What are Graphic Novels?

Graphic novels are books that weave sequential art with limited amounts of text to drive a narrative. It is a format of storytelling in which the art advances the story, rather than simply illustrating the text. The visuals and the text work in tandem to tell the story (Thompson, 2008).

The format is what makes the story a graphic novel, which usually includes text, images, word balloons, sound effects, and panels ("Guide to Using Graphic Novels", 2015). Graphica (or graphic novels) is, therefore, a medium of literature, not a genre. Because of this, graphic novels can be fiction, non-fiction, history, fantasy, or anything in between.

What are the Origins of Graphic Novels?

The first books to feature a graphic novel format was created in the mid-to-late 1800s when Rodolphe Toffler’s The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck was published in 1842 (Novak, 2014). The graphic format did not take off until the first comics were published in the 1930s when Superman made his first appearance. However, it was not until many years later with the publishing of Maus by Art Spiegelman (1980) that the graphic novel format really gained popularity (Weiner, 2008).

What are the Benefits to Reading Graphica?

Graphic novels have the potential to build reading confidence and stamina in its readers (“Graphic Novels for Young Kids”, 2017). Graphic novels can be especially appealing to young readers who are reluctant to pick up a more traditional book (Gavigan, 2012). The visuals are ample and usually exciting. This format can provide a welcoming foot-in-the-door to novels for the under confident reader. The illustrations often provide contextual clues that help the student decode the storyline and vocabulary. In fact, a study done in 2004 found that students reading graphic novels increased their vocabulary by 20% (Krashen).

Meet Matt Holm.

Matt Holm is an artist and creative partner with his sister Jenny Holm. They are the coauthors of Babymouse, Squish, and the Sunny Series. Below Matt explains why graphic novels can break down barriers for young readers. Especially those who struggle with grasping the concepts of narration and dialogue.

Scholastic’s "Guide to Using Graphic Novels with Children and Teens" provides insight as to why graphic novels benefit young readers. Some of these reasons include:

Motivation – Many school librarians and educators have reported success in getting kids to read using graphic novels, particularly boys — a group traditionally difficult to reach. Additionally, graphic novels with rich, complex plots and narrative structures can also be satisfying to advanced readers.

Reluctant Readers – Having trouble reaching students through traditional texts? Readers who are not interested in reading or who, despite being capable of reading, prefer gaming or watching media can be pulled into a story by the visual elements of graphic novels.

Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle, co-authors of 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents (2018) discussed ways teachers can engage readers and writers. They explain that in a “click and go” digital society, reading stamina is in rapid decline. Helping students to exercise sustained cognitive thinking is important in all areas of life. For these students, graphic novels can be the bridge to deeper reading.

Benefits to Struggling Readers – Graphic novels can dramatically help improve reading for students struggling with language acquisition, including students with developmental disabilities, as the illustrations provide contextual clues that help foster comprehension.

The pace in which a reader progresses through a graphic novel page is determined by the reader. Reading can be slowed down or sped up at a pace that allows the reader to scan, read, and reread the page on their own terms (Thompson, 2014).

"But there was like this sense of satisfaction for readers who maybe have a little bit of difficulty reading. Here are these pictures that help propel me through. It doesn’t take very long to get through a page. Suddenly you read a 220-page book, and you’ve never read a 220-page book in your life. It’s like this gateway to reading maybe things that are more difficult down the road ..."

— Cece Bell (El Deafo)

Meet Cece Bell.

Developing Critical Reading Skills – Graphic novels available today demand many of the same skills that are needed to understand traditional works of prose fiction, including understanding the author’s purpose, making inferences, and recognizing cause and effect.

English Language Learners- Graphic texts can encourage readers who are not yet proficient in English to continue reading while learning vocabulary and language at the same time (Thompson, 2014). Many traditional chapter books are now being published in graphic novel form. For students that are not yet English proficient, a graphic novel version of a traditional text allows the student to read along with his or her classmates with less frustration and more comprehension.

How Do I Select Quality Graphic Novels?

Some parents may shy away from encouraging their children to read graphic novels. Perhaps they believe the content is not suitable for their young reader because of its comic format or because of the mature content that is often associated with graphic novels. However, these beliefs are misconceptions. In recent years, there has been an explosion of titles published specifically for young readers. It is true, however, that not all graphic novels are intended for children, so parental oversight is vital.

Parents can help their child to find “just right” graphic novels by reading reviews, seeking the advice of their school and public librarians, and by previewing and reading graphic novels with their child in the same manner they do with traditional reading formats.

Common Sense Media, a website designed to aid parents, provides lists of graphic novels that can be filtered and narrowed down based on genre, format, and age level. Their "Editor’s Picks" option is a great resource.

Destiny Discover, our district online catalog, is a great place to begin when searching for age-appropriate graphic novels available for student check out. Titles, reading levels, interest levels, Lexile, and F & P levels are provided, along with a description of each book.

Students can easily access the Destiny Discover online catalog via their Elementary Launchpad on their school iPads.

If you do not have your school device that is no problem! Log onto the Follett Destiny Discover site. Your student can access our district's collection of books by inputing their school name, their school username and identification number.

Sora by Overdrive is another district online reading resource available to your students. Sora can also be accessed from your child’s school iPad. Most students have already downloaded the app. If they have not, The Sora by Overdrive app is available for download through our district "Self-Service" icon on their iPad.

Sora provides readers fixed-layout visuals, which means graphic novels and picture books are viewed by the reader as they are meant to be read, making it ideal for reading graphic novels online. Our Sora collection offers more than 70 different graphic novel titles.

More Resources

Scholastic’s "Guide to Using Graphic Novels with Children and Teens" is a great resource for learning how to read graphic novel formats, how to talk about graphic novels with your child, and provides a list of related websites and book reviews on newer graphic novel titles geared toward children.

The American Library Association is a huge supporter of graphic novels. This link provides a list of recommended graphic novel titles for younger readers.

ALSC: Association for Library Services to Children 2018 graphic novel booklists for K-6 grades.

Graphic Novel Resources: This blog is a plethora of resources on graphic novels.

Graphic Novel Resources for Teachers and Librarians: comprehensive information on the latest graphic novels, interviews with creators and professionals like you, along with useful tools such as reviews, lesson plans, bestsellers and more.

Raising Readers: How Comics and Graphic Novels Can Help Your Kids Love to Read

Barnes and Noble has an easy to navigate list of graphic novels for younger readers. A search for graphic novels for young readers will provide a list of books, descriptions of the book, and a reader age range for each title.

Now that you possess the greatest super power of all, KNOWLEDGE, go forward and enjoy graphic novels!