# Graphic Novels for a 10 Year Old...



## Pbartender (Apr 22, 2008)

So this school year had been a bit of a struggle with my son David with regards to reading.  In 3rd grade, our school put a lot of emphasis on reading for content, especially with regards to fiction.  By the end of the year, the kids are supposed to be able to read a story, and then be able to make deductions concerning the characters and plot based on what they've read.

The trouble is, David simply doesn't much like reading fiction. Part of it, we think, is that because of his autism he needs the extra sensory stimulus of illustrations to help him focus on the meaning of the words.  Consequently, he's always been drawn to illustrated non-fiction reference books, such as the "Eyewitness" series of books published by Dorling Kindersley (DK).

For the typical fiction novel, he just quickly scans the pages, without really reading them, and comes away with virtually no comprehension of the story.

Anyway, this last winter, we had a bit of a breakthrough...  We gave him a copy of Dark Horse Comic's X-Wing Rogue Squadron Omnibus. He loved it, read it through a dozen or so times, and actually paid attention to what was going on in the story.  Whee!

Just the other week, his school had it's annual half-price book sale, and so we got him a copy of Amulet, Book 1: The Stonekeeper, a graphic novel about a pair of kids who move with their widowed mother to the country. The mother gets kidnapped into a sort of fairyland by a tentacle monster, and the kids head off to rescue her...  It reminds me a lot of _The Spiderwick Chronicles_.  Again, he's read the book through at least a dozen times, and he really enjoyed the story (which is a major milestone).

I honestly don't care if he's reading comic books (and graphic really are just very well done comic books -- don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with that), so long as he's reading and the story is reasonably worthwhile.


Are any of you more familiar with the genre?  I'm looking for more graphic novels he can read, that would be appropriate for a 10 year old boy...  Sci-fi, superheroes and fantasy are all fair game.


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## Klaus (Apr 23, 2008)

I can name:

- Mouse Guard (the sequels are currently out).
- Blue Beetle (current series collected)
- The New Frontier (recently adapted to animation as Justice League: The New Frontier) -> this one has the added benefit of allowing you to give him the book to read, and then watch the animation and play "spot the differences". Plus it helps in getting him interested in the US history in the 50s.


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## Pbartender (Apr 23, 2008)

Klaus said:
			
		

> - Mouse Guard (the sequels are currently out).




I'd forgotten about that one...  He's already got it, and likes it a lot.

It's like Frank Miller does _Redwall_.

 



			
				Klaus said:
			
		

> - Blue Beetle (current series collected)




I'll have to look for that one.



			
				Klaus said:
			
		

> - The New Frontier (recently adapted to animation as Justice League: The New Frontier)




Oooh...  Good idea...  He's already got the DVD, and loves it.  I hadn't realized it started as a book.

Thanks Klaus.


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## Klaus (Apr 23, 2008)

Glad to help.

I must say, 10-year-olds can handle more than we usually give them credit for. When I was 10 I started reading superhero comics, and began with New Teen Titans (facing Trigon The Terrible), Batman (origin of Man-Bat) and Camelot 3000.

So don't sweat the content as much as the language in which it's conveyed. Those comics I mentioned, from 20 years ago, were pretty straightforward/classic in their storytelling, which helps.

You could do worse than grab trades of the Superman: Man of Steel relaunch of 1986 and of Batman: Year One.


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## Fallen Seraph (Apr 23, 2008)

I have forgotten exact level it is... But I am pretty sure "The Books of Magic" would be good.


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## Trickstergod (Apr 23, 2008)

Klaus said:
			
		

> Glad to help.
> 
> I must say, 10-year-olds can handle more than we usually give them credit for. When I was 10 I started reading superhero comics, and began with New Teen Titans (facing Trigon The Terrible), Batman (origin of Man-Bat) and Camelot 3000.
> 
> ...




Batman Year One, as I recall, features Selina Kyle as a prostitute. It also involves Gordon beating the snot out of another cop (albeit a corrupt one). 

It's really not a bad book, all things considered, but it does have a few parts that a parent may find slightly questionable. 

My own recommendation is Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil, which is written by the much lauded author of Bone and geared a little more towards kids.


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## WayneLigon (Apr 23, 2008)

The Teen Titans Go! comic is collected in digest and (most recent, I think) trade format. So are the various Batman Adventures, The Batman Strikes, and Gotham Knights and Justice League Unlimited titles; you can find most of those on Amazon I think.

The various Marvel Adventures line is for all-ages; the Spider-Man stories and Avengers are probably the best of the line.

Lions, Tigers and Bears
Herobear and the Kid
Breamland Chronicles
Buzzboy

http://comicsintheclassroom.net/ might serve as a source for titles as well; they review comics for a whole spectrum of ages.

The Classics Illustrated series is back, and might be worth checking out.


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## GreenLantern (Apr 23, 2008)

Superman For All Seasons -- one of my all time favorite graphic novels.  It is often named as one of the main inspirations for the ongoing Smallville show.

Here is a link for more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_For_All_Seasons


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## Mark Chance (Apr 23, 2008)

Jeff Smith's Bone series.


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## Thanee (Apr 23, 2008)

The Hobbit. There is a three-part graphic novel available. It's also more of an illustrated novel than a comic book.

This here is what I mean...
http://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-There-Back-Again-Graphic/dp/0913035807
http://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-There-Again-Graphic-Novel/dp/0913035815/
http://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-There-Again-Graphic-Novel/dp/0913035823/

This here seems to be the newer publishing of it...
http://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-J-R-Tolkien/dp/0261102664/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hobbit-Graphic-J-R-Tolkien/dp/0261102664

Bye
Thanee


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## Galieo (Apr 23, 2008)

My son, 7 1/2, really enjoyed the compilated  Bone by Jeff Smith.  I highly recommend it.


