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Fabulous Early Middle Grade Graphic Novels

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Fabulous Early Middle Grade Graphic Novels

Fabulous Early Middle Grade Graphic Novels

My littlest is seven, and quite a reader. Keeping up with her reading keeps me on my toes. Lately, her favorite kinds of books to read are graphic novels. We’ve discovered some adorable chapter book-length graphic novels, but she blows through those in a blink. I wanted to try to find some longer graphic novels for her, which meant looking through middle grade titles to find some that are well-suited to her age. The age range for middle grade books is eight to twelve, so this means looking for books geared toward readers at the younger end of that age spread.

A few books in this list are standalone titles, but most of them are part of a series. For the series titles, I list the first book in the series, the total number of books available, and whether the series is ongoing.

It’s also worth noting that the Dog Man series is missing from this list. That’s really only because I haven’t been able to get my daughter excited about them and so haven’t read them myself. I’ve heard good things, though.

Note: This post contains affiliate links that do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. Thanks for using them to do your shopping.

Fabulous Early Middle Grade Graphic Novels

Catstronauts by Drew Brockington

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Cats. In. Spaaace! This silly series follows four cats tasked with various space missions to save the earth. Super cute. Contains some science references, but really the focus is on the cats and their roles in the missions.

Published April 18, 2017 | 7 Books | Ongoing Series

Pablo & Splash: Time-Traveling Penguins

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | Full Review

What you need to know: Serious Pablo and Impulsive Splash accidentally enter a time machine and wind up on holiday with the dinosaurs. This series is lots of fun.

Published September 3, 2023 | 2 Books | Ongoing Series

Song of the Court by Katy Farina

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: This is one of my daughter’s favorites. It’s a sweet story about friendship with a work-life balance lesson thrown in there as well. The author has gone on to work on a Babysitters Club Graphic Novel series spin-off, so I suspect we’ll be adding those to the reading list.

Published October 6, 2020 | Standalone

Stick and Stone Explore and More by Beth Ferry and Kristen Cella

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: These might be a little closer to the chapter book graphic novel length. This two-book series is pretty gentle and nature-focused.

Published June 7, 2022 | 2 Books | Completed Series

Mixed-Up by Kami Garcia and Brittney Williams

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | Full Review

What you need to know: This story centers a girl with dyslexia who’s reading struggle is starting to affect her friendships and school performance. Through the story, readers learn about tools and strategies available for kids with dyslexia. It’s an upbeat story with a positive message.

Published January 21, 2025 | Standalone

InvestiGators by John Patrick Green

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: InvestiGators Mango and Brash go undercover to stop crime and keep their city safe. Packed with pop culture jokes, references, and puns, this is a binge-worthy series. There’s also a spin-off series (Agents of S.U.I.T.) that features stories centering some of the minor characters in this one.

Published February 25, 2020 | 9 Books | Ongoing Series

The Tea Dragon Society by K. O’Neill

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: These books are some of O’Neill’s earlier work, but they contain the same cozy vibes and beautiful fantasy landscapes that they’re known for in later work. Also, the tea dragons are just adorable!

Published October 31, 2017 | 3 Books | Completed Series

The Space Cat by Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | Full Review

What you need to know: This graphic novel is told from a cat’s point-of-view. It’s a clever tribute to cats with a fun sci-fi twist.

Published August 12, 2025 | Standalone

Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | Full Review

What you need to know: A vampire moves into Garlic’s village, and her friends (also anthropomorphic vegetables) nominate her to find out about him. After all, she should be safe since garlic repels vampires! Sweet, anxious Garlic agrees to the task. This is a charming series, perfect for fall reading.

Published September 28, 2021 | 2 Books | Completed Series

Cupcake Diaries Graphic Novels: Katie and the Cupcake Cure by Coco Simon

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: This series is a graphic novel adaptation of the middle grade books by the same name. The illustrations are bright and cheery, and the pages filled with treats and stories about friendship.

Published September 13, 2022 | 8 Books | Ongoing Series

Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: After rescuing unicorn Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, Phoebe makes a wish to be best friends, and that’s just what the two become. Think Calvin & Hobbs, but with a girl and her unicorn. The tone can be a little bit snarky, but overall, the messaging is positive.

