1. Graphic Novels
in Elementary School—
what do they have to
do with literacy?
ELE 616
Research in
Children’s Literature

2. 2
What is a Graphic
Novel?
 Define graphic?
 S: (adj) graphic, graphical, in writing
(written or drawn or engraved) "graphic symbols"
 S: (adj) graphic (describing nudity or sexual activity
in graphic detail) "graphic sexual scenes"
 S: (adj) graphic (of or relating to the graphic arts)
"the etchings, drypoints, lithographs, and engravings
which together form his graphic work"- British Book
News
 S: (adj) graphic, graphical (relating to or presented
by a graph) "a graphic presentation of the data"
 S: (adj) graphic, lifelike, pictorial, vivid(evoking
lifelike images within the mind) "pictorial poetry and
prose"; "graphic accounts of battle"; "a lifelike
portrait"; "a vivid description"

3. 3
What is a
Graphic Novel?
 From
 Suddenly a totally new genre is everywhere we
look. Is a graphic novel a comic book? Yes, sort
of, not quite. It looks like a comic book, sort of.
 Is it a "novel?" Yes, because it tells a fictional
story of some length.
 What makes it "graphic?" Well, a great deal of
the story is told by the pictures, the graphics.
Which makes graphic novels a new way to read.

4. 4
Define Graphic
Novel?
 graphic novel
A term coined by Will Eisner to describe his semi-
autobiographical novel A Contract with God
(1978), written and illustrated in comic book style, the
first work in a new format in which an extended
narrative is presented as a continuous sequence of
pictorial images printed in color or black and white and
arranged panel-to-panel, with text given in captions
and dialogue usually enclosed in balloons. . . . This new
literary form is viewed with suspicion by traditionalists
who regard it as a marketing ploy aimed at attracting
adult readers to comic books by removing the stigma
attached to them. Click here to read the entry on
graphic novels in Wikipedia or see the Yahoo! list of
graphic novel Web sites. See also: fotonovela.

5. 5
A Contract With
God?
 A Contract With God and
Other Tenement Stories
 This collection of four
stories takes us back to
the Bronx of the 1930s
as seen through Eisner's
own eyes, when tenement
blocks were crammed
See also The Contract
with European immigrants With God Trilogy on
jostling their way to a
better life.

6. 6
Aren’t they just
book-length comics?
 Graphic novels represent a format,
rather than a genre.
 Comics are presented in a format defined
as sequential art – thus the panels, the text
bubbles, and all of the usual trademarks of
your local newspaper’s comic strips. In terms of
genre, remember that while superhero tales
traditionally dominated the comics industry in the
U.S., today’s graphic novels range into every
possible genre, from literary fiction to memoir to
fantasy.
• Graphic Novels: Where to Start? By Robin Brenner.
Originally publ. on KDLA website, now reproduced on wiki Gnreviews: Online
Reviews of Graphic Novels

7. 7
Benefits of
graphic
novels?
 Benefits of reading and using
graphic novels include, but are
not limited to, sequencing and
showing dialogue between characters.
Most importantly, graphic novels can hook
reluctant readers into becoming
interested and enthusiastic readers.


8. Useful Resources by 8
Michele Gorman
Michele Librarian, Author, Present
Gorman, graphic er, Consultant
http://comixlibrarian.com/
novel guru
 Getting Graphic! Using Graphic
Novels to Promote Literacy
with Preteens and Teens
by Michele Gorman
Linworth, 2003
 Graphic Novels Rule! The
Latest and Greatest for Young
Kids: The latest and greatest
comics for young kids By
Michele Gorman -- School
Library Journal, 3/1/2008

9. 9
Other resources
from Michele

10. 10
Graphic Novels:
Here to Stay!
Graphic novels exist in a broad range of
genres: humor, romance, suspense, political
satire, soap operas, horror, porn, Japanese
manga, nonfiction journalism. In 2006, Publishers
Weekly reported, 2,800 new titles were published. For
the first time, graphic novels surpassed standard comic
books in sales, $330 million to $310 million.
"The days when publishers aimed at only 15-year-old
boys - or 50-year-old men who are shopping for their
inner 15-year-old - those days are over," said Calvin
Reid of Publishers Weekly.
•The big battle: It's edge versus respectability as graphic novels
go mainstream

