Ages 9-12
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Smile
Raina Telgemeier
A memoir about braces, a dental accident and middle-school friendships.
Kids, by age
Graphic novels for 10-year-olds
Ten is when many children move from funny series to longer stories. These picks cover memoir, school life, fantasy and adventure.
At around ten, many children are ready for longer books with more story. Real-life graphic novels such as Smile, New Kid and El Deafo sit alongside fantasy series such as Amulet, Bone and the Wings of Fire graphic novels. A child who raced through funny series can often move into these without a fuss.
The best picks depend on the child. A reader who loves school stories may prefer Real Friends or Roller Girl, while a fantasy fan will go straight to the dragons. The fantasy series also run to many volumes, so check the length and the content notes on our series pages before you start one.
Tip
Hand over the first volume of a series. If they ask for the second, you have found the right book.
Picks for ten-year-olds
More in the FinderReal-life stories and fantasy series.
Ages 9-12
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New Kid
Jerry Craft
A seventh grader who loves drawing starts at a new private school and keeps a sketchbook.
Ages 9-12
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El Deafo
Cece Bell
A memoir by an author who became deaf as a child, retold with a rabbit cast.
Ages 9-12
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Real Friends
Shannon Hale, LeUyen Pham
A memoir about growing up with shifting friend groups.
Ages 9-12
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Roller Girl
Victoria Jamieson
A girl joins a roller derby camp and learns about friendships along the way.
Ages 9-12
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Ghosts
Raina Telgemeier
A girl with a sick sister moves to a coastal town where ghosts are neighbors.
Ages 9-12
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Amulet: The Stonekeeper
Kazu Kibuishi
A family moves into a creepy house and a magic amulet pulls the kids into another world.
Ages 9-12
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Bone: Out from Boneville
Jeff Smith
Three cousins get lost in a valley with a dragon, a Rat Creature and a farm girl.
Ages 9-12
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Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy (graphic novel)
Tui T. Sutherland, Mike Holmes
The graphic-novel adaptation of the first Wings of Fire novel, about five dragonets raised for a prophecy.
Ages 6-8
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Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth
Judd Winick
A mysterious boy falls from the sky and a robot-and-monster adventure starts.
Ages 9-12
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Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy
Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis
Five friends at a summer camp stumble across monsters and mysteries.
Ages 9-12
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Science Comics: Dinosaurs
MK Reed, Joe Flood
A science explainer in comic form for curious kids, from the Science Comics line.
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Open the full FinderFilter by genre, or type a book they liked.
Questions people ask
What graphic novels are good for 10-year-olds?
Good picks include Smile, New Kid, El Deafo, Real Friends and Roller Girl for real-life stories, and Amulet, Bone and Wings of Fire for fantasy. Hilo and Lumberjanes are lighter adventures. Our Comic Finder can filter by age and genre, and each card gives a one-line description of the book.
Are graphic novels too easy for a 10-year-old?
Not usually. Many graphic novels for this age have long, layered stories and plenty of text, and some run to many volumes. A reader still follows plot, character and meaning from words and pictures together. They are a good fit alongside chapter books, not a replacement for them, and many children enjoy both.
Are Amulet and Wings of Fire too scary for a 10-year-old?
It depends on the child. Both are fantasy with danger and some dark moments: Amulet has monsters and loss, and Wings of Fire is a war story among dragons. Many ten-year-olds enjoy them, but a sensitive reader may want a preview. Our series pages give age and content notes for each.
What should a 10-year-old read after Dog Man?
Cat Kid Comic Club is the nearest match, and Smile or New Kid is a good step toward real-life stories. For a longer adventure, try Bone or Amulet. Each of our series pages has a read-next row, and the Finder can show more at a similar level.
Are there nonfiction graphic novels for this age?
Yes. Science Comics: Dinosaurs is one example in our catalog, and memoirs such as Smile and El Deafo tell true stories. Nonfiction comics are a good way to introduce a subject through pictures. Filter the Finder by the nonfiction or science genres to see more.