20 Books for the Raina Telgemeier Fans in Your Life

Maggie loves animals and has been waiting patiently to get a dog, only to discover that she’s allergic. She’s also dealing with a changing family in which she feels less and less like she belongs. Maggie starts getting shots to get her allergies under control while on the hunt for a hypoallergenic pet. Things appear to be looking up when Maggie meets Claire, an only child living with her single dad, who indulges her every whim. Claire is one grade above Maggie, but the two become fast friends — until Claire gets a dog. Allergic is a sweet, realistic depiction of what it’s like to suffer from allergies. Grades 3+

In Play Like a Girl, author Misty Wilson chronicles her year on the boy’s football team in her town. When she gets mocked for wanting to play football with the boys, Misty determines she’ll sign up for the team with her best friend (who’s convinced because she wants time with boys). But the training process is rigorous, and playing football is physically challenging — especially with boys. It gets harder when her bestie gives up on Misty and their friendship. Can Misty make it work? And will she rebuild her social life? This is a compelling, heartfelt middle grade graphic memoir about challenging the status quo, playing football, and finding your tribe. Grades 4+

The graphic novel Measuring Up follows 12-year-old Cici, who moves from Taiwan to the US with her parents, leaving behind her beloved A-ma (her grandmother). Thankfully, the adjustment period isn’t too hard on her. She makes friends quickly, and her English is already pretty good. However, she misses her A-ma, with whom she used to go to the market and cook. So when she stumbles upon a kid cooking contest, it feels like the perfect opportunity to earn $1000. The only problem is that Cici can only cook Taiwanese dishes. Fortunately, she’s paired up with an Italian-American girl, Miranda, whose father runs a restaurant (and who practically grew up working in a restaurant). This is an excellent, feel-good, coming-of-age story that pays homage to the love between a granddaughter and her grandmother. Grades 3+

This is a semi-autobiographical story of Lia, who moves from Romania to Canada just as she’s getting her first (very painful) period. It seems to be the first in a series about Lia. In Montreal, she struggles at first in her French immersion school. I love the progression as she begins to understand French more and more. This is a great one if you’re looking for a slice-of-life graphic novel tackling periods and puberty, featuring crushes, and exploring the struggles and wins of immigrating. Readers should know that a girl crushes on another girl in this story but doesn’t reveal it. Grades 5+

13-year-old Mia feels like her social circle is changing faster than she can keep up with. Her best friend Addy is now friends with a not-nice popular girl whom they were both united in not liking. Happily, one of her good friends, Tariq announces that he’s moving to her town. But when Tariq arrives, he looks different: cool haircut, contacts, and he plays sports too now? I really liked this one. This is another slice-of-life graphic novel, but the friendship miscommunications add a necessary level of tension and suspense. I also loved the friendship between these kids and the fact that everything stays platonic. Grades 5+

This sweet graphic memoir is about Ruth Chan’s move as a teen from Canada to Hong Kong and the link between the grit needed to move and her paternal grandparents’ perseverance during the Sino-Japanese war when her father was born. Ruth learns that she can do hard things, especially socially, and she also comes to see her parents as real people, which can be life-changing for her as a teen. That’s probably the most touching aspect for me. Fans of Calin’s NEW GIRL and Santat’s A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING will enjoy this one even though Chan is more subdued and never actually begins a romance. Grades 4+

What does it mean to be a bad sister? Charise struggles with jealousy, impulsiveness, and mean-spiritedness in this moving graphic memoir as she tries her best to be a good sister. This one really explores challenging sibling relationships and the difficult emotions that could arise, but the ending is heartwarming and satisfying. Grades 5+

After she and her dad move from Brooklyn to Florida, she makes a new friend in the housing complex where they live. Unfortunately, when Bree goes to choose her math club elective, it’s fully booked. As a math lover who can’t swim, she’s crushed to hear that the only elective left is swim 101. At first, Bree avoids getting in the water, but after a near-drowning in her housing complex, an elderly neighbor (who used to be part of her swim team) decides to coach Bree. Bree gets so good that she joins her swim team, but can the team get past the drama and win? Swim Team is a highly engaging graphic novel about swimming, Black history (and why many Blacks don’t swim), and friendship. Grades 4+

