Stargazing
by Jen Wang
Graphic novel · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 520L
Jen Wang's most emotionally intelligent book—a friendship story about two girls who don't look or live alike, told in full color with genuine tenderness and no sermonizing.
For a reader who just finished
Books like Dog Man
after Dog Man by Dav Pilkey · ages 6–9
Graphic novel · grades 1–4 · 390L
Unabashed chaos—flip-o-rama animation, toilet jokes, and relentless silliness that kids devour; the graphic format keeps it accessible and the pacing is pure momentum.
Same style
Laughing out Loud, I Fly: Poems in English and Spanish
by Juan Felipe Herrera
Verse novel · ages 6–10 · grades 1–5 · 520L
A masterwork of bilingual wordplay that reads aloud with infectious energy—kids feel seen in the code-switching, and the poems actively teach that two languages in one mind is a superpower, not a problem.
New Kid
by Jerry Craft
Graphic novel · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 520L
A Newbery winner that actually earns it — funny and visually alive, but structurally honest about the real friction of code-switching and class without ever talking down to kids.
Stretch them up
Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
by Lucy Knisley
Graphic novel · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 620L
A graphic memoir that proves picture books aren't just for young kids — Lucy's illustrations are gorgeous and the arc from finicky child to confident creator is quietly moving, with food as the thread.
Roller Girl
by Victoria Jamieson
Graphic novel · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 520L
A graphic novel that earns its emotional weight—the illustration work (especially faces and body language) does half the storytelling about shame, jealousy, and what repair actually costs.
Guts
by Raina Telgemeier
Graphic novel · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 480L
The most honest, un-preachy middle-grade graphic novel about anxiety and stomach trouble; kids recognize themselves, parents learn what their kid might not say aloud.
We'd skip — for now
Sisters
by Raina Telgemeier
A step up — ages 9–12 · grades 4–7
Skip it if your child has a contentious sibling relationship and needs gentler modeling; Raina's exasperation with Amara is realistic and might amplify existing tension.