A fabulous new range of graphic and semi-graphic novels has been bought into our libraries. To some people, they are just glorified comics, and this is the myth I aim to dispel. From a range of full graphic novels covering modern texts such as Minecraft right through to a beautiful version of ‘Animal Farm’, as well as new sets of semi-graphic novels in the ‘Tom Gates and Future Ratboy’ series.
Since graphic novels look similar in layout to comic books, those new to the genre may confuse the two. Generally speaking, comics are serial in style and are issued over months, years, and often decades like the Beano. Graphic novels, on the other hand, feature the same key components as those of a traditional novel: they are full-length, follow a common narrative thread, and are meant to be read as a single story. Graphic novels are a misnomer as a genre, may be about any topic and fall into any of the traditional genres.
While younger children have long been using and creating illustrated texts in the classroom, the idea of bringing graphic novels into the older age groups is a newer concept. Luckily, numerous sources indicate the myriad of benefits of welcoming graphic novels into the school environment.
For a start, there is no shortage of ways that children are able to benefit from reading or being taught using graphic novels. They engage reluctant or struggling readers, they are gateway texts for more complex literature like classic novels, they build background knowledge, and they develop visual literacy skills. While traditional novels ask the reader to make inferences about context based on the text on the page,
“to read a graphic novel, much less a wordless one, many essential literacy skills are required, including the ability to understand a sequence of events, interpret characters’ nonverbal gestures, discern the story’s plot, and make inferences”.
Through graphic novels, children are able to develop inference and literacy skills that apply when interacting with photos, paintings, and other people, as well as honing skills for use in traditional texts.
Additionally, for dyslexic readers, those visual cues offer a lifeline. There are multiple cues within a graphic novel, including the illustrations that readers explore for context clues. Also, the more obvious emphasis cues like bold, italic and large font throughout the text, allows children to understand the material without relying solely on the text. Moving beyond words supports the specific learning needs of some and builds a new set of skills in all readers.
Reluctant readers are often enticed by graphic novels or what I have termed semi-graphic novels such as the ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ series. These visually stimulating stories create a gateway to a deeper understanding of a text. As cartoonist Judd Wynk says,
“Graphic novels allow the reluctant reader to slide into the story without as much of the heavy lifting as prose might require.”
These readers can quickly begin to develop literacy skills such as general reading comprehension, inference, and building new vocabulary, as they leap into the narrative without struggling with the format of a traditional novel.
For all readers, graphic novels and semi-graphic novels allow low-pressure reading and may foster a love of reading, as well as improve reading skills. Science topics from dinosaurs to evolution also exist in a graphic novel format. It is a fun way to introduce or review key concepts across all age groups and reading levels.
I am more than happy to help your children explore these new and extended ranges during their lunchtime club slots (Monday Years 3&4, Tuesday Years 5&6 and Thursday Years 7&8).