Draven Jackson
Blogger | Teacher
Twitter

Summertime is here, and growing up in a household of librarians, I learned from a young age that while summer is a fun time-off for kids from the stress of school, children can lose up to 90% of what they learned during the school year while on summer break. One amazing way to remedy this problem is by encouraging your little one to read and participate in local summer reading programs.

However, not all kids like to read novels or long stories, and that's completely fine! Children can still challenge their brains by reading things they enjoy, like comic books and graphic novels, and you'll feel relief in knowing that they are still actively learning and thinking during their time off from school.

This summer, challenge your children to read as many books as they can in whatever styles and subjects they like! If you want to help them find a starting point on their fun reading journey, we have an amazing list of award-winning comic books and graphic novels that your children are sure to love!

Not to mention, if you want to support them by joining in their reading adventures, we also have some great adult graphic novels and stories that you can enjoy while your little one reads their cool and exciting comics!

The Littlest Tardigrade
Written by Sean O'Reilly

The perfect illustrated comic for young readers, "The Littlest Tardigrade" is a story about following your dreams, being brave, and going on a life-changing adventure! Your little one can follow the journey of August "Gus," a tiny tardigrade who dreams of leaving his big, warm lake and seeing the world. His friends tell him he's too small to go too far from home, but Gus longs for more. After finding encouragement from his mom to follow his heart and find his own path in life, Gus sets out on a journey to discover how brave and strong he really is.

Learn more about The Littlest Tardigrade here!

Bird Kid
Written by Carl Owens

"Bird Kid" is another inspiring comic that will keep your children wrapped up in the story from beginning to end. Phillip "Pill" Anderson is a 10-year-old kid that has just moved to a new city and is nervous about starting at a new school. Unfortunately for Pill, he bumps into two mean bullies on his first day who make his new life miserable. One day, when he is avoiding his bullies, Pill runs into a junkyard and meets an old man named Ritz, who says he can use the shortcut through the junkyard to get home safely if Pill will run a few errands for him. Pill agrees, but the next day he discovers that Ritz is hiding a secret and his new safe haven in the junkyard isn't exactly what it seems...

Learn more about Bird Kid here!

Peanuts: Be Joyful
Created by Charles M. Schulz

Holiday-themed comics don't have to only be limited to December - you can read them any time of year! And what better comic is there for remembering the joy and wisdom of the holidays than a classic Peanuts' story? Featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the whole Peanuts gang, "Be Joyful" is all about celebrating the holidays the Peanuts way! This comic is a compilation of famous quotes and illustrations of the adorable group of children and their animal friends, and you and your little one are sure to love all the fun, mischief, and mayhem that is bound to occur in a Peanuts' story!

Learn more about Be Joyful here!

Who Are You Times Two
Written by Ingrid Klass

Adventure awaits in this interactive and educational graphic novel! You and your child can follow along with Phil the philosophy monkey and Soph the tiger as they set off to discover the nature of identity and learn about the philosophies, theories, and beliefs of twenty-three different Eastern and Middle-Eastern philosophers. Phil and Soph learn all about identity as they travel through time talking with these inspiring philosophers, but they must also be careful not to break time and get lost in their travels! Will they discover the answers about who they are and make it back to the correct time? Read along to find out more!

Learn more about Who Are You Times Two here!

Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher
Written by Kenny Loui

For teen and adult readers looking to join in on the summer reading, graphic novel journey, "Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher" is a great choice for you! This autobiographical manga tells the story of Kenny Loui, a self-proclaimed "UFO Catcher" whose main goal is to free all the plushies trapped inside arcade crane games. During his UFO Catching journey, Kenny meets lots of interesting characters that bring color, humor, and fun to this collection of short stories. Who knew that capturing plushies and liberating them from their crane game prisons could lead to one man learning so many life lessons?

Learn more about Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher here!

Howard Lovecraft and the Three Kingdoms
Written by Bruce Brown

For the comic lovers and their children who like to have a little spooky mystery in their stories, "Howard Lovecraft and the Three Kingdoms" is the perfect summer reading choice for you! A dangerous book with forbidden knowledge has been hidden away from the world for ages - a book so dangerous that it is said to drive anyone in possession of it mad. On Christmas Eve, the unspeakable happens: the book is placed into the hands of a child! With no idea about the dangers that dwell inside, Howard Lovecraft opens the book and reads the forbidden knowledge. Follow along with Howard and elder god companion Spot to find out what happens next!

Learn more about Howard Lovecraft and the Three Kingdoms here!

The Adventures of Wandala
Written by Daniel Boyd

Inspiring, heart-felt, and full of adventure, "The Adventures of Wandala" is a must-have graphic novel for your summer reading journey! Read about Wandala, whose world used to be five continents where people from five different cultures lived. They argued over everything, especially who was the best, and there were awful fights where many mean words were thrown between the groups. One day, a terrible earthquake shook the world and much of the land fell into the sea, leaving only the island of Centrailia standing. The people fled to the four corners of the island and created new, separate civilizations. Wandala wants to bring her world back together and sets out on an adventure to defeat the odds and bring peace and harmony to her world!

Learn more about The Adventures of Wandala here!