Graphic Novels 11 Year Olds Love!

This is a solid graphic novel about two siblings who’ve grown apart and can’t stop bickering. One is a NASA nerd/space head, while the other is a budding environmental activist. After their parents become fed up with their antics on a family trip to Florida for their mother’s job, their devices are confiscated until they can get along again. What finally turns the tide for them is a sick turtle they find on the beach. I love the illustrations in this one and the balanced way the author examines the public response to hijabs and cultural differences. Although slow initially and didactic at times, this is a great pick, especially for Muslim kids who want to see themselves in graphic novels written by Muslims or readers looking for environmental activism stories.

Five different students have yet to complete their community service for a school offense and must explain why (as well as what they did) to their principal. Thus, these five seemingly socially invisible kids each share from their perspectives how they got in trouble — and readers are definitely in for a ride. There’s George, the smart kid who is Latino but can’t speak Spanish; Sara, the loner; Dayara, the tough kid, Miguel, the baseball player; and Nico, the rich kid. The story is told in Spanish and English. Invisible is a powerful, heartwarming graphic novel about immigration, homelessness, racism, and finding your tribe. Like Vrabel’s The Reckless Club,

Astrid and Nicole are best friends who do nearly everything together. Until Astrid’s mom takes them to watch roller derby. While Astrid can’t get enough of the cool girls and all the derby action, Nicole is immediately put off. So when Astrid signs up for junior derby, Nicole chooses a ballet elective instead. However, Astrid never tells her mom that she’s derby-rolling instead of doing ballet with Nicole. Things get more difficult when Astrid realizes that roller derby is no joke — physically, mentally, and emotionally. Will she make it? Roller Girl is an action-packed exploration of roller derby, the thrill of finding a passion, and the power of perseverance.

When Zoey’s parents decide she’ll go from homeschooling to in-person middle school, she’s nervous about fitting in. Fortunately, she has one major skill: coding. Having been exposed to computers and coding earlier, Zoey builds a mobile app called The Cool Code, which uses artificial intelligence and data to predict which outfits she should wear, what to say in conversations, and even which kids to befriend if she wants to be popular. When two not-so-popular kids befriend Zoey, they’re eager to experiment with the app as their STEM project to see if following its tips really makes Zoey popular. But letting an app decide your social interactions gets complicated pretty quickly. The Cool Code is a fun, STEM-centered graphic novel about fitting in, being yourself, and finding your tribe.

We return to Brinkley in this third installment of the series that follows kids at a middle school and in the same friend group as they deal with life challenges. I feel like this series gets better with each installment, and it’s great because each of the books has an independent plot and can be read as a standalone. In this book, Milo is trying to overcome his cursed two left feet by finally being comfortable in his own skin. It’s funny and so relatable, and his friends are so supportive as he figures things out.

13-year-old Mia feels like her social circle is changing faster than she can keep up. Her best friend Addy is now friends with a not-nice popular girl whom they were both united in not liking. In a positive twist of events, one of her good friends, Tariq whom she knows from science camp announces that he’s moving to her town. But when Tariq arrives, he looks different: cool haircut, contacts, and he plays sports too now? This is another slice-of-life graphic novel about finding your way through the messy process of growing up and doing it your way. The friendship miscommunications add a necessary level of tension and suspense. I also loved the friendship between these kids, their diverse interests (coding, art, etc.), and the fact that each character is portrayed in a nuanced way.

Ollie is a girl who wouldn’t be caught dead in a dress. Her father’s work takes the family to a new country every couple of years, and the book opens with a move from Frankfurt, Germany to Chestnut Falls, Virginia. Ollie is always happy to move and has unwittingly begun to use moving as an excuse for not maintaining or valuing long-term friendships since she’ll be leaving in a year or two anyway. So, she’s shocked when her parents buy a house and decide to plant roots in Virginia. We follow Ollie through the ups and downs of making friends, keeping friendships, and navigating family changes while figuring out her biracial Thai-American identity. Cosplay and anime fandom make up a significant subplot, so this book will likely appeal more to kids who enjoy those interests. Still, many kids will enjoy the humor and levity in this book.

