2026 Maverick Graphic Novel List for Grades 6th-8th
The Texas Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List (TMGNRL) is a recommended reading list developed by public and school librarians from the Young Adult Round Table (YART). The purpose of the list is to encourage students in grades 6-12 to explore a variety of current books.
We encourage all parents and caregivers to preview titles to make sure they are a good fit for their child.
Almost Sunset by Wahab Algarmi is a middle-grade graphic novel about Yemeni-American Muslim kid Hassan, who struggles to balance fasting during Ramadan with school, soccer playoffs, friends (especially his girl-friend Rosie), and his gaming group,…
After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn's full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. However, when the heroes clash on…
Beetle & the Chimera Carnival follows goblin witch Beetle and friends as they investigate strange happenings at a magical, once-a-decade carnival for dragons, discovering injured dragons and dark magic beneath the grounds, all while Beetle…
Cassi and the House of Memories by Dean Stuart is a touching graphic novel about a young girl, Cassi, who journeys into her grandfather's fading mind as he develops dementia, searching a fantastical "house of memories" filled with his past moments…
Dracula's Brunch Club by Brian Gonsar is about Count Dracula, a baking vampire who loves making blood-orange jelly donuts for his human-friendly brunch club, but he returns from a trip to find his jelly gone, his club taken over by rival vampire…
Drive, a graphic novel by Cynthia L. Copeland, tells a dual-timeline story about female empowerment in motorsports: in the 1960s/70s, real-life trailblazer Janet Guthrie breaks barriers as a female racer aiming for the Indy 500, while in 2019, young…
Extra Large by Tyler Page is a heartfelt middle-grade graphic novel about a boy navigating puberty, body image issues (weight gain), bullying, and societal pressures to be thin, as he starts a new school year and questions what it means to be…
Hikaru in the Light! Volume 1 introduces Hikaru Ogino, a middle schooler known as the "songbird" at her family's Tokyo bathhouse, who dreams of becoming a pop star but's hesitant to leave her familiar life. Her chance comes when her best friend, Ran…
How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger is a graphic novel about middle-schooler Tara, who unexpectedly skips eighth grade to start high school, forcing her to navigate new social pressures, anxieties about fitting in, and a burgeoning crush, all while…
How to Say Goodbye in Cuban is a graphic novel memoir by Daniel Miyares about his father, Carlos, escaping Cuba during the revolution, focusing on his childhood joy turning to fear as Castro takes power, his father's disappearance, and the family's…
How to Talk to Your Succulent is a middle-grade graphic novel about 11-year-old Adara who, after her mother's death and moving to Michigan, discovers she can talk to plants, inheriting her mother's "plant whisperer" gift, which helps her navigate…
I Witnessed: The Lizzie Borden Story is a middle-grade graphic novel by Jeramey Kraatz, illustrated by Crystal Jayme, that retells the infamous 1892 murders from the perspective of a fictionalized 14-year-old neighbor, Charlie. The story follows…
Sheeta's Little Big World Vol 1 by Yuki Kamba introduces tiny "littlefolk," like Sheeta, living in a log, focusing on Sheeta's quest to find his missing best friend, Nala, who chased a smoke signal into a world full of giant dangers (rats, ants,…
The Other Side of Tomorrow by Tina Cho & Deb JJ Lee is a poignant graphic novel about two North Korean children, resourceful Yunho and spirited Myunghee, who risk everything to escape their oppressive homeland for a chance at freedom, facing extreme…
