- Graphic Novels
- Ages 8–12
- Art & Creativity
The Cartoonists Club
Part of the Raina Telgemeier universeOpen the collection
A creator-club graphic novel from Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud that blends story with practical comics-making ideas. It is especially strong for children who draw, make comics, feel unsure about their creative voice, or want a gentler Raina title than Guts or Ghosts.
- Best for8–12
- FormatGraphic
- Length288 pp
- Read aloud~2 hr15 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Warm
- Inspirational
- Thought provoking
- Heartwarming
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Makayla has loads of story ideas but does not know how to turn them into comics. Howard loves drawing, even though his father does not really approve. Lynda draws constantly, but mostly sees what is wrong with her work. Art simply loves being creative. When the four middle-schoolers form The Cartoonists Club, they begin learning not just how comics work, but how to share ideas, make mistakes, encourage each other and find confidence in their own creative voices. The book is a collaboration between Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud, and that pairing matters: it combines Raina's emotionally accessible middle-grade storytelling with McCloud's deep expertise in explaining how comics communicate. The result is partly a friendship story, partly a how-to-comics guide, and partly an invitation for children to make their own stories. It is warm, practical, encouraging and highly useful for creative readers.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 8–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 8–12
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Creative children
- Comic making
- Raina fans
- Art club story
- Reluctant readers
Avoid if
- Wants action adventure
- Dislikes how to elements
- Wants emotional memoir
Particularly good for children who are…
- Interested in art and creativity
- Reluctant reader
- Making friends
- Low self esteem
- Struggling with reading
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A funny, inspiring graphic novel about friends starting a comics club — a reluctant-reader favourite that sparks children to make their own comics and stories.
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 recognition is having a story you can't get onto the page — Makayla full of ideas but stuck, Howard's dad disapproving of his drawing, Lynda only seeing what's wrong with hers, the four of them figuring it out together. The Raina for a kid who already draws and wants to know how to make it real.
- Making a difference
- Friendship and belonging
- Being special or chosen
- Trickery and cleverness
Why parents love it
The Telgemeier and Scott McCloud collaboration — friendship story doubling as a practical how-comics-work guide, McCloud's expertise making the craft pages land. Gentler than Guts or Ghosts; useful for any creative middle-grader who needs encouragement plus actual technique.
- Educational for adult too
- Conversation starter
- Quick to read
- Shared humour
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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