9 Entertaining Comics & Graphic Novels For Young Readers

Edited by Ezvid Wiki Editorial on 19 May 2019

Are your children a little too old for Dr. Seuss but having trouble getting interested in books that don't have any pictures? Comics and graphic novels can be a great middle ground for them. And if your kids are already voracious readers, the clever writing and gorgeous art featured in these works are sure to draw them in and bring a whole new category of books to their personal library. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

Comic Books For Kids & Teens: Our 9 Picks

Title Author Illustrator
1. Extraterrestrial Credit Aaron Williams Aaron Williams
2. Simon's Cat vs. the World Simon Tofield Simon Tofield
3. Jinchalo Matthew Forsythe Matthew Forsythe
4. Giants Beware! Jorge Aguirre Rafael Rosado
5. Spy vs Spy MAD Magazine MAD Magazine
6. Hamster and Cheese Colleen A.F. Venable Stephanie Yue
7. Bad Houses Sara Ryan Carla Speed McNeil
8. Bandette: Presto! Paul Tobin Colleen Coover
9. Trish Trash: Rollergirl of Mars Jessica Abel Jessica Abel

Fun Activities for Young Comic Fans

Why Read Comic Books?

For one thing, they're fast-paced. If you don't have a lot of free time, it might take months to get through a work of classic literature, but you could probably read an issue of a comic in a single sitting. It's also a great idea for artists to keep some comics around, because studying different styles of drawing can help you with your own work. They're also a great way to introduce children to reading. Like picture books, they have illustrations that can help kids figure out what words mean from context clues.

How Comics Can Make Kids Smarter

In Depth

Illustrated books are great for engaging even the most reluctant young readers. Vivid drawings and lively plots bring characters to life and make reading an adventure. In no particular order, here are some fun comics and graphic novels to add to your child's library.

At #1 is "Extraterrestrial Credit" by Aaron Williams. This volume contains six issues of "PS238," a series about a public school for superhero kids. Readers follow Cecil as he battles his first enemy from outer space. His alien menace retaliates and starts an all-out attack of planet Earth. Other plots include a "career day" at school and the start of the mystifying Praetorian Academy.

For #2 we have "Simon's Cat vs. the World" by Simon Tofield. Part of a popular video and book series, this cartoon explores the misadventures of the author's white cat. Color illustrations capture the animal's hilarious antics as he battles neighborhood dogs, garden gnomes, a beanbag chair, and more. Readers of all ages will appreciate the story's funny portrayal of real-life feline behavior.

Readers of all ages will appreciate the story's funny portrayal of real-life feline behavior.

#3 is "Jinchalo" by Matthew Forsythe. The title is a Korean word that translates to "Really?" and that simple question is at the center of this imaginative work. Heroine Voguchi is sent to the market and accidentally switches eggs with a traveling bird. The egg she ends up with hatches into a mysterious shape-shifting spirit that takes Voguchi on a magical adventure. Almost entirely wordless, this whimsical tale is told through simple pen and ink drawings.

Coming in at #4 we have "Giants Beware!" written by Jorge Aguirre and illustrated by Rafael Rosado. Spunky Claudette, daughter of the town blacksmith, sets off on a mission to kill the local giant. She brings along her aspiring chef brother and her princess-in-training best friend. This work combines adventure, humor, and fairy tale themes with cheerful and expressive drawings.

At #5 is "Spy vs Spy" by the editors of Mad Magazine. Chronicling the ridiculous adventures of twin spies, this is an anthology of one of the publication's most iconic cartoons. In full color, the collection includes posters by acclaimed graphic artists and a foreword by fan Lewis Black. Parents who grew up with these characters will enjoy sharing them with the next generation.

Parents who grew up with these characters will enjoy sharing them with the next generation.

For #6 we have "Hamster and Cheese" written by Colleen A.F. Venable and illustrated by Stephanie Yue. When a pet shop owner's sandwiches start going missing, Hamisher the hamster encourages her friend Sasspants to solve the mystery. After all, the nameplate on her cage says "Guinea P.I." instead of "Guinea Pig." Together, the furry heroes go on a humorous quest to crack the case.

#7 is "Bad Houses" written by Sara Ryan and illustrated by Carla Speed McNeil. In this young adult work, twenty-somethings Anne and Lewis are stuck in the sleepy town of Failin, Oregon. Lewis has been roped into the family estate sale business while Anne routinely cares for her mother who has an extreme hoarding problem. Will love prevail for Anne and Lewis as they try to make a life of their own?

Coming in at #8 is "Bandette" written by Paul Tobin and illustrated by Colleen Coover. Teenage thief Bandette, along with her ragtag band of accomplices, gleefully works both sides of the law. It's all fun and games until she discovers a criminal plot against her life. Drawn in an impressionistic painting style, this comic is based on the Eisner award-winning digital series of the same name.

It's all fun and games until she discovers a criminal plot against her life.

Finally, at #9 is "Trish Trash: Rollergirl of Mars" by Jessica Abel. Set 200 years in the future, the story follows Trish, who wants to become the best derby jammer on Mars. She is headed for a future of poverty and hard labor on her family's moisture farm and dreams of an escape. Everything changes when a half-dead alien arrives at her door. This full-color comic is part one of a science-fiction trilogy.