30 Middle Grade Graphic Novels with Girl Main Characters

You never know what new middle grade releases will come out when– and which are good enough to share with you all. This batch of graphic novels happens to feature girl main characters. Why? I don’t know but I know many of your kids will love to read these new titles!

In addition to these five novels with female protagonists, keep reading to discover additional favorite graphic novels with female heroines. You’ll read about imperfect heroes who find their strength, who grow and learn, and who will stick with you long after you close the book’s last page.

These book choices are recommended for tween ages 9 to 12-year-olds.

Graphic Novels with Girl Main Characters

Creature Clinic written and illustrated by Gavin Aung Than
FANTASY
In this fantasy world, the wounded and sick mystical creatures go to the Creature Clinic run by Kara’s mom. Kara is an orc doctor-in-training at the clinic who discovers a human stuck to the bottom of a giant’s boot. But her mom, who hates humans, says to dump the human. Kara doesn’t. Instead, she nurses the human back to health. Kara’s janitor friend sneaks the human back into the clinic which is against the rules, and passes him off as an emotional support elf in a hazmat-looking suit. But what will happen when he helps the Giant and Kara’s mom finds out the truth? This is a heartwarming, magical story about family, friendship, and kindness with interesting creatures and situations.

Ride On by Faith Erin Hicks
Norrie loves horses and the low-key stables where she works and rides. But when the new girl, Victoria, rejects Norrie’s offer of friendship, Norrie feels many strong feelings. We learn that Victoria had a bad experience with her previous friends and decides that no friends equals no drama. Their mutual friend Sam help connect Norrie and Victoria with a shared interest, and they find forgiveness and friendship. It’s a beautifully knit-together, relatable story of friendship, horses, being yourself, and growing in confidence.

Misfit Mansion by Kay Davault July
MISFIT MANSION is a heartwarming story about what it means to Be family, even if you’re not related by blood. The “horrors” who live at the titular mansion have been told that its’ too dangerous to venture outside into the human world. But a young creature named Iris wants to give humans another chance. If you’re looking for a book about found family, learning from prejudice, and friendship, a cannot recommend MISFIT MANSION enough.

Match Point by Maddie Gallegos
review written by Jemma Tayor
REALISTIC
Match Point by Maddie Gallegos is one of my favorite books I’ve read in the past year, with a cute style, wholesome story, and a message about the importance of communication. They also integrate ASL into the book in a really natural and interesting way for the graphic novel medium. Rosie’s dad wants her to become the racquetball champion, but she hates the sport. When she meets Blair, a cool girl her age who plays as well, she finally starts to learn how to have fun with the game again.

Nancy Spector: The Case of the Missing Spot written by Stephen W. Martin, illustrated by Linh Pham
FANTASY
The invisible man has lost his invisible dog, so 8-year-old detective Nancy and her dog Jinx take the case! Where is Spot? Get ready for chipmunk unicorns, dragons, monsters, and a hamster funeral! This is an entertaining, adventurous mystery with beautiful art.

Barb The Last Berzerker by Dan & Jason
ADVENTURE / NORSE MYTHOLOGY (ish)
Join Barb on a funny, gross, and adventurous quest to find the northern tribe of Zerks so they can help rescue her clan from the Witch Head has captured. Barb steals a special magical sword to help her become a Berzerker. She and her yeti friend named Porkchopface snot goblins, a giant, and vampire goat fiends, eventually finding their way to the Northern Zerks to rescue her clan.

The Squad written by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Joanna Cacao
REALISTIC MEMOIR
Christina is a middle school student who dreams of becoming a cheerleader. She’s figuring out if she can be her true self or if she’s half a person and navigating the big feelings about her parent’s divorce. With themes of racism, identity, crushes, and friendship, this realistic sequel to The Tryout feels authentic to a middle school experience and the heartbreak of a divorce.

Creaky Acres written by Calista Brill, illustrated by Nilah Magruder
REALISTIC / GRAPHIC NOVEL
Horse lovers, don’t miss this enjoyable graphic novel about friendship and embracing your unique self. Nora moves to the country to a run-down horse barn that isn’t as fancy as her previous city barn and doesn’t compete in horse shows. Nora hates it. At first. But when she defends another rider from a bully at school, she makes her first friend and gives Creaky Acres a chance.

Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks
SCI-FI
Sanity and Tallulah are two good friends who live on a space station. Sanity is a brilliant inventor — but her newest (illegal) creation, a three-headed kitten named Princess Destroyer of Worlds has escaped and is living up to her name — destroyer. The friends look for their missing kitten but instead discover a big problem that will destroy the space station. I love the space station setting, the super-smart problem-solving main characters, and the non-stop action.

