12 Graphic Novels for Developing Readers
Graphic novels are some of the most favorite books in our library and for good reason! Kids love being able to support their text reading with illustrations! While the jury’s still out on whether or not it takes more brain power to read a graphic novel, there are studies that support that reading graphic novels helps to support comprehension and retention. Kids have to not only read the words, but also interpret the pictures and they remember these stories better!
If you’ve got a little one at home who has been practicing their language and reading skills with easy readers, check out my Graphic Novels for Beginning Readers book list for some great suggestions. But, if your reader has graduated out of easy readers, but chapter books feel a little intimidating, try graphic novels that have fewer words and a lot of illustration to support the storyline. You’ll find chapter book classics that have been adapted to the graphic novel format as well as some fun new characters and stories too! I will say chapter book readers are particularly hard to figure out because there is a wide range of reading abilities in this group of kids, but try taking home a couple of these options and seeing what works well. And remember, even if your kid can’t read the story by themselves quite yet, doesn’t mean you can’t read it together!
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Graphic Novels for Developing Readers
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen’s Witch adapted by Katy Farina
Karen Brewer lives next door to Mrs. Porter, who wears long robes and has wild gray hair. Mrs. Porter has a black cat named Midnight and always seems to be working in her garden. Karen isn’t supposed to spy on her neighbor, but she’s determined to prove that Mrs. Porter is a witch named Morbidda Destiny!Mrs. Porter is getting ready to have a special meeting at her house, and Karen is sure the meeting is for witches. Are they going to cast a spell on Karen? Or will she be brave enough to send them away — once and for all?
Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song
Norma and Belly would really really really really really like a donut.
With a burned breakfast and a cranky donut seller at the local food truck, they may be stuck with only nuts to eat . . . unless they can steal the biggest, most delicious donut of their tiny lives!
Mika Song gives readers something to laugh at as these squirrels try their hardest to get some donuts while just about everything goes wrong. A fun “donut caper” graphic novel that focuses on madcap action, problem-solving, and the power of working together.
Hamster and Cheese by Colleen AF Venable and Stephanie Yue
Everyone is a suspect, from the chinchillas to the goldfish. Never fear! The world’s fluffiest detective on the case: Sasspants, PI(G).
By day, Sasspants is your average book-loving, gizmo-inventing guinea pig. By night she solves pet shop mysteries with the help of her sidekick, Hamisher the hamster. Our furry little heroes will stop at nothing to find the sandwich thief! This is the first book in the Guinea PIG, Pet Shop Private Eye series.
Hilda and the Troll by Luke Pearson
Hilda can never sit still for long without setting off on another adventure. She can’t resist exploring her enchanting world—a place where trolls walk, crows speak, and mountains move. The magic and folklore of the wild, windswept North come alive in this book about an adventurous little girl and her habit of befriending anything, no matter how curious it might seem.
While on an expedition to illustrate the magical creatures of the mountains around her home, Hilda spots a mountain troll. As the blue-haired explorer sits and sketches, she slowly starts to nod off. By the time she wakes up, the troll has totally disappeared and, even worse, Hilda is lost in a snowstorm. On her way home, Hilda befriends a lonely wooden man, and narrowly avoids getting squashed by a lost giant.
Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed To Earth by Judd Winick
BOOM! CLANG! CRASH! D.J. and Gina are totally ordinary kids. But Hilo isn’t! Hilo just fell out of the sky and doesn’t know where he came from, or what he’s doing on Earth. (Or why going to school in only your underwear is a BAD idea!) . . . But UH-OH, what if Hilo wasn’t the only thing to fall to our planet? Can the trio unlock the secrets of Hilo’s past? Can Hilo survive a day at school? Find out in HILO-a laugh-out-loud, epic story of friendship! Adventure! (And the occasionaly mutant space robot).
Ivestigators by John Patrick Green
With their Very Exciting Spy Technology and their tried-and-true, toilet-based travel techniques, the InvestiGators are undercover and on the case! And on their first mission together, they have not one but two mysteries to solve! Can Mango and Brash uncover the clues, crack their cases, and corral the crooks―or will the criminals wriggle out of their grasp?
Little Robot by Ben Hatke
When a little girl finds an adorable robot in the woods, she presses a button and accidentally activates him for the first time. Now, she finally has a friend. But the big, bad robots are coming to collect the little guy for nefarious purposes, and it’s all up to a five-year-old armed only with a wrench and a fierce loyalty to her mechanical friend to save the day!
Luncy Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Serving justice . . . and lunch!
Hector, Terrence, and Dee have always wondered about their school lunch lady. What does she do when she isn’t dishing out the daily special? Where does she live? Does she have a lot of cats at home? Little do they know, Lunch Lady doesn’t just serve sloppy joes—she serves justice! Whatever danger lies ahead, it’s no match for LUNCH LADY!
Magic Treehouse: Dinosaurs Before Dark adapted by Jenny Laird
Where did the tree house come from?
Before Jack and Annie can find out, the mysterious tree house whisks them to the prehistoric past. Now they have to figure out how to get home. Can they do it before dark…or will they become a dinosaur’s dinner?
Mayor Good Boy by Dave Scheidt and Miranda Harmon
The votes are in and the new mayor is…A DOG?!
This dog will do more than shake paws. Mayor Good Boy is here to help Greenwood become a town filled with kindness, starting with fetching help for the local zoo. With foes around every corner trying to put a stop to Mayor Good Boy’s campaign of fun, are there cheese snacks and belly rubs in his future? Or will the whole town suddenly have a flea problem?
Max Meow: Cat Crusader by John Gallagher
Max is just a regular cat in Kittyopolis, trying to make it big as a podcaster UNTIL he accidentally takes a bite of an RADIOACTIVE SPACE MEATBALL at his best friend Mindy’s SECRET LAB. Then before you can say MEOWZA, Max becomes…The CAT CRUSADER! Being a super hero is fun–but not if you get so cocky, you forget your best friend! Will Max and Mindy make up? And together, can they save Kittyopolis from the evil Agent M and BIG BOSS?!
When Pigs Fly by Rob Harrell
Gary Yorkshire was your perfectly average, fuzzy pink pig who loved tasty sandwiches, video games, mud baths, and hanging out with his friends Carl the fish and Brooklyn the bat. Until one day . . . a radioactive bat bite gives him powers he never would have dreamed of! Inspired by his old Crimson Swine comics, Gary decides that he’ll use his powers for good and becomes (drumroll) Batpig! Now he just needs a good zinger of a Batpig slogan, a spandex costume that flatters his rear end . . . and maybe a little advice about how in the world to defeat supervillains?
