{"id":40409,"date":"2025-04-07T09:54:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T13:54:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readingmiddlegrade.com\/?p=40409"},"modified":"2025-04-16T11:31:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T15:31:10","slug":"graphic-novels-for-9-year-olds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readingmiddlegrade.com\/graphic-novels-for-9-year-olds\/","title":{"rendered":"Fabulous Graphic Novels for 9 Year Olds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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I don’t know about you, but I LOVE graphic novels. Good graphic novels are immersive, engaging, and easy to finish in no time. Some parents, teachers and librarians worry about the value of graphic novels for kids, but research has shown them to be even more effective than prose for vocabulary building. Nine-year-olds are older elementary pupils with stronger reading skills and perhaps a greater appreciation for longer stories. This list is a fantastic resource if you’re on the hunt for more graphic novels for 9-year-olds. Of course, these books are perfect for most kids between ages 8 and 12, but they are likely to be a hit, especially with 9-year-olds!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Join our Patreon community<\/a> to get the printable version of this li<\/b>st<\/strong>! You’ll also get access to other kid lit resources and perks, like our seasonal guides, book tasting menus, and book discussion guides, to inspire you. You can also buy the standalone printable from our shop<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you’re curious about the content of the books on my list, you can get access to my Content Notes Database<\/a>, where I share information about what to expect from all the books on my lists.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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20 Awesome Graphic Novels for 9-Year-Olds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are 20 of my favorite options for this age:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chickenpox<\/h2><\/div>
By Remy Lai 
Published: January 14, 2025<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This is a hilarious graphic novel for fans of Squished<\/a><\/em> and The Vanderbeekers<\/a><\/em> 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\u2019s own experiences but written from her older sister\u2019s perspective, this book will sing to firstborns but also to any sibling in a large family who\u2019s 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.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Lucky Scramble <\/h2><\/div>
By Peter Raymundo
Published: April 23, 2024<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tyler got into solving Rubik\u2019s cubes after his father\u2019s death and now has made it to the National competition. We follow him and four other contestants (an elderly record holder, a 17-year-old arrogant champion, twin contestants, and a prodigy that isn\u2019t what he seems) as they prepare for and compete in the finals. This is a unique SHORT illustrated prose-graphic novel that takes readers behind the scenes of a cubing contest while delving into important themes like grief, integrity, modesty, popularity, and individual identity. There\u2019s an element of mystery and I read this in one sitting eager to see how the contest turned out and also learn more about each contestant. It\u2019s truly different from anything I\u2019ve read and I think kids who love cubing, contests, and graphic novels will enjoy this one. Ages 8+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Swim Team<\/h2><\/div>
By Johnnie Christmas
Published: May 17, 2022<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

After she and her dad move from Brooklyn to Florida, Bree is excited for her first day in middle school. But also, she\u2019s super anxious about whether she\u2019ll make friends and fit in. Thankfully, she makes a new friend in the housing complex where they live. Unfortunately, when Bree goes to choose her math club elective, it\u2019s fully booked. As a math lover who can\u2019t swim, she\u2019s crushed to hear that the only elective left is swim 101. Swim Team<\/em> is a highly engaging graphic novel about swimming, Black history (and why many Blacks don\u2019t swim), and friendship. Ages 8+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Curlfriends<\/h2><\/div>
By Sharee Miller 
Published: October 10, 2023<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Charlie is the new kid for the umpteenth time, but this time things will be different. Her dad is no longer in the military, and this is a more permanent home, so she feels more pressure to find and impress some new friends. When she meets a cool group of Black girls with varying interests, she decides to hide her \u201cbabyish\u201d style and hobbies to befriend them. But she soon learns that with true friends, you can be your whole self.Curlfriends: New In Town<\/em> is the cute first book in a new graphic novel series about Black hair, girlfriends, fashion, and adjusting to change. Ages 8+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Bunny vs Monkey<\/h2><\/div>
By Jamie Smart
