Graphic Novels for Older Kids

In celebration of Free Comic Book Day (annually on the 1st Saturday of May), GVPL asked staff what their favorite graphic novels are. Here are some of the ones we love and think you might love too!

Updated August 16, 2024
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Garlic & the witch
Paulsen, Bree
Paper Book
Bree Paulsen's brave little protagonist, Garlic, is back in this charmingly illustrated standalone companion to Garlic and the Vampire, serving up another tale of friendship, magic, and self-discovery. Give both books to readers who fell in love with Tidesong or Witch Boy! Garlic loves...
Super Boba Cafe
Chanani, Nidhi.
Paper Book
First in a series,Nidhi Chanani's Super Boba Café isa sweet and magical middle-grade, full-color graphic novel about a secret teashop, an earthquake-causing monster, and an unforgettable summer. In the fog-laden hills of San Francisco sits a sleepy...
Saving Sunshine
Faruqi, Saadia
Paper Book
Eisner-nominated A 2024 Bank Street Best Books of the Year Nominated for the 2024 Jane Addams Children's Book Award A Kirkus Best Book of 2023 A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids 2023 A YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens selection
Cross my heart and never lie
DÃ¥snes, Nora
Paper Book
★ WINNER of the 2024 Stonewall Book Award, American Library Association Perfect for fans of The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag, HeartStopper by Alice Oseman, and Jen Wang's The Dressmaker and the Prince. In this fresh, sensitive,...
Tegan and Sara : junior high
Quin, Tegan
Paper Book
From indie-pop twin-sister duo Tegan and Sara comes their bestselling contemporary middle grade graphic novel about growing up, coming out, and finding yourself through music and sisterhood--perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier's Sisters and Sweet Valley Twins. ...
Duel
Bagley, Jessixa
Paper Book
A rivalry between sisters culminates in a fencing duel in this funny and emotional debut graphic novel sure to appeal to readers of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale. Sixth grader Lucy loves fantasy novels and is brand-new to middle school. GiGi is the undisputed queen bee of...
Be prepared
Brosgol, Vera
Paper Book
"Beautifully drawn, brutally funny, brilliantly honest. Vera is such a good cartoonist I almost can't stand it." --Raina Telgemeier, author of Smile In Be Prepared, all Vera wants to do is fit in--but that's not easy for a Russian girl in the suburbs. Her friends live...
Go with the flow
Williams, Lily
Paper Book
High school students embark on a crash course of friendship, female empowerment, and women's health issues in Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann's graphic novel Go With the Flow. Good friends help you go with the flow. Best friends help you start a...
The Tea Dragon Society
O'Neill, Katie (Cartoonist)
Paper Book
The Tea Dragon Society is the two-time Eisner Award-winning gentle fantasy that follows the story of a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons. Winner of the 2018 Eisner Award for...
Lumberjanes. [Volume one], Beware the kitten holy
Stevenson, Noelle
Ebook
What's to Love: Lumberjanes is the hit series from the BOOM! Box imprint that features five rad ladies who fight monster baddies with the power of friendship! Written by Noelle Stevenson (Nimona, Adventure Time) and newcomer Grace Ellis, and illustrated by Brooke Allen (A Home for Mr. Easter),...
Hilda and the troll
Pearson, Luke
Paper Book
"Hilda is the little girl. And this is her folk tale. And pretty much everything you need to know about how good this is, is there on that absolutely gorgeously delightful cover above. By the end of it, you'll have exactly the same smile as Hilda has."--Forbidden Planet Hilda sits in...
The witch boy
Ostertag, Molly
Paper Book
From the illustrator of the web comic Strong Female Protagonist comes a debut middle-grade graphic novel about family, identity, courage -- and magic.In thirteen-year-old Aster's family, all the girls are raised to be witches, while boys grow up to be shapeshifters. Anyone who dares cross...
Pashmina
Chanani, Nidhi
Paper Book
A Junior Library Guild Selection 2017 Amazon Top Twenty Children's Book of the Year 2017 Amazon Best Book of the month December 2017 Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2017 Texas Maverick Graphic Novel 2017 Northern California Indie Bookseller Association Long...
Apple crush
Knisley, Lucy
Paper Book
After finally adjusting to life on a family farm with two brand new step-sisters, a young girl faces an even bigger challenge - figuring out where she fits in at her first year in middle school. This middle grade graphic novel explores family, friendship, and change! Jen is just...

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