A Parent's Guide to the Best Graphic Novels for Elementary Kids (Ages 6-12)

A Parent's Guide to the Best Graphic Novels for Elementary Kids (Ages 6-12)

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Graphic Novels are a huge hit in our house. It seems like they are getting more popular overall since there are amazing new books coming out every year. Today I want to share some of the most read and re-read Graphic Novels in our household.


(Ages 9-13)
These stories are the cutest coming of age books. It follows Lia who leaves her home in Romania for Canada, and has to navigate a new school, a new language, and new changes in her body, namely her period. I feel like this book is incredibly relatable and perfect for anyone going through all the changes that come with growing up. Seeing Lia navigate friendships and school work and her changing body can be really helpful to feel like you are not alone. I love these books and my kids have as well.


(Ages 8-12)
This book follows a group of kids who enter a contest and their prize is an overnight adventure in the coolest library in the world. The kids have to solve clues and figure out puzzles so they can escape. This book is so fun for kids and ignites their imagination. 


Katie the Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable
(Ages 8-12)
This five book series follows Katie who has to find a way to spend her summer and ends up being a Catsitter for 217 cats! While she is wrangling cats she is also trying to solve the mystery of a notorious villain on the loose and keeping up with her friendships. This story is full of humor and my cat loving kids have absolutely loved the whole series. 


(Ages 6-9)
The perfect starter series for kids just getting into graphic novels. This book follows Karen, who is Kristy's (from the original baby sitters club) younger step-sister. This book takes us back to Stoneybrook where Karen gets into all sorts of adventures with her friends. This series currently has 12 books with 3 more on the way, so there are plenty of fun adventures for avid readers. 


My kids are obsessed with The Warrior Cats a series that follows for clans of wild cats as they learn to survive the elements and the other clans. My kids absolutely get lost in the Warrior Cat world and love to bring it into their imaginative play when they are not reading. My kids have read and re-read these books so many times, it's definitely a most loved book series in our library.

(Ages 8-12)
Both of these books put modern spins on some beautiful classics. They are both an imaging of the stories of Anne of Green Gables and Little Women if they were happing in the modern era. My kids love these books and I love that it helps to introduce them to books that have been loved for generations.

(Ages 8-12)
While the Warrior Cats world is a little bit confusing and overwhelming to me at times, I think I am correct in saying that these Warrior cat graphic novels are not part of the main series, rather they are side stories of the cats you will find in the main series books. However it all works, my kids love these books and have read them multiple times. If you have ever read an amazing series and want to know about all the side characters, you will understand why my kids are pretty obsessed with getting to know all the cats stories outside of the main series.

(Ages 8-12)
If your kids love dragons and adventure and fulfilling destiny, these books are perfect. These books are an adaption of the chapter books, so its perfect for kids who are maybe overwhelmed by reading or struggle with reading in any way. The picture help to conceptualize what is going on and you can read through it faster. My kids love these series and these graphic novels are so fun for them to read.


(Ages 9-12)
My oldest is pretty much obsessed with any book by Stuart Gibbs, he is definitely a favorite author in our household, and she is just as obsessed with these graphic novels as well. Spy school follows Ben who knows he wants to be a spy and gets a chance to work in espionage. Space Case and the Moon Base Alpha books follow Dashiell who lives on the Space Station and must solve mysteries as things unfold. Whether your kids like to solve mysteries on earth or in space, these graphic novels are perfect for you.


(Ages 8-12)
Anzu has just made a challenging move during Obon, and while feeling the frustration of being the new girl she happens to follow a dog into underworld and must find a way out before Obon is over. This book is truly unique story and I especially love the way it opens the world to other cultures and ways of life. I love being able to give my kids a chance to engage with other worldviews and I really enjoyed this book. The next book in the series is coming out next spring and I'm excited for it.


Creaky Acres by Calista Brill & Nilah Magruder
(Ages 9-12)
This book follows Nora who has to make a big move to a very new place and must learn to adjust to new friends, a new place and a new barn for horseback riding. This book is about learning to make new friends and be in a new place. My horse loving girl loved this book.


