Tasty graphic novel morsels
Hey Chicago-ites, I'll be speaking at the International Reading Association's annual conference next week and will be stopping by Anderson's bookstore in Naperville, Tuesday, April 27, at 7 pm. This is the last out-of-Utah signing I'll be doing for quite some time, perhaps 2-3 years. So come by!
Hey teachers, Bloomsbury just made teachers' guides to using calamity jack and rapunzel's revenge in the classroom! I think they look great, and they were created by a teacher according to NCTE and IRA standards. You can download the pdf for free from my website anytime. I'll have them permanently on my site in the rapunzel and jack sections. I'm thrilled that they did this. As we talked about last post, it can be hard for librarians and teachers who want to use graphic novels in schools to convince parents/administrators/other teachers that they are legitimate forms of literature and worth classroom study, and having official teachers' guides like this can help.
Several commenters asked for recommendations for graphic novels. Here are some that our family has enjoyed. These are all appropriate for younger readers. In another post I'll list some great YA and adult graphic novels too.
Tiny Titans - we love these! My 6-year-old will sit and read these alone more than any other book. They are about a bunch of superhero sidekicks (like Robin, Batgirl, Supergirl, and Cyborg) in elementary school. They're funny and simple and violence-free. My three-year-old enjoys them, but I think a 4th grader could easily dig these as well. I've heard some adults make fun of them for having superheroes without any fighting, but I love that about them. Have I mentioned we love these? Aw yeah, Titans!
Owly & Yam - both of these can seem kind of strange when you first look at them. They are all/mostly wordless graphic novels, and so accessible to kids or don't read yet, whether for age, language barrier, or other reasons. Both our kids love them. It took me a few reads to get into them myself, but now I heartily agree. Yam especially seems more in tune with the child mind than I could at first comprehend.
Bone - Everyone knows Bone. Funny and epic fantasy for young readers. I recommend the colored versions. I think the illustrations are a little easier to follow. There are several volumes so make sure you start with the first.
Babymouse - she's a sassy, grumpy, 4th grade mouse with big dreams. Fun to read aloud, as her dialog is witty and the narrator voice overs are often funny. After reading a book like this once to a kid, they are often eager to read it again alone.
Lunch Lady - another fun series. The Lunch Lady is a secret agent fighting crime, and three kids at school discover her secret and join in the adventures. Silly and action-packed.
Many of you have said you've only read our graphic novels, so I might want to prepare you that rapunzel and jack are different in structure and style from these others. GNs like Tiny Titans are episodic with several mini-stories. Each volume of Babymouse and Lunch Lady read like an episode of a TV show, while rapunzel and jack are more like a full-length feature film. (Someone in the biz told me yesterday that no one but Bloomsbury would have taken on an ambitious project like a 144-page full color, highly detailed story, which is very expensive to print, and I'm sure no one else but Nathan Hale would have committed a year to it.) I like that there are many different kinds of GNs for different readers.
What other GNs for young readers do you recommend?