Comics & Graphic Novels: Seeing the Meaning - CiteSeerX

Towards a Broader Understanding of Literacy

Comics & Graphic Novels: Seeing the Meaning

Musings of the Information Goddess

AKA Janice Leigh Biebrich

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA

TOWARDS A BROADER UNDERSTANDING OF LIERACY

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS: SEEING THE MEANING

MUSINGS OF THE INFORMATION GODDESS

BY

JANICE LEIGH BIEBRICH

This Capping Course Document is Submitted in Partial

Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

MASTER OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

EDMONTON, ALBERTA

FALL 2006

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA

RELEASE FORM

NAME OF AUTHOR: Janice Leigh Biebrich

TITLE: Towards a Broader Understanding of Literacy Comics & Graphic Novels: Seeing the Meaning

DEGREE: MASTER OF EDUCATION

YEAR THIS DEGREE GRANTED: 2006

Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta to reproduce single

copies of this document and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific

research purposes only.

The author reserves other publication rights, and neither the document nor

extensive extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author’s

written permission.

Janice Leigh Biebrich 39 Lochinvar Avenue Winnipeg, MB R2J 1R3 Date: July 28, 2006

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA

DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

THE UNDERSIGNED HAS READ, AND ACCEPTS THE DOCUMENT ENTITLED

TOWARDS A BROADER UNDERSTANDING OF LITERACY

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS: SEEING THE MEETING

MUSINGS OF THE INFORMATION GODDESS

SUBMITTED BY JANICE LEIGH BIEBRICH

IN PARTIAL FULLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF EDUCATION

Dr. Roberta McKay Capping Course Instructor Date: July 28, 2006

Dedication

I wish to dedicate this paper to two people who have opened my eyes to a very powerful

medium for storytelling.

Not so long ago, I was in the same position as many of the people I am trying to reach with

this paper. I didn’t have a great deal of knowledge about comics and graphic novels. My

daughter Tamara planted the seeds of graphic storytelling with me many years ago. Because

of the hard ground they fell upon, they took a long time to germinate. I was on a well

trodden path to a familiar destination. When I was finally ready to accept a precious detour

on softer ground, Gail de Vos nurtured the growth of what promises to be a life-long

beautiful entanglement of poignant human experience that touches me from my very roots

to my crown. Thank you both for sharing your foresight and enthusiasm with me and shaping

my development not only as a reader but as a thinking, feeling human being.

I also want to thank my husband Rod and both of my daughters, Jennifer and Tamara for

their tremendous support during the last three years. They listened to me working through

my unformed thoughts on a number of subjects as they developed, propped me up when I

swayed under the weight of too many responsibilities, took up the slack when I neglected

those responsibilities entirely, and dragged me out when I was stuck in the mire. They have

always bolstered my learning as I hope I encourage theirs. I am also very thankful to Mark,

my nephew who solves all of my technical problems. He’s my favorite computer geek. Love ya!

I am also indebted to Roberta McKay and my classmates in the summer of 2006 capping

course, especially Terri Chalaturnyck whose friendship and encouragement inspired me.

They did a little pruning and shook my foliage which helped me to sow my seeds. I hope

those seeds don’t just blown in the wind but find some fertile ground to put down roots in

your neighborhood. But that is up to you, my dear reader.

Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................. 1

Where has my journey taken me? ................................................................................................ 1

Intuition or Not?.............................................................................................................................. 2

What’s my background and fascination?..................................................................................... 2

Where did my reading take me?................................................................................................... 3

How did I introduce comics and graphic novels in the library?............................................. 4

Do We NEED Comics & GN in School Libraries? What does the literature say? ..... 17

Does visualization impact on reading comprehension?........................................................... 17

Why is aesthetic response to texts important?..................................................................... 18

Do schools have what kids want to read?................................................................................. 19

Do those who choose not to read have any advantage over those who can’t? ................. 21

How can we motivate reluctant readers or aliterates?......................................................... 21

How do we reverse negative attitudes towards reading?..................................................... 24

Who are the most vulnerable students?................................................................................... 25

Who does the accessibility of comics and graphic novels benefit? ................................... 27

Why is this format important? ................................................................................................... 28

Why is visual literacy important?............................................................................................... 29

Do we have an obligation to provide comics and graphic novels? ........................................ 30

What has your experience been? ............................................................................................... 30

Are you ready to exploit the power of visual images? .......................................................... 32

Be Brave! Take the next step...................................................................................................... 32

Appendices .................................................................................. 33

Appendix A Online Resources...................................................................................................... 33

Appendix B Journals...................................................................................................................... 35

Appendix C Books ........................................................................................................................... 36

Appendix D Selected Annotated Bibliography of the Research Literature..................... 40

Appendix E Selected Annotated Bibliography of the Professional Literature................ 42

Appendix F Definitions of Literacy for the 21st Century ..................................................... 44

Appendix G Definitions of Visual Literacy ............................................................................... 45

Appendix H Definitions of Comics and Graphic Novels ......................................................... 47

References.............................................................................................................................................. 48

Author Note ........................................................................................................................................... 55

Preamble

This document is intended to be accessed online in interactive pdf format in order to

facilitate the use of links provided within the text. The intent is for it to be a resource that

teachers and teacher-librarians may revisit while building and using comics and graphic novel

collections. It resides at:

http://www.informationgoddess.ca/MEdCappingPaper/LiteracyComics&GNJLBiebrich.pdf

It is acknowledged that it is not APA compliant in all respects. This was a conscious choice

on the part of the author in consultation with her instructor. This decision was made in

recognition that APA does not lend itself to changing literacies and formats of the 21st

century that are not linear in form. Comic Sans font was chosen to enhance the welcoming

and casual tone of this document. 10 point is closest to the size of 12 point Times New

Roman which is standard in APA.

