YA Lit Textbook ch 14 review

Ch 14 Graphic Novels

Graphic novels are books that are written with sequential art. They contain text and illustrations that convey a story, they can be both fiction and nonfiction.  They all have a cover and inside pages. The pages are set up with different panels where the story takes place, the panels are separated from each other with gutters, the characters show their thoughts with thought bubbles, and their speech with dialogue balloons.   The panels are read from left to right & then top to bottom. The speech and thoughts in the panels are read again, from left to right and then top to bottom within each panel. Graphic novels are not JUST for ells, reluctant readers, kids or independent reading. Graphic novels are written for all readers and not necessarily to be used to have to have a response for. Graphic novels do teach readers how to deal with some issues they may be having and they can teach things to them as they can be non-fiction.  Graphic novels can be used like any other book to help teachers meet standards of learning (think TEKS and Common Core Standards). Graphic novels also allow readers to be able to read works that they may not have been able to really read and grasp the concept of, because the graphic novel aspect of the work, now allows the reader to have a visual of what the written work was trying to convey. In short, the illustrations help the reader understand a complex book. Graphic novels also can teach concepts to students in a way that they find entertaining and engaging, such as learning about Olympians, the Gettysburg Address, and even the human body.  There are also many authors that include facts throughout their stories, so that blending of fact and fiction is a way to keep students engaged and learning. Ensuring that as a media specialist/librarian you are keeping the right kinds and types of graphic novels on the shelves (if they can stay there long enough) is not a task that can be done without the aid of review lists (national and state), educators’ guides, along with working with your local comic book store clerk to help have a starting point to which graphic novels your readers may be interested in.  

Take Aways

I believe that once a student understands how graphic novels are set up, they will continue to read them. Using graphic novels in and out of the classroom is a great way to keep students engaged in their learning and showing them that not all books are listed as text only. The population of my readers/patrons include a lot of ELLs and graphic novels do support them in their journey to learn a second language, but we also have to remember, we are ALL English language learners.  I am truly appreciative of the authors that have come with adaptations and novelizations of written works to be done as graphic novels. I believe that they make the reading of a well known written work to not seem so daunting. I liked the idea that Dr. Lesesne shared of teaching students that may not know them about the different fairy tales via graphic novels.  I also think that using graphic novels to expose students to topics or concepts they may show interest, is a great way for them to learn about the said topic, and really even push them to read more about it in a non-graphic novel way.

I have enjoyed reading graphic novels and truly have been working with students who love them.  I am lucky enough to have a small amount of graphic novels that are nonfiction and have enjoyed sharing those with teachers and students. I also have parents and teachers that do not believe that reading graphic novels is considered reading. I have been saving a lot of the information that I have learned to share with them and continue to support students reading graphic novels. I hope to be able to get more graphic novels into readers' hands.