GRAPHIC
NOVELS
IN THE
CLASSROOM

COMICS VS. GRAPHIC
NOVELS
What is the difference between a comic
book and a graphic novel?
Length
Types

PARTS OF A GRAPHIC
NOVEL
 Panels- Boxes where the pictures and words appear. Panels read
in a sequence (often left to right).
 Told through Sequential Art (combo of text, panels and images)

PARTS OF A GRAPHIC NOVEL (CONT’D)
 GN’s are like chapter
books they have plot,
characters, etc.
 Dialogue

PARTS OF A GRAPHIC NOVEL
(CONT’D)
 Captions

TEACHING, PARAGRAPHING,&
OUTLINING

BRIDGING THE GAP
“Graphic novels can be
used as a point of
reference to bridge
what students already
know with what they
have yet to learn.”
http://www.ncte.org/magazine/archives/122031

WORDLESS GRAPHIC NOVELS

TEMPTING RELUCTANT READERS
&
ENCOURAGING UNMOTIVATED READERS

GREAT FOR ESL
STUDENTS AND
RELUCTANT
READERS

MERGING OF GRAPHIC NOVELS AND
CHAPTER BOOKS
BOOKS THAT USE BOTH TEXT AND GRAPHIC NOVEL FORMAT TO
TELL A STORY
GREAT FOR RELUCTANT READERS
LOW LEVEL-HIGH INTEREST
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid
 Captain Underpants
 Stink
 Amelia’s Notebook

MAKE BELIEFS COMIX
 Make Beliefs Comix is a fun and easy website
that you can use in the classroom or as an
assignment with kids to make their own comics.
 Offers a teachers resource page
 Great for ESL-Offered in several languages
 www.makebeliefscomix.com

EDUCATIONAL
PUBLISHERS
A GOOD NON-FICTION GRAPHIC NOVEL SHOULD HAVE:
 Background information
 Glossary
 Table of contents
 Additional resources such as discussion questions
 Bibliographies, websites, and writing prompts
 The purpose of the book is to inform the learner
about curriculum-based or content-based topics,
using the graphic novel format to present the
information.

EXCEPTIONAL
PUBLISHERS
 Capstone Press offers the
Graphic Library line of books
 Elementary and Middle
School

EXCEPTIONAL PUBLISHERS
Stone Arch Books is a sister
company of Capstone. Currently,
they offer five series:
* Graphic Quest
* Graphic Revolve
* Graphic Sparks
* Graphic Trax
* Ridge Riders

EXCEPTIONAL PUBLISHERS
 Rosen Publishing NY publishes six series of
nonfiction that are all suitable for elementary
and middle school readers:
Graphic Civil War Battles, Graphic Mysteries,
Graphic Mythology, Graphic Nonfiction Biographies,
Jr.Graphic Mysteries, Jr. Graphic Mythologies

GUIDELINES FOR
SELECTION
1. Does the art support the text? Does the art assist the
reader?
2. Do the colors support the text and storyline or do they
conflict with each other?
3. Are the word balloons, thought bubbles, and captions
placed correctly and in a fashion that is logical?
4. If it is a nonfiction graphic novel, are the facts reliable
and accurate?
5. Does the book offer students additional information
about the topic in the form of Web sites, references,
maps, and suggested other readings (when
applicable)?
6. By using these questions, educators can develop a
sense of what is valuable for the classroom
http://www.forewordmagazine.net/articles/shw_article.aspx?articleid=187

EDUCATE YOURSELF ON
COMICS

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
 Graphic Novels: A Bibliographic Guide to Book-Length Comics by D. Aviva
Rothschild (1995, Libraries Unlimited). This guide reviews over 400 graphic
novels.
 Cartoons and Comics in the Classroom: A Reference for Teachers and Librarians
(1983, Libraries Unlimited). This book may be a bit dated, but it includes
practical teaching suggestions across the curriculum.
 The 101 Best Graphic Novels by Stephen Weiner; Keith R.A. Decandido, editor
(2001, NBM). This excellent resource describes 101 graphic novels and rates them
for age appropriateness. It also offers a short history of graphic novels and a
bibliography.
 Bang, Molly. Picture This: How Pictures Work. SeaStar Books, 2000.
 Cray, Stephen. Going Graphic: Comics at Work in the Multilingual Classroom.
Heinemann, 2004.
 Lyga, Alysson. Supplement Feature: Bringing Graphic Novels into the
Classroom.http://www.forewordmagazine.net/articles/shw_article.aspx?
articleid=187

FURTHER READING
 Perceptions and Use of Graphic Novels in the Classroom (2009)
Raechel B. Callahan
http://www.cehs.ohio.edu/resources/documents/callahan.pdf
 Implementing Graphic Texts into the Language Arts Classroom
(Minnesota English Journal 2008) Doug Annett
http://www.mcte.org/journal/mej08/Annet.pdf