The Truth About Teaching With Comics and Graphic Novels

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Recently my kids have been reading tons of graphic novels and comics. They are constantly giving me a new title to reserve from our library, so I wondered if teaching with comics and graphic novels might be a good idea.

Could I incorporate comic books and graphic novels into our homeschool lessons?

Hannah and Ben’s interest in graphic novels was sparked in their homeschool co-op book clubs. Every month the students in the clubs suggest books they would like the group to read next. Hearing a book recommendation from a friend is much more effective than me suggesting a title.

A few months ago Hannah and Ben’s book clubs both happened to be reading graphic novels. Since then, they have continued to read other graphic novels all on their own.

Comics and graphic novels are very similar. Comic books tend to be collections of individual comic strips. The pages may or may not have a common theme. Graphic novels on the other hand are stories, with all the traditional literary elements, that happen to be written in comic strip form.

The truth about teaching with comics and graphic novels is:

• It prevents kids from being overwhelmed by page after page of text
• Encourages reluctant readers – they will likely find they ENJOY reading!
• It is great for visual learners
• Many literature elements can be taught through graphic novels
• They cross connect multiple subjects
• There is a risk for the images being too mature – be sure to preview any potentially difficult topics

Teaching with Comics and Graphic Novels

Comics and graphic novels can be a great way to teach multiple subjects. They can be used to pique interest in a topic, as part of a unit study, as assigned reading, or even read just for fun.

Here is a list of comics and graphic novels to incorporate into your lesson plans.

Science

Science Comics: Wild Weather: Storms, Meteorology, and Climate by MK Reed

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Science Comics: Dinosaurs: Fossils and Feathers by MK Reed

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Science Comics: Dogs: From Predator to Protector by Andy Hirsch

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Science Comics: Bats: Learning to Fly by Falynn Koch

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Science Comics: Sharks: Nature’s Perfect Hunter by Joe Flood

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Science Comics: Solar System: Our Place in Space by Rosemary Mosco

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Science Comics: Rockets: Defying Gravity by Anne Drozd

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Science Comics: Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean by Maris Wicks

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Science Comics: Trees: Kings of the Forest by Andy Hirsch

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Science Comics: The Brain: The Ultimate Thinking Machine by Tory Woollcot

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Science Comics: Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield by Falynn Koch

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Science Comics: Robots and Drones: Past, Present, and Future by Mairghread Scott

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Science Comics: Skyscrapers: The Heights of Engineering by John Kershbaum

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Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani

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Investigating the Scientific Method with Max Axiom, Super Scientist by Donald B. Lemke

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A Crash Course in Forces and Motion with Max Axiom, Super Scientist by Emily Beth Sohn and Charles Barnett III

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Introducing Quantum Theory: A Graphic Guide to Science’s Most Puzzling Discovery by J.P. McEvoy

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History

The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation by Jonathan Hennessey

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The Boston Tea Party by Matt Doeden

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The Oregon Trail by Gary Jeffrey

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

World War One: 1914 – 1918 by Alan Cowsill

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

World War Two: Against the Rising Sun by Jason Quinn

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Normandy: A Graphic History of D-Day, The Allied Invasion of Hitler’s Fortress Europe by Wayne Vansant

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The Life of Frederick Douglass: A Graphic Narrative of a Slave’s Journey from Bondage to Freedom by David F. Walker

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women’s Fight for Their Rights by Mikki Kendall

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Math

Jim McClain’s Solution Squad by Jim McClain

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Introducing Fractals by Nigel Lesmoir-Gordon

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The Fishy Fountain: A Mystery with Multiplication and Division by Melinda Thielbar

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The Kung Fu Puzzle: A Mystery with Time and Temperature by Melinda Theilbar

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The Lost Key: A Mystery with Whole Numbers by Melinda Theilbar

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Introducing Statistics: A Graphic Guide by Eileen Magnello

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Literature

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The City of Ember by Jean DuPrau

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The Illiad by Gareth Hinds

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Anne of Green Gables by Mariah Marsden

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

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Romeo and Juliet by Gareth Hinds

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Animal Farm by George Orwell

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Be sure to save this list to your Pinterest boards so you can always find it!

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