21 Illustrated Chapter Books Series for 7-12 Year Olds

Inside: 21 best illustrated chapter books for 7-12 year olds.

Looking for a new series for a child who loves The Bad Guys or Diary of a Wimpy Kid? Hoping to move your reluctant reader on from graphic novels to chapter books? Then this list of illustrated chapter books is just the place for you to find your child’s next great read!

It is not unusual for children to enjoy the additional support of chapter books with pictures as the graphic elements help them to more easily make meaning when reading, this is one reason graphic novels are so popular with kids today.

The list below includes chapter books with illustrations that offer support and interest to readers through a range of graphic elements – including comic strip-like panels, photographs, sidebars featuring tips or facts, screenshots, chat logs, handwritten elements and more. These graphics help to break up larger blocks of text, as well as offering contextual support to what is happening within the text.

And illustrated chapter books are not just for new or reluctant readers, this list includes titles that will appeal to children at all different reading levels, aimed at children around the age of 7 to 11 years (though in our opinion, many will appeal to younger teens too).

RELATED: Looking to inspire your early reader? Check out this list of Chapter Books for Young Readers and our collection of Graphic Novels for Early Readers.

As with all of the lists in our Best Chapter Books for Kids collection, each title in this list links to an Amazon and/or Book Depository page (these are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission at no cost to you) where you can find more information and reviews for titles you might not be personally familiar with.

21 Illustrated Chapter Books for 7-11 Year Olds

The Bad Guys Episode 1 (first book in the series) by Aaron Blabey The Bad Guys series is a great read for those starting out with chapter books and reluctant readers, but the voracious young readers I know adore them too! They sound like bad guys, they look like bad guys and they smell like bad guys, but Mr Wolf, Mr Piranha, Mr Snake and Mr Shark are out to update their image one good deed at a time! Age 7+ years. Available: Amazon

The Questioneers chapter book series by Andrea Beaty A fabulous first chapter book series for fans of Andrea Beaty’s popular STEM picture book series, the chapter book version offers further adventures for each of the beloved characters – Rosie, Iggy, Ada and more! Age 7 + years. Available: Amazon

Squidge Dibley series by Mick Elliott With fun, cartoon-style illustrations, quirky humour and a hilarious cast of characters, this new series is sure to be a hit with fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The students of a grade six class that can’t keep a teacher welcomes its newest, and most unusual, student – Squidge Dibley… who’s about to change everything. Age 7+ years. Available: Amazon

Ninja Kid series by Anh Do Nelson is a nerd! Unfit, uncool and totally awkward! But when he wakes up on his tenth birthday, he discovers he is a NINJA! THE LAST NINJA ON EARTH! How is he going to save the world when he cannot even get his underpants on the right way?! A hilarious and very popular illustrated chapter books series from renowned author, Ahn Do. Age 7+ years. Available: Amazon

Once Upon a Tim series by Stuart Gibbs Tim is a peasant in the Middle Ages who badly wants to improve his lot in life by becoming a knight. When the opportunity to rescue a princess arises, Tim is off on his quest! His best friend, Belinda, dresses as a boy to join him on this funny and fun-filled adventure filled with zany characters and mythical creatures, that also introduces readers to lots of new vocabulary too. And this is just the beginning of Tim and Belinda’s entertaining adventures. Age 7+ years. Available: Amazon

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Sam Wu is Not Afraid series by Kevin & Katie Tsang Sam Wu is the bravest scaredy-cat in the world! And his efforts to prove how not-scared he is (of ghosts, sharks, zombies and more) lead to bold adventures that often take on a very funny life of their own! Age 8+ years. Available: Amazon

Kid Normal by Greg James & Chris Smith In this hilarious series for middle graders, Murph Cooper has a problem. His new school is top secret, and super weird. His classmates are all superheroes with amazing superpowers. And what’s Murph’s extraordinary skill? Well, he’s completely normal! Just as well there are no revolting supervillains lurking nearby, their minds abuzz with evil plans! Wait, what, there is?!! Will Murph’s totally normal abilities be enough to save the day??? Age 8+ years. Available: Amazon

The Last Kids on Earth series by Max Brallier Adventure, humour, monsters and zombies – what’s not to love! This is the story of Jack and his friends as they struggle for survival in the aftermath of a monster apocalypse…whilst hiding out in a super cool treehouse! Age 8+ years. Available: Amazon

The Boy Who Grew Dragons series by Andy Shepherd When Tomas discovers a strange-looking tree at the bottom of his Grandad’s garden, he decides to take one of its funny-looking fruits home with him. He doesn’t think much of it…until it start to move and a dragon hatches! Tomas quickly learns that life with a dragon is more than a little unpredictable, for him and his family. Age 8+ years. Available: Amazon