The reference list is APA compliant in order to facilitate checking sources but links are

provided wherever possible for instant access to the cited source.

Cover art is included to give you, the reader, a sense of how powerful the visual aspect of

comics can be. Most covers and titles are linked to further visual information or excerpts

from the books. All cover art and images are subject to the copyright of the authors,

illustrators, and publishers and are used within fair dealing of Canadian copyright law as I

understand it. I have also included photographs of my nephew Mark and niece Amy reading

to their daughter Anna (my great niece) with their permission.

I use the word kids when referring to students to denote a rapport and closeness to the

students I work with and encourage to develop to their full potential. I also refer to

students in the possessive, as my kids, because I feel a connection to and responsibility

towards them. The use of this colloquial speech is intended to communicate my utmost

respect for children. I also use the word you throughout to personalize my sharing to you,

the reader and to denote the importance of visual literacy for everyone.

I have used appendices extensively to share further resources and to define terminology

that may be unfamiliar to some readers rather than expanding on it throughout the paper.

Comics is the term that is used to refer to the whole of sequential art (see Appendix H for

clarification).

(see Appendices D and E for short summaries of the key research and professional

literature used to develop this document).

This is an interim document which will be replaced by a more visually appealing version soon.

Mark reads Hug by Gez Alborough with Anna

1

Introduction

Widened eyes and raised eyebrows is often the response I get when I mention building a

collection of graphic novels for our school library. I don’t get that reaction if I mention

graphic organizers. If we were among the large and growing group of aliterates, people who

can but don’t read (Beers, 1996a; Sullivan, 2002) we might not visualize that image. Can you

imagine reading words on a page and not “seeing” them come to life in your mind? This is the

experience of many reluctant readers. Where is the pleasure in that?

Visualization is central to reading motivation and comprehension (Beers, 1996b; Sadoski,

1998). For kids who are unable to visualize, pictures provide an entry point to the enjoyment

and understanding they do not experience when reading text only. While comics and graphic

novels are becoming more prevalent in school and public libraries there are still many

libraries without them and many teachers and teacher-librarians who are unaware of their

benefits. My purpose is to inform teachers and teacher-librarians of the enticement of

comics and graphic novels for motivating students (especially aliterate students) to read. I

want you to understand the breadth and depth of content in comics and graphic novels and

that they are not all light reading. I will make the case that ALL reading is good for you.

I also wish to persuade you to provide comics and graphic novels to your students; exploiting

their appeal to reluctant readers including, boys, and English as a second/additional language

(ESL/EAL) students to read. I will share my own experience re-encountering comics and

introducing comics and graphic novels in two schools.

2

Where has my journey taken me?

Intuition or Not?

I have noticed throughout my teaching career that the kids who do not read very much and

tell me reading is boring are the same ones who tell me that they do not visualize when they

read. Although my daughter was an avid comic and graphic novel reader, wrote a couple of

issues of her own comic and went to the Alternative Press Expo in San Jose to promote it,

until recently I had not read comics since I was a kid. I had no idea there were titles and

content that would interest me at this stage of my life. When my son-in-law Michael, had

Passionate Journey by Frans Masereel on his Christmas list, I purchased it for him and in

the craziness that ensued wrapped it without even flipping through the pages. I have since

learned that it is a wordless classic from 1926 done in 165 woodcuts. I finally found the

time to “read” and appreciate its powerful story. My preconceived notions had denied me a

huge treasury of intriguing, fascinating stories. Now I’m making up for lost time.

What’s My Background and Fascination?

My background is in visual art. Although I seldom find the time to create art anymore, I

make the time to appreciate it often. When I travel, high on the priority list is traipsing

through art galleries for hours on end. I have always valued picture books. However, it was

not until I enrolled in Gail de Vos’ course, Comic Books and Graphic Novels in Schools and

Public Libraries at the University of Alberta, that I realized the depth and breadth of

content of the comic and graphic novel format and the tremendous motivational impact that

they can have on reluctant readers. I became a huge fan of the format myself. It was as

though a door I never knew existed had opened and treasures came tumbling out. My

passions for art and literature came together in a literary art form. It was something akin

3

to learning that books existed. I wanted to read and know all of them. And I wanted

everyone else to share this wonderful discovery.

Where did my reading take me?

As I read, I couldn’t stop talking about graphic novels to anyone and everyone. I would call

my daughter Tamara often to see if she had read new titles that I had encountered. It was

fabulous sharing my new interest with her. At one point she said, “Mom, you have surpassed

my knowledge of graphic novels”. It became a challenge for a teacher-librarian friend to

find a graphic novel with which I was not familiar. It paid off in chocolate when she did.