11. 11
Are graphic novels
just for adults?
 Not at all!
 The good news for those of you who
happen to be working with elementary-
age children is that there are many
graphic novels currently available for
this audience that are not only age-
appropriate but also praiseworthy for
their imaginative story lines, interesting
characters, and captivating illustrations.
• Graphic Novels for Younger Readers by
Michele Gorman

12. 12
Not Just for
Adults Anymore
 "Little Lit" provides comix
for kids
Art Spiegelman's "Maus" helped shift public
perception of comicbooks away from mere
juvenilia. Now he's trying to push it back down
the age ladder again. Co-edited with his
wife, Francoise Mouly, Spiegelman has
produced "Little Lit: Strange Stories for
Strange Kids," a comicbook for children, or
more accurately, a
delightful album of sophisticated,
G-rated comix.

13. 13
Maus?

 Winner of the Pulitzer Prize
and acclaimed as "the most
affecting and successful narrative ever done
about the Holocaust "(The Wall Street
Journal). The first volume introduces readers
to Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of
Hitler's Europe, and his son, a cartoonist trying
to come to terms with his father, his father's
terrifying story, and history itself.
• http://www.randomhouse.com/pantheon/graphicnovels/maus1.html

14. 14
Graphic Novels for
Young
Adults
 No Flying, No Tights
 Graphic novel review site originally
started by Robin Brenner when she
was a library technician (currently
she’s a teen librarian in
Brookline, Mass.), then relaunched
Oct. 2, 2011, and populated by
several reviewers, including Robin.
See also
Graphic Novels 101: FAQ

15. 15
But what about
for younger kids?

Review author: Bill
Read Bill’s reviews here.

16. 16
Bone
No Bones About It

17. 17
Amy Unbounded
 *Amy Unbounded: Belondweg
Blossoming — Recommended
Amy Unbounded is one of the most
charming series in comics. Amy is an
imaginative, rambunctious nine-year-old, the
daughter of a weaver and a barbarian ex-warrior
clockbuilder living in the queendom of Goredd. Until
now, she’s been independent, but as she becomes
aware that she’s growing up, she has hints that
becoming an adult might not be a completely
pleasant experience. Previously, she’d get carried
away in her fantasies about living lives more
interesting than her own. Although her silliness
usually has a positive effect on those around
her, she’s learning when *not* to make herself part
of the story.

18. 18
Graphic Novels--or
Just Comics?
 For a young child 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. Best of
all, these skills don’t merely apply to Owly or to
graphic novels. They are the critical skills that
govern all reading comprehension, making
Bryonna’s triumph with Owly into a lesson that
has also helped her with other reading
materials.

19. 19
Graphic Novels--or
Owly?
Just Comics?
 Owly is a kind, yet lonely, little owl who knows
what it means to be human. Relying on a mixture
of symbols and expressions, these animated and
heartwarming tales are a perfect read for all
ages.
 The first graphic novel in the series contains two
enchanting novellas, ―The Way Home‖ & ―The
Bittersweet Summer,‖ wherein Owly discovers the
meaning of friendship, and that saying goodbye
doesn't always mean forever.
• Catalog blurb for Owly (Vol 1): The Way Home Preview

20. 20
Graphic Novels--or
Just Comics?

21. 21

22. 22
Buzzboy?

 Meet Buzzboy...the World's
most upbeat super hero!
Drawn in the style of the "Adventures"
animated TV series, Buzzboy is chock-full of
action, humor, and overall weirdness that makes
it just good, free-for-all fun.

23. 23
Pinky and Stinky?
 Pinky & Stinky
by James Kochalka
 Pinky & Stinky are fat little piglets, but just because they're
cuties that doesn't mean they're not brave astronauts!
Determinedly, they embark on a daring mission to be the
first pigs on Pluto, but things go horribly wrong as soon as
the journey begins and they crash land on the moon. Soon
they find themselves playing a pivotal role in the moon men's
battle to free themselves from the oppression of the
American space program! This is an unabashedly fun book, like
Star Wars mixed with Pokemon, if you can believe that!
Packed with action, adventure, and cute little cuties!

