# graphic novel for an 11-year-old girl
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [December 24, 2014, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095 "2014-12-24T14:46:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/1 "2014-12-24T14:46:15Z")
We’re going to a friend’s house for dinner tonight, Christmas Eve. I just found out that the 11-year-old daughter is really into graphic novels, and her mother suggested we get her one as a gift.
Requirements:
1. It doesn’t have to be overly girly, but it shouldn’t be too boy-y either.
2. The family is conservative (socially), so nothing too daring.
3. The girl does not like scary stories at all.
4. I need to have a good shot at finding it in stock at Barnes & Noble, since I don’t have time to order it.
I realize this is a long shot — mostly because of (4) — but I’d appreciate any help y’all can provide.
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### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/2 "2014-12-24T14:55:16Z")
My son is 8 and he just finished the Amulet series. There’s (6?) books so far in the series. [Here’s book 1](http://www.amazon.com/Stonekeeper-Amulet-Book-1/dp/0439846811/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1419432819&sr=8-2&keywords=the+amulet).
The main character is a girl also. Should be right up her alley is she hasn’t read it already.
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### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/3 "2014-12-24T14:59:10Z")
I’ve also heard good things about [BONE](http://www.amazon.com/BONE-1-Boneville-Jeff-Smith/dp/0439706408/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419433070&sr=1-1&keywords=bone) but I have never personally read it.
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### Author:  [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/4 "2014-12-24T15:13:08Z")
It’s tough when we don’t know what she has. Some of the Minx books are pretty cool if B&N still have them. But the girl might have read them already, so I’m not even going to try there.
It looks like Barnes & Noble just got in the first volumes of the current _Captain Marvel_ (Carol in space) and _Ms. Marvel_ (Kamala gets powers, gets shot, powers heal her) series. I don’t think those are too scary, but I’m not 11 anymore. I can vouch for these as being decent and recent, but again, maybe a little scary?
Looking at the B&N site, I’m surprised that Liberty Meadows is listed when I look for “women’s comics.”
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### Author:  [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/5 "2014-12-24T15:21:36Z")
Oh, if you can find this - [http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thor-john-buscema/1113687510?ean=9780785144809](http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thor-john-buscema/1113687510?ean=9780785144809) - Warriors Three GN, I really liked the four-parter in it as a teen. It’s by Alan Zelenetz (who was a master) and Charles Vess at the top of his artistic prowess. More “comic opera” than “superhero.”
I don’t know about the Wein/Buscema story.
_However,_ that’s probably not going to be on the shelves, and there are at least two other Warriors three GN’s, one by Stan Lee (a bad sign) and one by Bill Willingham (a very bad sign if you’re buying for an 11-year-old girl from a conservative family). I haven’t read either of those, can’t vouch for them, but Stan was overextended when he was editor, and Willingham is kind of a creep.
So, why am I even telling you this? Never mind.
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### Author:  [@Tamarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamarin)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/6 "2014-12-24T15:29:42Z")
There is a [Wrinkle in Time](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0374386153/ref=pd_luc_rh_bxgy_01_01_t_lh?ie=UTF8&psc=1) graphic novel. I would have LOVED this at 11.
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### Author:  [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/7 "2014-12-24T15:57:39Z")
[_ **Smile** _](http://www.amazon.com/Smile-Raina-Telgemeier/dp/0545132061), _**[Drama](http://www.amazon.com/Drama-Raina-Telgemeier/dp/0545326990/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1VQST5XRJBA3B3EA759Z)**_, and now [_ **Sisters** _](http://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Raina-Telgemeier/dp/0545540607/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0JXV0VPQH3W75JRS2W8W), all by Raina Telgemeier.
\*\*\*Smile \*\*\*won an Eisner.
Trust me, these are your answer.
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### Author:  [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/8 "2014-12-24T16:07:19Z")
I can’t believe I forgot about _Bone_! I gave it to my own daughter when she was 8 or so — but she’s much more advanced than the girl I’m buying for today. :rolleyes:
I have _Ms. Marvel_, and I’m going to read it before I wrap it because, y’know, I can.
Thank you all for the rest of the suggestions. I’m off to the store.
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### Author:  [@CGav8r](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CGav8r)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/9 "2014-12-24T16:09:57Z")
My 12 year old son loved the whole Bone series (maybe he started them when he was 10?) and both my son and daughter loved Smile.
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### Author:  [@StarsApart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarsApart)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/10 "2014-12-24T16:24:05Z")
May be too late since you’ve headed to the store, but I just finished [El Deafo by Cece Bell](http://www.amazon.com/El-Deafo-Cece-Bell/dp/1419712179/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419438123&sr=8-1&keywords=deafo) and it was really enjoyable!