Anti/Hero by Kate Karyus Quinn & Demitria Lunetta, illustrated by Maca Gil
SUPERHERO
Piper and Sloan are girls who are opposite in almost every way– super-strong Piper is a superhero and genius Sloane is a villain. But when Piper catches Sloane with a stolen device, it switches them into each other’s body. Besides developing empathy about each other’s lives and struggles, it’s really tricky for them to pretend to be the other person. The girls work together to stop the Bear and switch back into their correct bodies. It’s an AWESOME story with an empowering message of empathy and friendship.

Star Scouts by Mike Lawrence
SCI-FI
Not fitting in and finding your place in the world never was so out of this world! Avani hates her new school and the girls in her Flower Scouts troop who talk about makeup and boys. When she’s accidentally abducted by a friendly alien named Mabel, Avani joins Mabel’s Star Scout troop– a more crazy and adventurous group than her human troop, just like she wants. It’s always important to find your tribe of friends, even if they’re aliens. This is a fantastic romp through space with stunning illustrations.

Cub by Cynthia L. Copeland
MEMOIR
In this historical memoir, Cynthia Copeland shares about the time in her life when she got to be a “cub” reporter, a time when middle school was composed of predators and prey (she was prey), and she discovered her strength. While a mentor reporter helps Cynthia become interested in local and national politics and events like equal rights for women and Watergate, we also see Cynthia going “steady” with a boy and making new friends when her best friend dumped her. A snapshot of a girl coming into her own. (*Sensitive readers, this book includes the word cr*p.)

Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer by Gillian Goerz
MYSTERY
Perfect for anyone who loves a good mystery story with themes of friendship and helping others. Unlikely friends, Jamily and Shirley aka. Bones join forces so they’ll be able to do what they want over the summer. Bones is observant and smart and while Jamila plays basketball, kids come to Bones with their mysteries. Jamila wants to be part of Bones’ crime-solving and together they investigate a stolen gecko at the swimming pool, finding that misunderstanding and jealousy can turn into understanding and friendship.

Real Friends by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
GROWING UP
Kids will relate to the ups and downs of Shannon’s friendship in elementary and middle school in this true-to-life graphic novel with incredible artwork. We see Shannon struggle with friends, the popular girls, and even her own behavior, we watch as she discovers her passion — using her big imagination to make up stories.

Growing Pangs by Kathryn Ormsbee, illustrated by Molly Brooks
REALISTIC
Katie’s homeschooled and has crooked teeth and red hair, but she knows that doesn’t matter because she has a best friend forever named Kacey. But when they start camp and Katie makes a new friend, Kacey gets jealous. Katie also struggles with buzzing thoughts that tell her to do repetitive thing. Eventually, Katie tells her parents about the buzzing, and they get her help for what she learns are obsessive-compulsive thoughts. I love this story– the author (and illustrator) skillfully show realistic friendship changes and the challenges of a mental health issue.

Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter
REALISTIC
A well-done middle-grade graphic novel about a child with allergies! Maggie is devastated that she’s allergic to the puppy she’s finally allowed to get. But, she befriends a new girl next door who becomes a fun, safe solace in her life…until that friend gets a puppy which Maggie interprets this her new friend not wanting to be friends anymore. Meanwhile, the story shows the process of allergy testing and regular allergy shots. Eventually, the two friends work out a solution for hanging out that won’t be a problem for Maggie’s allergies. The story ends with Maggie helping with her new baby sister and feeling like she doesn’t need an animal pet anymore.

Aquanaut by Dan Santat
MAGICAL REALISM
Wildly imaginative and totally enthralling, this is a heartfelt story of family, legacy, and protecting animals. When a lumbering “aquanaut” controlled by sea creatures stumbles into the Aqualand theme park, Sophia and the creatures uncover a nefarious plot by greedy investors. To save the park’s creatures, Sophia and the Aquanaut release them back into the wild. But will her uncle see the truth about his investors and about his brother’s last wishes?

Smile by Raina Telgemeier
REALISTIC
6th grade is hard enough for Raina but it’s even worse with braces, headgear, and friend troubles. My 10-year-old daughter loves this series that starts with Smile. She read Sisters four times the first week she owned it — they’re all excellent books and quite addictive. ALSO READ: Drama, Sisters

Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova
REALISTIC
My 10-year-old found this book SO RELATABLE — just like she struggles with confidence and speaking up, so does the main character, Peppi. This well-done graphic novel tackles the issues of friendships and confidence, among other things. (So glad I’m not in middle school anymore.) We highly recommend this graphic novel.