24. 24
Barry Ween
(Series)
 Meet Barry Ween, the
smartest living human. What
does a ten-year-old boy do
 with a 350 I.Q.? Anything he
wants. Cranky, egotistical,
arrogant, and foul-mouthed,
Barry wants to conduct his
experiments and be left alone, but it
never seems to work out. Hurdles
that Barry must outmaneuver range
from time warps, to art thieves, to Meet the Gang |
Preview the Issues
accidentally turning his best friend Find Out Why Everyone
into a dinosaur. Loves Barry Ween!
27 page preview!

25. 25
A Mouse-type
Graphic Novel?

26. 26

27. 27
 The year is 50 BC, and all Gaul
is occupied. Only one small
village of indomitable Gauls still
holds out against the invaders.
 But how much longer can
Asterix, Obelix and their friends
resist the mighty Roman legions
of Julius Caesar? Anything is
possible, with a little cunning
plus the druid Getafix's magic
potions! Their effects can be
truly hair-raising …
 Asterix the Gaul adventures -
Vol. 1 - Asterix the Gaul

28. 28
A Belgian favorite

29. 29
The Little Prince
 Graphic novel version
 ―. . . Sfar’s comic may well appeal to
real kids more than the original does.
Its philosophical pronouncements, while wise as ever, are
gently embedded in the story rather than acting as
punctuation marks on each short chapter. Sfar transforms
Saint-Exupéry’s voice — still a bit stuffy for kids, a bit
snide for adults — into a living person, who dearly loves his
Little Prince. (One effective sequence, invented by
Sfar, has the Prince leaping from atop the plane in a
joyous somersault to play with a delighted Saint-
Exupéry.)‖
• A Star to Steer By, by Dan Kois, New York Times, November 5, 2010
• See also The Little Prince Adapted by Joann Sfar by Xaviar Xerexes

30. 30
Manga
 What is Manga?
 Manga can be roughly translated as "comic
books―; in reality it is a much more complex
subject. Manga can include almost every
subject imaginable from funny stories to
serious literature. Technical manuals and even
legal case histories have been released in
manga format. Looking at some books about
manga, especially those of Frederik Schodt,
will probably be the best way to understand
this unique form of publishing.
• Anime and Manga Terminology, a section of The
Librarian's Guide to Anime and Manga, a website
authored by Gilles Poitras

31. 31
What about
anime?
 What is anime?
(ah-nee-may, is one way to romanize
the pronunciation)
 Anime, as defined by common fan usage, is simply
any animation that is made in Japan for a
Japanese audience. In Japan the word simply
means any animation made anywhere in the world.
Commercial anime dates back to 1917. Modern
anime dates from the 1960s with the work of
Osamu Tezuka, best known in the U.S. for ―Astro
Boy‖, Tetsuwan Atom in the original Japanese.
• Anime and Manga Terminology

32. 32
Who reads
manga?
 How big is manga in the US?
 Manga sales in the US have escalated in the
past decade, from $60 million in 2002 to
$200 million in 2007. In fact, the explosive
popularity of manga along with the cross-
promotion of American comics through
Hollywood are the driving forces behind the
increasing prominence of graphic novels in
the United States overall.
• Prough, J. (2010). Marketing Japan: Manga as Japan’s
New Ambassador. ASIANetwork Exchange, 17, 3. 54-68.

33. 33
Manga for Boys
 Shonen
 Shonen manga literally means "comics for boys."
The genre includes action-packed, dramatic and
humorous stories about
sports, adventure, superheroes and sci-fi. These
comics are primarily written to appeal to males
between the ages of 8 to 18, but its appeal
doesn’t stop there: Many girls, young adults and
businessmen regularly buy, read and enjoy shonen
manga series such as Naruto, Bleach and Slam
Dunk.

34. 34
Manga for girls?
 MIRACLE GIRLS Manga
 Meet Toni and Mika-identical twins as
different as day and night. Toni is a
star athlete, out-going, and popular.
Mika is shy, quiet, and academic. Although they look
like ordinary junior high school students, when they
unite, these twins produce Miracle Powers.
Telepathy, teleportation, and magic are all used to help
the girls get through the day. Nobody knew about Toni
and Mika's powers until a nosey classmate discovered
their secret. Can the twins keep their powers a secret
or will they be exposed to the world?

