Graphic+Novels

= “Graphic novels combine novels, picture books, film and poetry in its own unique way. They are like prose in that they are a written printed format, but they are also like film in that they tell a story through dialogue, and through visual images that give the impression of movement”. =

=__Professional Resources__=

Adapted from Phillip Crawford and Stephen Weiner "Graphic Novels 101: Selecting and Using Graphic Novels to Promote Literacy for Children and Young Adults" (2012) Using Graphic Novels with children and teens: An updated guide for Teachers and Librarians Retrieved from: []

A nice introduction to teachers unfamiliar with this topic. This comprehensive resource gives teachers ideas on how to incorporate the latest and fastest growing trend in literacy at the moment --graphic novels-- and explains and clarifies what graphic novels are and the various benefits they present to many different levels of readers out there. Website also gives recommendations for various age levels as well as providing resources for excellent sites with more information about using graphic novels in the library and classroom as well as links to articles, blogs and many many book suggestions for teachers and librarians. (Rima)

Calo,K.M. (2010) Graphic Program Guide. Retrieved from: []

This resource is a very practical teaching aid for educator that wants to explore the realm of graphic novels. It offers a wide range of activities for students to build word power, make inferences, judgments, predictions and other high order comprehension skills. Students are introduced to rousing pre reading sessions as well as activities during and after reading of the genre. (Sabina)



SilentCay.(2009) Serious Comics: Graphic novels for the classroom. Retrieved from youtube.com. Ex:

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This valuable informational piece gives a synopsis of five acclaimed graphic novels. It draws the reader away from popular super hero characters to more complex social, historical, political and religious themes. The books cited are excellent tools for discussion, the development of critical thinking skills in high schools and at the secondary level. (Sabina)

Chris Wilson, editor-in-geek [|http://www.graphicclassroom.org] Retrieved from: http://comixlibrarian.com/resources/graphicnovels/

A great resource for teachers and librarians to help them stock high quality, educational-worthy, graphic novels and comics in their classroom or school library. Links and articles about creating a graphic classroom, 12 of the best GN for the classroom, innovative teaching using GN, strategies for incorporating comics in the ELL classroom, using to teach comprehension and so much more!. Blog reviews every graphic novel or comic, gives it a rating as to appropriateness for the classroom. Website mission is to promote the use of high quality comic literature in the elementary, middle and high school classroom.

In collaboration with []

both attempt to revolutionize the role of comics in education and provides tools and resources to educators, parents, writers, cartoonists and publishers in order to meet the ultimate goal of promoting literacy and improving educational outcomes for all students. It features short stories that address topics drawn from the list of Common Core Standards. The accompanying Teacher’s Edition will include Standards-correlated lesson plans customized to each story, research-based justifications for using comics in the classroom, a guide to establishing best classroom practices and a comprehensive listing of additional educational resources, both in print and online. (Rima)



For anyone looking to incorporate meaningful and vivid graphic novels in their classrooms, look no further than Diamond Book Distributers’ //Pinterest// pages. Diamond Book Distributers is the premier distributer for just about all comic books and graphic novels. They have three //Pinterest// pages listed below:

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Each page contains a comprehensive list of cutting edge graphic novels that are aligned to Common Core Standards and are sure to engage all types of readers. The graphic novels can be used to support struggling readers, reinforce content, and/or provide a more visual reading experience. ( Kenny Santos )

__Student Resources__
School Library Journal (2008) [|http://][|blogs.slj.com][|/][|goodcomicsforkids][|/] retrieved from:comixlibrarian.com/resources/graphicnovels/



Created by a group of librarians, parents, and writers with a goal to cover kids' comics (for readers from birth to age 16) with both breadth and depth, through a mix of news, reviews, interviews, and previews, and to be both accessible to casual readers and yet interesting enough for serious fans. (Rima)

Scott Tingley (2007) [|http][|://www.comicsintheclassroom.net/oo1all_ages_list.htm] Retrieved from: comixlibrarian.com/resources/graphicnovels/



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.

(Rima)

Starfall Education (2002).Starfall Comics. Retrieved from: []



The Star Fall reading program is specially designed to instill confidence in beginning readers. Fully furnished with a wide array of genres, the comic resources will attract young readers with both its companion reading matter and child friendly website. With a click of the mouse one is transported into the characters’ world as their voices make intimate connections with that of the reader.

(Sabina)

Graphic novels: A scholarly community blog. Retrieved from: []



This website was created by a student at the University of Mary Washington. The main objective was to create a forum where members can have interactive communication about the graphic novels under study, their point of view, themes and other ideas. This site is an interesting model to mimic for high school students to develop both self- expression and writing skills.

(Sabina)

Armstrong, J. L. Featured Novels. (1999). Retrieved from: [] Many males and reluctant readers will be attracted to this website. It gives access to a collection of links to free on line graphic novels that fall under various genres- adventure, mystery, romance etc. The books are attractive, have strong visual appeal and are strong motivational tools to encourage self-expression and discussion.

(Sabina)

Marvel kids.(n.d) [].



