Take a look at these top selections of graphic novels for 3rd grade boys! These books even have a historical twist sure to delight your child.
Julie Kirkwood, Creekside Learning • 5 hours ago
Mia, I wish I could pin a whole board in one pin! My son loves graphic novels and I am always looking for new ones for him. Thank you! Also enjoyed perusing your lists of books today on The Birds and the Bees as well as Safe Touch. Such great resources!
PragmaticMom • 5 hours ago
Hi Julie. This ABCs series is a 5 part post so I hope you find some for your son. How old? I’d be happy to direct you to lists if he’s around 8. I’ve been reading tons with my little boy. He loves them too! I’d also be happy to research and post a customized list for you. I love making those!
Julie Kirkwood, Creekside Learning • 33 minutes ago
Hi Mia, that would be wonderful. He is about to turn 9 this month. He loves all things history and gaming. Thank you!
I love graphic novels too, a recent discovery for me. I wanted to share two great resources for graphic novels. One is Monise Seward‘s blog that covers homeschooling including piles of graphic novels her daughters are reading. Here are some of the posts perfect for Julie:
- Homeschool Reads: History & Life Lessons Through Graphic Novels
- Homeschooling Tweens, Greek Graphics, & An Accidentally Gifted Kid
- Homeschoolers Hooked on Graphic Novels
School Library Journal also has a blog called Good Comics for Kids embedded into their site as well as graphic novel reviews.
I’m sharing the graphic novels that I read with my 8-year-old son in 2nd grade. We read a lot of graphic novels and hybrid graphic novels last year before switching over completely, heart and soul, to Rick Riordan’s chapter books.
Top 10 Graphic Novels for 3rd Grade Boys
10. Giants Beware by Jorge Aguirre
This gem is a new release and one of our new favorites. Claudette is a dragon slayer/tomboy who brings along her younger brother Gaston (a pastry chef-in-training) and her best friend Marie (an aspiring princess) to slay the dragon that threatens her village.
Claudette has a big personality and isn’t afraid of anything. Boys can relate to her fearlessness and quest for adventure and I love that there are strong girl characters in this fun adventure graphic novel. [graphic novel, ages 7 to 10]
9. Sidekicks by Dan Santat
An aging superhero decides he needs a sidekick to help out so his animal pets try to audition for the spot. This is a graphic novel that reads like a movie which is no surprise because Dan Santat is the genius behind Disney’s animated show, The Replacements. [graphic novel, ages 7-10]
8. Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs by Marcia Williams
To add some history and ancient Egyptian mythology, I found this graphic novel with tales of Isis, Tutankhamun, and the important figures of Egyptian myth and history given a humorous treatment via comic strip art. From At Your Library. [graphic novel, ages 6 and up]
7. Mal and Chad: The Biggest Bestest Time Ever by Stephen McCranie
Mal tries to hide his intellect in school but he and his talking-dog pal Chad are very inventive—especially when their time machine takes them back to the time of the dinosaurs. First of the Mal and Chad series.
6. Salt Water Taffy: The Seaside Adventures of Jack and Benny: The Legend of Old Salty by Matthew Loux
This might be a fun summer read. It’s a mystery with saltwater taffy and monsters set in Maine.
Two city brothers end up on the Maine seacoast for the summer, much to their disgust. But when old Angus befriends them and tells the story of Old Salty, a sea monster, their summer is full of adventure. From At Your Library. [graphic novel, ages 8 and up]
5. Zeus: King of the Gods by George O’Connor
The story of Zeus adapted nicely to graphic format which is the first in the Olympians series.
4. The Lewis and Clark Expedition by Jessica Gunderson
Since you wanted history, I thought this graphic novel of Lewis & Clark’s expedition through the unmapped American West would fit the bill.
3. The Boxcar Children by Shannon Eric Denton, illustrated by Mike Dubisc
The graphic novel adaption of the ever-popular Boxcar Mystery Series about Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden. First of the Boxcar Children Graphic Novels series.
