Ellen’s Book Nook — September 2021: Graphic Novels for All Ages
By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd
When I hear parents say their children do not like books, I am met with a twinge of sadness. I have always believed that among the millions of books in the world, there is at least one book that each child will want to read and enjoy. The challenge is finding the type of book that appeals to each child. When a child finds the right book for him/her, then a whole new world will open up for them.
A great option for reluctant readers is graphic novels. This type of book has grown in popularity in recent years. Graphic novels are fast-paced, have illustrations to support comprehension, and they give children a sense of accomplishment when they successfully read an entire book with ease. For some children, a graphic novel helps them quickly connect with a story and holds their attention for the duration of the book.
There may be a perception that graphic novels are simple comic books, but that is far from the truth. They are full-length stories told in a paneled, sequential and graphic format. Graphic novels can help children discover a true interest in reading and encourage them to give other types of books a try as well. They can also be a nice change of pace for the voracious reader of longer books, providing a different type of reading experience.
Here is a list of graphic novels in different age groups to consider for your children. Who knows — the graphic novel may just be the key to unlocking the magical world of books and reading for your child!
Ages 5-7
The Adventures of Polo by Régis Faller
Airplane Adventure by Cari Meister and illustrated by Marilyn Janovitz
Benny and Penny in the Big No-No! by Geoffrey Hayes
Blinky to the Rescue by Ashley Spires
Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates by Kevin O’Malley and Patrick O’Brien. illus. by Patrick O’Brien
A Day at the Fire Station by Lori Mortensen and illustrated by Jeffrey Thompson
Hamster and Cheese by Colleen Venable and illustrated by Stephanie Yue
Johnny Boo: The Best Little Ghost in the World! by James Kochalka
Korgi: Book 1 by Christian Slade
Little Mouse Gets Ready by Jeff Smith
Luke on the Loose by Harry Bliss
The Meeting by Brigitte Luciani and illustrated by Eve Tharlet
Otto’s Orange Day by Jay Lynch and illustrated by Frank Cammuso
Owly: The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer by Andy Runton
Patrick in a Teddy Bear’s Picnic and Other Stories by Geoffrey Hayes
You Can’t Take a Balloon into the Museum of Fine Arts by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
Rick & Rack and the Great Outdoors by Ethan Long
Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons by Agnès Rosenstiehl
The Chronicles of Claudette series by Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado
Ages 8-10
The Adventures of Ook and Gluk, Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future by Dav Pilkey
Bug Boys by Laura Knetzger
Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles into Comics by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold and Alexis Frederick-Frost
The Secret of the Unicorn by Hergé
The Stig and Tilde series by Max d Radigues
Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs by Marcia Williams
Art Panels, BAM! Speech Bubbles, POW! Writing Your Own Graphic Novel by Trisha Speed Shaskan. illus. by Stephen Shaskan
The Olympians series by George O’Connor
Bake Sale by Sara Varon
Bone: Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith
The Boxcar Children by Shannon Eric Denton and Illustrated by Mike Dubisch
Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman by Marc Tyler Nobleman illustrated by Ross MacDonald
Creepy Crawly Crime by Aaron Reynolds. illus. by Neil Numberman
Knights of the Lunch Table: The Dodgeball Chronicles by Frank Cammuso
Fashion Kitty and the Unlikely Hero by Charise Mericle Harper
Hyperactive by Scott Christian Sava. illus. by Joseph Bergin III
Into the Volcano by Don Wood
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Magic Pickle by Scott Morse
Mal and Chad: The Biggest Bestest Time Ever by Stephen McCranie
The Purple Smurfs by Yvan Delporte and Illustrated by Peyo
Babymouse: Queen of the World! by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Robot Dreams by Sara Varon
Sardine in Outer Space by Emmanuel Guibert. illus. by Joann Sfar
Salt Water Taffy: The Seaside Adventures of Jack and Benny: The Legend of Old Salty by Matthew Loux
Scratch 9: The Pet Project by Rob M. Worley and Illustrated by Jason T. Kruse. Ape Entertainment
Sticky Burr: Adventures in Burrwood Forest by John Lechner
Squish: Super Amoeba by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi
Super Chicken Nugget Boy and the Furious Fry by Josh Lewis and illustrated by Douglas Holgate
To Dance: A Ballerina’s Graphic Novel by Sienna Cherson Siegel and Illustrated by Mark Siegel
The Unsinkable Walker Bean by Aaron Renier
The Whole World’s Crazy by Jimmy Gownley
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower and L. Frank Baum and illustrated by Skottie Young
Zeus: King of the Gods by George O’Connor. First Second
Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
Ages 11-13+
9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón
Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón
This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews
Becoming RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Journey to Justice by Debbie Levy and illustrated by Whitney Gardner
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Coraline by Neil Gaiman and Illustrated by P. Craig Russel
The Demon of River Heights by Stefan Petrucha and Illustrated by Sho Murase
Foiled by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mike Cavallaro
Blue Period, vol. 1 by Tsubasa Yamaguchi
Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel
Almost American Girl by Robin Ha
Houdini: The Handcuff King by Jason Lutes and Nick Bertozzi
Lewis & Clark by Nick Bertozzi
Meanwhile by Jason Shiga
Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women’s Fight for Their Rights by Mikki Kendall and illustrated by A. D’Amico
Prime Baby by Gene Luen Yang
Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale and Illustrated by Nathan Hale
Smile by Raina Telgemeier
The Golden Age, book 1 by Roxanne Moreil and illustrated by Cyril Pedrosa
The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri and Illustrated by Randy DuBurke
Zebrafish by Sharon Emerson and illustrated by Renée Kurilla
Ellen Bryant Lloyd is the author of FRECKLES and FRECKLES and The Great Beach Rescue. Please visit funwithfreckles.com and .facebook.com/funwithfreckles to learn more about Freckles. Ellen writes a blog about her perspectives on life and parenting at mindfulmom.wordpress.com and tweets at @EllenBLloyd. She lives in Greensboro with her husband and two children.
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