Toffle Towers series by Tim Harris When ten year old daydreamer Chegwin Toffle inherits the ramshackle hotel, Toffle Towers, he is determined to keep the hotel’s eccentric but loyal staff employed with dreams of all sorts of fun, kid friendly attractions. It will be transformed from a boring hotel for grown-ups into an incredibly exciting destination for children (and their families). But mysteries abound at Toffle Towers – a missing room, a mysterious guest, a series of secret tunnels and a scheming rival hotelier! Chegwin’s imagination may save the day, but not without a few disasters along the way! Age 8+ years. Available: Amazon

The Brilliant World of Tom Gates series by Liz Pichon An award winning series about a likeable 10 year old who loves to draw. His teachers describe Tom Gates as ‘lacking direction’ and his plans always seem to go awry and get him into trouble! Age 8+ years. Available: Amazon

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney As he enters sixth grade, Greg Heffley dreams of being the most popular kid in middle school but a series of bad decisions, unfortunate events and a big dose of bad luck sees him struggles to fit in. This popular book series is now also a series of movies, making for a great movie/book comparison. Age 8+ years. Available: Amazon

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The Tapper Twins series by Geoff Rodkey Twelve-year-old twins Claudia and Reese couldn’t be more different except in their determination to always come out on top, against each other. Their rivalries and adventures are shared in a fun multimedia form that includes photos, interviews, screenshots, text messages, chat logs and more. Age 9+ years. Available: Amazon

Frazzled series by Booki Vivat Abbie Wu doesn’t fit in anywhere. In this hilarious spin on feeling frazzled, worried, and stuck in the middle, with no hope of finding your thing, your place, or your way through it! Abbie’s journey is amusing and more than a little melodramatic but also completely relatable. Age 9+ years. Available: Amazon

The Terrible Two series by Mac Barnett Miles doesn’t want to move. And he certainly doesn’t want to start at a new school. In his old school, everyone knew Miles as the town’s best prankster, but Miles quickly discovers that his new school already has a prankster…and a great one at that! It’s prankster against prankster in an epic war of trickery. Age 9+ years. Available: Amazon

The Misadventures of Max Crumbly series by Rachel Renee Russell Max is about to face the scariest place he’s ever been – middle school! Can Max channel the powers of his favorite superheroes to survive the school bully, Doug? This is another funny book series that will have your middle grade reader eagerly awaiting the next release! Age 9+ years. Available: Amazon

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The Wizards of Once series by Cressida Cowell Set in ancient times amongst magical forests, giants, sprites and scary witches, The Wizards of Once introduces Xar, son of the King of Wizards, whose magic has not arrived at the expected age, and a warrior girl named Wish who is desperate to hide her forbidden interest in magical objects. Destined to hate each other, the two must forget their differences and work together if they have any hope of overcoming a dangerous magic of their own creation. Age 10+ years. Available: Amazon

Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja series by Marcus Emerson My name is Chase Cooper, and I’m a 6th grade ninja. I was just another scrawny kid until a group of ninjas recruited me into their clan. It was a world of trouble I wasn’t prepared for, which is why I kept this diary – to warn other kids about the dangers of becoming a ninja!  Age 10+ years. Available: Amazon

Max Einstein series by James Patterson In this five star rated series, twelve year old Max Einstein is open-minded, confident, ambitious, observant, thoughtful – and a genius! And she talks to Albert Einstein. Totally normal, right??! When Max is recruited to become part of a mysterious team of young geniuses from around the world, they are charged with working together to solve some of the world’s toughest problems, using science. The team dynamics are more than a little tricky and the group is in a race to find solutions before a sinister organisation known as The Corporation shuts them down! Age 10+ years. Available: Amazon

Treasure Hunters series by James Patterson Being the children of world famous treasure hunters means life is far from normal for the Kidd siblings. Instead of playing at the park or going to school, you’ll find the Kidd kids sailing on their family’s boat in pirate-infested waters. One day, when their mother and father suddenly disappear, it’s up to the Kidd children to follow the clues on an action packed race across the ocean to save them. Age 10+ years Available: Amazon

History Smashers series by Kate Messner Kate Messner’s fun new series smashes the stories behind famous moments in US history, exposing unknown details and hidden truths. Through illustrations, graphic panels, photographs, sidebars, and more, the little-known details behind legendary moments in history are exposed. Age 10+ years. Available: Amazon