Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List
The Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List is a recommended reading list designed for children in grades K-5. The purpose of the list is to encourage students to explore a variety of current graphic novels.
Grades K-2
The Zoo Box by Ariel Cohn Left home alone for the evening, Erika and Patrick discover a mysterious box in the attic, and when they take a peek inside the box, animals begin to pour out, turning their world upside down. |
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Flop to the Top! by Eleanor Davis Wanda's plan to make herself famous backfires when her floppy-faced dog starts drawing all the attention. |
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Okay, Andy! by Maxwell Eaton III Andy, a crabby alligator, is a reluctant friend to Preston, a young coyote pup. |
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Benny and Penny in Lost and Found by Geoffrey Hayes Penny the mouse tries to help her brother Benny find his favorite hat, but Benny warns her that he is in a bad mood. |
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Written and Drawn by Henrietta by Liniers When Henrietta's mother gives her a box of colored pencils, she sets out to draw a terrifying and fantastic adventure. |
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Fowl Play by Travis Nichols A team of animal sleuths is hired to solve the mystery of a broken window. |
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Anna Banana and the Chocolate Explosion by Dominique Roques When Anna Banana and her stuffed animal friends set out to make a chocolate cake, they make a big mess, instead. |
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Sleepless Knight by James Sturm and Andrew Arnold The Knight can't wait for her first camping trip. She and her horse Edward pack everything they need--including her beloved Teddy--and head out into the woods. But when it's time for bed, Teddy is nowhere to be found. |
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Mr. Ball Makes a To-Do List by Michael Townsend Mr. Ball loves to make to-do lists but never finishes his tasks, until one day he makes a list so simple it seems he cannot possibly fail. |
Grades 3-5
Dragons Beware! by Jorge Aguirre When Claudette sets out to slay the dragon that ate her father's legs and his legendary sword, she will need more help than ever from her friend Marie and her brother Gaston. |
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El Deafo by Cece Bell The author recounts in graphic novel format her experiences with hearing loss at a young age, including using a bulky hearing aid, learning how to lip read, and determining her "superpower." |
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Lowriders in Space by Cathy Camper Lupe, Flapjack, Elirio customize their car into a low rider for the Universal Car Competition to win the cash prize that will enable them to buy their own garage. |
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Rutabaga: The Adventure Chef by Eric Colossal Rutabaga and his magic cooking pot join three young adventurers on a culinary quest to defeat a dragon, discover new ingredients, and identify monsters to invite to, or eat for, dinner. |
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Hidden by Loic Dauvillier A grandmother shares the story of her experiences in WWII with her grandchild in this graphic novel for young readers. |
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Red Riding Hood, Superhero by Otis Frampton Little Ruby Topper has a crimson cloak and hood that turn the ten-year-old into a superhero--and now she must use her powers to rescue the president, her grandmother, from mad Professor Grimm and his wolf-bot. |
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The Kurdles by Robert Goodin Sally is a teddy bear who gets separated from her owner while on a drive in the country. Desperate to find her way home, she stumbles upon Kurdleton, home to a most peculiar group of characters in the midst of a crisis: their forest house has grown hair, eyes, and a mouth! The creatures work with their new friend to keep Kurdleton from growing legs and running away! |
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Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale In graphic novel format, Revolutionary War spy Nathan Hale tells a hangman and British officer about the life of Harriet Tubman and her life-risking dedication to helping runaway slaves find freedom. |
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Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood by Nathan Hale Presents a history of World War I in graphic novel format, describing the circumstances leading up to the war, major campaigns and battles, and military strategy and tactics. |
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The Return of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke Zita the Spacegirl has saved planets, battled monsters, and wrestled with interplanetary fame. But she faces her biggest challenge yet in the third and final installment of the Zita adventures. Wrongfully imprisoned on a penitentiary planet, Zitahas to plot the galaxy's greatest jailbreak before the evil prison warden can execute his plan of interstellar domination! |
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Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm Lewin is sent to live with her grandfather for the summer in Florida, where she befriends Buzz, a boy completely obsessed with comic books, and faces the secret behind why she is in Florida in the first place. |
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Last of the Sandwalkers by Jay Hosler When field scientist Lucy defies the law of her safe but authoritarian home on an oasis by leading a team of researchers into the desert to learn about the greater world, what she finds will change everything, beginning with the knowledge that beetles are not the only living creatures. |
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Roller Girl by Victoria Jemison A graphic novel adventure about a girl who discovers roller derby right as she and her best friend are growing apart. |
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Comics Squad: Recess by Jarrett Krosoczka (editor) A collection of comics about every kid's favorite school subject: recess. |
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Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth by Ian Lendler The Stratford Zoo looks like a normal zoo... until the gates shut at night. That's when the animals come out of their cages to stage elaborate performances of Shakespeare's greatest works. They might not be the most accomplished thespians, but they've got what counts: heart. Also fangs, feathers, scales, and tails. |
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Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Romeo and Juliet by Ian Lendler The animals of the Stratford Zoo put on their own performance of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." |
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Howtoons: [Re]ignition by Fred Van Lente Siblings Celine and Tucker use the basic principles of energy to experiment with everyday objects, in a story where their scientific gadgets will help them survive Earth in the distant future. |