This book is written for kids to help them become more media literate. In a world where anything can be posted and shared at the speed of light our kids are going to be confronted with all sorts of information, and figuring out what is real is seriously becoming more challenging every day. This book gives them tools to sort through all sorts of information to know what is real and what is not. While this book is written for kids I'd love to send it to everyone I know because the information is super relevant to the world we live in. 

There you go, an extensive list of graphic novels we love! But I know there is even more, what books would you add?

This post contain amazon affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them- at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog and our love of reading.

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Mallory Hazel
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The Best Book Series for Kids Ages 9–15 | Perfect for Kids Who Love to Get Lost in a Series

The Best Book Series for Kids Ages 9–15 | Perfect for Kids Who Love to Get Lost in a Series

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My kids are voracious readers. It can be difficult for me to keep up with getting enough books for them to read, which is why I love finding a book series. Luckily there are plenty of amazing book series out there with more coming out all the time. I wanted to compile my very favorite book series to inspire others. So if you have a super reader or just need some book series to get your kids interested in reading, this is the list for you!

If you want to find all of these books in one place you can check out my Series Book List on my Amazon Storefront.

This six book series is top tier in our household. I found this series years ago and accidentally picked up the third book of the series first to read aloud. It was a great story, but I felt like some of the background and characters could have been expanded upon a little bit more. Lucky for me when I finished the book I realized I had started on the third book and could get the backstory I so craved by just reading the first two books. My husband and daughter started reading the first book together at bedtime, and they both absolutely loved it. I believe the series is complete at this point and all I've heard is rave reviews from my husband who loved reading it to my daughter and my daughter who has read through the series multiple times at this point.  She loves that it is a very imaginative story and would love to be a book wanderer and travel through stories.


This book is a great cast of unique characters who use their interesting talents and knowledge to get through sticky situations. This is a great book if your kids like puzzles and using logic to move through the mysteries these characters encounter. My daughter especially loves the characters and how they worked together.


The Neverfear just came out and my daughter finished it in one day. She loves the witty characters and the magical and mythical creatures they encounter. She says the books are filled with humor and adventure. It must be a good series because she loves to talk about it and share the books with her friends who love it as well!

The Prophecy Begins (First Series) ||| The New Prophecy (Second Series) 
The Power of Three (Third Series) ||| Omen of the Stars (Fourth Series) 
A Vision of Shadows (Fifth Series) ||| The Broken Code (Sixth Series) ||| A Starless Clan (Seventh Series) Changing Skies (Eighth Series 4 of 6 books with two more to come) ||| The Warrior Cats Ultimate Guide

I didn't know about The Warrior Cats so I didn't know how our lives would change when I got my daughter her first book in the very expansive series. Since that day we have had 2 Warrior Cat themed birthday parties and she was invited to someone else's Warrior Cat themed birthday. We have a Warrior den outside the kids love to play in. We have warrior cat stuffs, and warrior cat toys. Both of my girls love it and it has helped them create such imaginative play together. My daughter says it is a great book for people who love cats as it takes you on an adventure through the different clans and lives of the Warrior Cats.


My husband and daughter read this series together and they both enjoyed it. My daughter says it has a really good storyline and it is really long so there is a lot of great character development. This book was made into a series by AppleTV so if you enjoy the book you can see it brought to life, or vice versa you could watch the series first and then check out the books.

The City of Ember series feels like a hidden gem series to me. The book follows two kids who live in an underground city, but when the electricity starts to fail and the lights flicker out, they must discover where they are, why they are there in the first place and a way out. It is a mystery and adventure books and honestly a book I would love to see make a comeback and get the recognition it deserves.

