Here's the thing worth saying out loud: yes, graphic novels count as reading. Every one of these is a whole real story, told in pictures and words together, and following it takes exactly the skills you're hoping your child will build. Any single book here does the job on its own. Pick by your child's age and what they're into, hand it over, and let them disappear into it.
The worry underneath this path is a fair one, so let's answer it plainly: reading a graphic novel is reading. Your child is decoding words, tracking a plot across a page, reading faces and body language, and inferring the bits between the panels, which is harder than it looks. So this shelf isn't a consolation prize; it's some of the best storytelling being made for children right now. Pick by fit. If your child is little, start with Narwhal. If they want funny-and-loud, Hilo. If they want a true story that feels like their own life, Smile, New Kid, or El Deafo. If they want a big fantasy adventure, Bone. If they want something real about friendship or being themselves, Roller Girl, The Cardboard Kingdom, or Snapdragon. The path is finished the moment one of them clicks.