Retrieved from: http://tesol-resources.wikispaces.com/ Students can create their own comic stripes and books; draw, color and print their graphic masterpieces. There are numerous imaginative games which target Language and Literacy as well as some digital comics that are beautifully crafted and visually appealing. This resource is suited for both young and older learners since the activities range from simple to complex. (Sabina)

Carol Fitzgerald, founder (1996) [] Retrieved from: comixlibrarian.com/resources/graphicnovels/



A consumer-oriented site provides adults, teens 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. Offering 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. (Rima)

Bill Zimmerman (2009) []



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Created by Bill Zimmerman, helps children and adults tap into their creativity to create their own comic strips in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Latin. Parents and kids can select from 15 fun characters with different moods and write words for blank talk and thought balloons to make their characters talk and think. Users can also find story ideas and prompts to help them craft their graphic stories. Once they’ve created their comics, they can print them to create comic books or email them to friends and family. There are also story ideas and prompts to help users create graphic stories. This site can be used by educators and parents to teach language, reading and writing skills, and by students to facilitate self-expression and storytelling as well as computer literacy. In fact, Google and UNESCO selected it as one of the world's most innovative web sites in fostering literacy and reading. (Rima) =====

2012 Authors: Ariana, Jackie, Judith Page Editor: Judith



__**Resources for Teachers & Educators**__
Brenner, R. (2012). No flying no tights. Retrieved from []

This great website offers an extensive collection of graphic novel reviews and is geared towards a wide audience: teens, parents and teachers. The website was originally created by a graduate student for a class project and has grown to become a very reputable and recognized source. The site provides graphic novel recommendations for kids, teens and adults and is categorized by genres. Though the site is very visually appealing, not all of the reviews will be accessible to students with lower reading levels. However, this is a tremendous resource for teachers and literacy coaches who want to learn more in-depth about popular and obscure graphic novels.

( Jackie )

Chambers Theis, A. (2012). Graphic works and comic stars booklist. Retrieved from []

This website provides a list of reviewed fiction and non-fiction graphic novels and comic books. Each entry has the book's title, author, the publisher, ISBN, date of publication and other pertinent information. They are also accompanied with a short annotation from a book magazine and have stars which indicate if the book has also been reviewed by either Booklist (BL), Publisher's Weekly (PW) and Kirkus. The site was launched in 1994 and is run by an librarian and avid reader as a volunteer project. This source will be helpful for teachers who want to diversify their libraries with a wider selection of graphic novels.

( Jackie )

Marshall. (2008) Retrieved April 23, 2012 from the graphicnovelstudy Wiki: https://graphicnovelstudy.wikispaces.com/

This is a unique source because it is a wiki that was created by both teachers and students. The wiki contains an entire unit plan about graphic novels with a group and individual inquiry component. Lesson plans, assessment tasks, reading lists, students' work as well as other resources are available in Word documents. As this was created by both students and educators, this might be an interesting tool to show in your classrooms and share with other teachers.

( Jackie )

Scholastic. (n.d.). Using graphic novels with children and teens - a guide for teachers and librarians. Retrieved from [] This resource is intended to be a guide for teachers and librarians, but could also be helpful to parents who do not know much about this genre. It explains what the the graphic novel genre entails, and offers ways to incorporate them into the curriculum to promote literacy. In this short guide, it also tries to prove that graphic novels are valuable and worthwhile material for students to read. It provides a list of top Scholastic-published graphic novels that are well-liked and popular among elementary/middle-school students.

( Jackie & Judith )



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 * Read Write Think Comic Creator**

This wonderful website lets students create their own comic. Start off by creating a title, then the template and then the actual comic. There are number of characters to choose from as well as props and backgrounds. After they create their comic strip they can print. The only drawback is that students cannot save their work on the site so they must print their work which may pose a problem for classrooms without such resources. I would use this on the electronic white board and have students create one together before creating their own.

( Ariana )



McCloud, S. (1994) Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York, NY: William Morrow Paperbacks @http://scottmccloud.com/2-print/1-uc/index.html

This is basically a comic about comics. Each chapter explains in depth the different aspects of comics. For example, chapter 2 is about the "vocabulary" of comics or how to understand exactly what the pictures are telling readers. This book is a bit difficult for younger readers such as my students however excerpts can be used. It is much better suited for high school students. Its is an engaging way to introduce graphic novels.

( Ariana )

__A Sampling of Graphic Novels__


Satrapi, Marjane, and Marjane Satrapi. (2007) The complete Persepolis. New York: Pantheon Books

Persepolis is the story of Marjane Satrapi's childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution and her life in the West among culture clash. [ Judith ]



Hinds, G. (2010) The Odyssey. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

This book is an creative way to engage students in the classic tale of Homer's Odyssey.

( Judith )



Hale, D., Hale, S., and Hale, N. (2008). //Rapunzel's Revenge.// Bloomsbuey USA Childrens

This is the story of Rapunzel except Rapunzel is doing the rescuing. She has the same long useful hair but she refuses the prince and goes on an adventure to save her mother....she's pretty tough! This graphic novel is great for middle school students. I will be using this my 7th graders during our next unit.