Wings of Fire is an 18 Book Series with potential for more to come. It follows dragons who come from different tribes. My daughter loves all of different dragons and says the characters are easy to relate to and she loves to imagine herself as one of the characters in this mythical land. This book feels immersive in the same way many great series do. When you read it you like to wonder which dragon tribe you would fit into the best. There are heroes and villains. There are impossible tasks to accomplish. And there is always more of the world to discover and immerse yourself into.

The Land of stories follows twins who happen upon a magical world separate from their own ordinary lives. In this magical place they come upon characters they know from fairy tales, but the characters are different in one way or another. In this foreign world they must complete various tasks across the magical land to complete their quest. I have great memories of listening to the audiobook with my kids while we worked on a puzzle over the course of a few days and honestly we were all enchanted and immersed into the stories. My daughter went on to read all the books in the series and enjoyed them as well!

My daughter loves the Percy Jackson series because she really enjoys the mythology you learn from it and loves being immersed in a big adventure. As a bonus it has also recently been turned into a Disney+ series that seems to be well done.

I loved reading the first book with my daughter and she has enjoyed the sequels as well. This book follow a robot who is washed up on an island and how it integrates into the wild world. My daughter loves that it is an emotional book that teaches you about relationships, working together, and needing each other. It has also recently been made into a movie which I also enjoyed.

The Sherlock Society by James Ponti
I read the Sherlock Society along with nine 5th graders for a local library challenge and I think we all really liked the book. It was definitely one of the favorite books I read and many of the kids were anxious to get the second book to read. The third book just came out but we have high hopes it's just as good. It follows four kids and their enabling grandfather as they try to solve mysteries. Like most mysteries the mystery they are trying to solve leads to even more mysteries. It a good book about working as a team and doing the right thing, even when it is difficult.

Framed! A Crime Fighting Collection by James Ponti  
Framed! ||| Vanished! ||| Trapped!
After reading the Sherlock Society my daughter wanted to read more books by James Ponti, so when we found this other series we had no doubt it would be great. My daughter says it's another great mystery with funny characters. She pointed out that she enjoys the way James Ponti books start from the end, with the dilemma or problem and then you go back in time to find out how they got into the mess they are in before the book resolves.

 Max in the House of Spies ||| Max in the Land of Lies
This book is a historical fiction book set during WWII. It follows Max who is a Jewish boy living in Germany who is sent away from home during WWII through the Kindertransport. He lives with relatives who are engaged in a spy network that Max gets to be a part of. It is a well written book and keeps you engaged in the story. My daughter especially loved the character Berg and Stein who bring some cometic relief to this story set in time and place that can feel a bit heavy.

The FunJungle Series by Stuart Gibbs
Belly Up ||| Poached ||| Big Game ||| Panda-monium ||| Lion Down ||| Tyrannosaurus Wrecks ||| Bear Bottom ||| Whale Done ||| All Ears ||| Ape Escape
The FunJungle series is a favorite of my daughters and whenever a new book comes out she is anxious to read them. They are mystery books but also contain lots of humor and fun. In the books you can explore different animals and the places they might come from. The books also teach about endangered animals. Overall it education wrapped up in a fun fictional story kids will love.

Spy School Series by Stuart Gibbs
Spy School ||| Spy Camp ||| Evil Spy School ||| Spy Ski School ||| Spy School Secret Service ||| Spy School Goes South ||| Spy School British Invasion ||| Spy School Revolution ||| Spy School at Sea ||| Spy School Project X ||| Spy School Goes North ||| Spy School Goes Wild ||| Spy School Blackout  ||| Spy School Goes East (To Be Released October 2026)
Spy school is very popular in our house and my daughter likes it because she gets to pretend to be a spy as she immerses herself in each story. With 14 spy stories in a variety of locations and with different themes, your kids will be entertained for a long time.

Do you have any book series your kids love? We are always looking for something new!

This post contain amazon affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them- at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog and our love of reading.