Published September 7, 2014 | 22 Books | Ongoing Series

Cat & Cat Adventures by Susie Yi

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: These short volumes follow two cats who journey to a fantasy world and solve various problems there. It’s cute and easy to read. These are another favorite in our house.

Published September 7, 2021 | 5 Books | Ongoing Series

What Graphic Novels Should I Add to My List?

Help a girl out. What should my seven-year-old add to her reading list? Are there other graphic novels that she might like, based on this list? Leave a comment and let me know about them!

MMGM Review: The Space Cat by Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford

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The Space Cat
Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford
First Second
Published August 12, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Space Cat

Invaders from outer space have descended on Nigeria. They have no idea whose home they’re messing with.

Ah, yes, the luxurious life of a well-loved cat. It’s the best. And Periwinkle has it the cushiest. But there’s more to this pampered pet than meets the eye. He’s not just a house cat. He’s a space cat. By day, he’s showered with scritches, cuddles, and delicious chicken fillets. By night, he races through the cosmos in his custom-built spaceship.

Between epic battles with squeaky toys and working on ways to improve his ship, Periwinkle is never bored. And when his humans decide to leave the United States and move to the small but bustling town of Kaleria, Nigeria, he’s excited to explore his new home—even after he learns that many Nigerians hate cats. After all, a born adventurer like Periwinkle doesn’t shy away from new experiences. But not everything in Kaleria is as it seems. Soon enough, Periwinkle finds himself on his most out-of-this-world adventure yet, right here on Earth.

My Review

This funny graphic novel reads like a love letter to a cherished pet. The human characters, Nnedi and her daughter, don’t know their clever Periwinkle came from space and sneaks out in her spaceship to race another space cat at night. But they love her anyway.

The whole story is narrated by Periwinkle. She’s a smart, curious cat who takes readers on a fun adventure from her comfy apartment, to outer space, to Nigeria. I love her secret lair in the closet where she builds her spaceship.

The plot is evenly paced, with never a dull moment. And the engaging illustrations add to the humor of the story.

Certainly cat-fans will want to check this one out, but I think Space Cat will have broad appeal. It’s a fun, international (and intergalactic) adventure!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Mentions of prejudice against cats and owls in Nigeria. The cat sees a group of people threatening to kill an owl.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.

Review: I Like Space… What Jobs Are There? by Steve Martin and Tom Woolley

Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, , , , , ,

I Like Space… What Jobs Are There? (That’s a Job? Series)
Steve Martin
Illustrated by Tom Woolley
Kane Miller Publishing
Published January 1, 2020

Kane Miller Website | Bookshop | Goodreads

About I Like Space… What Jobs Are There?

Explore a day in the life of 25 people whose jobs involve working with space. While it takes all kinds of jobs to put an astronaut in space, there are also space lawyers and space weather forecasters! Learn how to turn your fascination with space into a career.

For children who have a passion for something but don’t know how they can turn it into a job, this new series helps them along the way.

My Review

As the granddaughter of an engineer who worked for NASA, I grew up watching rocket launches and hearing about some of the projects at Cape Canaveral. It was really fun to read this book and think about the people working there now in some of the careers mentioned in this book.

The book focuses on 25 different career options for someone who likes space. Options include astronaut, space lawyer, computer engineer, technical writer, space weather forecaster, and nutritionist. Some careers work more closely with the public, such as a public affairs officer, planetarium educator, or space center manager. Others, like astrobiologists, astrophysicists, astronautical engineers, neuroscientists, and scientific researchers, depend on higher math and science education and skills.

Each page spotlights a career, giving a sample overview of the person’s day and highlighting the best and worst parts of the job. It also tells what kind of degree or background someone with this job might have.

One feature readers are sure to appreciate is the “Your perfect job match” spread, which shows a visual flow chart with circles asking questions about the reader and offering different career suggestions for different answers. For example, one question asks, “What are your interests and goals?” One possible answer is “helping people.” The chart points these readers to careers like nutritionist, flight surgeon, and neuroscientist. It connects preferences and personality to jobs that utilize those skills, which I love.

Conclusion

I have completely fallen in love with this series. I love that it exposes kids to so many different career options and gives clues about their educational background. This is a great place to start for a kid who is just starting to wonder what jobs are out there and has a larger interest (space or machines or art, etc) and isn’t sure what career options exist in those fields.

Age Recommendation

For readers eight to twelve.