4

When I read Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi I thought

everyone needed to read it. I still do. Together with the

dialogue, it’s seemingly simplistic drawings, which are in

fact very visually acute, carry the heartrending true

story of an irresistible, precocious little girl who matures

rapidly from 6 to 14. Persepolis: The Story of a

Childhood is both an account of growing up and a tale of

surviving the political turmoil of the Islamic Revolution.

Marjane becomes increasingly aware of the

contradictions between home and public life as she gets older. She develops into a high-

spirited, questioning young person. Persepolis means “the city of the Persians” in Greek.

Marjane Satrapi used it in her title to give a historical perspective to the book. Until 1979 I

didn’t have a sense of Iran, although it had four thousand years of history prior to the

Islamic Revolution. The history is chronicled through Marjane's eyes. A history lesson was

never so much fun! She takes us through tears of pain to tears of laughter and back again.

Marjane Satrapi is both author and illustrator. Author illustrated graphic novels are the

best in my estimation. The words and drawings are integral to each other. At first glance

the drawings may seem naïve. But only an artist of superb skill can convey the poignant

emotions these stylistic flat patterned spare iconographic drawings impart. The stark

blacks contrasted with austere whites and the interplay of positive and negative space

demonstrates a deft sense of balance.

5

Reading comics and graphic novels does not preclude visualization. When I read Art

Spiegelman’s Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History and Maus II : A

Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began I saw severe black and white drawings of

mice portraying Jews and cats portraying Nazis, but I will forever be haunted by the images

I conjured up of real people living and dying in horrific conditions. Although it is a story of a

family during and after the holocaust it is also the exploration of the father/son

relationship and a journey of self-discovery.

I was reading Maus on a bus trip to the National Middle School Association conference in

November of 2004 and a number of people asked about it. (It’s hard not to notice a book

with a huge swastika on the cover.) A colleague borrowed it as soon as I finished it and

planned to share it with his teenage son. If you are studying the Holocaust in your

classroom I highly recommend the inclusion of Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize winning Maus.

My own experience bore out the contention that comics and graphic novels motivate people

to read more. The more titles I read and found that I made a personal connection with, the

further I realized that the lack of comics and graphic novels in our school libraries denied

my students a rich and valuable experience.

6

How did I Introduce Comics and Graphic Novels in my School Library?

Although I didn’t feel completely confident that I could defend the format, I felt the need

to introduce comics and graphic novels in my school library. I know now that there is really

no need to defend the format, since like any other medium it includes a wide variety of

titles. Some are not suitable for our students. As teachers and teacher-librarians, we

choose the ones that are appropriate for our students in the context of our communities.

We wouldn’t dream of avoiding all books because we know there are some books that have

gratuitous sex and violence in them. As uncomfortable as I was, I forged ahead. The

results were astounding. I shared my new learning with my staff in a PowerPoint

presentation. I also brought in my own new collection of graphic novels and asked my staff

to peruse them and find titles that would relate to the curriculum they taught. Not

everyone was as enthusiastic as I was, but it did pique the interest of some teachers with

reluctant readers in their classrooms. When I was asked to recommend titles, I invited the

kids to come to the workroom of the library to choose a book from my own collection and

the few I had purchased for the school library that had not yet been catalogued. They felt

very special that I was loaning these books to them. Kids who had refused to read anything

else began to read and would come to me for another book (especially the next book in Jeff

Smith’s Bone series). Before the end of that school year a number of these kids were

reading other novels as well as graphic novels.

I have since moved to another school and have once again introduced graphic novels. They

have interested some very reluctant readers there also. During the last two years comics

and graphic novels have provoked my students to come to the library more frequently to

check to see if we have any new graphic novels, to hang out in the library sharing, to read

7

more, to read other materials and even to write anonymously in the school newsletter about

their love of Jeff Smith’s Bone series to recommend it.

But more than that, comics and graphic novels have brought many topics alive for all of our

students. There is a wide array of entertaining non-fiction titles on many subjects. Non-

fiction appeals especially to boys’ reading preferences, but it is also enjoyed by many girls.

My experience sharing non-fiction graphic novels with my upper elementary and middle

years students was fantastic.

When I read Clan Apis by Jay Hosler aloud to my

grade 4/5 students they were riveted. A number of

kids wanted to take it out as soon as I finished

reading it to them. Beginning with the “Big Bloom

Theory” it thoroughly amuses, articulating the life

cycle of bees. It’s the life story of a particular bee

named Nykui, who is very inquisitive and needs to

learn about her place in the hive. Together with her

sister Dvorah, brother Zambur, friends Bloomington

the flower, and Sysiphus the dung beetle, she gets into situations that made us laugh and

the silly puns had us groaning. We joined her in close calls, triumphs, and losses. We were so

entertained we could have forgotten we were learning science concepts. Well, almost.

Author, Jay Hosler is a biologist who works with bees. His somewhat stylized drawings of

bees, while simplified are anatomically correct. His pacing and unusual clever transitions

between panels draw you into the story. Read Bee Lines, a section in the back of the book.

It’s almost as fascinating as the story itself.

8

Into The Air: The Story of the Wright Brother’s

First Flight by Robert Burleigh was perfect for my

grade 6 class when they were studying flight in

Science. It is a story of realizing a dream through

perseverance and a “how to” for the scientific

method. While exploring the principles of flight it

takes you on a visual tour of life after the turn of

the 19th Century. The realistic drawings show the

architecture, cars, tools, clothing, and pastimes.