Eliot is a middle schooler with a brilliant superhero comic idea but insufficient drawing skills to bring his ideas to life. Enter Pam, a fellow classmate who is a talented artist. The two begin collaborating on the comic but run into common partnership woes that threaten to destroy their collaboration. I loved this story. Mark Crilley is TALENTED. At first, I didn’t know what to expect, but the whole story is told to readers from Eliot’s perspective as he draws on notepads and then we see his and Pam’s conversations via note scraps passed in class, and we also see their comic series and read the fan mail they receive. It feels immersive, funny, and interactive, and I think middle schoolers will love this. Such a fantastic win! Ages 8+

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 more and more French. 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.

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 friendship and how well they show up for each other. I loved the illustration style in this book. It kept me turning the pages for sure. Good for kids interested in manga and romance.

Verity “Very” Nelson is a school superstar. She gets the best grades in just about every subject and has been class president twice in a row. But she has one problem: Math makes no sense to her no matter how much she studies. And now, if she can’t pass eighth grade math, she’ll have to forfeit her current tenure as class president. This entertaining, relatable graphic novel explores the challenge of dyscalculia while examining common themes like friendship and school drama. I loved it. Ages 9+

Twins Luisa and Fernando find their paths diverging as they enter sixth grade. Luisa will attend middle school in the US just across the border from Fernando’s school in Mexico. There, they face different but equally pressing challenges that threaten to tear them apart. Twin Cities is a fascinating look into Mexican culture, life as a twin, and finding your own identity. Grades 7+

It’s the 1970s, and Judi loves to shoot hoops in the driveway with her brother and his friends. She hopes she can join a basketball team someday, but her school doesn’t have a female team. So when she gets to high school, she chooses the next best thing: cheerleading with her best friend Stacey. But one day, the school announces that they’re starting a team for the girls because of the Title IX ruling. Unfortunately, as willing as the girls who sign up are (Judi inclusive), there’s little to no funding for their team. Can Judi and the team make it work? Hoops is a fantastic, historical middle grade graphic novel about equality and basketball set against the backdrop of the rise of a female basketball team in the 1970s.

Wei and Hung are two former best friends, now rivals, who both share a love for lion dancing. After a two-year hiatus and failure to find any other team sport where he belongs, Wei stumbles upon a lion dancing team, only to discover that Hung is a member. The two boys bicker even as Wei improves over time. Hung doesn’t want to be Wei’s tail anymore and instead wants to compete to be a lion head despite being better suited for the tail position. But over time, the boys come to figure out why Wei left and how to be better team members. There’s an air of mystery as we discover what happened with Wei’s dad, Wei stopping lion dancing, and who the team captain is. This is quite reminiscent of Duel, with plenty of information about how lion dancing works and and what it means to be part of a team. Unique, beautiful graphics.

It’s Ramadan, and even though it’s his third year of fasting, this year, Hassan is struggling with balancing his fast (and hunger) with being on the soccer team and handling schoolwork. He’s constantly daydreaming about food and eating and falling asleep in class. His soccer game is also suffering, and he’s at risk of losing his starting spot to a girl on his team. Can he find balance and share the fact that he’s fasting with the non-Muslims in his life? I liked this story. I think it’s funnier, honest, and more plot-filled than the average graphic novel nowadays, and I loved Hassan’s character arc. Perfect for fans of humorous, sporty graphic novels and Mexikid!

This stunning graphic novel follows Cinzia, an Avvisi’s/newswriter’s apprentice living in sunny Sianerra. Cinzia and her mestra write news stories/pamphlets to the city, but not everyone likes it when they tell the truth. After an edition exposing the ruling family for extortion, Cinzia and her Mestra are arrested at night, and she has to join forces with the princess to fight back against censorship. Ink Girls is a beautiful graphic novel about activism, speaking the truth, and speaking up despite censorship.

Whether or not you’ve read Garcia’s Newbery Honor-winning book, the graphic adaptation just begs to be experienced. With illustrations from acclaimed illustrator Sharee Miller (Curlfriends: New in Town) and powerful history and emotions on the page, I devoured this book in one sitting! I liked the original book just fine but adored this novel and felt the Gaither sisters come to life vividly in its pages. With important themes like mother-daughter relationships, activism, and Black history, I’m eager for realistic graphic novel fans to discover this one over the summer.