Do you know what makes a librarian sad? When she suggests reading
a graphic novel to a patron and that person instantly dismisses it because it's
a comic.
Scholastic tweeted this a few months ago:
It almost brought tears to my eyes. Comics are one of the
most misunderstood mediums. If we’re constantly being told to never judge a
book by its cover, then why do people continue to judge comics because they have
pictures?
Some of the best literature I have ever read was in the form
of a comic. They are not quite as “simple” as people seem to think. The amazing
thing about graphic novels is how much they put your brain to work without your
even knowing it. When you pick up a comic, you’re not just reading a story but
you’re also looking at every picture for clues about what’s happening. Things
as simple as the way an image is framed, the way a character’s face is
portrayed, or the objects drawn in the background help to tell the story.
It doesn’t seem like such an important thing when you’re
reading a comic, but when you consider all the actions, emotions, and other
details you absorb from looking at just one frame – it’s extraordinary what a
comic can make you feel!
Not to mention, it’s very impressive what intertwined
processes the authors must employ. They must write a story that is just as
compelling as a printed word book, but with less than half the words! That
means that the pictures gain much greater importance in weaving the story. In
addition, concise wording lends itself to more advanced vocabulary because the accompanying
pictures lead our brains to associate and understand a more complex word
because it’s meaning is linked with the picture.
Do you know what this all means?
Graphic novels are WONDERFUL for struggling readers.
I mean, graphic novels are great for everyone, but if you
want further proof why comics are just as important as regular books then look
at what comics have the ability to do:
1)
Some can be long and some can be short, but the
concise text used makes it easier for struggling readers to enjoy because they
don’t feel as intimidated.
2)
It helps struggling readers learn new words
because they are able to associate words with the pictures they see. A frame
that has a character saying they feel “dejected” can be understood by the
reader because they can look at the character’s face and realize that the word
is associated with feeling sad.
3)
The connection between words and pictures means
that this struggling reader is learning to comprehend the material they are
reading. Why are they feeling dejected? Because they just read something sad on
the computer (which we can see right behind them).
4)
Comics are a great way to teach in a format that
is easy to digest and understand. Graphic novels are not all superhero comics
(although there are some great ones out there!). There are fabulous comics on
non-fiction topics, classic literature, fictional stories about struggles that
everyday people face, etc. Many articles cite the use of comic forms of classic
works to teach student comprehension. These graphic novels use all the original
language, just adding in pictures. Students who learn through the comic version
understand the work equally (if not better) than those who were taught via the printed
text. (See School Library Journal’s article
“Teaching With Graphic Novels”.)
As a child, science was never really my thing. I enjoyed
hearing about it, but I wasn’t an ace in class. I now understand more than I
ever thought I would about quantum mechanics and astrophysics because of a
COMIC I read. Things that had been repeatedly explained to me in physics class,
but had never stuck, finally made sense when I read a graphic novel about it.
That’s the power comics have!
I could go on and on about how amazing comics are and why
you should try reading one instead of dismissing them, but then I might start
getting a little too preachy. So instead, I invite you to try one of these wonderful
graphic novels and find out for yourself why GRAPHIC NOVELS ARE REAL BOOKS.
*mic drop*
Fiction
Watchmen chronicles the fall from grace of a group of
superheroes plagued by all too human failings as they are
stalked by an unknown assassin.
As 10-year-old Karen Reyes tries to solve the murder of her beautiful
and enigmatic upstairs neighbor, Anka Silverberg, a holocaust survivor,
we watch the interconnected and fascinating stories of those around her
unfold
Hazel is a child born to star-crossed parents from
opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war. Now, Hazel's fugitive
family must risk everything to find a peaceful future in a harsh
universe that values destruction over creation.
Wolverine, Deadpool,
Doctor Doom, Thanos: There's one hero that's beaten them all-and now
she's got her own ongoing series! It's a brand-new set of
adventures starring the nuttiest and most upbeat super hero in the
world!
From sixth grade through tenth, Raina copes with a variety of dental
problems that affect her appearance and how she feels about herself.
The author recounts in graphic novel format her experiences with hearing
loss at a young age, including using a bulky hearing aid, learning how
to lip read, and determining her "superpower."
Nonfiction
A vivid first-hand account of John Lewis' lifelong struggle for
civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance
traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation.
This innovative comic book provides a detailed look at the history, meaning, and art of comics and cartooning.
Follow Albert Einstein and his traveling companion
through space and time. Along the way, Einstein explains the
science behind everything from the origins of the universe to the
meaning of life, relativity, black holes, quantum mechanics, and climate
change.
An illustrated look at Abraham Lincoln’s most famous speech,
the bloody battle of the Civil War that prompted it, and how they led to
a defining point in the history of America.
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