Read-alouds and series
Top 10 comic series with a girl at the centre
Phoebe and Her Unicorn
Dana Simpson · Ages 8-12
A sharp, funny girl and the vain unicorn she befriends trade jokes about school, friends and fame. Twenty-three collections and still going. 8 to 12 is our estimate.
Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon
Hilda
Luke Pearson · Ages 7-11
A fearless girl explores the mountains and meets trolls, giants and spirits; a few spooky moments. Six books; Flying Eye Books says 7 to 11.
Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon
Zita the Spacegirl
Ben Hatke · Ages 8-12
A girl follows a friend to another planet and leads a crew of odd allies home. Three books, one story, finished. 8 to 12 is our estimate.
Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon
Babymouse
Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm · Ages 7-10
A mouse who daydreams she is a queen, a rock star or a hero, then has to face homework and a messy locker. Twenty books, finished; Penguin Random House says 7 to 10.
Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon
Click
Kayla Miller · Ages 8-12
A girl who gets along with everyone tries to find where she fits, through camp, a move and a school show. Seven books, finished. 8 to 12 is the label we found.
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Cleopatra in Space
Mike Maihack · Ages 8-12
A teenage Cleopatra lands in the far future and trains to save it: lasers, robots and jokes. Six books, finished. Scholastic Canada says 8 to 12.
Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon
Amulet
Kazu Kibuishi · Ages 8-12
A girl and her brother follow their mother into a strange world, and she carries a stone that wants to be used. Nine books, finished, darker than most here. Scholastic says 8 to 12 or 9 to 12.
Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon
The Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels
Ann M. Martin, adapted by Raina Telgemeier and others · Ages 8-12
A friend group runs a baby-sitting business, and each book centres on one of them. Twenty books so far. 8 to 12 is our estimate from seller listings.
Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon
Yotsuba&!
Kiyohiko Azuma · Ages 6-12
A five-year-old meets fishing, shopping and rain as if for the first time. Manga, read right to left; sixteen volumes so far. Yen Press labels it All Ages; 6 to 12 is our estimate.
Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon
Baby-Sitters Little Sister graphic novels
Ann M. Martin, adapted by Katy Farina
A younger spin-off about Karen, the lively little sister of one of the club, and her two homes. Bookroo lists fourteen, the newest due 29 December 2026.
Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon
Comic series where one girl is the main character from the first book to the last: explorers, daydreamers, worriers, jokers and a small business owner. Where a series has a Peabody page, the link goes to its books in order.
Every series with a Peabody page was checked against its publisher's pages (or Wikipedia and Bookroo where a publisher's page would not open) on 29 and 30 October 2026; counts are as of 30 October 2026. Ages say whose they are: the publisher's label, or Peabody's own estimate. The Baby-Sitters Little Sister count comes from Bookroo's fan guide, as noted on our Baby-Sitters Club page. Ranked by our judgment: how much the whole series rests on her, then how easily a reader can start. Checked 2026-10-25. Nobody paid to be here. The buy links are plain search links, not affiliate links, so Peabody earns nothing from them.
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- 6–12ages, across the picks
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