Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Format: Graphic novel

School girl. Skater boy. What if neither label fits? A poignant LGBTQ+ graphic novel about self-discovery, skateboarding and finding your true community of friends, perfect for fans of Heartstopper.

At school, Elliot gets bullied for being ‘different to other girls’ whereas at the skate park, everyone welcomes Elliot – presuming they’re male – but neither label feels right.

As Eliot’s love of skateboarding and friendships grow, their worlds collide at a sports expo where the school netball team and skate crew are competing. Can Elliot find the courage to share what they’ve learned about non-binary identity? Will best friend Jess or the skateboarding crew accept Elliot for who they are? And what about Ryan, the skater who Elliot has been feeling increasingly close to?

The first volume of a new graphic novel series that will steal your heart!

This a a clever tie-in to the current interest in traitors, following on from the TV programme of the same name. It is fairly typical Horrible Histories fare, with their trademark humour and puns.

It tells us of fifty-two assumed traitors, from 2700 BC (the Awful Ancients) to 1945 (the Woeful Second World War) and gives us two to three pages of information about each turncoat, dispelling certain myths along the way. There are twenty-six time periods covered, including Rotten Romans, Slimy Stewarts and Vile Victorians, as well as regional headings such as Wales, USA and The British Empire.

Readers will definitely learn some new facts, no matter what they already know about the time periods, although the number of pages allocated to the double-crossers means that their deeds are relatively précised with the included trademark illustrations. There is a brief ‘Did You Know?’ section at the end of each tale of treachery that gives interesting facts, and children are encouraged to think about the despicable deeds and consider whether there might be extenuating circumstances.

It’s the sort of book that I can see children dipping in and out of, rather than reading it all at once. It covers so much of history that it may be of limited use within the school curriculum, apart from a Crime and Punishment topic. It would be good fun for debate and discussion in Key Stage 2.

Ghost Boys, the New York Times bestselling novel about a Black boy killed by a white police officer from award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes, is brought to a new audience in this heartbreaking and powerful graphic novel with striking colour artwork by Setor Fiadzigbey.

ALIVE
Twelve-year-old Jerome doesn’t get into trouble. He goes to school. He does his homework. He takes care of his little sister.

Then Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat.

DEAD
As a ghost, watching his family trying to cope with his death, Jerome begins to notice other ghost boys.

Each boy has a story and they all have something in common…

Bit by bit, Jerome begins to understand what really happened – not just to him, but to all of the ghost boys.

A poignant and gripping graphic novel about how children and families face the complexities of race and racism in today’s world.

The legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett embarks on a brand-new mission!

Jango Fett, father of Boba Fett and legendary bounty hunter, has a bounty to find!

A mystery to solve!

And a treaty at risk!

But can even the galaxy’s most formidable bounty hunter achieve all of his goals with the dangerous and deadly Aurra Sing in the mix?

Gotta go Flash-fast!

Sonic the Hedgehog s world is under siege by Darkseid thankfully, he and his friends have some help: the Justice League!

When the evil Darkseid invades Sonic s home in search of the ultimate power, Sonic and his friends find themselves with their backs against the wall and in need of a miracle.

Luckily, the Justice League is able to step in and lend their hands!

See DC s most iconic characters teaming up with the most beloved blue hedgehog on the planet against an insurmountable foe.

There ll be action, adventure, and plenty of chili dogs!

Written by longtime Sonic the Hedgehog scribe, Ian Flynn!

Comic legend Peter David pens the next epic chapter in the Symbiote Saga, taking place in the futurescape of 2099!

Set your time circuits ahead to the techno-dystopian future of 2099!

Miguel O”Hara, A.K.A. Spider-Man 2099, is facing a hostile takeover – of his own body!

Kron Stone, the Venom of 2099, wages an all-out assault on Alchemax, and the only hope of stopping him lies with the power awakened by a top-secret project gone terribly wrong.

What must Miguel sacrifice to seal the bond with his new symbiote?

His body?

His mind?

His very soul?

Spell slinging, sword swinging, and the luck of the dice have shaped the lives of the Stranger Things boys well before they had real monsters to face.

This D&D crossover delves into Eddie Munson”s past and his rise to de facto leader of the Hellfire Club, and explores his recruitment of Lucas, Dustin, and Mike.

Throughout, there are brilliant glimpses into the fantasy world of Dungeons & Dragons that they explore together.

This book highlights what really makes tabletop RPGs great through the lens of the hit Netflix series.

At first, the Mirkwood gang is hesitant to join a new campaign without Will and El, but Eddie conjures up his charm and does his best to inspire them to answer his call to adventure.

Reflecting on the legendary campaign that got him hooked, Eddie remembers how the original Hellfire crew navigated the weird social dynamics of Hawkins High, seeking new party members to help take on a vicious manticore that nearly wiped out their party, proving time and time again that the party is always stronger than the individual adventurer.

Rumours about Eddie”s bad reputation make Lucas worry that joining his club might hurt his chances of making the basketball team.

But when the dice are cruel, Eddie”s true character shines through, earning all of the boys” respect.

Eddie Munson ushers in a new age for Hawkins High Hellfire Club with an exciting conclusion to Mike, Dustin, and Will”s first big Hellfire Club victory.

An action-packed fantasy love letter to the nerds of the eighties who dared to roll dice before it was cool, written by Jody Houser (Critical Role, Doctor Who) and Eric Campbell (Frank Frazetta”s Dawn Attack), and expertly drawn by Diego Galindo (Stranger Things: Tomb of Ybwen).

Collects Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons: The Rise of Hellfire #1 – #4.

High school student Kaede’s new job is out of this world—or at least his clients are…

When high school student Kaede is hired to use his uncanny ability to sniff out fact from fiction for Cosmos, an intergalactic insurance agency, he embarks on a journey that is out of this world…

Kaede’s search for a missing classmate leads to the shocking discovery that his friend is actually an alien in a human flesh suit. Grateful for Kaede’s help with her case, cute and ruthless insurance investigator Rin headhunts him. Kaede’s job interview leads to an epic battle on a commuter train, alien treachery, and a hidden spaceship. But before he can decide whether to accept the position or not, Kaede discovers another alien hidden in plain sight—one with a tragic story to share.

From the ashes of the Krakoan era, the flagship X-Men title returns at last, with a familiar team in an all-new direction!

Professor X is gone!

Now, a core group of essential X-Men must find a way to rise again.

All bonds among the mutant community seem to be slipping away, and Rogue reluctantly finds herself as the hero designated to bring them back together.

But a fearless, malignant power is out there hunting mutants, and it has a terrible secret that may destroy what remains of the X-Men!

Rogue can count on Gambit and Wolverine, but they”ll soon welcome back another friend – just in time to face four uncontrollable and wild mutants in the swamps of Louisiana!

But will a grieving Rogue take Xavier”s place in guiding them to the light?

Or will a darkness from the past destroy the X-Men, one at a time?

Gale’s trying to master his anxiety, and he’s hoping the latest wonder-cure “Simply Pear” can help.

Not turning up to his art classes and feeling like everyone is a lot cooler and more in control than he is, he chugs his Simply Pear products and takes advice from its demanding app.

Oh, it’s definitely not working…

His plan is thrown into chaos by the bubbly Aiden, who needs a buddy to help him get a job.

Can this colorful and heartfelt romp through shoddy part-time jobs help Gale out of his anxious bubble?

There’s only one way to find out.

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