12 brand new graphic novels primary school-aged kids will love

 

Graphic novels are becoming increasingly popular, especially for primary school aged kids. Emerging readers can benefit immensely from the combination of visual storytelling and engaging narratives that graphic novels provide.

For children in Early Years and Key Stage 1 they can be a delightful way to support the transition from picture to chapter books. We particularly love this beautifully illustrated series featuring a pair of cheeky squirrels:

 

Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song

Apple of My Pie by Mika Song

 

High-octane adventure series like Bunny vs Monkey, Looshkin and Dog Man have become hugely popular and feature bright and colourful illustrations, playful characters and bucket loads of fun.

We’d recommend fans also check out these brilliant new series with a similar appeal:

Happy Hills: Attack of the Giant Danger Kittens by Sophy Henn

Pablo and Splash by Sheena Dempsey

Peng and Spanners by Steve Webb

Unicorn Boy by Dave Roman

 

Graphic novels can also be a great way to explore a more complex story or theme in a very fun and accessible way. We love these stylish and quirky entry-level mysteries for all young readers:

Miss Cat: The Case of the Curous Canary by Jean-Luc Fromental & Joelle Jolivet

Agent Harrier: This Book Will Self Destruct by Ben Sanders

 

We’re huge fans of reading any chapter book aloud with kids as it offers a lovely shared experience and plenty of opportunity for book chat. That being said, it’s also important for children to develop the confidence to read independently and build their habit of reading for pleasure. Graphic novels can be a great way to do this, particularly for older primary school readers.

Some fantastic new graphic novel series we’d recommend for older primary school kids are:

 

Cactus Kid: The Battle for Star Rock Mountain by Emmanuel Guerrero

Meesh the Bad Demon by Michelle Lam

The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza by Mac Barnett & Shawn Harris

Eowulf of Monsters and Middle School by Mike Cavallaro

 

For more reasons why we’re passionate about graphic novels head to 7 reasons why we recommend graphic novels and comics for all kids and teens

You can also browse our full collection of graphic novels for 5 to 14-year-olds, handpicked by children’s book experts!