Graphic Novels = Visual Literacy

One topic we did not addess during our week on Visual Literacy is graphic novels. The graphic novel collections in my libraries are small, but growing. Because it is not a format I'm well-versed in, I purchase some of my graphic novels from a book-club (Junior Library Guild), but I also follow the column "Getting Graphic" by Michele Gorman in Libary Media Collection magazine and get recommendations from the students to help guide my selections. The graphic novel collections are increasingly popular with students, but I still get a few raised eyebrows from the teachers: "You're buying comic books?"

Today's students are growing up with technology as an extension of their daily lives. These students have access to an unprecedented amount of visual media and information. They are more than just simple TV watchers: they have hundreds of digital channels available 24/7 which they can watch live, record for later viewing, or download from the Internet. The Internet itself is awash in visual images from Flikr to YouTube to Facebook, to Google logos. Kids are completely comfortable immersing themselves in visual environments like video games or Second Life. So why would I not take advantage of students' visual habits to promote reading? I notice that no one ever walks into the young readers' area and comments "You're buying picture books?"

Graphic novels are a kind of visual literacy "which is often overlooked for readers who have passed the picture book stage of reading, but will continue to rise in importance as the American culture becomes further reliant on the computer, in which text is often interspersed with graphical content, as the predominant mode of communication" (Gorman, 10). Graphic novels are simply another way of combining words and pictures. They're very appealing to visual learners and can bridge a gap for many reluctant readers. Reading researcher Stephen Krashen recommends graphic novels for students who are on a lower reading level than their peers because the simple sentences, visual or context clues, and educated guessing allow them to comprehend most of the story (Krashen 59-60). That's just what I want my reluctant readers to have: a positive reading experience in which they finished the book and enjoyed it. As visual learners, they can combine the text and the pictures in order to understand the story. And once their interest is piqued, they may make the leap to text-only as they search for more story. This is exactly what happened in my library recently as a young boy finished Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel. He wanted to know if the book was part of a series. I didn't have any more graphic novels of Artemis Fowl, but I did have the chapter books. He checked out the first two! I will certainly continue to use graphic novels as a way to engage readers and I'll work on educating the faculty as well.

Works Cited:
Gorman, Michele. Getting Graphic! Using Graphic Novels to Promote Literacy with Preteens and Teens. Worthington, OH: Linworth Publishing, Inc., 2003.

Krashen, Stephen. The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1993.