Why have graphic novels in your library?
- Graphic novels offer fast-paced action, conflict, and heroic endeavors!
- Visual Learners are able to connect with graphic novels in a way that they cannot with text-only books.
- Graphic novels require readers to be active participants in the reading process, using their imaginations to fill in the blanks between panels.
- Graphic novels help readers of all ages develop strong language arts skills including reading comprehension and vocabulary development.
- Graphic novels often address current, relevant, often complex social issues such as nonconformity and prejudice in addition to themes that are important to teens including coming of age, social injustice, personal triumph over adversity, and personal growth. For children, they often address important developmental assets like being true to yourself, the power of imagination, and teamwork. They also social issues for young readers like divorce, bullying, and the age-old problem of confronting monsters in the closet.
- For children, graphic novels provide a perfect bridge for transitioning from picture books to text-only books.
- Graphic novels often stimulate readers to explore other genres of literature including fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and realistic fiction as well as non-fiction and mythology and many fans of graphic novels become avid book readers.
- Graphic novels are good for the young person who reads English as a second language or who reads on a lower reading level than his or her peers because the simple sentences and visual clues allow the reader to comprehend some, if not all, of the story.
- Graphic novels contribute to literacy by ensuring that children and teens continue to read for fun outside of the classroom.
- Most importantly, graphic novels are fun and readers of all ages enjoy reading them!
Online and Print Resources for Collecting, Managing, and Using Graphic Novels (GNs) in Your Library
Professional Journals (and their online counterparts)
Book Links and Booklist
http://www.ala.org/booklist;http://www.ala.org/booklinks
Graphic Novels are occasionally addressed in specialty issues once a year, as well as periodical reviews in the review section.
Library Journal
http://www.libraryjournal.com/csp/cms/sites/LJ/Reviews/GraphicNovels/index.csp
Every issue of Library Journal includes recommendations and reviews of graphic novels for adults and older teens by Martha Cornog and Steve Raiteri. You can also find all of this great information online.
Library Media Connection
http://www.linworth.com/lmc/
Michele Gorman’s “Getting Graphic” column appears in every issue of this professional journal, primarily intended for school library media and technology specialists.
Publishers Weekly
http://publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/comics/
In addition to a quarterly column entitled “Comics,” which provides commentary, new release information, and basic reviews of new publications in the comic book world in their print journal, PW offers regular online content. Also consider “The Beat”, a comics blog by Heidi McDonald that hails itself as the “news blog of comic culture.” While no longer part of PW, the blog still has great, up-to-date information about new GNs and the comic industry as a whole.
School Library Journal
http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/goodcomicsforkids/
In addition to reviews and occasional articles, SLJ has the “Good Comics for Kids” Blog, which is dedicated to comics and graphic novels for children and teens, with interviews, reviews, lists, recommendations, and more.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
http://www.voya.com
Librarian Katharine Kan’s column “Graphically Speaking” appears in VOYA in every bimonthly issue. Available online in PDF format.
Websites & Blogs
Buffalo and Erie County Public Library’s “Get Graphic” Site
http://www.getgraphic.org/
Informational site created by the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library to educate the general public, including teachers, parents, and librarians, about graphic novels.
Comics in the Classroom
http://www.comicsintheclassroom.net/oo1all_ages_list.htm
Created by a teacher from New Brunswick, Canada, this site includes lesson plans; recommend titles for elementary-aged readers; a list of kid-friendly comic book retailers; a forum for online communication; and news from the comic publishing industry about comics for kids.
Diamond Bookshelf
http://bookshelf.diamondcomics.com/public/
This site has a little bit of everything for both school and public librarians, including information about starting a new collection, cataloging, lesson plans, reaching reluctant readers, reviews of hot new titles, and more. You can even download a free copy of the “Graphic Novels and Libraries” resource guide here, which includes recommended titles, collection development tips, and lesson plans.
The Graphic Classroom
http://graphicclassroom.blogspot.com/
This blog was created and is maintained by Chris Wilson, who is working on his Masters of Science Degree in Education at the College of Education at Missouri State University. The blog highlights graphic novels and comics that can be added to the classroom and/or school library, specifically all age comics that can be used in the Elementary classroom. Chris does very detailed reviews of each graphic novel, as well as content area recommendations for using these books in the classroom.
