Are graphic novels "real" books?
Graphic novels sometimes get a bad rap. Many parents and teachers have discouraged their young readers to avoid graphic novels in order to choose longer novels AKA "real" books.
I believe that there is a middle-school audience of readers out there who are just waiting to be introduced to the graphic book craze.
How are graphic novels good for kids?
My 7th graders clamor to be the first (or the next) one to check out graphic novels.
Here are some of their favorites:
New Kid by Jerry Craft
This book shares the story of a boy--Jordan-- who leaves his urban neighborhood to attend a "prestigious" private school--but he is one of the only students of color. He loves to draw and tells his own story through graphics and sketches. Many students can identify with different aspects of this story--and others could possibly develop more empathy as they put themselves in his shoes.
Jerry Craft has also written/drawn a companion novel: Class Act, which shares the story of one of Jordan's friends. Drew is another student of color in the same nondiverse private school.
A third graphic novel, School Trip, is scheduled to be released in 2023.
Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
(subtitle: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction)
The subtitle gives you a good idea of how this story is going to go! This is a biographical memoir--the author describes the chaos of his childhood and how he ended up being mostly raised by his grandparents. Some students choose this book because they have heard that there are a few cuss words...but more and more students can relate to his family struggles and situation. This book is dark and real and raw, but Jarrett's story also leaves him and the reader more hopeful for the future.
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
Guts is the third in a series about middle schooler Raina (yep, that's the author drawing on her own life!) who struggles with growing up, fitting in, and figuring life out. All 3 books are super relatable, but Guts has the guts (!) to describe her experience with anxiety. So so many kids are dealing with anxiety and probably feel that they are the only ones--but of course, that's not true.
A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel
by Hope Larson (Adapter, Illustrator), Madeleine L'Engle
Ahhhh--what a classic and one of my childhood (and adulthood) favorites! Students often seem reluctant to try older classic novels, but this graphic version makes a wonderful story a little more approachable to more readers. Ideally, students could fall in love with the story and characters and then pursue the original novel....a teacher can dream! (I have similar hopes for Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Little Women, another favorite classic novel of mine!)
Other resources for graphic novels:
Best Graphic Novels for Middle School by www.Goodreads.com
20 Favorite Graphic Novels for Middle and High School by www.weareteachers.com
52 Best Middle-Grade Graphic Novels by www.readingmiddlegrade.com
Graphic Novels in the Classroom: A Teacher Roundtable by www.cultofpedagogy.com
Happy Reading!
Comments
Post a Comment