Graphic Novels for Middle School Students Amulet (series) by Kazu Kibuishi After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather. The strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids’ mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots and talking animals. Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn’t kidding about the “forever” part. Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them — especially not a new friend who’s been dead for a century. Artemis Fowl the Graphic Novel (series) by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin 12-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn’t know what he’s taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren’t the fairies of bedtime stories; these fairies are armed and dangerous. Astronaut Academy (series) by Dave Roman Hakata Soy’s past life as the leader of a futuristic super team won’t stay in the past. The former space hero is doing his best to keep his head down at Astronaut Academy. Things aren’t going so great, though. The most popular girl in school has it in for him. His best friend won’t return his calls. And his new roommate is a complete jock who only cares about Fireball. Cleopatra in Space (series) by Mike Maihack When a young Cleopatra (yes, that 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. Coraline by Neil Gaiman When Coraline steps through a door in her family’s new house, she finds another house strangely similar to her own, only better. But there’s another mother there and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go. Explorer (series) edited by Kazu Kibuish (featuring Raina Telgemeier) Seven clever stories answer one simple question: what’s in the box? Funny, fantastic, spooky and suspenseful, each of these unique and beautifully illustrated short graphic works revolves around a central theme: a mysterious box and the marvels — or mayhem — inside. Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks After an idyllic childhood of homeschooling with her mother and three older brothers, Maggie enrolls in public high school, where interacting with her peers is complicated by the melancholy ghost that has followed her throughout her entire life. Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel Garth Hale is as good as dead. The only problem is, he’s still alive. When Garth Hale is accidentally zapped into the ghost world by Frank Gallows, a washed-up ghost wrangler, he discovers that he has special powers. Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch Spunky, strong-willed 11-year-old Mirka Herschberg isn’t interested in knitting lessons from her stepmother, or how-to-find-a-husband advice from her sister or you-better-not warnings from her brother. There’s only one thing she does want: to fight dragons! Malice by Chris Wooding In this hybrid-format horror/fantasy, restless teens in search of adventure pass back and forth between their world and Malice, a tenebrous, ruined city stocked with clockwork monsters and other hazards. Meanwhile by Jason Shiga In this choose-your-own adventure graphic novel, a boy stumbles on the laboratory of a mad scientist who asks him to choose between testing a mind-reading device, a time machine and a doomsday machine. Olympians by George O’Connor An energetic graphic series on classical mythology debuts with the origin story of the Big Cheese Olympian, Zeus. Resistance by Carla Jablonski Although their father is in a German P.O.W. camp, Paul and Marie are barely touched by World War II in 1942’s Vichy, France. But when their friend Henri’s parents disappear, the children decide to hide their Jewish friend from the Nazis and soon find themselves involved in the French Resistance. Zebrafish by Sharon Emerson When their rock band becomes popular, five middle schoolers use their new fame to generate awareness (and donations) for an important cause.