There are dozens, if not hundreds, of graphic novel adaptations of beloved books, both for children as well as classic literature, but are they worth reading? How do you get a child to transition from reading graphic novels to traditional novels?
Graphic novels are an excellent way to introduce your child to traditional novels they may be intimidated to read. Adaptations of traditional novels introduce the plot, complex vocabulary and beloved characters in a way that is more accessible for younger or reluctant readers, enticing them to read more complex stories, while maintaining the integrity of the original story better than an abridged version.
Ideally, your child will fall in love with the story and want to read more, at which point you can introduce them to the full length novel. Having a basis for understanding the book going into it can help their reading comprehension as they tackle the longer text, keeping them interested for longer.
For more tips on encouraging a reluctant reader, check out this article on How to Hook a Reluctant Reader.
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1. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit is a classic and beloved story of bravery, friendship, adventure and the battle of good versus evil. The high language in the original story can make it a challenging read for some younger readers, but it is a story that grows with age.
Like any other graphic novel adaptation, this is not a frame by frame retelling of the original story. It naturally has to make some cuts and changes to fit the major themes of the story in the length of a graphic novel. This may upset some readers, however if you are looking for a way to have your child break into the fantastic world of Tolkien this is an excellent entry point.
2. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
The graphic novel adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is shorter than the full-length novel but is still fairly true to the original storyline.
The graphics are done in a style more like what you might see in a comic book, with big swathes of lightning and hyper-pigmented illustrations. The images can be intense in places, however if your student has a hard time visualizing some of the story the graphic novel illustrations can aid in understanding when later tackling the novel.
Read More: What to Read After Percy Jackson [Librarian Suggests]
3. Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland
There are a lot of good reasons to get your kid into this series. One of them is that when they finish the graphic novel series, they will have to pick up the chapter books to finish the series (there are twelve of them in total). There are even mini eBooks that follow different characters and stories unrelated to the main story arc.
The graphics are done in an anime meets Land Before Time style that is at once sweet and intriguing. With plenty to read and different avenues to travel down, this is a series that can keep a kid reading for quite a while.
4. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The graphic novel adaptation of The Graveyard Book is done in a unique style where each chapter is illustrated by a different well-known comic book illustrator. This makes each chapter different from any other and all of the graphics have an overall comic-book style to them. Neil Gaiman is famously influenced by comics growing up, so it is no surprise that the adaptation relies so heavily on this style.
Parents should be aware that there are some darker themes in this story and bringing them to life in such a visual way may not be suitable for younger children, who may not have fully grasped the meaning when read as text alone.
5. Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Osborne Pope
Magic Treehouse is a perennial favorite for beginning chapter book readers and reluctant readers because the stories are exciting, the kids usually learn a little something and they are easy to read. Now they have come out with their first graphic novel and it’s a real winner.
The illustrations are fun and colorful and lean more toward a Scooby-Doo cartoon style, rather than a comic book style. If your child likes adventures, dinosaurs or Magic Treehouse, they won’t be disappointed with this one.
6. Baby Sitter’s Club by Ann Martin
The classic babysitter’s club books you grew up with have been modernized and adapted by beloved authors Raina Telgemeier and Gale Galligan for this series. The artwork is done in the pop-art style of many current graphic novels, making them bright, colorful and fun.
The Little Sister adaptations skew slightly younger and are a little big shorter. They are written by the original Baby-Sitter’s Club author and feature a different illustrator than the older sister’s. The novels are still done in a similar pop-color style, but it is a different style from the older book series.
7. Big Nate by Lincoln Pierce
Big Nate makes an excellent hook into reading novels because the transition from the graphic novel format to the full text novel is not a big jump as the books themselves are what we call an illustrated novel.
It has a significant amount of text, but there are also illustrations and variations in the font that keep the story interesting and accessible. Nate is a mischievous middle schooler who is a little goofy, awkward and bad at being organized. This series is also great for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
8. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle
A stranger comes to your house in the middle of the night and tells you your missing father has been working on a secret government project to bend time and space, a tesseract, a wrinkle in time. This is a story of bravery, family and love. Some of the concepts in this novel are tricky, the graphic novelization can make it more accessible to a younger audience, without losing the gravitas of the story.
The story was adapted into a graphic novel and illustrated by Hope Larson, who has done a number of other popular graphic novels such as the Eagle Rock series, among others. This is the first book in the quintet.
9. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Generally speaking, horror is not my personal jam, however I do love Neil Gaiman and Coraline is one of the best scary books I read as a child. It has since been adapted into a graphic novel and is in some ways, even creepier than the movie.
The storyline varies a bit from the original text, as most adaptations do, but it does an excellent job of retaining the essence of the story. If your child loved the movie, try reading the full text version and the adapted graphic novel and talk about which they think was the best version.
10. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
There are several classic novels adapted into graphic novels out there, few of them do justice to the original story. But the Anne of Green Gables adaptation is wonderful and a must read for kids and adults.
The artwork is delicate and soft, leaning into Anne’s dreaminess, but still clearly portraying what is taking place. The characters are wonderfully expressive, to the point where sometimes they do not require text, capturing the essence of the less chatty characters.
The illustrator expertly uses perspective to give the reader the impression of space out in the country, distances between homes and the curviness of an unpaved road. On top of all this you have Anne, beautifully captured in this adaptation in all her quirky glory.
If you are a collector, you will want to also get the Puffin in Bloom edition of this classic for the beautiful cover art.
11. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Of all the adaptations in this article, these two graphic novels vary most widely from their original source. They are considered modernizations, rather than a graphic novel adaptation.
The story has been updated to fit into a modern world, updating the issues the March women face into a contemporary story. They make some of the issues more understandable, but do take quite a few liberties with the characters and the plot. It is worth reading both graphic novel adaptations and the original to compare the stories and see which you prefer. As a slight caveat, the graphic novel adaptations might be better for readers who are 13+
The Puffin in Bloom release of the original novel is worth owning simply for the beautiful cover art.
Read More: 14 Great Graphic Novels for Tweens About Making Friends
12. Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm
Jennifer Holm blended her own family stories with American history to create Turtle, an eleven year old girl sent to live with her relatives in Key West Florida in the 1930s.
Turtle is shy and introverted, but through her experience with her family and her time living in Florida she begins to discover the world can be a bright and exciting place. The style of artwork in the graphic novel has a bit of a “My Neighbor Totoro” style to it, making it sweet, colorful and a little quirky, perfect for Turtle and her story.