Book picks similar to
Epic Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce


humor
comics
graphic-novels
young-adult

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Vol. 1: BFF


Brandon Montclare - 2015
    There's no telling what she'll turn into - but Luna's got a plan. All she needs is an Omni-Wave Projector. Easy, right? That is, until a red-scaled beast is teleported from the prehistoric past to a far-flung future we call...today! Together they're the most Marvelous Team-Up of all - the Inhuman Moon Girl and time-tossed Devil Dinosaur! But will they be BFFs forever, or just until DD's dinner time? And Lunella soon learns that there are other problems with a having a titanic T. Rex as a pet in the modern-day Marvel Universe. School, for one. Monster hunters are another - especially when they're the Totally Awesome Hulk! Then there's the fact that everyone's favorite dino didn't journey through time alone. Beware the prehistoric savages known as the Killer-Folk - New York City's deadliest tourists! Can Lunella handle all this turmoil... and keep herself from transforming into an Inhuman monster? Collecting MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #1-6.

Lumberjanes: Unicorn Power!


Mariko Tamaki - 2017
    The five scouts of Roanoke cabin—Jo, April, Molly, Mal, and Ripley—love their summers at camp. They get to hang out with their best friends, earn Lumberjane scout badges, annoy their no-nonsense counselor Jen . . . and go on supernatural adventures. That last one? A pretty normal occurrence at Miss Qiunzella’s, where the woods contain endless mysteries. Today is no exception. When challenge-loving April leads the girls on a hike up the TALLEST mountain they’ve ever seen, things don’t go quite as planned. For one, they didn’t expect to trespass into the lands of the ancient Cloud People, and did anyone happen to read those ominous signs some unknown person posted at the bottom of the mountain? Also, unicorns. This hilarious, rollicking adventure series brings the beloved Lumberjanes characters into a novel format with brand-new adventures.

Cautionary Fables and Fairy-tales


Kel McDonaldJoe Pimenta - 2012
    Old Tale of Magic and Woe.Come see Kate Ashwin (Widdershins & Darken), Kory Bing (Skin Deep), Marcy Cagle (Kiwi Blitz), KC Green (Gunshow), Kel McDonald (Sorcery 101), Joe Pimenta (A Friendly Game), Katie and Steve Shanahan (Silly Kingdom & Flight), and Lin Visel (Effort Comics) as they share with you fairytales you think you know.

The Last Dragon


Jane Yolen - 2011
    Now, the last of the dragons rises to wreak havoc anew—with only a healer's daughter and a kite-flying would-be hero standing in its way.

All's Faire in Middle School


Victoria Jamieson - 2017
    Eleven-year-old Imogene (Impy) has grown up with two parents working at the Renaissance Faire, and she's eager to begin her own training as a squire. First, though, she'll need to prove her bravery. Luckily Impy has just the quest in mind--she'll go to public school after a life of being homeschooled! But it's not easy to act like a noble knight-in-training in middle school. Impy falls in with a group of girls who seem really nice (until they don't) and starts to be embarrassed of her thrift shop apparel, her family's unusual lifestyle, and their small, messy apartment. Impy has always thought of herself as a heroic knight, but when she does something really mean in order to fit in, she begins to wonder whether she might be more of a dragon after all.

The Time Museum


Matthew Loux - 2017
    For one thing, kids as young as twelve get to apply for these prestigious summer jobs. And as for the applicant pool . . . well, these kids come from all over history.When Delia finds herself working at the Time Museum, the last thing she expects is to be sent on time-traveling adventures with an unlikely gang of kids from across the eons. From a cave-boy to a girl from the distant future, Delia's team represents nearly all of human history! They're going to need all their skills for the challenge they've got in store . . . defending the Time Museum itself!

Ozy and Millie


Dana Simpson - 2018
    "Ozy and Millie" features an introduction by author Dana Simpson and a hand-selected collection of her favorite strips from the comic's 10-year run. While this comic deals with middle-grade kids and childhood fun, Simpson’s witty sarcasm, sharp political musings, and philosophical humor also make this comic appealing to adults, giving this title a wider audience. Meet Ozy and Millie, two middle-grade students in Seattle who also happen to be foxes. This comic centers around these two best friends as they take on the everyday challenges all middle-graders face—bullies, tests, and the dread of going back to school after a surprise snow day. Ozy is a young male fox whose adoptive father happens to be a dragon and frequent presidential candidate. Ozy’s calm and thoughtful demeanor is constantly tested by Millie’s rambunctious and rebellious pursuits. Together they offer charming and fun stories while also allowing Simpson’s sweetly philosophical humor to shine through.