2. The Lightning Thief: The Graphic Novel (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1) by Rick Riordan
We used the graphic novel version of the popular Percy Jackson series to get boys to try the series. They found the chapter book daunting so this was a way to get them all on the same page since boys used the storyline to act out games at recess.
1. Bad Girls: Sirens, Jezebels, Murderesses, Thieves & Other Female Villains by Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple
As a hybrid graphic novel, the infamous bad girls — Mata Hari, Bonnie of Bonnie and Clyde, Cleopatra, Lizzie Borden, and more — are carefully researched and presented in very short chapters. I think boys would also find these historical figures interesting as “bad” is always appealing!
And a few more …
The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi
After moving to their dead great-grandfather’s house, Emily and her brother Navin must enter a strange alternate land to rescue their mother. This is the first one in the Amulet series. This reminds me of The Hobbit’s noir scariness or Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising uneasiness.
If your son likes adventure fantasy, this is a good series as long as he is not easily scared. My husband likes it too! [graphic novel, ages 8 and up]
Otis Dooda: Strange by True by Ellen Potter, illustrated by David Heatley
This is not a graphic novel but more of a very illustrated Diary-of-a-Wimpy-Kid-like hybrid graphic novel expressly written by author Ellen Potter to elicit screams of laughter from boys. Think potty humor turned up a million notches.
I thought it was a fun summer read that I’d try particularly with boys who don’t like reading. [chapter book, ages 8 and up]
What graphic novels with a historical twist (or not) would you recommend for a 9-year-old boy? Thanks so much for sharing!
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My 8 year old is getting into graphic novels and I am woefully ignorant about them. Pinning this to keep track of more titles he might like.
Thanks so much Erica,
I got into graphic novels recently because of my 8-year-old son too! It was wonderful to watch him get excited to read and then he easily transitioned to action adventure books, both easy chapter books and more difficult ones too. But we still love graphic novels and it’s nice to get a mix of genres. His latest favorite graphic novels series is The Amulet that even his dad is enjoying.
These will be perfect for my son in a few years – thanks!
I’m so glad that you like it MaryAnne!
The Stonekeeper looks like an interesting new entry…….
Hi Barbara,
It was, in truth, a little too creepy for me but my son and husband are loving The Amulet series. I checked with my 8-yaer-old son to see if it was too scary and he sort of laughed at me for being so ridiculous. I guess I am the only one in my family who doesn’t like scary books or movies!
These are great- we’re big graphic novel fans, too. I’m thinking Fen might really like The Stonekeeper.
Hi Jeanette,
I bet Fen is braver than I am since I find The Stonekeeper to be a tad scary and creepy for me but my husband and 8-year-old are loving the series.
I love this post! I am always looking for awesome books to get my school boys into reading! I wish my own boys would\’ve had so many graphic novels to choose from! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hilary Lewis
Thanks so much Hilary!
I have never thought about using graphic novels as a teaching tool. What a great idea! Thanks for linking up at Pin It Tuesday. 🙂
Hi Pary,
My 8-year-old son showed me the power of graphic novels as he was learning to read two years ago and now I’ve used it for all the reluctant readers that I know (children of mom friends) and it really does seem to be working. It helps them transition to easy chapter books and to feel enjoyment from reading which otherwise was so painful. I’m glad it helped you! 🙂
This is a good list. 5th grade is fun because the kids know what’s being written and can add a lot to the discussion of the story.
Hi Rosey,
You are so right. I am enjoying discussing books with my 5th grader and we tend to like the same ones so it’s fun. We also like meeting authors and we’ve been doing that as mother-daughter bonding time.
Featuring this in the latest Sunday Showcase going live tomorrow. I’m excited about Boxcar Children (books I read myself!), Lightning Thief (love that series) and Bad Girls which I totally want to read myself! Thanks for sharing your list with us. I always LOVE them all 🙂
Thanks so much Bern! I really appreciate it!