Jack, my son with autism, is a very good reader, but incredibly resistant to reading chapter books. I think that long pages of nothing but text are difficult for him. As a second grader, he still prefers picture books, comics and graphic novels.
With this in mind, I recently asked my networks to offer graphic novel suggestions for an almost-eight-year-old with autism. Suggestions poured in. Most of these we haven't had a chance to read yet, but we have a lot to choose from now. I hope these suggestions might help some of you as well.
Note: AutMont is not responsible for any echolalia/scripting that results from your children reading these books. AutMont is also not responsible if, after reading Calvin & Hobbes, your child tells you he wants to show you something outside, no a little bit farther outside, and then locks you out of your house. Not that that happened or anything. Ahem.
Bone by Jeff Smith: This is a nine-volume series about three "blobby creatures who have stumbled into a valley full of monsters, magic, farmers, an exiled princes and a huge, cynical dragon." (From Publishers Weekly)
Meanwhile by Jason Shiga: This is a pick any path story with 3,856 possibilities stemming from an initial decision of whether the main character wants chocolate or vanilla ice cream. I remember reading "choose your own adventure" books when I was a kid and they drove me
crazy, but I can definitely see the appeal.
Akiko by Mark Crilley: This is a series starring a ten-year-old girl who sets off on interplanetary adventures featuring aliens and a quest to save a kidnapped prince.
Missile Mouse by Jake Parker: Another sci-fi series, this one starring a mouse. According to Booklist, Missile Mouse is "a gruff loner ideal for deep-space adventuring."
Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson or
Garfield by Jim Davis: Fair warning: although Jack adores both of these series, the characters are sassier than you might remember. While they make for some hilarious "scripting" incidents, some of those incidents are not well received at, say, school.
Classics Illustrated: If you want to be really sneaky and expose your child to literary classics, check out this series, which features books from
Great Expectations to
Treasure Island to
The Count of Monte Cristo and
The Invisible Man.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney: Not technically graphic novels, but easy to read books, with cartoon drawings on most pages, this series is a good transition for kids moving from picture to chapter books.
DC Super Pets: Another series, this one featuring superheroes, but in pet form. Think Ace the Bat-Hound instead of Batman and Krypto the Super-Dog instead of Superman.
Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi: This is a series of graphic novels focused on two children trying to save their mother. Based on the descriptions I found, this looks like it has some dark themes, so check it out before giving it to sensitive children.
Super Chicken Nugget Boy by Josh Lewis and Douglas Holgate: Proving that there is a book about everything, this series is about two elementary school kids who invent an imaginary crime fighter named Super Chicken Nugget Boy. In the first book, the kids' school is attacked by a giant French fry. I might have to check this book out just out of sheer curiosity.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick: Described as "a novel with words and pictures," this book has traditional pages of text interspersed with intricate drawings that do not just illustrate the story, but help to tell it, according to the author. At 550 pages, this book will either make your kid feel awesome for reading it or will be overwhelming. I think it looks fascinating.
Copper by Kazu Kibuishi: This collection of comic shorts, taking up only a few pages each, about a kid and his talking dog could be perfect for children who don't have the attention span for an entire cohesive book. By the author of the
Amulet series.
Owly by Andy Runton: This series is the nearly wordless story of Owly and Wormy and their black-and-white adventures. This might be great for pre-readers as well.
Hikaru No Go by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata: Another series, this one follows a sixth grader in Japan whose consciousness becomes fused with an ancient master of the game Go. Having not read this book, I'm curious as to how the authors make it work. If I were to buy it though, I would also buy a
Go set and start teaching my kid about the strategic game.
Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel: Yet another series, this one about a bad cat, who really seems like pretty much every other cat in the world. I liked the hairball puking on the pages I saw. It reminded me of my lame cats. I think my kids would laugh hysterically while reading these.
Stone Rabbit by Erik Craddock: For slightly younger readers (ages 4-8), this series is about a bored rabbit who goes on zany adventures through time and space.
Asterix by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo: There is a lot of dense writing in this comic book for kids, so make sure your child can handle all the words on the page. There seem to be dozens in this series, so if your child likes them, you are in luck!
Tintin by Herge: These stories featuring Tintin and his dog, Snowy, span historical and political events, fantasy and science-fiction adventures and mysteries.
PS238: A comic book series about young costumed heroes and villains.
Babymouse by Jennifer and Matthew Holm: There sure are a lot of mice in graphic novels. This series, which is decidedly pink, if that matters to your child, is about a mouse who uses her vivid imagination to take her on incredible journeys.
Amelia Rules by Jimmy Gownley: A series comic about Amelia, a young girl who has to move to a small town after her parents divorce. This is a coming of age series for girls.
If you haven't found what you're looking for here, you can always stop by your local comic shop to get their personal recommendation based on your child's age and interests.
Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions. There were a couple of suggestions I got that I wasn't able to find online, so I might be missing some fantastic ideas. I think this is a good list to get started with though! Please let me know in the comments if you other great suggestions for graphic novels for young children.
The Learning Disabilities Association of Montgomery County will hold its next Parent Connection support meeting on April 20 from 7-8:30 p.m.
