The best graphic novels and comics for children & YA
Writer and illustrator John Patrick Green on what makes comics so magical, plus our pick of the best comic books and graphic novels for kids and YA readers.

Since I was a kid, comics have been my favorite form of storytelling. From the three-panel format of a standard newspaper comic strip, to the pages and pages of panels of the average comic book, I fell in love with stories that are told through both text and illustrations.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and nowhere is this more evident than in graphic novels, where the drawings of a location or the expression on a character’s face can reveal far more to the reader than just the narration or dialogue alone.
At the same time, the reader has to go looking for the story being told within the pictures. Which means, even with the same book, you might find a different story to someone else. Or, if you go back and reread a favourite, you may notice clues or plot developments you missed but were in the art all along. To me, this is what makes comics so magical. It is a form of literature that is both textual and visual.
Combining words and images into a sequential art that tells stories in a way that is accessible, engaging, and most of all fun, is what makes a graphic novel the best reading experience.
Read on to discover some of the best graphic novels and comic books for kids and young adults.
Graphic novels and comics for children
Meet the Mubbles
by Liz Pichon
5 - 7 years
An all singing, all dancing, new full colour graphic novel series of JOY from the creator of Tom Gates, perfect for young readers. Travel to the Isle of Smile and meet the Wibbles of Wobble Mountain, the singing Earworms and the Uncertain Curtain. When the Clouds of Joy bump together to make a wonky rainbow it means one thing: someone or something is coming to VISIT. Who could it be?
The 13-Storey Treehouse: Colour Edition
by Andy Griffiths
7 - 11 years
The 13-Storey Treehouse is now in colour! The first book in Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton's wacky treehouse adventures is packed full of comic book style illustrations. Andy and Terry live in the WORLD'S BEST treehouse! It's got a giant catapult, a secret underground laboratory, a tank of man-eating sharks, to name a few. But watch out for the sea monkeys, and the monkeys pretending to be sea monkeys, and the giant mutant mermaid sea monster. Oh, and, whatever you do, don't get trapped in a burp-gas-filled bubble . . .
The Land of Lost Things
by Andy Griffiths
7 - 11 years
Calling all lovers of Andy Griffiths' crazy adventures in the Treehouse series to the bizarre and thrilling world of The Land of Lost Things – the first book in the new Adventures Unlimited series where the characters are YOU and ME. Grab your boots and brave the journey first-hand as we search for Me's lucky rabbit's foot. But this is no easy task; along the way you will meet quirky strangers turned friends, and battle mind-boggling creatures and wild inventions. This is a must-read for the brave-hearted!
InvestiGators
by John Patrick Green
7 - 9 years
Are you ready to help the InvestiGators Mango and Brash solve crimes from the sewer? Prepare to laugh out loud as you join them on their first mission as they go undercover with their brilliant spy technology, to discover who has kidnapped top chef Gustavo and his recipes. . . and that’s not the only mystery they have to solve!
Agents of S.U.I.T.
by John Patrick Green
7 - 9 years
The first in a full-colour, hilarious series – exploring deeper into the InvestiGators world through the eyes of their talented technicians and co-workers – Agents of S.U.I.T. is a must-read for comic book and graphic novel fans. In the first installment of the Agents of S.U.I.T. series, Cilantro the Chameleon finally gets a shot at her first field assignment. But faced with a sheep-led workers' rights revolt and an alien invasion conspiracy, does she have what it takes to prove herself as an agent?
Eowulf: Of Monsters and Middle School
by Mike Cavallaro
9 - 11 years
Eowulf: Of Monsters and Middle School is the new comical adventure featuring Eowulf Wegmund, a descendent of the famed monster hunter Beowulf. Her extraordinary summer involved rescuing unicorn soldiers and battling an evil god – pretty cool stuff. However, back home, the only monsters she faces are in Dungeons & Dragons and the scariest creature around is her classmate Amadeus Hornburgl. But when a mysterious supervillain returns to wreak havoc on their quiet town, Eowulf and Amadeus must join forces to unearth a dark past that wants to stay buried.
Max and the Midknights
by Lincoln Peirce
7 - 11 years
Join Max's quest to become a knight in this hilarious story with comic-book-style illustrations. Max wants to be a knight – too bad that dream is about as likely as finding a friendly dragon. But when Max's uncle Budrick is kidnapped by the cruel King Gastley, Max has to act . . . and fast! Joined by a band of brave adventurers – the Midknights – Max sets out on a thrilling quest: to save uncle Budrick and restore the realm of Byjovia to its former glory! Continue the adventure Max and the Midknights: Battle of the Bodkins.