Bone

Bone was the first book I ever read on my own as a 5th grader. For the first time, I didn’t use an audiobook or need a parent/teacher to read it to me. For that alone, I’ve put it at the top of the list. Bone follows the story of three wayward brothers as they each find their way to a fantastical valley filled with mythical dragons, bizarre creatures, and a lost princess. What starts off as this fun and goofy comic, spirals into this adventure of epic proportions as the author-illustrator takes young readers into a world they… show more.

This must be my all-time favorite graphic novel. It is a weird mixture of Walt Kelly, Disney, and Tolkien. As you progress further into the story it really turns into a dark epic fantasy. All the while the main characters remain warm and genuine, even though they are only silly cartoony figures. 

Bone seems to start small, with the Bone cousins having been run out of their town. But they get involved in a sweeping adventure of epic proportions. With their goofy humor and simple designs, the Bone cousins initially seem out of place in this fantasy world, but they are the key to stopping the evil in this story, not unlike the hobbits of Lord of the Rings. Bone has been released as individual books that have been beautifully colored. But I personally love the one-volume edition in the original black and white. It’s a massive book, I come back… show more.