Turtle in Paradise: The Graphic Novel


Jennifer L. Holm - 2021
    But then again, 11-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple.She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935 and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida, to live with relatives she's never met. Florida's like nothing Turtle's ever seen before though. It's hot and strange, full of ragtag boy cousins, family secrets, scams, and even buried pirate treasure! Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she's spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways. Filled with adventure, humor and heart, Turtle in Paradise is an instant classic both boys and girls will love.

All Summer Long


Hope Larson - 2018
    She and her best friend, Austin, usually do everything together, but he's off to soccer camp for a month, and he's been acting kind of weird lately anyway. So it's up to Bina to see how much fun she can have on her own. At first it's a lot of guitar playing, boredom, and bad TV, but things look up when she finds an unlikely companion in Austin's older sister, who enjoys music just as much as Bina. But then Austin comes home from camp, and he's acting even weirder than when he left. How Bina and Austin rise above their growing pains and reestablish their friendship and respect for their differences makes for a touching and funny coming-of-age story.

Invisible Emmie


Terri Libenson - 2017
    This is the story of two totally different girls—quiet, shy, artistic Emmie and popular, outgoing, athletic Katie—and how their lives unexpectedly intersect one day when an embarrassing note falls into the wrong hands.

The Red Shoes and Other Tales


Metaphrog - 2015
    So poor she had to go barefoot. Her name was Karen and she loved to dance. When Karen becomes an orphan, her great aunt takes her in. One day on a shopping trip, she is bought a beautiful pair of red shoes. The shoes magically come to life and steer Karen down a path she never would have imagined in her wildest dreams, or nightmares. This fresh take on the Hans Christian Andersen classic “The Red Shoes” is a tale of hope, obsession and guilt, retold and lavishly illustrated by multiple-Eisner award nominated creators Metaphrog. Also included is an adaptation of Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl” and an original story, “The Glass Case”."Hope, joy, and pain intermingle in these dark, alluring stories, which may leave readers thinking of Andersen as a precursor to modern horror." Publishers Weekly."A darkly pensive read, perfect for chilly fall evenings." Kirkus Reviews

Gronk Volume 1


Katie Cook - 2015
    and not a very good one. Gronk tells the tale of a young monster who has turned her back on monsterdom (mostly because no one found her scary) and has become fascinated with humans. She moves in with her human friend Dale and her pets Kitty and Harli, a 160 lb. Newfoundland Dale wants to declare as a dependent to the IRS. Enjoy the first installment from this popular kids webcomic in a wonderful, full-color collection!

Ghost Hog Free Comic Book Day 2019


Joey Weiser - 2019
    With her friends Claude and Stanley, she helps other denizens of the forest -- especially if they're spirits like her! Of course, sometimes the others don't want her help....

The Invasion: A Graphic Novel


K.A. Applegate - 2020
    Ask Jake. He could tell you about the night he and his friends saw a strange light in the sky that seemed to be heading right for them. That was the night five normal kids learned that humanity is under a silent attack -- and were given the power to fight back.Now Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Tobias, and Marco can transform into some of the most dangerous creatures on Earth. And they must use that power to outsmart an evil greater than anything the world has ever seen. . . .

The Breakaways


Cathy G. Johnson - 2019
    To her surprise, Amanda, a popular eighth grader, convinces her to join the school soccer team, the Bloodhounds. Having never played soccer in her life, Faith ends up on the C team, a ragtag group that’s way better at drama than at teamwork. Although they are awful at soccer, Faith and her teammates soon form a bond both on and off the soccer field that challenges their notions of loyalty, identity, friendship, and unity.The Breakaways is a portrait of friendship in its many forms, and a raw and beautifully honest look into the lives of a diverse and defiantly independent group of kids learning to make room for themselves in the world.