![]() They are often surprised to learn that graphic novels can be used as informational texts for children in all subject areas. However, in talking to those who shy away from graphic novels, it usually becomes clear that they are not familiar with the benefits of reading graphic novels or the variety of topics covered in graphic novel format. Perhaps these sentiments are left over from the tumultuous history of comic books which were, in the late 1940s and the 1950s, subject to book burnings and described by author John Mason Brown as “the marijuana of the nursery” and the “bane of the bassinet.” 6 Unfortunately, these are direct quotes that have been made by adults in libraries and at conferences. Graphic novels teach this skill on a subconscious level as readers are inherently interpreting the images and filling in the blanks in the “gutters” between panels.ĭespite their many benefits and their popularity with readers, there are many teachers, librarians, and adults who still consider graphic novels to be “fluff” reading or not “real books.” ![]() 5 As society uses technology more and more, it becomes essential for people to be able to interpret information presented in a visual format. In addition to these benefits, graphic novels and comic books also teach the essential skill of visual literacy, the ability to interpret information from a visual source such as an image, graph, or table. Reading graphic novels also entails deep comprehension of images and even empty space, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to combine text and graphical elements to infer what is not directly written in the text.” 4 Reading graphic novels “requires reading words in ways that do not follow the same top-to-bottom, left-to-right, heavy exposition format of traditional print texts. Similarly, in reading graphic novels, the reader creates the meaning based on the combination of visuals and text. With the addition of words, the image takes on a new meaning. Then, picture the star with the word “Hollywood” written above it. Now, imagine that star with the word “twinkle” written above it. The combination of words and pictures can provide new meanings.įor example, picture a star. Literacy should no longer be defined as simply the mastery of linguistic written elements. The format provides equal opportunities for readers, including English Language Learners (ELL) and those with learning differences increases recall ability and memory formation invites increased creativity and imagination challenges traditional forms of prose and dialogue and creates diverse learning opportunities.Ĭomics and graphic novels are multimodal texts, containing both text and images, that fulfill the diverse media and format standard of the Common Core Language Arts Standards. There are many well-studied benefits to reading graphic novels. The popular format is also being used more frequently to teach children. It is clear that comics and graphic novels are being used, both in and out of the classroom, as informational texts. 2 Business schools, including Harvard Business School, use case studies in comic book format. ![]() In 2018, the American Bar Association published its first book in graphic novel format, The Lean Law Firm: Run Your Firm Like the World’s Most Efficient and Profitable Business. Since the first was held in London in 2010, there has been an annual worldwide conference on graphic medicine. 1Ĭomics and graphic novels are being used in all areas of life, including medicine, law, and business, to teach adults. This nothing something new for the CDC, which published comic book versions of instructional material such as The Junior Disease Detectives: Operation Outbreak and Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic more than five years ago. What made these signs different from ones that kids had seen in the past? They were in a comic book format. ![]() The template is available from, but many different versions are available online for free or for a fee.Ī few weeks before schools across the United States closed due to COVID-19, the administration at a local New Orleans school posted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on the towel dispensers of bathrooms about how to wash your hands. ![]() Patron drawing from a “Create Your Own Graphic Novel” activity. ![]()
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