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### Author:  [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/11 "2014-12-24T17:06:41Z")
Does she like cats? The [Warriors](http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A4366%2Ck%3Awarriors%20graphic%20novel)series isn’t bad if you like cats.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/12 "2014-12-24T17:15:24Z")
A bunch of the Sherlock Holmes short stories were [redone as graphic novels](https://www.google.com/search?q=sherlock+holmes+graphic+novel&safe=off&biw=1441&bih=863&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=TfOaVJT0I5CdyAT6y4Eo&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&dpr=0.9) (sort of comic book style) for kids. At 11, she might be to old for them. I tried to read some of them with my 8 year old and they were a little over her head, but if she was a stronger reader they probably would have been fine. If you can find them, they might be worth looking at.
We read [The Red Headed League.](http://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Red-Headed-Graphic-Adventures-Sherlock/dp/160270726X) I’m not sure if that’s the exact one, but it’s the same idea. It would give you/her parents a good idea if she’s ready to jump into the regular Sherlock Holmes short stories. They’re quick and pretty easy to digest, even for a young kid.
Come to think of it, we also read the graphic version of A Scandal In Bohemia.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/13 "2014-12-24T18:59:47Z")
These I found at my local library:
[Zita, the Spacegirl](http://www.amazon.com/Zita-Spacegirl-Ben-Hatke/dp/1596434465/), which is now a series of three. Young girl gets zapped to a far away planet and becomes a space heroine.
[Three Thieves](http://www.amazon.com/Tower-Treasure-Three-Thieves-Chantler/), seems to have gone to five volumes since I last checked in. The serial adventures of a young thief-acrobat and her quirky companions. In the second book, she actually rescues a prince.
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### Author:  [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/14 "2014-12-24T20:00:59Z")
All four of these have preteen girl leads, and all of them have at least one sequel. I’ve read and enjoyed them all, and there is not anything scary there.
1. Hidlafolk series by Luke Pearson: in an unnamed modern Slavic country, a girl solves mysteries involving fairy creatures like missing mountain giants or strange black ghost dogs. Mostly involved with friendship, honesty, personal growth. Not scary, but sometimes a little surreal, like a dr seuss book. The art is lovely - oversized books with lots of panels. Like TinTin.
2. Hereville. 2 volumes. By Barry Deutsch. An orthodox Jewish girl lives in a fairytale woods and defeats witches and dopplegangers with her sharp wit and compassion. Lots of moral decisions and consideration of being a ‘good girl’ and being a ‘good person.’ Very like Bone.
3. Zita the Spacegirl. 3 volumes. By Ben Hatke. Easily my favorite of the lot. Zita accidentally pushes her best friend (a boy) into a space-time rift and then has to go in after him to save him, making super-weird alien friends and enemies along the way. Lots of solid themes of friendship and loyalty and honesty and love. Excellent characters, the art is fantastic, adventurous and solid storytelling without being scary.
4. Foiled (vol 1) and Foiled Again (vol 2) by Jane Yolen. This one’s aimed a bit older, but still preteen-appropriate. Aliera is a fencer who discovers that she is a mortal knight belonging to the Summer Court (seelie) of faerie. She is opposed (and sometimes aided) by a Winter Court (unseelie) goblin who has had a taste of being a normal human boy in school and doesn’t want to be a goblin anymore. Very good, and the most ‘human girl’ focus of them all. Bonus points for having a disabled main character and that the girls play D&D as part of the plot.
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### Author:  [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/15 "2014-12-24T20:48:30Z")
Princess Ugg- I think the first arc is out in Graphic Novel form now. It’s an odd couple style adventure story with a barbarian princess and a more traditional fairy tale princess working together.
> **[Princess Ugg Review Ted Naifeh Oni Press | The Mary Sue](https://www.themarysue.com/princess-ugg-review-ted-naifeh-oni-press/)**
>
> My absolute first impression of Princess Ugg was that it's like a baby Red Sonja, which may be what hooked me because BABY RED SONJA HOW ADORABLE WOULD THAT BE?? But that actually only tells half the story. We may start out introduced to a bonnie wee...
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### Author:  [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphic-novel-for-an-11-year-old-girl/708095/16 "2014-12-24T21:13:58Z")
I’m thinking that I shouldn’t recommend something \*I \*would want to read, but something a preteen would like.
So I’m going for manga for girls, also known as shoujo manga. A bit of research tells me that something called _Skip Beat_ is fairly popular. Also look for _Fruits Basket_, \*Ouran High School Host Club \*and _Mars._ Any comic booj store should carry at least one of those.