Graphic Novels for Middle School Students
Get ready to be whisked away to a visual vocabulary wonderland with this collection of vocabulary lists for graphic novels for students in Grades 6–8. Navigate through illustrated tales that are more gripping than a cliffhanger, while absorbing phrases that'll burst from your lips like dynamic onomatopoeias.
American Born ChineseThrough three interlinked stories, this award-winning graphic novel explores assimilation, racism, and stereotypes.
DisplacementIn this graphic novel, which draws on the author's family history, a teenage girl is transported back in time to a World War II incarceration camp for Japanese Americans.
DramaIn this popular graphic novel, Callie works on the stage crew of her school's spring musical while trying to navigate friendships and crushes.
All's Faire in Middle SchoolEleven-year-old Imogene loves working with her family at the Renaissance Faire, especially now that she is finally old enough to train as a squire. At the same time, she must face an unexpectedly difficult quest: surviving middle school.
I Am Alfonso JonesThis powerful graphic novel, illustrated by Stacey Robinson and John Jennings, explores the life and afterlife of a teenager who is a victim of gun violence.
IllegalIn this graphic novel illustrated by Giovanni Rigano, Ebo and his brother Kwame attempt the dangerous journey from Ghana to Europe in search of a better life.
In Real LifeAnda loves playing Coarsegold Online, and she discovers that she can make real money by hunting down the "gold farmers" who find valuables in the game and sell them to richer players. When she befriends a gold farmer, however, she learns that his real-life circumstances are much more complicated than she expected.
Maus I: My Father Bleeds HistoryA celebrated classic of the graphic novel form, Maus explores a man's relationship with his Holocaust-survivor father and with history itself.
Maus II: And Here My Troubles BeganIn the second part of his Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel, Art Spiegelman explores his strained relationship with his father and recounts Vladek's experiences in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II.
NimonaIn this clever and action-packed graphic novel, an irreverent shapeshifter teams up with a notorious supervillian.
Queen of the SeaMargaret is an orphan who was raised by nuns on an isolated island. When Eleanor, the exiled Queen of Albion, is imprisoned on the island, Margaret learns secrets about her past and becomes involved in a daring plot to save the queen.
Speak: The Graphic NovelIn this illustrated version of Laurie Halse Anderson's acclaimed novel, a teenage girl suffers trauma and attempts to reclaim her voice.
The Legend of Auntie PoIn this magical adaptation of the tale of Paul Bunyan, a young Chinese immigrant works at a logging camp in the late 1800s.
The Magic FishThis graphic novel weaves fairy tales into the story of a Vietnamese-American boy struggling to communicate with his parents.
The Prince and the DressmakerAn inventive seamstress befriends a prince with an eye for unconventional fashion.
New KidIn this graphic novel, an African-American seventh grader struggles to fit in at his new private school.
Class ActIn this sequel to the award-winning graphic novel New Kid, eighth-graders Drew and Jordan grapple with identity, privilege, and fitting in.
AwkwardMiddle school gets off to a rocky start for Peppi Torres after an awkward encounter with Jaime Thompson — and things only get worse when Peppi's art club begins feuding with the science club. Can Peppi save the day?
BraveThis sequel to Awkward follows Berrybrook Middle School student Jensen Graham as he attempts to fit in at school and stand up to bullies.
CrushThe third installment of the Berrybrook Middle School series follows Jorge Ruiz as he tries to navigate his first crush.
Measuring UpCici enters a cooking contest in hopes of winning enough money to buy her grandmother a plane ticket from Taiwan to the U.S.
TwinsTwin sisters Maureen and Francine have always done everything together — but when the girls start sixth grade, they face challenges and conflicts in their relationship.
White BirdA Wonder StoryIn this companion to Wonder, Julian's grandmother tells the story of her life in France during World War II.
The Witch BoyAster is forbidden from learning magic because he is a boy, but when a sinister creature threatens his world, performing magic may be the only way he can save his family and friends. Learn these words from the bewitching graphic novel by Molly Knox Ostertag.
A First Time for EverythingIn this graphic memoir, the author recounts the struggles of middle school and how a three-week European group trip transformed his life in positive ways at the age of thirteen.
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