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Mallory Hazel
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The Best Valentine Books for Kids | Love Filled Stories For All Ages

The Best Valentine Books for Kids | Love Filled Stories For All Ages

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Valentine's Day is coming soon, so it's time to pull out our favorite Valentine's Books to read! Lot's of these books are great all year round, we can always read about love, but here are a few of my favorite books to focus on especially around Valentine's Day. Share your favorites in the comments below!


The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond - This is my all time favorite Valentine's Day book. A girl collects hearts from a unusual rainstorm and makes her friends unique valentines. The whimsical idea of it raining hearts, the creation of thoughtful valentines, and the joy of delivery, this is a perfect valentines book and my ultimate recommendation.


Love Monster by Rachel Bright - This is such a cute board book that reminds me that everyone wants to feel loved. A monster feels quite different in his land of cute, fluffy things, so he goes on a search to find someone who might love him. The search took him many places, and he was about to give up, but in the end he finds that love was there all along. I have loved reading this sweet story with my daughters since they were young.

Otter's Heart Family by Kelly Oriard - The Slumberkins collection is all about teaching your children different concepts to build an emotionally strong foundation. This particular book is about the connections we make as families. It is also about accepting love always. I think it's a really beautiful book and enjoy the whole Slumberkins collection. 


Little Blue Truck's Valentine by Alice Schertle - Little Blue truck is just always so fun and it's nice to have familiar characters. It's a story of little blue truck delivering unique valentines to all of his farm friends. Our copy does have a unique illustration mishap. The cow on one page is missing it's body. Have they fixed it since? 


I Love You So Mush! by Danielle McLean - This is a cute book all about a mushroom who tells all her mushroom friends all about how "mush" she loves them. Each mushroom is unique and has a special reason to be loved. It's a good reminder that our differences add something special to our community.


Love from The Very Hungry Caterpillar - This is such a cute read aloud. It makes me feel so happy to share how much I love my little ones in a cute and silly way. This book is a great way to get the giggles going!


Love by Emma Dodd - This is a great book to showcase how we show all the different ways we can show our love to each other. From simply talking with each other to sharing a smile. It's also a great book to remind our kids that we love them always. I also love the bunnies.


Love from Bluey - A cute book from our favorite characters from Bluey. It's teaches the different ways love shows up in our daily living. It's got a great message and shares it the "Bluey" way by being silly and fun along the way!

Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse by Laura Nueroff - Mouse makes Valentines for all of his friends in a way that tells them how much he loves each of them uniquely. It's another great book that reminds us to look for appreciate what makes us and others unique, with another familiar friend.


 Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney - I had to include a classic and what is more classic than Guess How Much I Love You. The illustrations are so beautiful and the message always hits. We have so much love to hold and give and this book is a great way to share that with your babies.

I hope you have the happiest Valentine's Day and that you get to enjoy some of these books with your little ones!

This post contain amazon affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them- at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog and our love of story time.

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Mallory Hazel
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How to Fold a Tiny Book from a Single Piece of Paper

How to Fold a Tiny Book from a Single Piece of Paper

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In the sixth grade my teacher taught us how to make these mini books out of a single piece of paper. The other day I was thinking about them and thought it could be a fun and simple activity to do with my kids, and they have loved them. They get to color and decorate however they want. They are so quick for me to make and entertain my kids for a good amount of time. It's a great way to get a peek into their imagination as well. They are super simple to make and here is how you do it!

1. Take a single sheet of white paper.
2. Fold it in half hamburger style.
3. Fold it in half again so you have four equal sections.
4. Fold it in half from top to bottom. This will create 8 equal sections in the paper.
5. Unfold the paper twice so your paper is just folded in half.
6. Cut the paper as shown along the middle fold half way. Make sure you start the cut on the folded side.
7. When you open the paper there will be a straight cut in the middle of the page.
8. Fold the paper in half hot dog style so the cut part is at the top.
9. Push the two end together.
10. Fold the paper over to make a book! It will kind of just fold magically the right way.