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The Lunch Witch by Deb Lucke The witch Grunhilda takes a job in an elementary school lunchroom. |
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Cleopatra in Space: Target Practice by Mike Maihack When a young Cleopatra finds a mysterious tablet that zaps her to the far, REALLY far future, she learns of an ancient prophecy that says she is destined to save the galaxy from the tyrannical rule of the evil Xaius Octavian. |
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Baba Yaga’s Assistant by Marika McCoola When her father announces that he is remarrying, Masha decides to leave home and become Baba Yaga's assistant. But to earn her place at the witch's house, she must first pass a series of tests. |
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Mr. Pants: It’s Go Time! by Scott McCormick On the last day of summer vacation, all Mr. Pants wants to do is play laser tag but Mom and his sisters, Foot Foot and Grommy, have other ideas. |
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Mr. Pants: Slacks, Camera, Action! by Scott McCormick Mr. Pants is determined to win a film contest, but his sisters and their friends are not eager to participate. |
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Maddy Kettle: The Adventure of Thimblewitch by Eric Orchard Maddy's parents have been turned into kangaroo rats by the mysterious Thimblewitch. Now, it is up to Maddy to save them. Accompanied by her pet flying toad, Ralph, and the cloud cartographers Harry and Silvio--a bear and raccoon--Maddy must find a way to help them. |
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Hilda and the Black Hound by Luke Pearson In Hilda's new adventure, she meets the Nisse, a mischievous but charismatic bunch of misfits with some intriguing secrets. Meanwhile, on the streets of Trolberg, a dark spectre looms. |
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Baldwin the Brave and Other Tales by David Peterson Collects six fables from the world of Mouse Guard. |
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Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson When Phoebe meets a unicorn named Marigold who grants her one wish, Phoebe wishes Marigold would become her best friend, and the two set off on adventures big and small. |
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Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure by Nadja Spiegelman After getting separated from his teacher, his classmates, and his trip partner during an outing to the Empire State Building, Pablo, the new kid in school, learns to navigate the New York City subway system as well as his own feelings towards making new friends and living in a big city. |
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Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis and Brooke Allen Best friends Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley spend a fun summer at Lumberjane scout camp where they encounter yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons while solving a mystery that holds the fate of the world in the balance. |
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Slappy’s Tales of Horror by R.L. Stine A collection of short graphic novels featuring characters from famous "Goosebumps" stories includes "Ghost Beach," in which two siblings investigate a local legend and discover a terrible secret about their family. |
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Sisters by Raina Telgemeier In a semi-autobiographical graphic novel, Raina's disappointing bond with a cranky, independent younger sister is further challenged by the arrival of a baby brother and an estrangement in their parents' marriage. |
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Nnewts: Escape from the Lizzarks by Doug TenNapel When Herk's quaint village is attacked by the reptile Lizzarks, he's forced to flee his home and enter a dangerous world filled with strange creatures and mysterious wonders while an evil overlord is in hot pursuit. |
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Super Billy Goats Gruff by Sean Tulien Three clever billy goats find themselves trapped in a video game, confronting the Hillside Castle run by a monster troll--and they have to use their new superpowers to get past the castle to the green field of grass, and lunch. |
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Princess Decomposia and County Spatula by Andi Watson Princess Decomposia, overworked and underappreciated, runs the underworld for her layabout father but when she hires Count Spatula, a vampire with a sweet tooth, as the new chef, he not only helps straighten out her life, he may become more than a friend. |
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Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winick When a mysterious boy falls from the sky, friends D.J. and Gina must discover the secrets of his identity and help him save the world. |
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Secret Coders by Gene Luen Yang Attending an elite school where enterprising students are challenged to solve a variety of clues and puzzles using computer programming, Hopper and her friend, Eni, resolve to crack the school founder's most elusive mystery together. |
Grades K-5
Bird & Squirrel on Ice by James Burks Bird and Squirrel have a new friend, Sakari, and also a new enemy, the Great Whale, who wants Bird as his next meal. |
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Benjamin Bear in Brain Storms! by Philippe Coudray A collection of one-page comic strips featuring Benjamin Bear, a very serious bear who has his own silly logic for doing things. |
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Little Robot by Ben Hatke When a girl finds a lost robot in the woods, they become fast friends, but is in for an adventure when a much larger, menacing robot comes to retrieve it. |
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Babymouse: Bad Babysitter by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm Babymouse discovers that babysitting is not as easy as it sounds. |
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Bow-Wow’s Nightmare Neighbors by Mark Newgarden Bow-Wow, an expressive dog, tangles with some unruly neighbors in this wordless, picture book. |
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BirdCatDog by Lee Nordling Tells the story of a bird, a cat, and a dog through wordless comics. Everyone is a hero in his own story and every story is connected. |
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FishFishFish by Lee Nordling Three connected, wordless stories relate heroic tales of a small but independent fish, a hungry barracuda, and a school of dozens of fish. |
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Apocalypse Bow Wow by James Proimos Apollo and Brownie are unaware that the apocalypse is at hand, but when their owners do not return and they run out of food and water, the dogs venture into the world, where they team up with a police dog, a flea that quotes Sun Tzu's The art of war, and others in an attempt to survive. |
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March Grand Prix: The Fast and the Furriest by Kean Soo March Hare wants to be the fastest and furriest racecar driver around. But first, this rabbit racer will have to prove his skill at the speedway, on the streets, and in the desert. With pedal-to-the-metal illustrations and full-throttle action, March is sure to be a winner! |