Although there is some corny dialogue it does give

yiyou a sense of the speech of the time.

Some stories were shared just for sheer joy and to make a personal connection.

I shared Hug by Jez Alborough

with both my kindergarten and

grade one classes. It is both

visually and emotionally rich. It

has only three words in it: hug,

Mummy and Bobo. The children

could feel with Bobo through

their own interpretations of the

beautiful full colour paintings.

They could “read” the facial expressions and relational situations of the tenderly expressive

animals. They were delighted when Bobo was reunited with his Mommy and got and gave a

big hug. They all knew the wonderful feeling of being hugged by a loving parent.

9

Hero Bear and the Kid: the inheritance by Mike

Kunkel is a new addition to my library and I look

forward to sharing it with my students. It’s a

delightfully nostalgic and sentimental tale. Tyler,

a loveable, innocent kid, is bullied in his new

school. He has inherited a stuffed toy polar bear

and a broken pocket watch from his grandfather.

The bear comes to life as a superhero when you

touch its nose. It’s done in black and white with

the only exception being the fire engine red

cape. The drawings are very gestural with an endearing unfinished look. The expressive

faces and body language take you back to your own childhood.

While not all superhero titles are age appropriate for my K -9 collection I think it is

important to include the ones that are. A couple of exceptional examples follow:

Superman: Peace on Earth by Paul Dini and Alex Ross leaves

us with the message that although world hunger is a huge

issue, an individual can make a difference. Superman tries to

redistribute food surpluses to the world’s starving people

but his humanitarian efforts are thwarted by obstacles

created by politics and greed. It’s in full-colour oversized

format. Stories like these raise compelling issues that

create opportunities for kids to think critically.

10

Shazam!: Power of Hope by Paul Dini and Alex Ross was

also a winner with the grade 5 kids. Shazam gets his

powers from the Greek and Roman gods Solomon, Hercules,

Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury. It is a moral tale that

instills hope just as the title suggests. The near photo

realism of the images brings home this very human story.

Girls and boys loved these stories equally.

Action Adventure also has tremendous appeal with middle years kids. Whenever possible it’s

great to include Canadian titles that reflect our own unique culture.

Buster’s Neighborhood: Kid Comet vs. the

agents of doom by Kaja Blackley and Alex

Hawley is the story of a boy genius and his

robot. Eleven year old secret agent Buster

Jones and his spunky friend Zoe cavort in a

richly developed fantasy world. Buster works

for The Headquarters for Investigating Visiting

Evil aka H.I.V.E. Robots, aliens and monsters

abound. What upper elementary kid wouldn’t

want to be Buster who is paid by the

government to ditch school?

11

Among the adventure stories that appeal to girls are the following titles:

In GoGirl by Trina Robbins and Anne Timmins,

Lindsay Goldman, GoGirl takes after her mother

70s supershero, Go-Go Girl. It’s much to her

mother’s chagrin, since it’s a profession that

doesn’t pay well, the hours are lousy and it’s

hard on relationships. But Lindsay is destined to

fly off and fight crime, in technicolour.

Although the characters are in their teens it is

written for a younger audience. It’s an all-ages

series which is critically acclaimed and was

awarded the 2001 Lulu.

Alison Dare: Little Miss Adventures by J. Torres

Twelve year old Alison Dare could be Junie B. Jones’

older sister and Lara Croft’s younger sister. Her

divorced archeologist mother and superhero,

librarian father, The Blue Scarab, have sent her to

St. Joan of Arc Academy for Girls to keep her out

of trouble. Her two closest friends, Wendy and Dot

share her obsession with adventure. Whatever the

mission Alison saves the day.

12

We are reading Loch: Facing the Future,The Knowledge Journey & Discovery by Marlaine

Maddux. It’s the three volume fable of Nessandra accompanied by her friends, Bolt, Krakey,

and Allura who set off on a dangerous Knowledge Journey to find out what the drywalkers

are up to and if it poses a threat to their hidden Loch. The books are oversized to hold the

beautifully intricate full colour undersea world created by illustrator Courtney Huddleston.

An adventure story of growing up whose characters touched the hearts of my grade 3/4

students we are eagerly anticipating continuing in September.

13

Jimmy Gownley’s Amelia Rules is delightful even though it tackles some serious subjects

including divorce. Amelia, Rhonda, Reggie and Pajamaman, G.A.S.P (Gathering of Awesome

Superpals) are at once obnoxious and loveable just like real kids. Gownley’s depiction of

these characters, both visually and figuratively is near genius. The lettering and speech

bubbles are among the most expressive you will see. The simplified full-colour drawings pack

a wallop of facial expression and overt body language. It is Laugh Out Loud funny.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind series

by Hayao Miyazaki is the tale of strong-willed, but

gentle Princess Nausicaä’s struggle to create

peace between the kingdoms warring over prized

natural resources following the destruction of the

ecosystem in the “Seven Days of Fire”. Flying the

skies in her glider, she has bonded with the giant

insects that grew out of the imbalance. The

drawings are dense like the landscape portrayed.

It’s a heartwarming story, of hope for the future.