Oops, damn my eyes for not seeing M. Chance's reference to the Bone series.  I definitely second that motion.


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## Mistwell (Apr 23, 2008)

I second:
Bone
"Herobear and the Kid" by Mike Kunkel (Astonish)

In addition to those, I own, have read, and enjoyed all the following:

"Leave It to Chance" James Robinson and Paul Smith (Homage)
"Scary Godmother" Jill Thompson (Sirius)
"Owly: Flying Lessons" (or any of the Owly comics actually), by Andy Runton (Top Shelf)
"Spiral-Bound" by Aaron Renier (Top Shelf)
"Tommysaurus Rex" by Doug TenNapel (Image) 
"Little Lit: It Was a Dark and Silly Night" edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (HarperCollins)
"Pinky & Stinky" by James Kochalka (Top Shelf)

I also think Thieves & Kings might be appropriate, and is quite good. Probably that, Bone, and Leave it to Chance are the closest to the genre you are looking for.


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## Cergorach (Apr 23, 2008)

How about Tin Tin? Or some of the other older stuff?

Btw. When I was younger my parents wanted me to read, I hated books at that age, the text didn't entertain me. So I started reading graphic novels, eventually comics too, I read so many that my parents started to despair "read some real book for once". When I got older I started to appreciate the written word a lot more and eventually graphic novels became something I sometimes read, but I read a LOT of science fiction and fantasy books (the bigger the better).  So there might be hope yet...


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## Pbartender (Apr 23, 2008)

Klaus said:
			
		

> So don't sweat the content as much as the language in which it's conveyed. Those comics I mentioned, from 20 years ago, were pretty straightforward/classic in their storytelling, which helps.




Absolutely...  While we aren't prudes by any means, we like to keep pretty close tabs on the stuff our kids are reading and watching.  When we're not certain, we read it or watch it first.

We did that with _Mouseguard_, in fact.

Anyway, JLA stuff like _The New Frontier_ is a pretty good benchmark for what aim for...  There's nothing necessarily wrong with "adult" subject matter and serious plot lines, so long as they're dealt with in an appropriate and respectable manner.

_Mouseguard_, for example, deals with death, deceit, betrayal, honor, revenge, self-sacrifice, and does it in a very serious, grim way, despite it being ...  but he loves it, and largely understands what's going on.


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## GSHamster (Apr 23, 2008)

I loved _Tintin_ and _Asterix_ when I was young.


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## Klaus (Apr 24, 2008)

GSHamster said:
			
		

> I loved _Tintin_ and _Asterix_ when I was young.



 Agreed on Asterix. Those are masterworks, specially the ones produced before Goscinny died and Uderzo took the reins alone.


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## Mark Chance (Apr 24, 2008)

Brian Jacques's Redwall has gotten the graphic novel treatment. I have no idea if it's worth the money or time, since I've only read the novel (which I do think is a fine book; in fact, I taught it this year to my fourth-grade class).


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## mmadsen (Apr 26, 2008)

Another vote for _*Bone*_.


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## Klaus (Apr 26, 2008)

The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, by Don Rosa.

Awesome stuff.


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## Cthulhudrew (Apr 27, 2008)

Mark Chance said:
			
		

> Jeff Smith's Bone series.




Fifthed for Bone. Just picked up the first volume recently myself, after hearing about it for years.

Also, I think a 10 year old certainly might find PS238 to be to his liking, and possibly Nodwick as well. The best part is, you can look over some of the daily strips for both series at Aaron Williams' site to see before you buy. (http://nodwick.humor.gamespy.com/)


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## horacethegrey (Apr 27, 2008)

GreenLantern said:
			
		

> Superman For All Seasons -- one of my all time favorite graphic novels.  It is often named as one of the main inspirations for the ongoing Smallville show.
> 
> Here is a link for more info:
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_For_All_Seasons



Continuing from this, I'd recommend getting him _All Star Superman_ by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. It's quite simply the best run of Superman stories since the Silver Age and Alan Moore's  work.

And speaking of Moore, if your son likes _All Star_, then he may also enjoy Moore's run on _Supreme_. You can find them all collected in one volume entitled _Supreme: The Return_.


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## The_Khan (May 5, 2008)

Please have him read George R.R. Martin's The Hedge Knight 

http://www.amazon.com/Hedge-Knight-...=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210010779&sr=1-5

Also have him try Jim Butcher's Dresden Files "Welcome to the Jungle" 

http://www.amazon.com/Dresden-Files...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210010885&sr=1-1


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## Atlatl Jones (May 6, 2008)

Pbartender said:
			
		

> It's like Frank Miller does _Redwall_.



Ha, that's an excellent description.

The Ultimate marvel rewrites would also be good choices.  I especially like Ultimate Spider Man.  The Claremont run on the X-Men is also a great story. The first volume is available here in color, and here in black & white, with more issues than the color version.

The Books of Magic is great, especially the original miniseries written by Neil Gaiman.

I loved Castle Waiting, but I don't know if it's too mature for a 10 year old.  It's not gruesome or inappropriate in any way, but a young kid might find it a bit boring.

I loved Asterix too, and still do in fact.


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## Pbartender (May 6, 2008)

Atlatl Jones said:
			
		

> Ha, that's an excellent description.




Incidentally, it looks like there's a _Mouse Guard_ RPG being released at Gen Con this Summer...

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=225487
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16297

I'll have to check it out...  As much as David likes the comics, a _Mouse Guard_ game would be a good way to introduce him to RPGs, if the rules aren't too complex.


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