Dav Pilkey is still the king, but for the second month in a row several Dog Man books didn’t make the chart of the Top 20 Kids graphic novels in the book channel, based on NPD BookScan data for October 2022 (10/2/22-10/29/22) provided to ICv2.

For the second straight month, the top seller is a non-Pilkey book: Jesse’s Secret Language, the 12th volume of the Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels. This is the first time that has happened since a July 2020 (see "July 2020 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Kids Graphic Novels"), and that was the first time ever.  So it’s notable that this book has kept a lead for two months now.

Also for the second straight month, there are four non-Graphix titles on the chart. John Patrick Green’s InvestiGators: Heist and Seek made the top 20 for a second month and actually moved up, from number 7 in September to number 4 in October.  Miriam Bonastre Tur’s Hooky Volume 2, is also back for a second month, this time dropping from number 5 to number 10.  Ben Clanton’s Narwhalicorn and Jelly, the seventh Narwhal and Jelly graphic novel, debuts at number 9, and Lincoln Peirce’s latest Big Nate book is at number 17.  There were four non-Graphix titles on the chart in October 2021 as well (see "October 2021 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Kids Graphic Novels"), including an InvestiGators title which only charted for a month.

Graphix is still the biggest publisher in the Top 20, and Dav Pilkey is still their biggest seller, but Dog Man sales seem to be slumping: Three titles didn’t make the chart in October 2022, something that would be unthinkable a year ago.  The most recent title, Dog Man: Mothering Heights, came out in March 2021, so it’s possible that the release of the next book, in March 2023, will rejuvenate the brand (see "Dog Man Returns in 2023").

NPD BookScan Top 20 Kids Graphic Novels – October 2022 (10/2/22 - 10/29/22)

Rank

Title

Author

Publisher

1

BABY-SITTERS CLUB VOL. 12: JESSI'S SECRET LANGUAGE

CHAN CHAU

GRAPHIX

2

CAT KID COMIC CLUB: ON PURPOSE HC

DAV PILKEY

GRAPHIX

3

DOG MAN: MOTHERING HEIGHTS HC

DAV PILKEY

GRAPHIX

4

INVESTIGATORS: HEIST AND SEEK HC

JOHN PATRICK GREEN

FIRST SECOND

5

CAT KID COMIC CLUB HC

DAV PILKEY

GRAPHIX

6

CAT KID COMIC CLUB: PERSPECTIVES HC

DAV PILKEY

GRAPHIX

7

DOG MAN: GRIME AND PUNISHMENT HC

DAV PILKEY

GRAPHIX

8

DOG MAN: FOR WHOM THE BALL ROLLS HC

DAV PILKEY

GRAPHIX

9

NARWHALICORN AND JELLY HC

BEN CLANTON

TUNDRA

10

HOOKY VOL. 2

MIRIAM BONASTRE TUR

CLARION

11

DOG MAN HC

DAV PILKEY

GRAPHIX

12

BABY-SITTERS CLUB VOL. 11: GOOD-BYE STACEY, GOOD-BYE

GABRIELA EPSTEIN

GRAPHIX

13

WINGS OF FIRE VOL. 1: THE DRAGONET PROPHECY

TUI T. SUTHERLAND

GRAPHIX

14

DOG MAN: FETCH-22 HC

DAV PILKEY

GRAPHIX

15

GUTS

RAINA TELGEMEIER

GRAPHIX

16

DOG MAN: LORD OF THE FLEAS HC

DAV PILKEY

GRAPHIX

17

BIG NATE: RELEASE THE HOUNDS!

LINCOLN PEIRCE

ANDREWS MCMEEL

18

WINGS OF FIRE VOL. 5: THE BRIGHTEST NIGHT

TUI T. SUTHERLAND

GRAPHIX

19

DOG MAN: BRAWL OF THE WILD HC

DAV PILKEY

GRAPHIX

20

SMILE

RAINA TELGEMEIER

GRAPHIX

Source: The NPD Group/BookScan

For charts of October 2022 graphic novel sales from NPD BookScan:
October 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels
October 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Author, Manga, and Superhero Graphic Novels

For the charts with the actual sales numbers from NPD BookScan, see these articles on the ICv2 Pro site:
October 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
October 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Author, Manga, and Superhero Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
October 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Kids Graphic Novels with Actual Sales


NPD BookScan collects weekly point-of-sale data on print books from over 16,000 locations including e-tailers, chains, mass merchandisers, independent bookstores, and more.  NPD BookScan covers approximately 85% of the U.S. trade print book market.  The ranks on this chart are based on piece sales.  Some publishers classify titles that are primarily text, or art books, as graphic novels; we've removed those titles from the ranking above.

For past BookScan Top 20 Graphic Novel lists, see the "BookScan Top 20 GN Index."