14

Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai is an intriguing

layered tale of a ronin - a noble, honorable

masterless samurai. Brandishing a legendary sword

he wanders across the country, a land devastated

by civil war, fighting corruption and evil to uphold

bushido, the warrior's code of honor. The

characters are animals and the story is told with

fascinating visual and historical detail of 17th

century feudal Japan. The series is a grand tale of

good versus evil but each book stands alone as well.

Fantasy is also popular with upper elementary and middle years kids.

I could not share how graphic novels have

impacted my kids without mentioning the Bone

series by Jeff Smith. The totally engaging

escapades of the amorphic cousins Fone Bone,

Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone is where silliness

meets adventures akin to those in The Lord of

the Rings. Smith began drawing Bone in

kindergarten. It was the book he wanted to

read. Originally printed in spectacular black and

white, it is being re-released in colour by

Scholastic in Canada as the colouration process

is completed. In the interim not all of the volumes are available. Since I don’t have a

complete set in my library, I personally bought the complete Bone: One Volume Edition to

15

fill the gap. Although it’s the size of a small encyclopedia, the kids don’t seem to mind

lugging it around. It is constantly on loan.

Those students who have been spellbound by Jeff Smith’s Bone series are eager to continue

reading other fantasy series.

Tolkien’s Hobbit: An illustrated edition of the classic

fantasy adapted by Charles Dixon and David Wenzel is

a work of art in its own right, but it is also a

springboard to reading Tolkien’s epic tale, Lord of the

Rings. Students often read the illustrated version

first and then are curious about the text only version.

Some will consciously compare the two, but inevitably

they read the whole mesmerizing series, which is the

ultimate fantasy saga of the triumph of good over

evil, right over might.

These are only a few examples of the titles I have shared with my students that they have

responded to with great pleasure. There are many, many others. You can find most any

genre in which your students are interested in the graphic novel format. You’ll find myths,

fables, legends, mystery/suspense, action/adventure, science fiction, fantasy, romance,

historical fiction, sports, humor, horror, and any number of non-fiction subjects including

biography, autobiography, history, science, math, music, art and world issues.

Many students are also fans of manga, which are Japanese comics. They are very prevalent

in Japan for pleasure reading, manuals and even textbooks. Most translations read from

right to left beginning at what we ordinarily think of as the back. The words have been

16

translated to English but the images have been left the way they were drawn. Flipping the

images over might diminish the visual impact.

In both of my schools I have witnessed reluctant readers get excited about comics and

graphic novels and have heard teachers marvel at how these students are reading not only

comics and graphic novels, but other texts as well.

Comics and graphic novels, like any other format, have multi-layers of meaning. They can be

enjoyed on the surface or deeply, depending on what the readers’ background and

experience is. Just as avid readers bring a deep understanding of literary devices and

allusions to other literature and derive much more from books than a novice, an avid comic

book or graphic novel reader brings a complex set of visual skills to the reading. And just as

text literacy skills are developed through study and practice so too are visual skills.

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott

McCloud is an excellent place to start to learn the

language. I recommend including it in your first

order of comics and graphic novels. I would love

to have a class set for middle years and beyond.

McCloud relates the history of sequential art,

explores a wide range of styles, and investigates

the full range of icons and imagery from realistic

to pictorial. It is a comprehensive rundown of the

dialect of comics for both creators and audience

conveyed through what else… sequential art.

17

Do We NEED Comics & GN in School Libraries? What does the literature say?

Does visualization impact reading comprehension?

The answer to this question is an overwhelming yes! Visualization impacts the motivation to

read tremendously. Without making mental pictures a great deal of understanding is lost.

Why do some kids have negative attitudes towards reading, find it boring, and not

remember the story or details? Both Beers (1996b) and Sadoski (1998) recognize that

visualization during reading has a significant effect on comprehension, memory, interest in

and aesthetic appreciation for texts. Many reluctant or non-readers are unable to form

metal pictures and need concrete images to aid their understanding. In Beers’ study

students repeatedly reported they liked illustrations. One student reported to Beers that

if there were no pictures, “I wouldn’t know what was happening” (1996b, ¶ 25). It is not

astonishing that students who do not visualize are not drawn into the text in a meaningful

way. They are not able to engage fully with the text and therefore are denied the very

personal emotional responses that motivate many of us to read. We should not be surprised

that they find it boring and don’t want to read. But visualization is a skill that can be

learned. Reading aloud to students of all ages gives them practice in making mental pictures

(Romano, 2006). Aliterate and avid readers alike enjoy being read to. Avid readers however

are satisfied with an excerpt, while reluctant readers want to listen to the whole book

(Beers, 1996b). “They described how the reader’s inflections, hand movements, and

explanations of what was happening helped them understand the story” (Beers, 1996b, ¶

28). After describing how his reading drew him into stories where he seemingly experienced

them first hand, Tom Romano shares,

Those adventures along with countless comic books, helped me to learn to make

mental pictures. It was the kind of literature that widened my eyes to other worlds.

18

It was the kind of literature that propelled me to a lifetime of reading. (Romano,

2006, ¶ 23)

Why is aesthetic response to texts important?

Beers found in her study that avid readers who were read to frequently as toddlers respond

aesthetically to texts and feel with the characters while,

uncommitted and unmotivated readers said their early childhood was quite

different, and their parents confirmed it. Some of the students recalled being read

aloud to ("maybe sometimes before bed") but said it was irregular and infrequent.

