Comics for Kids: School Stories

It's Chi-Chi and Pey-Pey's first day of school, and when they meet on the circle time rug in their classroom and are asked to find one thing in common between them, they instead discover that they couldn't be more different. Chi-Chi loves cheese puffs, cheerleading, and the cha-cha. Pey-Pey loves pirates, popsicles, and pogo sticks. Will they ever find something in common so that they can be classroom buddies?

However your new reader feels about starting kindergarten, they will feel seen by Chi-Chi and Pey-Pey.

Tayla Cardillo

Ollie's family is moving again, and it's totally fine and not difficult at all. After all, her dad is a diplomat, and another move means another chance to start over and definitely not run from the problems she made at the last place or the place before. The only problem is this time, her parents seem to be settling in, so her terrible first impression is going to stick, and she's going to have to actually face the trail of issues she's left behind. Oh, and also, her mom wants her to take her Thai heritage more seriously. Ollie's got this; it's just another fresh start.

Although Ollie's jet-setting life of living in multiple countries may not resonate with every reader, her experience of always being an outsider and feeling like she needs to be the class clown to get by will certainly capture many readers. Not to mention Ollie navigating being multiracial and how she wants to present herself, as well as her gender identity, and learning to advocate for herself and be a better older sibling. There's a lot to love in this comic for middle-grade readers.

Shannan Prukop

A new generation can enjoy all Junie B. Jones's elementary-aged antics with this new graphic novel adaptation of the classic early chapter books by Barbara Park. Junie B. is going to school for the first time, and that means taking the bus. Expect that the bus is loud and smelly, and the kids on the bus are mean. So when the end of Junie B.'s first day comes and it's time to get back on the bus to head home, she decides to hide in the supply closet and stay at school instead. What trouble will she get into in the empty school all by herself? Check out this fresh take on a children's classic to find out!

Both fans of the classic books and those new to Junie B. Jones will find something to love here.

Tayla Cardillo

Follow the adventure of Pencil and their best friend, Eraser, in this graphic novel for early readers. In this volume, they are trying to reach a pencil sharpener to sharpen Pencil's tip before their owner, Emma, returns from recess. This odd couple-style duo travels far beyond the classroom's reach to ensure they both look "sharp" for their owner.

Fans of Elephant and Piggie or Narwhal and Jelly will love the school supply duo.

Tayla Cardillo

In this installment of the Pizza and Taco series, besties Pizza and Taco arrive at school to find a kid, B.L.T., has joined their class. B.L.T. is the coolest, wearing sunglasses, going by initials, and saying "whatever" as an answer to most questions. Will Pizza and Taco impress the new kid in school, or will they find out they have more in common than they might think?

Fans of the zany humor of Dog Man and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but aren't ready to read full chapter books on their own will love Pizza and Taco.

Tayla Cardillo

Where Izzy wants to stand out and make a statement, Marcus wants to get through it all and avoid anyone noticing him, so it's especially unfortunate when the two get put together for an assignment in gym class. And not just any assignment, but one that requires them to learn and perform in class. At first, it seems like this might be a breaking point for both of them as well as their gym grade, but then their teacher challenges them to perform in the talent show as a way to fix things. As it turns out, Izzy and Marcus have more in common and more to share than they realized.

This comic has surprising discussions about families and familial pressure, gender, and joy within the framework of a school assignment and the fact that these topics aren't advertised as part of the plot can make it an excellent pick for readers that could use reassuring messages in these topics without the book advertising it on the cover. Also great for sports-loving readers who might want to look into dance to expand their abilities.

Shannan Prukop

Christina has just started seventh grade, and she doesn't know where she fits in. More worryingly, she and her best friend, Megan, are drifting apart! Longing for a place to belong, Christina decides to try out for the cheerleading squad. She'll have to complete the grueling tryouts, including performing for her entire grade! Is Christina up to the task?

Readers seeking stories about finding their place will enjoy The Tryout. NOTE: If readers devour The Tryout, be sure to have the sequel The Squad (which just came out last year) ready for them!

Racist bullying

Megan Rupe

When Cecil moves to Massachusetts from Florida, he struggles to share his thoughts and connect with other students; an additional wrinkle is that white and black kids don't mix at his new school. Cecil loves drawing comics, but soon finds himself in some sticky situations. Can Cecil finally stand up and connect?

Readers who struggle to connect and share their thoughts with others will enjoy Cecil's story.

Microaggressions

Megan Rupe

Verity “Very” Nelson is very accomplished. She excels in most of her classes, is an excellent debater, can do more push-ups than anyone, and has just become class president again for the third time. However, Very is failing math, and now her problems with math are impacting the student council. But Very has it under control....right?

Readers looking for reads about high-achieving kids wrestling with significant challenges will want to pick this up. Very Bad at Math is a great book to have on hand, along with Kimi Garcia’s Mixed-Up for kids learning to manage their learning disabilities.

Megan Rupe

Though Tony loves all things comics (as well as anime and video games), he slowly realizes that not only does no one around him enjoy them, but his parents also don't understand them, which leads to a dark day in his life. As he puts himself back together after that, his parents work to understand him better and switch him to a new school where Tony meets other kids who not only get his references but have different nerdy things they love, too.

Weirdo focuses on that age-old topic of people who like certain things being misunderstood or made fun of by their peers and does it well, not to mention its delicate handling of attempted suicide. There's a lot to appreciate here, whether it's for readers who also love the same things as Tony or are learning to understand peers who do, or just like a good story of misfits banding together to make something awesome.

Depictions of social and physical bullying (one character is choked briefly) and a discussion of a suicide attempt without details or visuals.

Shannan Prukop