( Ariana )



Wood, D. A. (2008). //Into the Volcano//. Blue Skye Press

This book is about two brothers' adventure on a volcanid island. The story line and artwork instantly hook readers into the story. I plan on using this novel with my students who tend to need a little more motivation to read.

( Ariana )

First Second Book. Graphic Novels You Should Know. []

This list was created from the publishing group, First Second Book, and provides a list of graphic novels that can be used with students. The list is divided into graphic novels for Ages 5 and Up, Ages 8 and Up, Teens, and Young Adults/ Adults. The publisher's site is continuously updated and visually interactive. There is even a page set up for teachers and librarian that contains lesson plans and activity kits for a variety of graphic novels.

( Ariana, Jackie, Judith )

**__Professional Sources__**
Shakespeare Squared. (2010). Using Graphic Novels in the Classroom

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This YouTube video acts as a guide for teachers to use graphic novels in their class, especially when working with struggling readers.

( Judith )

McCloud, S. (2005) Understanding comics: Scott McCloud on TED.com Retrieved from []

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In this recording of McCloud's TED Talk, the author / artist gives his take on the graphic novels and their cultural (as well as technological) importance.

( Judith )

Ocean County Library. A Resource for Using Graphic Novels in a Social Studies Classroom



This is a comprehensive guide to using graphic novels in the Social Studies classroom. This source provides graphic novel titles and descriptions as well as how they can be used in the classroom. This guide was found on the Ocean Country Library website in their Teen Zone. There are many other useful book lists on the site: []

( Judith )

Mori, M. //Graphic Novels: Leading the Way to Teen Literacy and Leadership.// Indiana Libraries, Vol. 26, Number 3 Graphic Novels Leading the Way to Teen Literacy and Leadership outlines the various types of graphic novels and explains why they appeal to teens. Both Manga and Comics are growing in popularity and are substantial forms of literature. They are also very popular with teens and therefore many educators have used them successfully in the classroom. Educators use them with struggling readers in order to provide them with an entry way into reading and building motivation.

( Ariana )

Schwarz, G. //Expanding Literacies Through Graphic Novels.// English Journal Vol. 95, No. 6 July 2006 This article argues that graphic novels provide teachers with opportunities to engage all students. Graphic novels can be used to promote the goals of traditional literacy. Students are able to use graphic novels to analyze literary conventions, character development, mood, theme, etc. The author outlines the challenges of using graphic novels in the classroom. There may be resistance since this is not a traditional way of teaching literacy. It may also be hard finding classroom appropriate graphic novels. For those who consider test preparation, graphic novels are not on the state tests and it may be difficult convincing administration that this is a valid form of literacy enrichment.

( Ariana )

Edwards, B. (2009). Motivating middle school readers: the graphic novel link. School Library Monthly, 25(8), 56-58. Retrieved from http://content.ebscohost.com.cwplib.proxy.liu.edu/pdf25_26/pdf/hww/00762/zk4ze/5fg.pdf? T=P&P=AN&K=502973915&S=R&D=eft&EbscoContent=dGJyMMvl7ESeprU4y9f3OLCmr0qep7ZSrq24Ta6WxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGutlC3rrRIuePfgeyx44Dt6fIA

This argues that graphic novels are an important genre in keeping middle school and adolescent readers actively engaged in reading during their free time. In fact, the article discusses a study in which the seventh-grade participations experienced increased motivation, reading comprehension and vocabulary development after reading graphic novels. Though graphic novels are now staples in most classrooms, many teachers still have reservations about this genre and regard these novels as being easy and or lacking rigor. However, this article discusses many of the merits of reading novels in this genre.

( Jackie )

Rapp, D. N. (2011). Comic books' latest plot twist: Enhancing literacy instruction. Phi Delta Kappan, 93(4), 64-67. Retrieved from http://content.ebscohost.com.cwplib.proxy.liu.edu/pdf27_28/pdf/2011/PDK/01Dec11/69601156.pdf?T=P&P=AN&K=69601156&S=R&D=aph&EbscoContent=dGJyMMvl7ESeprU4y9f3OLCmr0qep7ZSrqq4TbWWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGutlC3rrRIuePfgeyx44Dt6fIA

This article talks about how comic books can be strategically used to teach critical thinking, comprehension and other literacy skills. In fact, the author explains that reading comics and graphic novels are more complex of a reading task because it involves processing and integrating both visual and verbal information. Also, the article notes that there are graphic novels that vary in topic and level so they can appeal to all types of readers. However, they are particularly beneficial to younger and reluctant readers.

( Jackie )

__Future Use of Graphic Novels?__
RSA Animate Playlist. @http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL39BF9545D740ECFF

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This YouTube playlist showcases the best of RSA Animate videos. RSA Animate takes graphic novels to the next stage by adding graphics to TED Talks and similar talks / presentations. The combination of the visual (graphic novel style drawings and thought bubbles) and audio (the talk itself) is a perfect blend for any type of learner.

( Ariana, Jackie, Judith )