Graphic novels are an increasingly popular genre and way to read, especially for middle grade tweens. They help build empathy, vocabulary and can deal with heavier issues in a more approachable way.
As a general rule, graphic novels tell a detailed and complete story and have more substance than a comic book. They are usually comprised of panels containing illustrations and dialog, the combination of the two propel the story along. By relying on illustration and dialog to move the story, authors can better illustrate and wrestle with more serious topics in an age appropriate way.
Graphic novels are a great way to entice a reluctant reader into engaging with literature. I wrote this article entirely about how to hook a reluctant reader, if you would like to read more on that. They are also a great way to keep the interest in reading alive when your child is weighed down by school texts, plus they are super fun! Read on to find some of the best graphic novels about making friends!
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1. Long Distance by Whitney Gardner
Vega moves with her dads from her hometown of Portland up to Seattle and is struggling to make new friends. Her dads sign her up for a summer camp to help her make friends, but all the other kids are weird! It’s hard to make new friends in a new place, and it turns out that’s not just a problem for kids at this camp.
This is a story that most people can relate to. Making friends can be a struggle at any age, but Vega discovers if you put yourself out there, you can make friends anywhere. Sometimes you just have to put in a little extra work. I wrote a full book review of the story you can read here.
2. Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter
Maggie has dreamed of owning pets and being a vet all her life, and on her tenth birthday she can finally fulfill one of those dreams- getting her very own puppy! But when she finally gets to choose her puppy she finds out she is extremely allergic. After recovering from the first blow of this she makes plans to try out different kinds of pets, none of which work out.
To make matters even harder, her family is expecting a new baby; Maggie struggles to figure out where she will fit into the new order when the baby comes.
3. All My Friends by Hope Larson
In the final book of the series, Bina finally feels like she is getting it together. She has new friends at her new school and is in a rocking new band. On the downside, her parents are less than thrilled about her new stardom and are not as excited as she wants them to be about a contract she’s been offered. Plus it’s still weird with Austin after that awkward date. Can Bina and all her friends resolve their issues?
The illustrations are done in monochromatic pink- very punk rock and the text is easy to follow. The story claims to be a standalone but you should really start with the first book in the Eagle Rock series or risk feeling dropped into the middle of the story.
4. Chunky by Yehudi Mercado
Chunky is an absolutely delightful story of a fat tween struggling to find a sport to be good at, accepting himself and be healthy despite set backs that are out of his control.
Hudi is an overweight Mexican and Jewish kid who is struggling to lose weight, and his imaginary mascot Chunky, cheers on his every move. We should all be so lucky to have an endearing hypeman in our lives.
The illustrations are almost comic book style, with bold colors and classic comic style speech balloons for emphasis. Hudi is a largely autobiographical character, adding authenticity to the story, making this is a great read for fans of Jerry Kraft and Raina Telgemeier, or for anyone who feels like they don’t quite fit into the norm.
5. Making Friends by Kristen Gudsnuk
Making new friends is always hard, especially starting at a new school. So when Dany’s aunt leaves her a magical sketchbook, it seems the obvious choice to make a new friend. That should guarantee herself a best friend, right? Well, maybe not. Having incredible magic doesn’t mean there are no consequences, and it turns out to have a friend, you have to be a friend.
This is a fun and colorful read with a high number of panels per page, all of them quite detailed. There is sufficient dialog between the characters to understand and move the story along, but no narration, relying instead on the illustrations to flesh out the story. If you love this one, be sure to get the sequel. This is a great pick for fans of Shannon Hale and Terri Libensen.
6. Truly Tyler by Terri Libenson
The last book in the Emmie and Friends series focuses on Tyler. However, the perspective for each chapter changes back and forth between Tyler and his crush, Emmie. Middle school is hard and so is trying to figure out who you are and how to balance your interests. Tyler struggles to deal with the challenges of school while balancing basketball, art, friends and crushes.
This is somewhere between a novel and a graphic novel. Tyler’s chapters feature a more illustrated novel style, similar to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, while Emmie’s chapters have a truer graphic novel feel to them. It’s also one of the longest books on the list at 374 pages.
7. Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright
If you have a twin then you have a built in best friend to go everywhere with you, right? Well maybe not. Maureen and Francine are starting sixth grade, and Maureen assumed everything would be like it always was. But Francine has other ideas. She wants to go by Fran now, and take different classes. Things come to a head when both girls run for class president and a smear campaign takes place. It might be impossible to get over this rift.
