As parents, we always want the best for our children. We always try to cultivate a strong sense of kinship with them and envision the best for them. No effort or resource is ever spared in the process of helping them grow into confident, compassionate and self-sufficient beings. And one of the effective ways that I know and advocate, that helps bring about the best in them is instilling the love for ‘reading’. Is it that easy to get them into books? Well, if the books are full of pictures, have interesting stories with compelling characters, then yes! Graphic novels are loved by children of all ages, and here’s the list of some of the best graphic novels for children aged between 6-9 years.
Go on, if not yet started your kids onto reading, this is a good time and all the required help that you need is right here!
- 1. Narwhal and Jelly series by Ben Clanton
The two remarkable characters of this graphic novel series, ‘Narwhal’, a carefree one-toothed whale (unicorn of the sea) and ‘Jelly’, a straightforward jellyfish, do not have much in common, but the two fondly love waffles, parties and adventures. Narwhal and Jelly series showcases the value of friendship and celebrates unalterable optimism and creativity. The added dose of fun facts about narwhals and jellyfishes makes it praiseworthy and purchase worthy for the little ones. Each volume in the series features three interconnected stories.
Enjoy the sparkles of fantastic with your little ones as you dive into the stories!
- 2. Tiny Titans: Adventures in Awesomeness by Art Baltazar
Tiny Titans showcases a kid-friendly, elementary school environment with several individual stories as opposed to just following a single storyline. Take a look at what life is like for the young heroes of the Sidekick Elementary school when they head into space and transform into monkeys. Parents trying to instill creativity in their children should look no further than this. The artwork is all entertaining, captivating and colourful. Tiny Titans and all its volumes in the series also make a good offering for the seasoned fans of the Teen Titans cartoon.
- 3. CatStronauts: Mission Moon by Drew Brockington
You heard that! The cats have taken up the responsibility to set up a solar power plant on the moon to save the world as the world faces a global energy shortage. Yes, they have!
‘CatStronauts’ is filled with science and humour to keep children engaged till the end, and the characters in the story will have your child bursting with laughter. Trust me!
- 4. Bunny Vs Monkey, Written and illustrated by Jamie Smart, Scholastic Inc.
This children’s graphic novel is a hilarious tale of good versus evil, science versus nature, bunny versus monkey! The story goes like this – a team of scientists have sent a monkey into space, but the mischievous noisy little fur-bag (monkey) barely clears the first hilltop and crash-lands in a peaceful forest on the same planet (Earth) itself. Here, the monkey thinks that he has successfully landed on the other, and tries to colonize the land of (supposedly) another planet. He tries to make his own new world on the planet and decides to drive out all other animals.
The novel is replete with hysterical interactions between the monkey and other animals that can surely get children laughing aloud.
- 5. Bird & Squirrel on Fire by James Burks
After a crazy round-the-world trip, Bird and Squirrel have come back to their beloved forest home only to find a lot of problems waiting for them. Their house needs cleaning, an annoying beaver has dammed up the river, and all the other animals are scared of a new growing menace.
The story fuels the curiosity in the minds of little ones as they wait to find out how the duo finally saves the forest’s life. In fact, the whole ‘Bird and Squirrel’ series has hilarious adventures!
- 6. Sparks! (#1)Written by Ian Boothby and illustrated by Nina Matsumoto, Scholastic Inc.
Sparks – a comedy-action children’s graphic novel about two cats who pilot a powerful robotic dog suit – is a story about cats named August and Charlie. August is a genius inventor while Charlie is a crack pilot, and together they work to save the lives of people in need. An evil Princess is on her mission to enslave the entire humankind, but the cat duo is not backing out anytime soon. It is interesting to see how August and Charlie manage to stop the princess’s evil plans. Along with hilarious action sequences, Sparks’ series explores themes of friendship, team spirit, facing your fears, forgiveness, and kindness to people and animals, making it an excellent read for children and adults alike.
- 7. Sonic the Hedgehog: Fallout by Ian Flynn
The work of our children’s most beloved character ‘Sonic’ the Hedgehog hasn’t gotten over even after the epic battle. The Hedgehog and his journey in this collection features a new guest star ‘Blue Blur’ who brings in some brand-new adventures. Sonic the Hedgehog was successful in stopping Dr Eggman in his evil plans, but Dr Eggman’s rogue robots continue to attack small villages around the globe and to defeat them, Sonic teams up with his friends and some new allies. It is interesting to see how they save the villagers from these robots in this collection. This graphic novel’s bright and colourful artwork is sure to keep children hooked through the small story arcs.
- 8. Amulet (#1-8) by Kazu Kibuishi
A young girl Emily moves into her deceased great grandfather’s house with her younger brother Navin and mother after her father’s tragic death, but the locals call that house a haunted one. In this thrilling children’s graphic novel, it is interesting to explore how this family overcomes the challenges they face after moving into that house. Amulet series is a must-have for all fantasy novel fans. Personally, it is a good recommendation for children above 8 years.
- 9. Catwad: It’s Me. By Jim Benton
It’s Me – the first in the Catwad series, introduces two main feline characters, Catwad a grouchy and grumpy cat, and Blurmp (Catwad’s best friend) a bouncy, carefree kitty. It is a fun engaging novel filled with hilarious adventures of Blurmp and Catwad who as friends balance each other in all the adventures together. When life gives Catwad lemons, Blurmp makes lemonade with his optimism and positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity. It is another great graphic novel perfect for young readers.
- 10. Dog Man : The Epic Collection by Dav Pilkey
Heroes come in all shapes, sizes & forms. And this hero ‘Dog Man’ was born when Greg, the police dog and his partner cop, get seriously injured on a mission, and are close to death. The only way doctors could think of saving them was by stitching them together! Hence, surgery was done to save both of them, and now they’re no longer separate individuals, they are a dog and a man combined. It is a fun novel where this new Dog Man fights criminals and creates new history.
- 11. ‘I Am Gandhi‘ by NYT bestselling author Brad Meltzer
This philanthropic Graphic Novel is the one you can’t afford to miss for your little ones! The extraordinary biography is a team effort that exemplifies Gandhiji’s selflessness and love for humanity. Galvanized by the Gandhiji’s empowering thoughts, his gentle activism, the artwork from some of the finest illustrators working in the comics field today, this memorabilia of Mahatma Gandhiji’s life and achievements cannot be missed. There’s art, history, inspiration, and more!
I would say the ‘Ordinary People Change the World’ series by Brad Meltzer is a must for children, if not all, then at least ‘I Am Gandhi’ needs the space on your children’s bookshelves.
Conclusion
Give your children some time to develop a fondness for graphic novels, and they’ll surely come back asking for more. Once they start to associate books with fun and joy, reading will come naturally to them.
As food is nutrition to the body, reading is to the mind. Let your children explore the world of graphic novels, and you’ll be surprised by how fast they develop reading habits. Help them become the happily engaged, thinking and informed individuals.