They did not look to books for entertainment. (Beers, 1996b, ¶ 10)

Beers continues to articulate that,

this lack of early immersion into literature not only delayed their movement into the

unconscious enjoyment stage, but it also meant they began their school years with

little aesthetic experience with books. They didn't approach any reading event

aesthetically, whether it was part of the curriculum or free reading. Instead, as

reading expert Louise Rosenblatt says, these students approach reading differently,

responding only ‘to the printed words. . . toward concepts to be retained, ideas to be

tested, actions to be performed after the reading.’ (Beers, 1996b, ¶ 11)

In summaries of a number of studies Krashen (2004a) and Worthy, Moorman, & Turner

(1999) report that when adolescents choose materials that truly interest them and read for

pleasure, the many benefits include gains in vocabulary, reading fluency, a greater effort,

motivation, and a more positive attitude towards reading. Allowing students to choose “light

reading” materials like comics or magazines not only leads to increased reading skills but

confidence as well. They also conclude that the increased confidence leads to tackling more

complex texts. When students experience success they are more likely to take risks.

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Do Schools Have What Kids Want to Read?

Norton (2003) found, “that middle school students ranked their classrooms as ‘one of the

least likely places’ to find the texts they want to read” (¶ 36). Although librarians

interviewed in Worthy’s 1996 study recognized the benefits of “light reading” most did not

have comics in their libraries due to concerns about expense, durability, and theft. Several

of the librarians keep comics behind the desk for use in the library only. And “one librarian

reasoned, ‘if they want them, their parents can buy them’ ” (Worthy, 1996, ¶ 51).

Several mentioned a willingness to purchase sets of comics, cartoon collections,

series books, and magazines that can only be checked out by teachers, who can

better monitor theft and loss. Students would have access to them for free reading

in school and perhaps would earn the privilege of checking them out to read at home.

(Worthy, 1996, ¶ 65)

Because many educators and the general public do not value comics and graphic novels

librarians are concerned that, “allowing light materials, particularly comic books and

magazines, to be read in school may raise eyebrows among some administrators and parents”

(Worthy, 1996, ¶ 62). Comics and Graphic Novels have become more accepted since 1996,

but I wonder how many school libraries have a good selection of them now? A very informal

survey of a handful of Canadian public school Online Public Access Catalogues revealed that

comics and graphic novels were either present in abundance or almost nonexistent in school

libraries. Conclusions that might be drawn from this are that the persons charged with the

responsibility for acquisitions were either knowledgeable about comics and graphic novels

and their benefits or unaware of them. How does your library measure up?

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Do those who choose not to read have any advantage over those who can’t?

Obviously we can’t answer yes to this question. The question must be how do we get these

kids to read? Choice of engaging materials, opportunity and access are the deciding factors

in whether or not reluctant readers will pick up a book (Beers, 1996b).

Personal interest is the most motivating factor in choosing to read and improving attitudes

towards reading (Beers, 1996b; Krashen, 2004a; Nippold, Duthie & Larsen, 2005; Worthy,

Moorman, & Turner, 1999; Worthy, 1996). Arizpe (2001) and Krashen (2004a) identify the

important role that intrinsic motivation plays in reading. No amount of cajoling is going to

get kids to read if they do not feel a sense of ownership, get to choose material they have a

genuine interest in, and do it because they want to.

We can however provide access to materials they are interested in and provide a place

where their interests are valued and respected. We can show an interest in what they

choose to read and what they think about it. Norton’s study with grade 5, 6, and 7 students

in the Vancouver area found, “children's reading preferences received little recognition or

validation from teachers or parents. The reading of chapter books, for example, was

considered a much more productive activity” and Norton concluded that, “in such a context,

children have little ownership of text, and hence little pleasure in school-authorized literacy

practices” (2003, ¶ 38). She also found that outside of school, “their goal in debating the

merits of characters, events, and stories is not to second-guess other interpretations and

critiques, but to draw on their own knowledge and experience to reflect, engage, and

defend” (Norton, 2003, ¶ 38).

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Krashen emphasizes that,

studies of in-school free reading are considered the gold standard for

demonstrating the effectiveness of recreational reading, because they include a

comparison group that engages in traditional instruction while the experimental

group does free voluntary reading. There are slightly different models of in-school

free reading (sustained silent reading, self-selected reading, extensive reading) but

they all have this in common: Students can read whatever they want to read (within

reason) and there is little or no accountability in the form of book reports or grades

(Krashen, 2004b, ¶ 6).

He further concludes that in his reviews of the research, ”that with very few exceptions,

students in these programs progress in reading at least as well as those in comparison

groups, and often do considerably better” (Krashen, 2004b, ¶ 7).

How can we motivate reluctant readers or aliterates?

As teachers and teacher-librarians, we are concerned that all kids get to know the joy of

reading for pleasure and for lifelong learning. But, most absent in our school libraries are

the materials that our reluctant readers choose. We must include the resources that

engage them in reading.

The research suggests that teacher-librarians should frequently consult students to ensure

that our libraries contain materials that young people want to read. Comics are materials

requested consistently by adolescents but persist in being unavailable in school libraries

(Beers, 1996b; Krashen, 2004a; Krashen, 2004b; Nippold, Duthie, & Larsen, 2005; Worthy,

Moorman, & Turner 1999; Worthy, 1996). “We need a better understanding of why it is that

educators are frequently dismissive of comics” (Norton, 2003, ¶ 40). Why do many of us

who read comics as children now regard them as trash? Have we forgotten the pure

22

pleasure of reading comics? Are we out of touch with popular culture? Do we believe that

comics prevented us from growing as readers?