While the girls are quite mean to each other, they do eventually make up, largely with some excellent parenting demonstrated by their mother and father. They make the twins do the hard work of repairing the relationship, which ultimately makes it stronger. This is a great read for anyone who has a sibling or has struggled with friend groups in school.
8. Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
Get ready for a wild ride with Roller Girl! Astrid is at the point in her life and friendships where being friends with some one doesn’t always mean sharing everything, and that is a tough emotional place to be.
She needs to deal with her new interest in roller derby and the friends she makes there along with the break in her friendship with Nicole, repairing that relationship and seeing what her part was in in it’s downfall and deciding if it is still a friendship she wishes to pursue.
This story deals with the complex emotional lives tween girls lead and the intricacies of friendships and growing up. It was one of the first graphic novels to receive a Newbery Honor award as well as a whole host of other awards. This is a great read for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale.
9. Muddle School by Dave Whamond
Starting a new school year can be nerve-wracking for anyone. But it can be even more intimidating when you are starting that new year at a new school in a new town.
Dave’s father is transferred to Muddle and Dave is starting his first year of middle school at Muddle School. He struggles to make friends at first and deals with crushes and bullies all year long.
Eventually he learns that his attitude toward others makes a big impact on how “cool” he is and his ability to make friends. Overall this is a solid read for any middle schooler who enjoyed similar titles like Diary of a Wimpy kid and James Paterson’s Middle School series.
If you’d like to learn more about Dave’s journey, I wrote a full review of this title that you can read about here.
10. Pawcasso by Remi Lai
Jo sees a dog with a shopping basket going about town running errands. Curious and concerned, Jo follows the dog on his route. Everything is fine until the dog wanders into the local bookstore where a group of kids are taking an art class.
Believing Jo to be the owner, the kids invite her to bring Pawcasso to art classes every week. Wanting to make friends and feeling too shy to speak up, Jo goes along with the lie. But keeping up a lie like this is hard.
This story has sweet illustrations and easy to follow dialog. It deals with issues of integrity and honesty, as well as respecting others and boundaries. Jo also deals with internal struggles regarding her family and her father who is away from home most days for business.
11. Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte and Ann Xu
Growing up in a place you have lived all your life is hard enough, but Cici moves from Taiwan to America with her parents, leaving her beloved A-má (grandmother) and everything she knows behind. While still navigating American life, Cici enters a cooking contest to win enough prize money to bring A-má to America for a visit. Along the way she discovers she is not so different from her new friends and finds that she does fit in.
This story is absolutely heartwarming. At times she isn’t sure if anyone will every really know her. In the end she makes a few good friends who take the time to get to know her and her culture.
The style of this graphic novel is different from many others. The illustrations are simple but clear and the book is more text-heavy, with longer dialog and more background narration.
12. Shirley and Jamila Save their Summer by Gillian Goerz
Middle grade graphic novels tend to be all about the drama and angst of growing up and getting through middle school, or they are fantastical stories of dragons/aliens/superheroes, etc. There are very few mysteries, making this an excellent choice for anyone looking for something just a little bit different.
The characters still face the drama of making friends and growing up, but it is centered around a mystery Shirley and Jamila have teamed up to solve, rather than just being about drama itself. The story itself is fast paced and fun, pulling the reader in as we work with the girls to solve the crime.
The illustrations in this graphic novel suit it perfectly. They are highly detailed and colorful and rely solely on dialog, rather than narration, to move the story along. As an added bonus the cast of characters are diversely illustrated adding a layer of authenticity to the work.
13. New Kid by Jerry Craft
New Kid is a very honest look at what it is like to start at a new school and be in a racial minority group at that school. Jordan banks wants to go to an art school, but instead his parents send him to private school with few kids of color. With this change, he struggles to find where he fits in, which doesn’t seem to be either at his new school or with his old friends.
Not only does Jordan need to deal with the normal pressures of starting at a new school, he also has to deal with both targeted and casual racism of his classmates and teachers.
New Kid was the first graphic novel to win a Newbery Award. Check out Jerry Craft’s second book Class Act as well.
14. Living With Viola by Rosena Fung
Livy is a sixth grader starting at a new school. She is first generation Chinese, born to immigrant parents. She likes to draw and read. She also lives with Viola, the shadowy embodiment of her anxiety who follows her around and tries to ruin her life.
Living day to day with Viola heckling her every move is hard. And eventually Livy has had enough. After some intensely emotional scenes Livy decides to talk to her mom about how she has been feeling so she can get some help.
This is a #ownvoices story where the author has experienced much of Livy’s story. I wrote a complete review on this book which you can read here. It’s a great choice for anyone who has ever felt this, knows someone who has.