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Friday, August 21, 2009

Wait... There Are Comic Books in the Library!?!

The answer is YES! Graphic novels are essentially a book length comic and they are a terrific way to encourage reluctant readers to read.

Graphic novels might be the same thickness as a regular size paperback book, but because there are less words on the page, readers are able to finish the book sooner than they would reading prose. It gives them a sense of accomplishment-they finished a book! They end up getting caught up in the story and interpreting the pictures, and it makes reading fun. If your child doesn't want to be seen reading a book, or is upset because he or she thinks it's too hard, try suggesting graphic novels. They might look at you like "What? Mom is okay with me reading comics?!" but the important thing is that it encourages your child to read!

Don't know where to start? Stop by the Youth Services desk! We would be happy to suggest some titles your child might like. You can also try this fantastic website: no flying no tights. The homepage offers you the choice to enter the main site for teens or Sidekicks, the site for kids up to 12 years old. They offer lots of great reviews, definitions, and FAQs.

In my next post I'll talk about other ways graphic novels help kids learn, but until then, here are some recently read titles that were really great:

Babymouse: Queen of the World by Jennifer Holm
The first in a series, Babymouse deals with life using her active imagination. Girls can relate to Babymouse and her desire to fit in with the popular crowd in this title.

Grampa and Julie: Shark Hunters by Jef Czekaj
Julie and her Grampa are off on a series of mad-cap adventures in search of the largest shark in the world, Stephen. Luckily Gramma will come in to rescue them and lend her assistance.

Knights of the Lunch Table: The Dodgeball Chronicles by Frank Cammuso
A modern update to the Arthurian legend involving a stuck locker (instead of the sword in the stone) and a new kid at school named Artie.

1 comment:

  1. There's a really nice series called "My First Graphic Novel" for early readers too. My 4 year old daughter loved T-ball Trouble and Goalkeeper Goof by Cari Meister. She enjoyed the colorful illustrations and I liked the positive messages about good sportsmanship and trying your best.

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