Katie the Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable, illustrated by Stephanie Yue
SUPERHERO
Katie desperately wants to join her friends at their summer camp to earn money, she gets a job for her neighbor Madeline catsitting 217 super-smart cats with destructive behaviors and powerful abilities. Then she discovers that her neighbor might be the supervillain, Moustress. Then, when the Moustress gets captured, Katie decides she and the cats must save their friend.

All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson
REALISTIC
Growing up, Imogene (aka. Impy) always loved her family’s part in the Renaissance Faire . . . that is, until middle school. Even though she gets her dream to work in the faire as a squire, she also just wants to be like the other girls at her school, too. Her journey is painful and honest as she figures out who she wants to be. It’s narrated as a hero’s journey which, with the faire background and middle school drama, feels perfect.

Glitch by Sarah Graley
SCI FI
Izzy gets sucked into her new video game, learning she’s the chosen one who must save Dungeon City. She struggles to balance her virtual task and new friend Rae with her real life with school, her family, and best friend Eric. It’s an action-packed adventure with relatable characters, humor, and good vs. evil.

Living with Viola by Rosena Fung
REALISTIC
Viola is Livy’s loud, mean anxiety. Livy’s family are Chinese immigrants in Canada, and she feels a lot of pressure from her extended family about being an exceptional student and good daughter. Then with friendship struggles on top of her family concerns, Viola’s voice is stronger than ever before. Livy finally tells her parents, which helps her get a diagnosis and support. Moving, profound, and empathy-building — I highly recommend this story; it’s one of the best stories about anxiety that I’ve read.

The Baby-Sitter’s Club by Ann M. Martin, illustrated by Raina Telemeter
REALISTIC
This classic chapter book series is now retold in cartoons! Four best friends work together to handle all sorts of issues — from babysitting to emergencies, to competition from other babysitters. Your kids will love these excellent, addictive stories. ALSO READ: (The Truth About Stacey #2, Mary Ann Saves the Day #3)

5 Worlds: The Sand Warrior by Mark Siegel, Alexis Siegel, Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, and Boya Sun
FANTASY
Gorgeous artwork sets the tone for an otherworldly story of five worlds that are falling into chaos. When one world attacks another, Oona Lee, a sand dancer, rescues two boys and they journey on a mission to light the unlit Beacons in order to save the worlds. But, they face a dark force and a devastating betrayal. One of our favorite sci-fi graphic novel book series!

Baba Yaga’s Assistant by Marika McCoola, illustrated by Emily Carroll
FANTASY
Courageous and adventurous Masha knows Baba Yaga from her grandmother’s stories. After her grandmother dies, and her father remarries, Masha decides to become Baba Yaga’s assistant. To pass Baba Yaga’s tests, Masha uses her wits and the stories from her grandmother. She thinks she will fail when she rescues three children from Baba Yaga’s cage but she passes. Excellent storytelling and illustrations kept me totally enthralled in this not-your-average-fairy tale story.

Primer by Jennifer Muro and Thomas Krajewski, illustrated by Gretel Lusky
16-year-old Ashley hopes her latest foster home will be a fit — they’re funny, quirky, and really accepting. Then, Ashley finds very special lab-created body paints in her foster mom’s closet and quickly learns that when applied to her body, they give her superpowers, different powers for each color; powers like fire, flying, and strength. Meanwhile, her not-very-nice incarcerated dad is giving her trouble and the government lab and military will stop at nothing to find the missing paints. Fast-paced, exciting, and perfect for readers who love underdogs, girl power, friendship, creativity, superheroes, and art!

The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner
The other kids bully Moth when she dresses up as a witch for Halloween prompting a reaction that can only be MAGIC! Her mom reluctantly reveals to Moth that her family of witches gets their powers around age 13. Even though Moth wants to learn more, her mom won’t teach her. She’s helped by a talking cat and her mom’s magical diary yet it’s not until she learns more about her grandmother and the family legacy that she understands her powers. Growing up is never easy — but it’s a lot trickier when you get magic that you can’t control.

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
Roller Girl shows the struggles of friendship and finding your place in the world as Astrid works hard to become a better roller derby skater, reconcile that her best friendship has ended, and develop a new one. (I recommend going to a roller derby event with your kids to help them know more about this cool sport for girls — it’s such a blast and would be helpful for reading this book.)