The cartoony style probably makes this better suited to fourth or fifth-grade level, but the pages have so much information that I think older kids would benefit, too.

Content Summary

The pages show inclusive cartoon images of the workers. The astronaut lists the worst part of the job being that they have to wear a special diaper, which takes getting used to.

Additional Titles in the That’s a Job Series

I Like Machines… What Jobs Are There? (Review to Come)

I Like Helping People… What Jobs Are There? (Review to Come)

I Like The Performing Arts… What Jobs Are There? (Review to Come)

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: A Song for the Cosmos by Jan Lower and Gary Kelley

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A Song for the Cosmos
Jan Lower
Illustrated by Gary Kelley
Creative Editions
Published August 9, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Song for the Cosmos

Blues guitarist Blind Willie Johnson led a hardscrabble life, but in 1977, NASA’s Voyager spacecrafts were launched, each carrying a golden record to introduce planet Earth to the cosmos, and his song “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground” became the defining anthem.

Weaving together elements of Johnson’s biography with an account of how a team of astrophysicists, writers, and artists created the golden record for the Voyager mission, Jan Lower and Gary Kelley craft a tale that is itself A SONG FOR THE COSMOS.

Gary Kelley’s compelling, graphic-style art shares the poignancy of Johnson’s life and music. Kelley is an award-winning illustrator. His books include NEXT YEAR, HARLEM HELLFIGHTERS, and VIRGINIA WAS A SPY published by Creative Editions.

My Review

I like the way this book tells these two stories– the story of the Voyager mission, and the biography of Blind Willie Johnson’s life– together. At first I wasn’t sure how well they’d fit together, but I think both the writing style, which I loved, and the artwork pull the stories together to create echoes from one to the other.

The illustrations are striking, at times feeling a little but otherworldly or haunting as they show scenes from Johnson’s life or representations of other records included in the Voyager mission. By the end of the book, I was such a fan of the artwork and the idea of juxtaposing two stories together as one that I had to look up the other books by Gary Kelley. I really want to check out BACH AND THE BLUES: PABLO CASALS AND ROBERT JOHNSON, since it looks a bit similar.

In the back of the book, there’s a more detailed account of Johnson’s life as well as more information about the Voyager’s journeys. You can also find out where to listen to the sounds and music included on the record.

I think this would make a really great addition to a science or music curriculum. Readers who love biographies or music or space history definitely want to check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 9 to 12.

Representation
Offers biographical information about Black singer/songwriter Blind Willie Johnson. Briefly references that greetings in many other languages and music from a variety of cultures are included in the golden record, as it’s purpose was to represent the whole world.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Mentions that Johnson married.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of A SONG FOR THE COSMOS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Kindred by Alechia Dow

Book Review and Content, Romance, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

The Kindred
Alechia Dow
Inkyard Press
Published January 4, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Kindred

To save a galactic kingdom from revolution, Kindred mind-pairings were created to ensure each and every person would be seen and heard, no matter how rich or poor…

Joy Abara knows her place. A commoner from the lowly planet Hali, she lives a simple life—apart from the notoriety that being Kindred to the nobility’s most infamous playboy brings.

Duke Felix Hamdi has a plan. He will exasperate his noble family to the point that they agree to let him choose his own future and finally meet his Kindred face-to-face.

Then the royal family is assassinated, putting Felix next in line for the throne…and accused of the murders. Someone will stop at nothing until he’s dead, which means they’ll target Joy, too. Meeting in person for the first time as they steal a spacecraft and flee amid chaos might not be ideal…and neither is crash-landing on the strange backward planet called Earth. But hiding might just be the perfect way to discover the true strength of the Kindred bond and expose a scandal—and a love—that may decide the future of a galaxy.

My Review

I really enjoyed Alechia Dow’s debut, THE SOUND OF STARS, so I was really excited about reading this book. The first chapter was a bit rough for me. I felt like there was a LOT of worldbuilding that kind of got squeezed into a busy scene, and I didn’t always feel like I understood the connections. Like, it outlined Felix’s connection with the ruling Qadin family, but at that point, I wasn’t sure what exactly that meant. By the end of the first chapter, I wasn’t sure about the book.

In the second chapter, we meet Joy, who is joined to Felix as his Kindred, and shares a connection to him through her mind. I immediately adored her. She’s a bright, determined girl raised on a planet where women’s primary worth comes from their ability to bear children. More than anything, Joy wanted to be seen and valued. I couldn’t help but identify with that.

