Between 8 and 12 many children fall in love with graphic novels. They read them in one go, then read them again, and then ask for the next one. Teachers and librarians see it every day: a great graphic novel turns a reluctant reader into a reader.
Every book here won or was nominated for an Eisner Award, most of them in the category for the best book for kids. There are funny school stories, true stories, fantasy adventures and a few that will make them think.
Nominee2020
Jerry Craft
Great for a kid starting a new school
Jordan loves drawing and wants to go to art school, but his parents send him to a fancy private school where he is one of the few kids of color. Funny and sharp about fitting in, and the first graphic novel ever to win the Newbery Medal.
2020 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids nominee
Winner2015
Cece Bell
Great for a kid who feels different
Cece loses her hearing as a small child and starts school with a big hearing aid strapped to her chest. Then she finds out it lets her hear her teacher anywhere in the building, and decides she is a superhero. A funny, honest memoir, drawn with the characters as rabbits.
2015 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids winner
Winner2020
Raina Telgemeier
Great for a kid who worries
Raina has stomach aches that will not go away, and slowly learns they are tied to her worries about school, friends and food. A true story about anxiety that has helped many kids feel less alone.
2020 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids winner
Winner2017
Raina Telgemeier
Great for Raina Telgemeier fans
Catrina's family moves to a foggy town on the California coast for the sake of her younger sister Maya, who is ill. The town is full of ghosts, and Maya wants to meet them. A moving story about family, fear and the Day of the Dead.
2017 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids winner
Winner2018
Kay O'Neill
Great for a cozy fantasy lover
Greta is learning to be a blacksmith when she rescues a lost tea dragon, a tiny creature that grows tea leaves on its horns. A gentle, cozy fantasy about friendship and caring for something.
2018 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids winner
Winner2022
Hope Larson and Rebecca Monk
Great for an adventurous reader
When Vonceil's older brother comes home from the First World War, a woman he left behind puts a curse on the family's Oklahoma farm, and the water turns to salt. Vonceil sets out to break the spell. A fairy tale with real courage.
2022 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids winner
Nominee2009
Kazu Kibuishi
Great for starting a series
After a family tragedy, Emily and her brother Navin move into an old house, and their mother is dragged into a strange underground world. Emily finds a magic amulet that might save her. The first book of a big, beautiful fantasy series.
2009 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids nominee
Winner2008
David Petersen
Great for knights and adventure fans
In a medieval world of mice, the Mouse Guard protect the villages from snakes, weather and traitors. Three guard mice uncover a plot that threatens them all. Gorgeous, detailed art; it won two Eisner Awards in the same year.
2008 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint winner
Winner2016
Pat McHale, Amalia Levari, and Jim Campbell
Great for a kid who loves autumn and spooky stories
Two half-brothers, Wirt and Greg, are lost in a strange, autumn forest full of odd characters. Based on the much-loved animated series, funny and a little spooky.
2016 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids winner
Nominee2020
Dav Pilkey
Great for a reluctant reader
Dog Man is half dog, half police officer, and all heart. Dav Pilkey's silly, fast series is one of the most popular in the world, and this book was nominated for the Eisner. A sure hit for kids who say they do not like reading.
2020 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids nominee
Yes. Reading a graphic novel uses the same skills as other reading, plus the skill of following a story across words and pictures. New Kid won the Newbery Medal, the top prize in American children's literature.
El Deafo, New Kid and the first Amulet book are all good choices. For a child who loves to laugh, Dog Man.
Smile is her first memoir and a classic. Guts and Ghosts both won the Eisner Award for the best book for kids.
See every award-winning book for kids