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Reading Graphically: Comics and Graphic Novels for Readers from Kindergarten through High School

2011; Western Michigan University; Volume: 50; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

2642-8857

Barbara A. Ward, Terrell A. Young,

Literacy, Media, and Education

Books reviewed: Grades K-2: Hayes, Geoffrey. (2010). Benny and Penny in the Toy Breaker; Holm, Jennifer L., & Holm, Matthew. (2010). Babymouse #13: Cupcake Tycoon; Rosentstiehl, Agnes. (2010). Silly Lilly in What Will I Be Today?; Smith, Jeff. (2009). Little Mouse Gets Ready. Grades 3-4: Bruel, Nick. (2010). Bad Kitty vs Uncle Murray; Davis, Eleanor. (2009). The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook; Venable, Colleen A. F. (2010). And Then There Were Gnomes. Grades 5-7: Deutsch, Barry. (2010). Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword; Ignatow, Amy. (2010). The Popularity Papers; Kinney, Jeff. (2010). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth; Phelan, Matt. (2009). The Storm in the Barn; Renier, Aaron. (2010). The Unsinkable Walker Bean; Shiga, Jason. (2010). Meanwhile: Pick Any Path. 3,856 Story Possibilities; Taylor, Sarah Stewart. (2010). Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean; Telgemeier, Raina. (2010). Smile. Grades 7-10: Alonzo, Sandra. (2010). Riding invisible; Geary, Rick. (2009). The Adventures of Blanche; Hale, Dean & Hale, Shannon. (2010). Calamity Jack; Heuvel, Eric. (2009). A Family Secret; Jablonski, Carla. (2010). Resistance Book 1; Larson, Hope. (2010). Mercury; Yolen, Jane. 2010. Foiled. Reading Graphically • 283 Reading Graphically: Comics and Graphic Novels for Readers from Kindergarten through High School Barbara A. Ward, Ph.D. & Terrell A. Young, Ed.D. Hidden passions, comic books and graphic novels were once read in secret, smuggled under desks or masked behind textbooks. In the past, their fans were typically adolescent males who would descend on the local comic shops on a weekly or monthly basis to sort through the latest offerings and ponder the fate of their favorite superheroes — but no more. Times have changed in the comics industry. While males still dominate the readership, and superheroes such as the Hulk, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and Teen Titans still attract readers, comics have moved into the mainstream with many publishers adding comics and graphic novels to their catalogue offerings as they seek to appeal to female teen readers as well as those in the primary and middle grades. Today’s savvy teachers recognize that these visually appealing reading materials are not only excellent choices to hook reluctant readers, but they also may prove useful in reviving the flagging interests of once avid readers. These reading materials require different reading skills, necessitating readers to move across panels and pay attention to illustrations as well as text. Teachers often feel confused by the use of the different terms associated with these forms of visual literacy; for instance, some are unable to distinguish between comic books and graphic novels. There are some differences between the two, but the lines continue to blur as more graphic novels fill bookstore shelves. Typically, comic books have been characterized by their size and their format as they are usually 28 pages in length and look similar to a magazine, only stapled, and they feature text and graphics that are enclosed in panels. The term “comic book” describes “any format that uses a combination of frames, words, and pictures to convey meaning and to tell a story. While all graphic novels are comics, not all comic books are graphic novels,” (McTaggart, 2008, p. 31). In general, once a comic book has passed the 50-page mark and is bound in soft or hard cover rather than being stapled, it is considered a graphic novel. However, it can still also be considered a comic book. Although comic books have been read for decades, the term “graphic novel” is itself a fairly recent coinage, first used with Art Spiegelman’s masterful examination of the Holocaust in Maus (1987) and Maus II (1992). The fact that Maus II received the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Special Awards & Citations — Letters helped legitimize comics and graphic novels. And many industry insiders claim the comic world was never the same once the possible topics for graphic novels were expanded. Primarily because of Maus’s unique characteristics, graphic novels came to be associated with publications that were organized in a comic book format in a soft-covered book. Because their storylines are generally action-oriented, graphic novels and comics are particularly effective in keeping student interest high. According to McTaggart (2008), “Even a comic’s ‘slow’ times keep the kid’s interest because the action is visual” as “a student reads the words, sees the action, comprehends the meaning, and is motivated to read more” (p. 29). Young readers are attracted to the timeliness of comic books as their monthly publication allows their creators to react more swiftly to social and cultural changes than is possible for films or trade books. Thus, readers often feel as though what they are reading is cutting edge, making them cognizant of popular culture. McTaggart (2008) offers as an example the swiftness with which comics were able to address the destruction of New York City’s Twin Towers while books on the topic took much longer to be published. Fans of graphic novels and comics maintain that there is an immediacy about these genres that most trade books cannot deliver. Whatever they are called, comic books or graphic novels, these visual treats for the eyes entice kids to read. Many literacy experts (Carter, 2007; Frey & Fisher, 2008; Monin, 2009; Stafford, 2010) extol their value in making reading a pleasurable activity rather than work. McTaggart (2008) maintains that reading graphic novels “promotes better reading skills, improves comprehension, and complements many areas of the curriculum” (p. 33). In addition, The reduced amount of text and attention-grabbing graphics help ELL and struggling readers infer, predict, and reflect on what they read. Their skills improve as they read more, improved skills lead to greater comprehension, and enhanced comprehension creates a desire to read more. (McTaggart, 2008, p. 33) No less an expert than read-aloud expert Jim Trelease touts the value of visual literacy when working with struggling readers. “I would go so far as to say if you have a child who is struggling with reading, connect him or her with comics” (Trelease, 2006, p. 99). Trelease (2006) acknowledges that inexperienced readers often need to be taught how to read a comic book or “how a comic ‘works’: the 284 •Reading Horizons • V50.4 • 2011 Reading Graphically • 285 sequence of the panels, how to tell when a character is thinking and when he is speaking; the meaning of stars, question marks and exclamation points” (p. 99). But the time spent in honing the skills needed to comprehend comic books and graphic novels reaps benefits for readers who develop critical literacy skills along with a keener sense of observation and enhanced prediction skills while literally learning to read between the lines. Below are some of the latest graphic novels that caught our eyes and kept us reading.