The storytelling smoothed out a lot from there, too. Felix learns about the assassination just before realizing he’s the number one suspect. Immediately, he sets out to find Joy (whom the authorities will target for her ability to communicate with and locate him) and escape to a place he can set about proving his innocence.

Once that happened, I felt like the story picked up pace and the characters became all the more compelling. I liked their encounters on earth and the way those relationships shaped their decisions going forward.

All in all, I thought this was a super fun read, and I’m glad I had the chance to review it. I think readers who enjoyed WE LIGHT UP THE SKY by Lilliam Rivera will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Both Joy and Felix have brown skin. Joy identifies as demi-ace. Felix is pansexual. One minor character is gay. Another is nonbinary.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Brief references to other things.

Spiritual Content
Most people in Felix and Joy’s worlds worship Indigo, a creator god, or Ozvios, a god of chaos.

Violent Content
Battle scenes and some brief descriptions of torture.

Drug Content
Felix drinks a lot of alcohol to numb his feelings. Later, at a party with a lot of teenagers, a girl announces that there’s beer.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE KINDRED in exchange for my honest review.

Review: What Breathes Through Its Butt by Dr. Emily Grossman

Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, , , , , , , , , ,

What Breathes Through Its Butt: Mind-Blowing Science Questions Answered
Dr. Emily Grossman
Illustrated by Alice Bowsher
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published November 10, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About What Breathes Through Its Butt

A funny and interactive book that explains the surprising science behind everyday kid questions.

Why is your elbow called your funny bone? How could you escape the grip of a crocodile’s jaw? Which animal can breathe through its butt? This book uncovers the amazing scientific explanations behind all sorts of questions that can pop into our heads. Can an egg bounce? How can a giraffe’s ridiculously long neck contain the same number of bones as a human’s? How much does the Internet weigh? With delightful interactive features that invite readers to guess answers to questions and make links between different scientific concepts, this is a great book for reluctant readers and STEAM lovers alike.

My Review

Okay, so I’m kind of embarrassed that it took me so long to review this book. I received a copy of WHAT BREATHES THROUGH ITS BUTT from the publisher, but I hadn’t asked for it. This past year I’ve really struggled to keep up with reading and posting reviews in ways that I never struggled before between the pandemic, family stuff, and my own health issues. I’m trying to get caught up, though, and so here I am, posting about this book at last.

One of the reasons it took me SO LONG to read this book is that, to be honest, I found the format of it kind of off-putting. The font is more of a handwriting style font and while it’s broken up into different sections with drawings alongside, I felt like it looked chaotic.

Now that I’ve read the book, I think the font choice might have been designed to support the book’s informal, conversational feel, which if true is a cool idea. I just… yeah. For me, it made the book harder for me to read.

Things I Really Liked

Apart from that, though, I actually enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to. The conversational style that Dr. Grossman uses kept the pages feeling fun and light. Each section begins with a multiple choice question, like, “How much does the whole of the internet weigh?”, or “Which animal alive today has the strongest bite?” The reader sees four possible answers to pick from, and then the text begins to explore each of the possible answers.

The questions are a bit all over the place, so it’s not a book that focuses on any single topic. There are questions about space, animals, the human body, light, and more.

I’ve never seen a format like this before, but I’m a huge fan now. It made the book feel really interactive, and I found myself invested in reading the answers every time. I thought the illustrations were really fun and cute and definitely matched the tone of the book.

I haven’t read tons of juvenile nonfiction, but of what I’ve read, this book does the best job showing science in action. Each section starts with a question. Then it invites the reader to form a hypothesis. Then it looks at and compares evidence. I’ve never seen a book kind of just DO science the way this one does, and in such a friendly, fun way!

Honestly, I expected to like this book about 25% as much as I actually like it. I’m still not a huge fan of the font choice, but I love the way it makes science accessible and fun. It’s easily the kind of book you can get carried away reading. I think it’s a great pick for a school or classroom library or a budding science lover.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Illustrations show a racially diverse group of kids.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
As you already guessed from the title, this book has some mildly crude language and explores animal behaviors including pooping, burping, and passing gas and the science behind why they happen or their impact on the environment.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of WHAT BREATHES THROUGH ITS BUTT in exchange for my honest review.