Published: September 3, 2023<\/strong> <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When Monkey is sent into space by a team of scientists, he thinks everything will be smooth sailing. But not everything goes according to plan, and soon Monkey’s spaceship crash-lands in a forest, disrupting the peaceful atmosphere. Convinced that he has discovered a new world, power-mad (but mostly incompetent) Monkey claims the forest as his own and determines that all other animals must be banished, including his soon-to-be nemesis, Bunny. As Bunny gathers reinforcements and goes head-to-head with the gadget-obsessed Monkey, hilarious hijinks ensue. Ages 8+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Allergic<\/h2><\/div>
By Megan Wagner Lloyd (Author), Michelle Mee Nutter (Illustrator)
Published: March 2, 2021<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Maggie loves animals and has been waiting patiently to get a dog, only to discover that she\u2019s allergic. She\u2019s 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 \u2014 until Claire gets a dog. Allergic is a sweet, realistic depiction of what it\u2019s like to suffer from allergies. Ages 8+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza<\/h2><\/div>
By Mac Barnett (Author), Shawn Harris (Illustrator)
Published: May 10, 2022<\/strong> <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Something terrible is happening in the skies! Rats are eating the MOON<\/em>! 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+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Speak Up, Santiago!<\/h2><\/div>
By Julio Anta (Author), Gabi Mendez (Illustrator)
Published: March 4, 2025<\/strong> <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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 <\/em>series! Ages 8+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Measuring Up<\/h2><\/div>
By Lily LaMotte (Author), Ann Xu (Illustrator)
Published: October 27, 2020<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

12-year-old Cici moves from Taiwan to the US with her parents, leaving behind her beloved A-ma. Cici 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\u2019s paired up with an Italian-American girl, Miranda, whose father runs a restaurant (and who practically grew up working in a restaurant). Halfway through the contest, though, each contestant has to compete alone. Measuring Up is an excellent, feel-good, coming-of-age story that pays homage to the love between a granddaughter and her grandmother. Ages 8+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Blue Stars: Mission #1<\/h2><\/div>
By Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith (Author), Molly Murakami (Illustrator)
Published: March 5, 2024<\/strong> | 1 Book in the series<\/strong><\/strong> so far<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This is an entertaining graphic novel about cousins Maya and Riley (Black and Muscogee), who end up living with their grandmother when Maya\u2019s parents are deployed, and Riley\u2019s 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\u2019s advice about using their voices firm in their mind, the girls hatch a plan to expose VP Balderdash\u2019s 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<\/em> movie. Ages 8+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Racc Pack<\/h2><\/div>
By Stephanie Cooke (Author), Whitney Gardner (Illustrator)
Published: January 23, 2024<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Meet the Bin family, a trio of raccoons in the risky business of dumpster diving for all their needs. With Dusty\u2019s brains, ReRe\u2019s muscle, and Scraps\u2019s gadgets (please don\u2019t tell him he\u2019s 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\u2019s throwing away their perfectly good food at the end of each day, the Binses hatch a heist so daring it\u2019ll have them rolling in garbage all winter long. But a critter-despising CEO, Jeff Beans, and the high-tech defense system he\u2019s installed means liberating that trash is going to take all the skills the Racc Pack have\u2026and maybe some help from a cat burglar with a mysterious past. Ages 8+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Twins<\/h2><\/div>
By Varian Johnson (Author), Shannon Wright (Illustrator)
Published: October 6, 2020<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Twins Maureen and Francine Carter have always done everything together, but things have changed as they\u2019re starting sixth grade. 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 \u2014 and am really hoping we get a few more books about them. Ages 8+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Hoops <\/h2><\/div>
By Matt Tavares
Published: March 14, 2023<\/strong> <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s 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\u2019t 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\u2019re 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\u2019s little to no funding for their team. Can Judi and the team make it work? Hoops<\/em> is a fantastic, historical middle grade graphic novel about equality<\/a> and basketball set against the backdrop of the rise of a female basketball team in the 1970s. Ages 9+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Squished<\/h2><\/div>
By Megan Wagner Lloyd (Author), Michelle Mee Nutter (Illustrator)
