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.
Kids, by age
Graphic novels for 12-year-olds
Twelve-year-olds want longer stories and more independence. These picks cover fantasy epics, real-life stories and good first steps beyond kids’ comics.
At twelve, many readers want longer, more serious stories and series they can follow for months. Fantasy series such as Amulet, Bone and Wings of Fire still work well, and real-life stories such as Drama, Ghosts and El Deafo take on friendship and growing up. Some twelve-year-olds are also ready to try manga or teen graphic novels.
Our age bands help, but twelve is where one child may be ready for teen books and another is not. Check the publisher’s age range and the content notes on our series pages. Let the reader choose from a small stack you have looked at.
Picks for twelve-year-olds
More in the FinderFantasy epics, real-life stories and adventures.
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 9-12
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Drama
Raina Telgemeier
A middle-school musical crew deals with crushes and backstage chaos.
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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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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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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Mouse Guard: Fall 1152
David Petersen
A guard of mice defend their territory in a rich, painterly adventure.
Ages 9-12
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Star Scouts
Mike Lawrence
A scout troop and an alien friendship story with a space-camp feel.
Ages 9-12
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Sisters
Raina Telgemeier
A road-trip memoir about the author and her little sister.
Ages 9-12
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The Essential Calvin and Hobbes
Bill Watterson
A treasury of the newspaper strip about a boy, his stuffed tiger and an enormous imagination.
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Filter the whole catalog
Open the full FinderFilter by style and genre. This Finder includes the 9 to 12 and teen bands.
Questions people ask
What graphic novels are good for 12-year-olds?
Fantasy series such as Amulet, Bone and Wings of Fire remain popular, and Drama, Ghosts, El Deafo and Real Friends are well-liked real-life stories. Lumberjanes and Star Scouts are adventures with friendship at the heart. Use our Finder with the ages 9 to 12 filter to see more.
Is my 12-year-old ready for teen graphic novels?
It depends on the reader and the book. Some teen titles are fine for mature twelve-year-olds, and others have heavier themes. Read the publisher’s description, look at a few pages, and talk to your child about what they are interested in. Our age bands are a guide, not a rule.
Can a 12-year-old read manga?
Many do. Choose series rated for their age, since manga publishers print a rating on the cover, and many series sit in our teen band. Look at the cover rating and a few pages. Our Manga hub has beginner series and our guide explains how to read right to left.
What fantasy series suit a 12-year-old?
Amulet, Bone and the Wings of Fire graphic novels are long fantasy series that suit many twelve-year-olds. Mouse Guard is a shorter adventure. Each of our series pages lists the books in order, with a checklist and notes on age and scary moments, so you can decide whether a series is a good fit.
How do I get a 12-year-old who is bored of kids’ comics to keep reading?
Offer a step up in story rather than a step down in pictures. Longer fantasy series, real-life memoirs and first manga volumes all give a more grown-up read. Let them pick from a few you have checked, and try a first volume from the library before committing to a long series.