Get Graphic! Engage Student Readers With Graphic Novels

Graphic novels, which integrate high-quality sequential art and well-written and engaging text, are an effective way to foster students' enjoyment of reading. Highly popular with reluctant readers, graphic novels are also extremely helpful in the improvement of language and literacy development, as the illustrations offer important contextual clues that aid in students' understanding of the written narrative.

Here at the Collins Middle School Instructional Media Center, we have recently introduced a graphic novel and nonfiction book collection, made possible thanks to the generous support of the Foundation for Salem Public Education. Our collection features such classics as Shakespeare's MACBETH and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, GRAPHIC CLASSICS: MARK TWAIN and EDGAR ALLAN POE, and many terrific new fiction titles, as well as important nonfiction books and memoirs, including PERSEPOLIS: THE STORY OF A CHILDHOOD, by Marjane Satrapi, and MAUS: A SURVIVOR'S TALE, by Art Spiegelman. Response to this new collection by both students and teachers has been extremely positive. This year's summer reading list will include graphic novels among the many choices available to students.

Looking for more information about graphic novels, and ways to incorporate them into your curriculum? These resources may be helpful:

"A Novel Approach: Using Graphic Novels to Attract Reluctant Readers", by Philip Crawford, LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION, Feb. 2004.
http://www.linworth.com/PDF/LMC_Feb04_Crawford.pdf
This article offers an excellent introduction to graphic novels and the ways in which teachers can use them to motivate reluctant readers and develop students' language and literacy skills. It also includes an annotated list of recommended titles, including grade-level suggestions.

Thought Bubbles, by Philip Crawford
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/kqweb/kqreviews/crawford/thoughtbubbles.htm
These terrific bimonthly articles about all aspects of graphic novels and nonfiction works, incorporating them in the classroom, and using them to motivate readers and develop literacy skills, should be considered essential reading.

No Flying, No Tights
http://www.noflyingnotights.com/
This terrific site, created and maintained by Robin Brenner, features annotated lists of recommended graphic novels organized by type (picture and chapter books) and genre (superheroes, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, action and adventure, humor, and realism), as well as recommended nonfiction titles, for kids ("Sidekicks"), teens ("No Flying, No Tights"), and older teens and adults ("The Lair").

Recommended Graphic Novels for Public Libraries, selected and annotated by Steve Raiteri.
http://my.voyager.net/~sraiteri/graphicnovels.htm
This article includes an extensive list of recommended superhero, science fiction, fantasy, comedy and Japanese Manga titles.

"Spotlight on Graphic Novels". Booklist. March 15, 2005.
This issue features articles, annotated title lists, and the "Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth". If you're just beginning to build your library's graphic novel collection, this resource will be invaluable as you get started.

Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud. NY: HarperCollins, 1993.
Anyone interested in learning more about the history of comics - "juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer" - as well as how they are created, read, and understood, should begin his research with McCloud's wonderfully accessible book, written, of course, in comic book-style. To learn more about the author and his work, visit his web site:
http://www.scottmccloud.com/