Published: March 7, 2023<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Avery has SIX siblings and is feeling squished at home, so she\u2019s 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. Her dad is a teacher, and her mom is studying to become a programmer, so things can be hectic at home. Avery decides to get a job so she can earn money and set up a basement bedroom. But just when she\u2019s finding her groove, it appears that the family will have to move to another city \u2014 away from the friends and neighborhood Avery has come to love. Squished<\/em> is a heartwarming, relatable middle grade book about being part of a large family<\/a>, navigating sibling relationships, and adjusting to change<\/a>. Ages 9+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Roller Girl<\/h2><\/div>
By Victoria Jamieson
Published: March 10, 2015<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Astrid and Nicole are best friends, and they do nearly everything together. Until Astrid\u2019s mom takes them to watch roller derby. While Astrid can\u2019t 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\u2019s derby rolling instead of doing ballet with Nicole. Things get more difficult when Astrid realizes that roller derby is no joke \u2014 physically, mentally, and emotionally. Will she make it? Roller Girl<\/em> is an action-packed exploration of roller derby, the thrill of finding a passion, and the power of perseverance. Ages 9+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Frizzy<\/h2><\/div>
By Claribel A. Ortega (Author), Rose Bousamra (Illustrator)
Published: October 18, 2022<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Marlene hates the salon where her mom takes her to get her natural curls straightened weekly. Marlene\u2019s mom and some in their circle\/family believe that \u201cgood hair\u201d is straight hair. Marlene\u2019s mom wants her to focus on school and look \u201ctidy\u201d by having her hair straight and slick. But Marlene isn\u2019t so sure. She sees an internet influencer and her favorite aunt, Tia Ruby rocking their curls and is eager to try. But her first attempt fails woefully. With Tia Ruby\u2019s hair, Marlene learns to care for her natural hair better and embrace her curls. Frizzy<\/em> is a delightful, thought-provoking graphic novel about natural hair, self-acceptance, and body image<\/a>. Ages 9+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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39 Clues: The Maze of Bones (39 Clues Graphic Novel #1)<\/h2><\/div>
By Ethan Young (Adapter, Illustrator), Rick Riordan (Author)
Published: April 4, 2023<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Orphaned at an early age, siblings Amy and Dan Cahill formed a close bond with their now-deceased grandmother, Grace. In her will, she gives her relatives a choice to accept a million dollars or race against rival families to uncover 39 clues that will lead to a powerful family secret. After accepting the challenge, Amy and Dan travel to new locations, solve historical mysteries, and face dangerous enemies. The new graphic novel format brings this bestselling series to life with bold illustrations and fast-paced, condensed storytelling, making it less intimidating and more accessible to reluctant middle grade readers. Ages 9+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Pawcasso<\/h2><\/div>
By Remy Lai
Published: May 25, 2021<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Pawcasso is what 11-year-old Jo names the basket-toting dog in town when a group of kids at the library mistake her for the dog\u2019s owner. Jo is a lonely kid bored at home during the summer holidays and missing her father, who works in a different city and visits the family periodically. She\u2019s seen the dog walking through her neighborhood several times. As the kids fall more in love with \u201cPawcasso,\u201d and by extension, Jo, she begins to enjoy having friends in her life. But what happens when the lie is exposed? Jo also begins to worry whether her new plan is endangering Pawcasso\u2019s freedom. Pawcasso<\/em> is an adorable middle grade graphic novel with a relatable protagonist and a sweet dog friend. Ages 9+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Curveball <\/h2><\/div>
By Pablo Cartaya
Published: May 7, 2024<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This quirky middle grade graphic for fans of Victoria Jamieson is all about Elena, the only female baseball player on her team. Elena likes baseball, but her mother is obsessed with it and obsessed with Elena playing because she didn\u2019t have the chance to play the sport as a teen. Elena\u2019s brother on the other hand, shuns competitive sports, preferring Live Action Role Playing (LARP-ing) with his friends, which Elena can\u2019t grasp (who plays pretend?!). But when she gets injured, she\u2019s forced to take a break from baseball and learn what it means to play for fun, not for sport. Hand to 4th graders who love role-playing, Dungeons and Dragons, or could stand to learn a thing or two about having FUN and being open to new paths. Ages 9+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Click<\/h2><\/div>
By Kayla Miller
Published: January 8, 2019<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Olive \u201cclicks\u201d with everyone in the fifth grade\u2014until one day she doesn\u2019t. 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\u2019ve read and loved nearly all the books in this graphic novel series<\/a>! Ages 8+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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More Graphic Novel Lists<\/h2>\n\n\n\n