Graphic Novels for 3rd Graders (Give or Take a Few Years)

They're not the comic books we had as kids! Modern graphic novels are artistically rendered, stylishly executed, and true literary works.

Or sometimes they're silly cartoon animals. But it doesn't matter, because the important thing is that kids love reading them!

It's easy to write off graphic novels as a medium, but they're great. My kids love that they can follow more complex plot lines with more sophisticated vocabulary, but without long paragraphs of text to follow. The imagery helps visual learners follow along and stay engaged, and topics range from reimagined classics to cute animals to futuristic science fiction.

A friend asked in a Facebook group for some ideas for her 3rd grader, and after offering up a few suggestions, I followed along for more. There were so many new-to-me books that I made a list, and then thought I'd make a post for you to benefit, too.

Fair warning: There are 64 total items on this list! Some are standalone books, but most are series. For the series, I linked to the first book, or a box set of the first few.

These are affiliate links through Amazon for simplicity, but buy from a local shop or search your library system for them, too. (Need help navigating the library system? I've got you.)

To break them up, I sorted them by topic, and some appear multiple times if they fit in more than one category. They range from a suggested 1st grade level up to 9th grade, so note the publisher's listing and choose what's best for your kid.

A common worry that I see is parents who don't want books that are "too easy" for their kids, but I'd be less concerned about that. Plenty of adults love young adult novels (I just finished reading one!) and read tons of books that aren't "challenging."