to find her own place in the show before the curtain comes up? I’ve read and loved nearly all the books in this graphic novel series! Ages 8+

I truly loved this graphic novel about three friends who start a dog-walking business. It feels true to kids (feels like something I would’ve LOVED as a child who adored The Babysitters’ Club), and I enjoyed seeing the ethnic diversity and the parental involvement in this story. If you have kids who love animals or have an entrepreneurial streak, this book is for them. It’s also delightfully short, and this is a series I totally plan to keep up with since every book is from a different girl’s perspective. Ages 7+

Lori Block is dedicated to her fourth-grade basketball team, despite being relegated to an extra period before the real game starts, known as the fifth quarter, where the not-so-good kids play and the points don’t count. That doesn’t matter to Lori though, because working on her skills gives her hints of self-confidence, which is a nice break from feeling awkward and out of place in her daily life. This is a fast-paced basketball series about perseverance, friendship, and love for the sport. Ages 8+

Stepping Stones is the first in the PeaPod Farm graphic novel series by Lucy Knisley. It features young Jen, whose mother moves her from the city to a farm to live with her mother’s new boyfriend, Walter and help him care for his farm. At the farm, Jen is saddled with chores like caring for chickens and selling at the farmer’s market. Her mother’s boyfriend, Walter is infuriating and dismissive of Jen’s feelings. Things get worse when Walter’s daughters Andy and Reese come to the farm on weekends. The girls are alright, but Andy seems to be a know-it-all while Reese won’t stop whining. Can Jen make a life at Peapod Farm? Stepping Stones is an engaging, wholesome, true-to-life middle grade graphic novel about dealing with life changes. Ages 9+

When his family moves in the middle of the school year, Stanley wishes he could be invisible because being the new kid is too hard. Then he’s caught in a spill during the science fair and his wish comes true: he’s invisible. There’s only one problem: the kid who made the potion is not pleased! Can Stanley escape his wrath? This is such a fun sci-fi graphic novel for kids who love funny books with plenty of hijinks. Ages 8+

Real Friends is Shannon Hale’s graphic memoir of her middle school experience with real friends — and girls who weren’t quite friends. Shannon and Adrienne have been best friends since Shannon came out of her shell in early elementary school. She had earlier been the shy middle child who never felt like she quite fit in anywhere. But with Adrienne, it was like she could finally exhale. But when Adrienne starts hanging out with the popular girl, Jen, Shannon suddenly doesn’t know where she fits in anymore. As we go through the stressful roller coaster years with Shannon, each chapter highlights her relationship with one of the girls in the new friend group. This is a realistic, moving depiction of the roller coaster that middle school friendships can be, and how affirming it can be to find true friends. Ages 9+

Besties Beth and Chanda need to find a way to earn some money. Beth wants to give her mom a spa day, while Chanda needs money to adopt a new pet (and prove herself responsible to her parents, who are constantly comparing her to her big sister). But when the two land a house-sitting gig, they end up breaking their employer’s prized possession. Can they fix the problem without losing their friendship and reputation? Besties: Work It Out is a sweet, realistic graphic novel about friendship, starting a business, animals, and family relationships. Ages 9+

Middle schooler Viv is tired of being boring and ordinary. She wants to amass social media followers and be a trendsetter like some of her classmates. She also watches a YouTuber who encourages her inclinations. So on Picture Day, she gets the grand idea to chop off her pigtail, creating a strange hairstyle, which a hairstylist eventually refines into something more attention-grabbing. Suddenly, everyone wants Viv’s advice, and she becomes more pushy too, especially towards her friends. It’s not long before everything comes crashing down.Picture Day by Sarah Sax is a funny but thoughtful start to a new graphic novel series for fans of the Click Series. Ages 9+

It’s Mr. Wolf’s first time as a teacher and his class is a potpourri of animals including pigs, birds, cats, and more — all with varying personalities and personal circumstances. There’s the new kid Margot, the focused student Aziza, and then there’s Penny who is soo sleepy because her new sibling keeps the house awake at night. Mr. Wolf is in for a stressful first day when Penny goes missing. This cute slice-of-life series is perfect for animal lovers who are anticipating their first day of school. Ages 7+

Sixth grade is off to a rocky start for Rex. His district moved most of his elementary school to another middle school, his best friend ditches him for the popular crew, and his blurry vision means he has to get clunky new glasses–the only kind his family can afford. This sweet graphic novel for fans of Telgemeier is an ode to middle school, family, and finding your people. Grades 5+

Meet the Bin family, a trio of raccoons in the risky business of dumpster diving for all their needs. With Dusty’s brains, ReRe’s muscle, and Scraps’s gadgets (please don’t tell him he’s almost definitely an opossum), the Binses are determined to leave no garbage bin unturned in their pursuit of the tastiest, most delicious trash they can find. When the family discovers a new upscale grocery store that’s throwing away their perfectly good food at the end of each day, the Binses hatch a heist so daring it’ll have them rolling in garbage all winter long. But a critter-despising CEO, Jeff Beans, and the high-tech defense system he’s installed means liberating that trash is going to take all the skills the Racc Pack have…and maybe some help from a cat burglar with a mysterious past. Ages 8+