6 of Our Favorite Middle Grade Graphic Novels

El Deafo, by Cece Bell
Cece is just your regular 4-year-old bunny until one day when she becomes very sick and is diagnosed with meningitis, which causes her to lose her hearing. Based on the author’s own experience with hearing loss, the book chronicle’s Cece’s experiences with her new bulky hearing aid, making new friends, fitting in at school, and difficulties with doing things like watching TV. In the book, she chooses not to learn American Sign Language, because she doesn’t want to draw attention to her deafness. However, through this funny and charmingly told story, Cece ultimately learns to find strength in her differences, even coming up with an alternate superhero persona for herself—El Deafo. There’s also a touching afterword from the author about her experiences as a child and how her attitude toward her deafness has changed and matured as an adult. “Our differences are our superpowers,” she concludes.

Smile, by Raina Telgemeier
Normal pretty much sums up what sixth-grader Raina would like to be, but after a fall one night after Girl Scouts, the next four years are anything but normal, filled with painful surgeries, embarrassing braces, fake teeth, and less-than-understanding friends. But it’s not Raina’s physical attributes that really make her stand out in this graphic memoir, it’s her strength of character, self-confidence (even when she doesn’t realize it’s there), and the ability to stand up for herself that make her truly unique and make this book so likeable.

Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume, by Jeff Smith
If books can have relatives, then Bone is the funnier cousin of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. But there’s still plenty of drama and even some scariness to be had in this epic compilation, which tells the story of the three Bone cousins—Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone—after they are run out of their hometown of Boneville. The trio is soon separated in the desert, but they each find their way to the Valley, where hilarious adventure ensues.

Angry Birds Comics, Volume 1: Welcome to the Flock, by Jeff Parker, Paul Tobin, Paco Rodrigues, Marco Gervasio, and Cesar Ferioli
You’ve flung these little birds through the air at the devious green piggies on your phone til your finger hurts, but how much do you really know about the Angry Birds? Get to know the flock in this volume, which includes the first four issues in the series. Those piggies aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer, but they’re still slick enough to devise some interesting schemes to steal the birds’ eggs—like building the theme park, Piggyland, and attempting to brainwash the birds with candy.

Skylanders: The Kaos Trap, by Ron Marz, Mike Bowden, and David Baldeon
It’s already a popular video game and toy, so the hook is definitely there. But even for readers who are unfamiliar with Skylanders, The Kaos Trap is easy to jump into and is an entertaining read with bright, fun illustrations. The comic also provides plenty of backstory for newbies. Follow Skylanders like Spyro, Stealth Elf, and Trigger Happy as they battle the evil Kaos in these all-new stories.

Ghostopolis, by Doug TenNapel
Teenager Garth Hale has been diagnosed with an incurable disease, but his sudden trip to the afterlife has nothing to do with his illness. While trying to capture a skeleton horse, ghost wrangler Frank Gallows accidentally zaps the teen into the spirit world of Ghostopolis. While Frank is working on a way to reach the teen, Garth discovers that, as a human, he has certain powers that the ghosts don’t. But are they enough to get him back to his earthly life? Or can the ghost of his grandfather possibly play a role in his return?
What graphic novels are your faves?