Graphic Novels, The New Wave?

My mind has been changed forever! I always thought graphic novels were a waste of time when it came to reading. I never found an interest in them. I grew up reading a lot of thick chapter books and was never attracted to read a graphic novel. Reading this article and also reading The Best We Could Do has opened my eyes to a new world. When I read The Best We Could Do, I was instantly hooked. I read the entire thing while my coworker was driving us to work. I related so much to the story, and it was also an easy read. In the article it states how graphic novels are used for children to ease in into reading, the pictures and the word text call their attention a bit more into reading them. It is also easier for special needs kids to enjoy books, they can see the emotion in the pictures, and I believe that is a beautiful thing. Books should be accessible to everyone!

Another detail I found super impressive is that graphic novels fit curriculum! (Common Core Standards) They can help children understand many topics, not just English topics. Graphic novels turn on creative writing in people, especially children. As for the resources, the one I looked into was http://www.noflyingnotights.com/  It provides reviews on graphic novels, and it also helps you choose what to read next based on your interests. I think it’s a really cool website and kid-friendly. It’s definitely a tool I can use for my future students.

When I read a graphic novel I like to read the words first and then look at the pictures, I think I like it this was because I want a context of the story before I look at the pictures, to me it makes more sense. I asked my brother to read a few pages from  The Best We Could Do and he said he looks at the picture first because he says it draws his attention first. He gets an idea of what’s going on and when he reads the text he gets the story better. Which is interesting, because I am the total opposite.  I guess there is no wrong way of reading a graphic novel.