Worthy’s 1996 study found that school librarians are concerned about negative attitudes

towards reading in middle school since most kids begin school with positive attitudes

towards reading (¶ 42). We want kids to read just for the joy of it.

When children become more confident as readers they will be more aware of

the ways deeper meanings are created. In the National Curriculum, there are

statements about texts at this stage becoming "more challenging" and "more

complex". It is a mistake to assume that these statements refer to a

"challenge" in terms of the number of words on a page. Clown [by Quentin

Blake], despite having no written text at all, is a very demanding read.

(Goodwin, n.d., ¶ 7)

We accept that picturebooks communicate that which cannot be communicated by words

alone to young children. Parents and teachers alike share them with children without

reservation. We accept, “that even the youngest children can interpret, comprehend and

communicate the visual—far beyond what they might be assumed to know” and understand

that children develop “deeper understanding through their visual explorations” (Arizpe &

Styles, 2003, p. 138). I think we also understand that picturebooks “capture children’s

hearts and as well as their minds” [and that] “the power of art to evoke emotions may be

the picturebook’s most significant contribution to children’s cognitive and aesthetic

understanding” (Kiefer, 1995, p. 12).

Many books that are now classified as graphic novels are included in primary and elementary

school library collections. If you check your elementary library catalogue there is a good

chance you will find a number of the following titles: The Old Joke Book by Janet and Allen

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Ahlberg; The Good Times Travel Agency: Adventures in… series by Linda Bailey; Nobody

Particular: One Woman's Fight to Save the Bays by Molly Bang; Clown by Quentin Blake;

Father Christmas, The Man, Puddleman, and The Snowman by Raymond Briggs; Four Pictures

by Emily Carr by Nicolas Debon; The Last Knight, The Princess and the Frog and Sundiata: A

Legend of Africa by Will Eisner; I Lost My Bear, Man in the Ceiling, and Meanwhile by Jules

Feiffer; Chips and Jessie by Shirley Hughes; The Broken Cat by Lynne Rae Perkins; Captain

Underpants by Dav Pilkey; Sparrowboy by Brian Pinkney; Puss in Boots, and Spring-Heeled

Jack by Philip Pullman; Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, and Brundibar by

Maurice Sendak; Master Man: A Tall Tale of Nigeria by Aaron Shepard; That’s Exactly the

Way it Wasn’t by James Stevenson; Sector 7, and Tuesday by David Weisner; and Bravo

Mr. William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Friends, King Arthur and the Knights of the

Round Table, Mr. William Shakespeare’s Plays, Tales from Shakespeare and others by

Marcia Williams.

But as children approach the middle and upper years these materials are not considered as

valuable to them. We tend to devalue images and expect that young adults will interact more

with the written word. We regard text only materials as more complex.

Sophisticated picture books are becoming more prevalent in middle and upper years

classrooms, yet comics and graphic novels are often thought of as frivolous and are not

included in great numbers in school libraries. They are generally not regarded as a literary

art form. There is a lack of knowledge about the depth and breadth of subject matter in

comics and graphic novels.

In Poisoning Children’s Culture: Comics and their critics Amy Kiste Nyberg asks,

What harm did educators find in comic books? An analysis of the criticism leveled

against comics shows that educators and librarians believed allowing children to read

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comics was harmful in two ways. First, educators argued that comic-book reading

hampered the development of reading skills and language use. Second, they believed

that children who read comics would find it difficult to appreciate better literature.

(Nyberg in Shurman & Johnson, 2002, p. 172)

We understand now that this is simply not the case. It’s through exposure to a broad

spectrum of literature and making comparisons within all formats that we learn to

appreciate quality and excellence.

Graphic novels offer value, variety, and a new medium for literacy that acknowledges

the impact of visuals. These novels appeal to young people, are useful across the

curriculum, and offer diverse alternatives to traditional texts as well as other mass

media. They can also promote literacy. (Schwartz, 2002, ¶ 3)

The reality is that comics and graphic novels get adolescents into the library and reading in

general. "The presence of comics in a junior high school library resulted in a dramatic 82%

increase in library traffic and a 30% increase in circulation of non-comic books" (Dorrell,

1981, p. 18).

How do we reverse negative attitudes towards reading?

We need to recognize and put an emphasis on personal, aesthetic, and emotional response to

text; to accept students’ choices of a wide variety of reading materials as appropriate and

to embrace the ownership and pleasure that makes reading engaging and meaningful to kids

(Beers, 1996b; Norton, 2003; Worthy, 1996; Worthy, Moorman, & Turner, 1999). In other

words we need to make materials that students enjoy to read accessible to them. We need

to accept the choice of reading materials that kids are making; trust them to choose what

they are ready for because reading leads to more reading which leads to better reading

ability (Krashen, 2004a; Worthy, Moorman, & Turner, 1999). Comics and graphic novels may

25

be considered “light reading” by some. There is in fact a wide spectrum of fiction genres

and non-fiction subjects that range from the frivolous to the momentous within the format.

