Best Graphic Novels for Kids of 2023

Fox wants to be a big, scary predator who gets to eat the chickens, but when he tries to chase the hens, they laugh at him.

Wolf suggests the fox steal some eggs, raise the chicks himself and eat them, but what Fox didn’t expect was for the little birds to hatch and start calling him mommy.

Dav Pilkey, the writer behind the Captain Underpants series, brings you a new line of graphic novels about Cat Kid, chairperson of the Cat Kid Comic CLub, and teacher of 30 baby frogs.

The comic creations of Cat Kid and friends tell shorter stories, within the wider story.

Hilda lives in a magical world of moving mountains, trolls, walking wooden men, and talking crows.

She sets out on a journey during which she intends to illustrate the world around her. But when a snowstorm blows up, things take a troubling turn.

Join Baloney and his quirky animal friends — including a horse and a “krabbit” as they try new things and have fun adventures. This is a fan favorite for kids fresh out of kindergarten.

Cute but silly Narwhal and Jelly books are for the youngest of readers in grades one to four. The unlikely pair discover friendship, fun, and a healthy dose of adventure in the first three of the series.

These mean-looking animals are not the bad guys they appear to be; in fact, they’re positively good guys, and the under-tens adore these books.

Fifth-grader Olive gets on with everyone but doesn’t have a “best” friend. When the school talent show is announced, she discovers everyone else has joined an act, and there’s no room for her.

How will Olive navigate the talent show?

When Tyler moves to a new town, he can still connect with his friends in the online world of Minecraft.

This is the first of an entire series of Minecraft graphic novels about Tyler and friends. We are particular fans of the way the illustrations give the Minecraft world a softer look.

This set of three graphic novels follow Raina through such childhood problems as falling and knocking out your teeth, new babies in the family, and getting on with siblings as you grow. Plus, puberty.

This set’s especially good for kicking off discussions you or your child may be struggling to start.

Jordan hopes his mom will send him to the art school of his dreams. Instead, she sends him to a prestigious private academy where art is soft, and he’s one of the only kids of color.

Now he’s out of place in his neighborhood and at school. How will he cope?

The seventh book, but first graphic novel in the Last Kids On Earth Series & a new Netflix series.

Unlike other graphic novels, this book has a series of shorter stories, each drawn by a different artist. Consequently, there’s a beautiful range of illustrative styles, each one bringing something different to the book.

Ashley’s dad is in prison, and she bounces around foster homes before landing with a loving family. There she finds a set of magical body paints that bestow superpowers, but the government wants them back.

Can she protect her new family and deal with the past?

There are 10 Wings of Fire books written for children aged 8+ and The Dragonet Prophecy is the first of a series of graphic novel representations of those ten books.

This is a relatively gruesome series, so it may not be suitable for the younger end of the age range.

When Chris snags her dream teen job at Vinyl Mayhem, she’s excited to bond with the all-female staff. However, what she didn’t bargain for was discovering that Vinyl Mayhem is also a front for an all-girl teen vigilante fight-club intent on pushing back against the patriarchy.

Will’s brother’s been shot dead and the neighborhood expects him to take revenge. So, armed with a gun, he takes the elevator in his building, going down.

This achingly beautiful adaptation of Long Way Down describes Will’s journey as on each floor, a new, deceased person enters the elevator to tell their story.

The USS Montgomery is a deep space colony ship. When the ship is attacked by dark forces, all of the adults die, and the kids are left alone with only VALERIE, the AI, to care for them.

Can VALERIE keep the kids alive and evolve to become the parent they need?

Maggie Thrash spends every summer at Camp Bellflower for Girls. However, this year 15-year-old Maggie, who has never kissed a boy, is both surprised and puzzled when a chance, innocent, physical encounter with a female camp counselor makes her heart leap.

Jeremy’s a dork, so when he hears of the Squib, a tiny supercomputer you can swallow, and it will transform your life, he doesn’t think twice.

He transforms into the most popular, cool kid at high school, but there are consequences.

In Trickster, 24 Native American storytellers share traditional tales, each one illustrated by a different artist. The illustrative quality varies; some are fabulous, others not so much, but on the whole, a worthwhile collection.

When Kiku vacations in San Francisco, she finds herself pulled back in time to the 1940s. There she’s trapped in the same internment camp for Japanese Americans to which her grandmother was sent.

Ari is expected to take over the family bakery, which is a problem because he wants to leave and start a band. When he hires Hector as his replacement, their relationship grows deeper against a hefty dose of angst.

Jarrett is being raised by his grandparents, and Hey, Kiddo is 320 pages of visual memoir that is as touching and moving as it is captivating.