The Graphic Novel Reporter
http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com/
In connection with BookReporter.com, this consumer-oriented site provides adults, teen and kid readers who love graphic novels and manga–and those who are curious as to what the excitement of this format is all about–a fresh, in-depth look at these books and the creators behind them. The site includes news, viewpoints and opinions as well as bestseller and “best of” lists. You will also find a list of upcoming release dates, contests, and reviews and interviews.
“Yet Another Comics Blog”
http://yetanothercomicsblog.blogspot.com/
A comics blog by Librarian David Carter, who resides in Ann Arbor, MI. David rates all comics on a scale of 1 to 5, and he also has a plethora of links to other comics blogs, both those that are related to libraries and those that are not.
BWI Title Tales
http://www.bwibooks.com
Vendor BWI (sister company to Follett) has done a really great job of putting together a GN bibliography. Once you join Title Tales (it’s free and it’s easy) you can access more than 7500 titles. You can check prices on all titles, and you can also read full text reviews and view scanned covers for a large number of titles. It’s worth it to join just to browse through their titles if you cannot get to a comic bookstore to see the actual graphic novels.
ICv2
www.icv2.com
ICv2 is the top source for information on the business of pop culture products in categories that include anime, manga, graphic novels and comic books.
“Manga Blog”
http://www.mangablog.net/
The author of this site, Brigid Alverson, is a freelance writer and editor. She does a good job of keeping track of new titles, manga trends, and links to other blogs and resources about manga.
Teach Comics
http://teachcomics.blogspot.com/
This site was created and is maintained by Ian Carlson, a high school English and Creative Writing teacher in Maine. Carlosn’s describes his blog as “the virtual ideas (and occasional rants) of a high school English teacher and lifelong comic book geek.” The site contains lesson plans and resources for teachers that somehow address comics or graphic novels.
Bibliography
- Adventures in Graphica: Using Comics and Graphic Novels to Teach Comprehension 2-6 by Terry Thompson. Stenhouse Publishers, ISBN: 978-1571107121.
- The Anime Companion: What’s Japanese in Japanese Animation by Gilles Poitras. Stone Bridge Press, ISBN: 1880656329.
- The Anime Companion 2: More What’s Japanese in Japanese Animation? by Gilles Poitras. Stone Bridge Press, ISBN: 1880656965.
- Building Literacy Connections with Graphic Novels: Page by Page, Panel by Panel by James Bucky Carter. National Council of Teachers of English, ISBN: 0814103928.
- Graphic Novels: A Genre Guide to Comics, Manga, and More by Michael Pawuk. Libraries Unlimited, ISBN: 1-598158-132-x.
- Getting Graphic! Comics for Kids by Michele Gorman. Linworth Publishing, ISBN-13: 978-1586833275.
- Getting Graphic! Using Graphic Novels to Promote Literacy with Preteens and Teens by Michele Gorman. Linworth, ISBN: 1586830899.
- Graphic Novels Beyond the Basics: Insights and Issues for Libraries by Martha Cornog and Timothy Perper. Libraries Unlimited, ISBN: 9781591584780.
- Going Graphic: Comics at Work in the Multilingual Classroom by Stephen Cary. Heinemann, ISBN: 0-325-00475-7.
- The Librarian’s Guide to Graphic Novels for Children and Tweens by David Serchay. Neal Schuman, ISBN: 978-1555706265.
- Manga for Dummies by Kensuke Okabayashi. Wiley, ISBN: 0-470-08025-6.
- The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Graphic Novels by Francisca Goldsmith. ALA Editions, ISBN: 978-0-8389-1008-5.
- Teaching the Graphic Novel by Stephen E. Tabachnick. Modern Language Association of America, ISBN: 978-1603290616.
- Teaching Visual Literacy: Using Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Anime, Cartoons, and More to Develop Comprehension and Thinking Skills by Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher. Corwin Press, ISBN:
978-1412953122. - This Book Contains Graphic Language: Comics As Literature by Rocco Versaci. Continuum, ISBN: 978-0826428783.
- Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud. Harper Perennial, ISBN: 006097625X.
- Understanding Manga and Anime by Robin E. Brenner. Libraries Unlimited, ISBN: 1591583322.
Discussion List
Listserv Name: GNLIB-L Graphic Novels in Libraries Listserv (Yahoo Groups)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GNLIB-L/
This is an electronic, unmoderated discussion list for Librarians who want to share reviews and resources for GN collection development.