Real Friends is Shannon Hale’s graphic memoir of her middle school experience with real friends — and girls who weren’t quite friends. 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. Each of the girls basically lives to impress Jen, the ultimate cool girl, and the group operates by making other girls feel left out. Thankfully, Shannon eventually finds friends who like her, but she also has to learn whom to let in and whom to. Shannon Hale’s Real Friends 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. Grades 5+

Avery has SIX siblings and is feeling squished at home, so she’s crushed when her older brother Theo gets the first chance to room alone. She has to share a room with her younger siblings, Pearl and Max. On top of that, she often babysits the youngest three siblings. Avery decides to get a job so she can earn money and set up a basement bedroom. But just when she’s finding her groove, it appears that the family will have to move to another city — away from the friends and neighborhood Avery has come to love. This is a heartwarming, relatable middle grade book about being part of a large family, navigating sibling relationships, and adjusting to change. Grades 4+

The Tryout follows young Christina as she tries out for her middle school’s cheerleading team. As one of the few Asians in her small Texas town, Christina and her Iranian-American best friend are nervous about trying out, but determined to give their best. Unfortunately, tryouts quickly lead to heartbreak when Megan decides to partner up with another girl, leaving Christina to fend for herself. Can the girls make it work? This is a fantastic graphic memoir that will appeal to fans of sports stories and books about life as a minority and child of immigrants. Grades 4+

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 is the book 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. Grades 4+

This is a hilarious graphic novel for fans of Squished and The Vanderbeekers about a girl who is sick of her little siblings but gets stuck at home with them when they all get chickenpox. Set in Indonesia and roughly based on Lai’s own experiences but written from her older sister’s perspective, this book will sing to firstborns but also to any sibling in a large family who’s trying to find their voice and see the gift their siblings are to them. I loved the funny depictions of life with chickenpox, the tween angst and gossip as Abby navigates her friend group and friendships that may or may not be crushes. While there is some sibling angst, this one has a lovely, heartwarming resolution and will appeal to kids between the ages of 8 and 12.

I had very low expectations of this book but ended up being charmed by it! In the vein of Telgemeier’s SMILE and SISTERS, Frakes introduces readers to anxious overthinker Norah, who’s desperate for a means of self-expression and blonde hair as she enters middle school. Her prison warden parents bicker constantly, and her contrarian little sister is a bit sick of being the black sheep to Norah’s good kid. But a bad dye job is only the beginning of Norah’s challenges. This is a slice-of-life graphic novel all about how Norah finds her voice, gains a deeper appreciation for her family, and discovers her hair as a vehicle for experimentation and expression. It is funny, touching, and oh-so relatable, especially for kids struggling to find their voice in a home with a loud (but not abusive) parent. Really good for grades 5+

I LOVED this autobiographical story about Cindy, a 12-year-old Taiwanese-American girl trying hard to hide her family’s secret that her dad no longer lives with them and has moved back to Taiwan. Cindy has two older sisters, and they live with their mom in San Francisco. She also likes to draw and is pretty good at it. So when her teacher announces an art contest with the theme of What Does Family Mean to You, Cindy is torn. Then her Nai Nai dies, and she and her mom and sisters travel to Taiwan for the funeral, where they meet her dad and discover an even deeper secret. I adored the art and storytelling in this book, and the PLOT is strong with mystery, suspense, emotions, and even travel! Truly a perfect book for kids who like Raina Telgemeier and Lily LaMotte. Grades 5+

Twins Maureen and Francine Carter have always done everything together, but things have changed as they’re starting sixth grade. For one, they have nearly all their classes apart from each other, and Francine is dressing differently, trying to stand out from her twin, Maureen. The girls are still figuring out their new dynamic when Francine decides to run for student council, and by some stroke of fate, her shy, terrified-of-public-speaking sister is also running for president. Despite the ground rules laid by their parents, things get a bit messy as both girls try to establish their personal identities while fighting to reconcile their relationship as twins and sisters. This graphic novel is simply a delight! I loved following Maureen and Francine — and am really hoping we get a few more books about them. Grades 4+