That's it. You can make multiple books at a time and keep them somewhere so they are easily accessible for when inspiration strikes!
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Mallory Hazel
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The Ultimate Crochet Resources List

The Ultimate Crochet Resources List

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I've been crocheting for over 5 years now. It started one day when I checked out this book from the library, found an old crochet hook and a ball of yarn that I had left over from another project and made a crochet octopus. The rest is history, I was hooked. It was October of that year and by Christmas I had made 5 crocheted dolls as presents for nieces and nephews. I was actively searching for my next best project. And over the course of five years I have come to learn a few things. Today I have decided to compile them all in one place for the ultimate list of crochet resources.

TOOLS

You don't need a whole lot to start crocheting, but there are a few helpful tools to get you started.

Crochet Hooks - I regularly use sizes 3.75mm, 4mm, & 5mm. I would say having those hook sizes is a great start for being able to work up a lot of patterns. It is also nice to get a good crochet hook set that comes with a variety of sizes so you can size up or down depending on your gauge and how you personally work with yarn. It also ends up being less expensive to get a full set than collect hooks one by one.

Yarn - I love spending time in the yarn aisle finding my favorite colors and feeling the yarn to get the softest and coziest ones. I get a lot of acrylic yarn because it comes it so many colors. It is good for making toys for my kids. I love Lion Brand Heartland Yarn because it is so soft and pretty. I love Scheepjes Catona 50g yarn for making dolls. 

Yarn Needles - They are necessary for weaving in ends.

Hook Markers - Really help when you are working in a round or if you want to mark your first and last stitch in any sort of project. 

Safety Eyes - When I was first making stuffed animals and dolls I realized that there are special eyes to get that make it so they stay on nice and tight through your crochet stitches. You can find a wide variety of sizes and kinds on amazon which is nice because in-store the selection is often pretty minimal.

WEBSITES AND BOOKS


The first book I ever got was Whimsical Stitches which was a book I used to make some simple Amigurumi. It was fun to make an Octopus, Pig, Narwhal, Turtle, Cupcakes, and Cactus plants for my kids and husband. I learned that the author of this books has a website called A Menagerie of Stitches and I have enjoyed going on to her website to get more patterns. I especially loved making some of her seasonal bunnies as decoration for our home for various holidays.


I absolutely adore Green Frog Crochet Patterns. I have made about 15 of her princess doll patterns and they all worked up so well. I also love her Harry Potter Dolls. I loved making a collection for my girls and have enjoyed making them for my girls to give as gifts to friends. She also has so many patterns I would love to make in the future and is constantly coming out with new patterns.


If you are interested in making the most unique beautiful Granny Squares you've ever seen, The Ultimate Granny Square Sourcebook is amazing. I truly am in awe at how people have figured out how to create stitches that make such a beautiful and detailed result. It's very cool and there are so many ways you can use granny squares to make bigger projects like blankets, cardigans, bags etc.


This Crochet Stitch Dictionary as well as Bella Coco's Crochet Stitch Library are both great resources if you want to learn a huge variety of fun and interesting stitches. I used them to make a beautiful blanket for my daughter with the stitch I most loved. It is really cool if you are wanting to try your hand at making your own creations.


 My daughter loves Harry Potter and was planning a Harry Potter themed Birthday for when she turned 11. I found this Crochet Wizardry book and decided to make the sorting hat for her as a present and it turned out so amazing. There were a couple of other patterns that looked really fun to make as well and I'll probably give them a try for future gifts. 


Most recently I found Briana K Designs and she created what she calls the Wheat Stitch and uses it to make all sorts of things. I think it is an absolutely gorgeous stitch and so easy to work up. I have been making hats for everyone as gifts this last year because they are so quick to make and look so professional and beautiful. She has patterns on her blog and often on YouTube as well, so if you learn better by watching videos she is a great teacher.

Well I think that's a great starting point. I'll be sure to come back to this post in the future and update it as I find more amazing things to craft. Until then let me know in the comments some of your favorite crochet resources!

This post contains amazon affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them - at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog and my family.
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Mallory Hazel
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