8 year old kid needs new book / graphic novel suggestions

August 9, 2024 8:24 PM

TinyVat has read (and reread) three book series for the last 4 ish months. I think he is getting bored with these books but he doesn't like anything I've shown him. I am looking for suggestions for new books he might like.

He has read
1 - Asterix and Obelix books.
2 - Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology Trilogy and
3 - DogMan / Captain Underpants books

These are all great books and I'm fine with these but building on these themes, what else might he like? These are all graphic novels / comics, and I'm fine staying in that genre. Are there science fiction graphic novels that you can recommend? I think science fiction is great for priming minds to think differently. Or some good history graphic novels?

In the past he has also read D'Aulaire's book of Greek Myths and Tintin but those are not on his current reading list. Thoughts? We have a good library and with interlibrary loan (or amazon) we can probably get most things.

I have also seen this thread but he's a little old for some of those suggestions.

I don't hesitate to give him books meant for older kids but please nothing with super adult themes like drugs or abuse.

posted by Vatnesine to Media & Arts (23 answers total)

He might like The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey.
posted by VirginiaPlain at 8:28 PM on August 9 [2 favorites]

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales for history. Different from what he's read thus far but the Raina Telgemaiers (Sisters, Guts, Smile, Ghosts, Drama) are the most worn-to-ribbons graphic novels in our house, and a lot of the wear is from readalouds to be honest.

You seem like a house that probably already has Calvin and Hobbes in it, but if not get the four-volume complete set and read those to ribbons (or get the volumes on rotation from the library) too.
posted by sy at 8:39 PM on August 9 [3 favorites]

There's a UK weekly serialized comic anthology called the phoenix that my nine year old has loved for two years now.. you can subscribe to it in the US for about $4 an issue, everything just takes about a month to get here

Many of the comics also have books: bunny vs. monkey and looshkin are the ones we have a bunch of.
posted by noloveforned at 8:41 PM on August 9 [1 favorite]

Amar Chitra Katha has comic books of Indian folktales and mythology. Maybe start with some of the Birbal stories.
posted by brainwane at 8:53 PM on August 9

You gotta jump on Science Comics. And heck yes to Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales also. I feel like my kids would gladly give away every book they own except for their Science Comics and Hazardous Tales.

You should also very strongly consider the hardcover Moomins collections, they sound right up his alley too.
posted by potrzebie at 10:00 PM on August 9 [2 favorites]

The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza and sequels by Mac Barnett
Sanity & Tallulah series by Molly Brooks
Hilda series
Bone by Jeff Smith
Bea Wolf

Kondo & Kezumi series
Hilo series
This Was Our Pact
Smile, Drama, Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
Ghost Book by Remy Lai
Dinosaur Empire! By Abby Howard
Kid Spy series

Fuse8 has a lot of great Best Of lists
posted by Geameade at 10:12 PM on August 9 [3 favorites]

The 13-Storey Treehouse (first book in a series) is aimed at his age group. Here is a review by a 9-year-old. Quote: "If you like to laugh and love ridiculousness, you will love this book at any age (my dad loved it too)!"

YT.

And as a bonus, if he likes it there are many more in this series, plus others by the same author.
posted by lulu68 at 1:34 AM on August 10 [1 favorite]

My son has enjoyed everything by Rick Riordan, and the Mr Gum series by Andy Stanton (the latter is very British, which may or may not put you off). Rick Riordan does Greek and other myths in a US high school sort of setting but tones down the sex and violence.
posted by altolinguistic at 2:04 AM on August 10

Just in case the list of Dav Pilkey books you gave was exhaustive, his Cat Kid Comic Club books are great and feature Li’l Petey from Dog Man.
posted by meijusa at 2:09 AM on August 10

Perhaps give Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of the Universe a look? My brother and I read our copies of book 1 (From the Big Bang to Alexander the Great) half to death. I was already in secondary school at the time, but I think my brother would have been about 10.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 2:14 AM on August 10 [1 favorite]

The Amulet series is aimed at that age range and has finally finished. It does have some family death in it, which might make it unsuitable for some kids.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:46 AM on August 10 [1 favorite]

InvestiGators
Catsronauts
Wallace the Brave
This was our pact
Agents of SUIT
Barb the Barbarian
posted by CMcG at 3:48 AM on August 10 [1 favorite]

My kids love Gareth Hinds's The Odyssey and The Iliad. They're a little bit sophisticated (and a bit gory) but we started with the cyclops part, and that hooked them at a young age. It might work for your son, too, especially since it sounds like he knows the stories already. And +1 to Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.
posted by cider at 5:00 AM on August 10

Unicorn Rescue Society is amazing, it has humor, adventure, and you'll learn something too!

Phoebe and her Unicorn
Dragon Breath, Nurk, and all Ursula Vernon.
Adventure Chef
Cat Kid Comic Club
Travis Daventhorpe
Detective Sweat Pea
Stick Dog/Stick Cat
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:33 AM on August 10

He might like these series (my 7 yo nephew does):

Sparks! (https://www.scholastic.ca/our-books/book/sparks-9781338029468)
Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy (https://www.lasermooseandrabbitboy.com/)
posted by elizabot at 11:05 AM on August 10

My kid really liked the Amulet series and the 5 Worlds series.
posted by leahwrenn at 1:36 PM on August 10 [1 favorite]

I loved Gonick's Cartoon History, but they might be a little adult for an 8-year old... there's plenty of sex in history and it's included.

But check out Ursula Vernon (also known as T. Kingfisher, but her kids stuff is under Vernon) -- So many good graphic books at all levels!!
posted by The otter lady at 10:35 PM on August 10

Sorceline
The Council of Frogs

Not scifi, but Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer was also an unexpected hit with my mostly-scifi/fantasy-loving 5.5yo
posted by 168 at 3:52 AM on August 11

Seconding Barb the Barbarian - my 8 year old son loves them.

Zita the Spacegirl is a series which he and his older sister loved.
posted by patricio at 1:24 PM on August 11

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword
posted by Schmucko at 11:13 PM on August 11

Oh yeah, Hereville is fantastic!
posted by 168 at 2:08 AM on August 12

George O'Connor Olympians series (also starting Norse myths)
Hilo series
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales
Ben Hatke's Zita the Spacegirl and Mighty Jack books (they overlap at the end of the series)
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 5:29 PM on August 12

When I was his age, my buddy and I had a competition to find and read all Newbery Award books.
posted by olopua at 8:17 AM on August 13