Bone: One Volume Edition by Jeff Smith

Phoncible Bone, Fone Bone, and Smiley Bone. An unlikely trio of... well, who knows what they really are? Little white cartoony guys, exiled from Boneville and wandering the desert because of Phoncible's ("Phoney") latest failed scheme to grab power as Mayor of Boneville. Turns out, Phoney inadvertently landed himself in the middle of a plot that will decide the fate of the world.

This massive (1300 page!) graphic novel begins as the Bone trio find themselves lost in an ancient valley, where they eventually meet Gran'ma Ben and her daughter Thorn. Over the course of a year, the trio will get involved in rigging the Great Cow Race, discover if dragons really exist, do battle with an ancient witch, uncover hidden secrets, and (of course) save the world. Fone Bone becomes Thorn's loyal sidekick, while Phoney repeatedly tries to find ways to enrich himself at the expense of others. Simple Smiley is the laid-back older brother figure, tolerating his kin while finding time to befriend a member of the enemy tribe. The tale of Bone shows the horrors of war, the dangers of mob mentality, the necessity of fighting for what is right, and the wisdom of learning when fighting is necessary.

Bone is an amazingly deep tale, with an astonishing amount of character development. It's an epic journey on the scale of Tolkein, packed with humor, heart, and a great story to boot. Perfect for all ages!