- Graphic Novels
- Ages 9–13
- Science Fiction
Lunar Boy
A gentle, emotionally direct middle-grade graphic novel about a trans boy, adoption, culture shock, and finding a home after leaving the Moon. It is a strong empathy-building choice for readers ready for identity-led science-fantasy rather than gag-driven comics.
- Best for9–13
- FormatGraphic
- Length240 pp
- Read aloud~1 hr55 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Lyrical
Tone
- Heartwarming
- Thought provoking
- Bittersweet
- Warm
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Indu was found living alone on the Moon and brought to Earth by his adoptive mother. Now he is trying to understand a world that feels noisy, crowded, and emotionally complicated, while also trying to understand himself. As a young trans boy navigating family change, first crushes, friendship, and the strangeness of belonging somewhere new, Indu carries both loneliness and wonder with him. Jes and Cin Wibowo blend science-fiction imagery with a grounded coming-of-age story, using the Moon not just as a place, but as a symbol of distance, memory, and identity. The result is a tender graphic novel for readers who like heartfelt stories about difference, self-discovery, and the possibility of making a home without losing where you came from.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 9–13
- Read aloud · 9–13
- Independent · 9–13
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Works well for
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: abandonment, mental health.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Lgbtq graphic novel
- Identity story
- Gentle science fantasy
- Emotionally reflective
- Middle grade empathy read
Avoid if
- Needs gag driven comedy
- Sensitive to abandonment
- Wants fast action
Particularly good for children who are…
- Adoption or foster care
- Making friends
- Anxiety and worry
- Low self esteem
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A tender sci-fi graphic novel about identity and belonging — a warm discussion read for older readers about being yourself and family.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific weight is the move from the Moon — Indu found living alone there and brought to Earth by his adoptive mother, the new world feeling noisy and crowded, a trans boy working out family change and a first crush and what belonging might mean. The Wibowo siblings' graphic novel for a reader who wants identity-led science-fantasy rather than gag comics.
- Being understood finally
- Secret world
- Transformation
- Friendship and belonging
- Being special or chosen
Why parents love it
The Jes and Cin Wibowo middle-grade graphic novel — science-fiction imagery grounded in coming-of-age realism, the Moon as a symbol of distance and memory and identity. Asian-American queer YA. Beautifully drawn. Strong empathy-builder for readers ready for tender rather than action-led.
- Conversation starter
- Cultural representation
- Beautiful illustrations
- Great writing
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Where you’ll find it
On these reading lists.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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