TL;DR: The Amulet Cheat Sheet
If your middle schooler is suddenly obsessed with a stone that talks and a world full of giant robots and elf kings, they’ve found Amulet. This isn’t your typical "diary of a wimpy kid" style read. It’s a high-stakes, cinematic, and occasionally dark fantasy epic that has been running for 16 years and finally reached its conclusion this year.
- Age Range: 8–12 (Grades 3–7)
- The Vibe: Star Wars meets Studio Ghibli with a dash of Lord of the Rings.
- Parental Warning: The series starts with a fatal car accident. It deals with grief, possession, and the corrupting nature of power.
- The Best Part: The art is world-class. It’s the ultimate "gateway drug" for kids who claim they don’t like reading.
Check out the full Screenwise guide to graphic novels for middle schoolers
Amulet is a nine-book graphic novel series by Kazu Kibuishi. It follows Emily and Navin Hayes, two siblings who move into their great-grandfather’s old, creepy house after their father dies in a tragic accident.
While cleaning, Emily finds a mysterious circular stone (the Amulet) that starts talking to her. Shortly after, a tentacled monster kidnaps their mother and drags her into a basement portal leading to a world called Alledia. Emily and Navin have to follow her into this world of sentient robots, talking animals, and an impending war led by the Elf King.
The series just wrapped up in early 2024 with the final book, Waverider, meaning your kids can finally binge the whole story without waiting years for a cliffhanger to resolve.
If you’ve noticed your kid ignoring their Nintendo Switch because they’re buried in a 200-page graphic novel, there's a reason. Amulet hits that sweet spot of feeling "mature" without actually being "Adult."
- Cinematic Art: Kibuishi worked in the film industry, and it shows. The landscapes are massive, the character designs are unique, and the action sequences feel like a high-budget movie. For a generation raised on YouTube and high-def gaming, the visuals meet their standards.
- High Stakes: This isn't a story about school drama. It’s about saving a world, mastering a dangerous power, and dealing with the fact that adults can’t always protect you.
- The "Cool" Factor: In many middle schools, carrying an Amulet book is a social currency. It’s one of the few book series that bridges the gap between the "reluctant readers" and the "advanced readers."
Let’s kill this myth right now: graphic novels are not "cheating."
If you’re worried that your kid is just looking at pictures and not "really reading," the research actually suggests the opposite. Graphic novels like Amulet require "multimodal literacy"—the ability to synthesize text and visual information simultaneously. The vocabulary in Amulet is often more complex than what you'll find in standard middle-grade prose because the images do the heavy lifting for the setting, allowing the dialogue to be punchy and sophisticated.
Compared to the mindless scrolling of TikTok or the chaotic energy of Skibidi Toilet, Amulet is a massive win for their attention span. It requires them to follow a complex, multi-year narrative arc and understand character motivations that aren't always black and white.
While Amulet is generally safe for the 8+ crowd, it doesn't pull its punches.
Grief and Loss
The series opens with a car accident where the father dies. It’s depicted on-page (though not in a gory way). This trauma fuels Emily’s entire journey. If your family has recently dealt with a loss, you might want to read the first few chapters together.
The Voice in the Stone
The Amulet itself is a bit like the One Ring from The Lord of the Rings. It’s powerful, but it’s also manipulative. It tries to trick Emily into giving up her humanity for more power. It’s a great metaphor for peer pressure or the "inner critic," but it can be a little spooky for younger or more sensitive kids.
Fantasy Violence
There are battles, explosions, and characters who get "turned" into shadows. There is no profanity or sexual content, but the "monster" designs—especially the shadows and some of the more mutated elves—can be nightmare fuel for a 7-year-old who is prone to bad dreams.
- Ages 7-8: May need to read with a parent. The plot gets complicated around Book 4, and some of the "shadow" monsters are genuinely creepy.
- Ages 9-12: The sweet spot. They’ll likely devour the whole series in a week.
- Ages 13+: Still very readable, though they might finish a book in 20 minutes. It’s a great "comfort read."
Once they finish Book 9, they’re going to have a "book hangover." Here are the best cures:
Often called the greatest graphic novel of all time for kids. It starts off funny and lighthearted (think Looney Tunes) but turns into a massive, Lord of the Rings style epic.
If the art in Amulet was the big draw, Lightfall is the next logical step. It’s a beautiful, adventurous story about a girl and a "Galdurian" (a frog-like creature) trying to find her grandfather in a world where the sun has gone out.
If your kid is into the "epic war between factions" aspect of Amulet, the Wings of Fire graphic novel adaptations are a guaranteed hit. Dragons, prophecies, and plenty of drama.
For slightly younger readers (ages 6-9) who want the "portal to another world" adventure without as much of the heavy darkness found in Amulet.
Graphic novels are a great bridge for conversation because you can literally look at the same "screen" (page) together. If you want to engage with your kid about Amulet, try these questions:
- "Do you think Emily should trust the voice in the stone? Why do you think it’s helping her?"
- "The Elf King seems like a total villain, but do you think he has a reason for what he's doing?"
- "If you found a portal in our basement, would you go in or stay here and call the police?" (A fun way to gauge their risk-taking personality!)
- "Which character do you think has changed the most since the first book?"
Amulet is a rare gem in the middle-grade world. It treats kids like they are capable of understanding complex emotions and high-stakes consequences. It’s beautiful, it’s finished, and it’s a much better use of their "screen-brain" than another hour of Roblox.
If your kid is asking for these books, say yes. If they haven’t heard of them yet, pick up The Stonekeeper (Book 1) and leave it on the kitchen table. It won't stay there for long.