What happens when you move back to Earth from a space mining colony and have to spend 30 years cryogenically frozen in the process? Find out in the first of the fantastic Space Boy series.

Hope Larson brings her visual interpretation of A Wrinkle in Time while remaining faithful to the characters, story, and even the chapter format. Although the story is abridged, all of the essential elements are still there.

With text and dialogue taken directly from the novel, Chuck Dixon’s The Hobbit is ideal for those who want to read the book but are intimidated by hundreds of pages of solid text.

If you want to encourage a reluctant reader, consider this graphic novel version of Phillip Pullman’s The Golden Compass. This is the first of the three books which were adapted by HBO as His Dark Materials.

Neil Gaiman’s works feel perfect for graphic novelization. P. Craig Russel’s illustrations do justice to Gaiman’s descriptive narrative and provide an enjoyable alternative visual for those familiar with Tim Burton’s movie treatment.

This short, only 68 pages, adaptation of Jack London’s classic is a good choice for younger reluctant readers who may be put off by a significantly thicker book.

In an ideal but colorless world, there’s no conflict, no choices, and no emotions. The Giver selects Jonas to become the Receiver of Memories, the only person to experience love, joy, and terror.

Will Jonas keep the memories and allow society to continue uninterrupted, or will he take another path?

Rather than a faithful adaptation, this is a retelling of Lewis Carrol’s classic fairy tale. Subsequently, think of this as a graphic taster rather than an entire graphic novel.

Dana is a young black woman who is inexplicably transported back and forth between the Antebellum South and 1970’s California. While it doesn’t contain all of the plot elements of the entire novel, it does have all of the punch.

Four of Edgar Allen Poe’s stories and three poems are brought to life by Gareth Hinds, and the recurring themes are teased apart in endnotes, so there’s no chance of missing salient points.

Shakespeare’s original words are not adapted to contemporary English, but the text is abridged, and difficult words are explained in the footnotes. Together with the watercolor illustrations, this adaptation is as authentic as it is accessible.

Aimed at kids in the six to nine-year-old range, this biography of Rosa Parks includes plenty of information about her life before the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

This graphic novel is an adaptation of Julius Caesar’s Commentaries on the Gallic War. It tells, from Caesar’s own words, the story of the Roman invasion and conquest of Gaul.

Would-be cartoonist Junior leaves his school “on the rez” and instead attends the nearest local high school where he and the school mascot are the only Indians.

An engaging and concise graphic novel, Bell, Edison, and Tesla, tells how the three men from very different backgrounds changed the world with their discoveries and inventions. It also talks of their family lives and interactions with each other.

Born into a lower caste, India’s Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar overcame his predetermined status, earned a law degree in the UK, attended Columbia University, and helped craft an independent India’s constitution.

For the kids too old for picture books but not yet ready to move to chapter books, this series of books by Phoenix International provides an age-appropriate alternative. In this case, you discover the life of Marie Curie.

Life in the refugee camp is difficult, with no medical care and not enough food. What will Omar do when he has the opportunity to attend school but will have to leave his brother behind?

Discover the exciting life of Alexander Hamilton without having to study dry textbooks or ever set foot in a theater. The publishers also have additional, free, downloadable resources available for this book.

Élodie Durand shares her story of having just emerged from her teens; she found herself in an unexpected life of epilepsy, memory gaps, and a loss of her sense of self.

While this book focuses on the work of Crick and Watson, it also touches on the other scientists who came before them, supported them at the time, and followed them. Understandable science, beautiful graphics, and a gripping story.

Fast-based, exciting, and unflinching, Olympians tell the stories of Poseidon, Aphrodite, Hera, Hades, and Athena. While not gratuitous, the inherent violence of the myths is clearly illustrated, so this isn’t a set for kids under 12.

Travel to Super Hero High and discover how Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Katana, Bat Girl, and others learned how to be superheroes.

The first eight editions of Kazu Kibuishi’s bestselling series are brought together in one high-quality box set. Ideal for grades three to seven, Amulet is popular among teachers trying to encourage reluctant readers.

Meet Hilo, the alien robot boy who fell to earth. He has no idea how he got here or what he’s suppressed to do. Luckily he has new friends Gina and DJ to guide him.

From the creator of Captain Underpants, Dog Man, a new breed of justice with the body of a man and the head of a dog.

Existing fans and newcomers alike will enjoy these graphic novel adaptations of the classic The Baby-Sitters Club series. I especially like how these adaptations allow readers who struggle to share the same stories as their more fluent peers.

The first of a series of box sets, this slipcase contains four graphic novels in a distinctly middle school cartoon style. So you can be comfortable with your child enjoying superheroes without encountering adult content.