2026 Maverick List - Great Graphic Novels for Grades 6-8

Check out these recommended graphic novels for grades 6-8 that appear on the 2026 Texas Library Association's Maverick Reading List.* (Looking for graphic novels for teens? Try the Maverick List for grades 9-12!)

*Not listed: I Witnessed: The Lizzie Borden Story by Jeramy Kraatz, and Charles M. Schulz: Creator of Snoopy and Peanuts by Yuzuru Kuki

About the Maverick Reading List: "The Texas Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List (TMGNRL) is a recommended reading list developed by public and school librarians from the Young Adult Round Table (YART). The list’s purpose is to encourage students in grades 6-12 to explore a variety of current books. The TMGNRL list is intended for recreational reading, not to support a specific curriculum." (from the TLA website)

Updated February 20, 2026
Lewisville Public Library
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Almost sunset
Algarmi, Wahab
Paper Book
In a contemporary middle grade graphic novel debut that Gene Luen Yang calls "funny, endearing, and an intimate look at a Muslim family," Almost Sunset follows a young Muslim American boy during Ramadan as he finds the balance between his family traditions and his secular middle school life....
Around the Spider-verse : Spider-man Graphic Novel Anthology
Leon, Pablo/ Reynolds, Justin A./ Brown, Roseanne A./ Gaylord, Penelope Rivera (ILT)/ Gil, Maca (ILT)
Beloved Marvel characters Spider-Man, Ghost-Spider, and Araña star in three original Spider-verse stories! Don't miss this collection from bestselling authors Justin A. Reynolds, Roseanne A. Brown, and Eisner nominee Pablo Leon! Take a trip around the Spider-Verse (and New York City) in three...
Drive
Copeland, Cynthia L.
Paper Book
"An inspirational, information-packed tale inspired by a real feminist trailblazer." --Kirkus START YOUR ENGINES!  In 1964, Janet Guthrie is on her way to becoming one of the most successful female race car drivers in history--the...
Hikaru in the light! 1
Matsuda, Mai
Best friends compete for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to become pop stars in this funny, feel-good manga series perfect for fans of K-On!, The Tryout, and The Baby-sitters Club. Middle-school student Hikaru Ogino is known as the songbird of her family's bathhouse in Tokyo....
How it all ends
Hunsinger, Emma
Paper Book
"Hilarious, inventive, smart, and silly." --Alice Oseman, bestselling author of Heartstopper "Emma Hunsinger's sharp wit and eclectic humor shines in this fantastic story about making new friends and surviving school." --Dan Santat, National Book Award winner for A First Time...
How to say goodbye in Cuban
Miyares, Daniel
Here is the dramatic coming-of-age graphic novel memoir of 12-year-old Carlos (who would grow up to become the author's father), his life during the Cuban Revolution, and his family's harrowing escape to America. A Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table (GNCRT) Outstanding Comics...
The other side of tomorrow
Cho, Tina
Paper Book
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection Perfect for fans of Illegal and When Stars Are Scattered, this poignant and moving graphic novel in verse captures the dangers and hope that come with fleeing North Korea and reaching for a brighter future through the lives of...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.