35. 35
Another manga for
girls
 Card Captor Sakura
 Card Captor Sakura
(カードキャプターさくら) is a magical
girl story about a 10 year old girl
Kinomoto Sakura who has to use magic
to collect cards, which have escaped
from a magical book. The cards can
take the form of various objects, and
some of them are very powerful.
 From the on-line Card Captor Sakura encyclopedia

36. 36
Nonfiction in
graphic format
 Graphic Novels, Seriously
 Despite their nascent popularity, graphic novels are
often still typecast as hewing only to the superhero
plot line, invoking the male power fantasy. While
fantasy is still a mainstay of the genre, the scope
and diversity of the graphic novel has broadened to
include much more sophisticated subject
matter, including nonfiction, biography, and
compelling narratives melded from on-the-ground
reporting and research from some of the world's
latest war-torn and traumatized regions.
• Evan St. Lifer -- School Library Journal, 8/1/2002

37. 37
 Clan Apis
 is the biography a honey bee named
Nyuki. Written and drawn by biologist
Jay Hosler, this story explores an
elaborate insect society. Nyuki has a
lot to learn about life in the hive and
not much time to do it. But, with help
of her sister Dvorah, a dung beetle
named Sisyphus and a sarcastic flower
named Bloomington, she might have a
chance to figure it all out.

38. 38
Howtoons Volume #1:
Tools of Mass
Construction-Nick
Dragotta, Saul
Griffith, and Ingrid
Dragotta.

39. 39
A graphic novel
publisher

40. 40
• Adventures in science
• e,g, Rocks and the
People Who Love Them
• American Graphic
• e.g. ELVIS: A Graphic
Novel
• Graphic Expeditions
• e.g. Escape from
Pompeii: An Isabel Soto
Archaeology Adventure

41. 41
Graphics
Oscars
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards:
 The Awards are given out in more than two
dozen categories covering the best publications
and creators of the previous year (such as Best
Short Story, Best Graphic Album, Best Writer,
and so on). The finalists on the ballot are
selected by a blue- ribbon committee that
considers thousands of entries submitted by
publishers and creators. The nominees are then
voted on by all parts of the comic book industry:
writers, artists, and other creators; publishers;
editors; and
retailers and distributors.
• The "Oscars" of Comics 2011 Eisner Award Winners List

42. 42
2011 Eisner
Winner
 Best Publication for Kids
(won also in 2009):

43. 43
 Harveys’ Comics Awards
 The Harvey Awards are one of the
comic book industry's oldest and most
respected awards. The Harveys
recognize outstanding achievements in
over 20 categories, ranging from Best
Artist to the Jack Kirby Hall of
Fame. They are the only industry
awards both nominated by and
selected by the full body of comic
book professionals.
• History ●Harvey Bio

44. 44
2011 Harvey for
Younger Readers
 Best Original Graphic Publication
for Younger Readers:
 TINY TITANS, Art Baltazar and
 Franco Aureliani, DC Comics
• Posted at 09:00 AM ET,
• 08/21/2011
BALTIMORE COMIC-CON:
Your 2011 Harvey Award
winners are...
By Michael Cavna

45. 45
Ignatz Awards
 The Ignatz Awards, named
for the character in the classic comic strip
Krazy Kat by George Herriman, is a
festival prize that recognizes outstanding
achievement in comics and cartooning.
• None for younger readers, however.

46. 46
Do graphic novels
have a place in
elementary school?

47. 47
Just like
―real‖ books
 Shouldn’t kids read real books?
. . ., graphic novels offer the same benefits of
regular books: introducing young people to new
vocabulary, ―book language,‖ and stories and
information to teach them about their world and
spark their imaginations. In fact, Stephen Weiner
reports that ―researchers concluded that the
average graphic novel introduced readers to twice as
many words as the average children’s book‖1 and
Francisca Goldsmith points out that ―the kind of
abstraction that competent and comfortable text
reading requires is also demanded by the graphic
novel.‖2
• http://www.ipl.org/div/graphicnovels/gnsSchoolsNLibs.html

48. 48
Literacy
connection?