Even if students are reading at the insubstantial end of the continuum Krashen asserts

that, “light reading is a bridge to heavier reading, that it supplies the competence necessary

to understand challenging texts” (2004b, ¶ 20).

Studies showing that reading enhances literacy development lead to what

should be an uncontroversial conclusion: Reading is good for you. The

research however supports a stronger conclusion: Reading is the only way,

the only way we become good readers, develop good writing style, an

adequate vocabulary, advanced grammatical competence, and the only way we

become good spellers. (Krashen, 2004b, p. 37)

Krashen continues to assert that we acquire language through free voluntary

comprehensible reading in a comfortable environment (2004b).

Why then do we persist in denying our most vulnerable students the pleasure of reading by

insisting they read chapter books and not valuing their choice of “light reading” including

comics, graphic novels and magazines? Kids are attracted to and not afraid to tackle

unconventional texts while adults who are unfamiliar with the formats may be

uncomfortable with them. The demands of working with adolescents include staying in touch

with current “kid culture” and becoming knowledgeable about their areas of interest. We

can give them what they want without compromising our professional judgment.

Who are the most vulnerable students?

Most vulnerable are our reluctant readers including boys and English as a second/an

additional language learners. “In the academic achievement assessments carried out by the

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) for a large international sample of

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15-year-olds, girls performed significantly better than boys on the reading test in all

countries and in all ten Canadian provinces” (Statistics Canada, 2002). It behooves us to pay

attention to what boys are motivated to read to ensure they are reading. In the Comic Book

Project, Bitz (2004) found the artistic-visual component also helped children with limited

English proficiency because it enabled them to convey their intended meanings and apply the

conventions of English afterward (¶ 20). ESL/EAL students benefit greatly from both

reading and producing comics. They were able to make meaning with the picture clues while

reading, to express ideas beyond their knowledge of English with images and, “according to

the instructors, these children's manuscripts and comic books represent more writing than

they had produced in English class throughout the entire school year” (Bitz, 2004, ¶ 41).

Nobel Prize winner Bishop Desmond Tutu recognized the value of comics and observed, “One

of the things I am very grateful to my father for is that, contrary to educational principles,

he allowed me to read comics. I think that is how I developed a love for English and for

reading” (Hill, 2004, p. 4). For immigrant children, “visuals become a kind of international,

universal language that brings meaning to an otherwise incomprehensible cacophony of

verbal expression” (Burmark, 2002, p. 3). Many of these children in our care, “have

emigrated from war-torn and economically ravaged countries. These children often use

visual images to communicate and process the trauma of their young lives” (Burmark, 2002,

p. 3). Comics have a universal appeal to all age and economic groups because the depth of

character development and story progression in comics generates a social commentary

reflective of our authentic life experience, our real language, culture and conflict (Davis,

1997). Picture a Sudanese refugee student reading the harrowing stories of orphaned

children’s journeys to safety in Echoes of the Lost Boys of Sudan with another student. Do

you think sharing a text only book would be as poignant?

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Who does the accessibility of comics and graphic novels benefit?

All students benefit from reading visual texts. "The primary literacy of the 21st century

will be visual: pictures, graphics, images of every kind... it's no longer enough to be able to

read and write. Our students must learn to process both words and pictures. They must be

able to move gracefully and fluently between text and images, between literal and figurative

worlds" (Burmark, 2002, p. 1). (see Appendix F for definitions of literacy for the 21st

century).

The need to learn to read visual images is an urgent one that exists at all

levels in our society. However, the place to begin teaching people how to

understand pictures is in our schools. Pictures exist all around us. We are

surrounded by them. Understanding pictures is a vital life-enriching

necessity--not to understand them is visual illiteracy. (Oring, 2000, ¶ 5)

We need to recognize that all “students need the skills and abilities to ‘read’ their multi-

media world and understand its many layers of messages” (Thoman & Jolls, 2005, p. 22) and

that “the development of students' visual literacy skills has a positive effect on reading

comprehension and provides students with a choice of modes in which to make sense of

their social and cultural contexts” (McPherson, 2004, ¶ 5). “Questions about the

relationship among visual and verbal information, memory, and learning date back to circa

500 B.C. when the poet Simonides said ‘Words are the images of things,’ and, when later,

Aristotle said ‘Without image, thinking is impossible’ (Benson, 1997, ¶ 2). The term visual

literacy was coined in 1969 by John Debes, but in 2006 do we fully understand its power?

While Reisland defines visual literacy as, “the ability to communicate and understand

through visual means” (2005, ¶ 4), Stokes elaborates to include the ability to both

“interpret images as well as to generate images for communicating ideas and concepts”

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(2002, ¶ 1). Like reading and writing “students must develop their visual abilities through

use” (Stokes, 2002, ¶ 8). (see Appendix G for definitions of visual literacy).

Why is this format important?

“Research confirms what educators had already known intuitively and reinforced

experientially: Combining visual images with written text can help students remember what

they read” (Burmark, 2002, p. 9). Thomsen conveys that, "visual communication is rich,

evocative, and immediate, and transcends barriers that language sometimes raises. When

pictures and words are used together to communicate, the result can be much greater than

either alone could produce" (Thomsen in Weiner, 1996, p. 8).

Words and pictures working together are more than the sum of their parts. The reader of

picture books, comics and graphic novels moves from the whole to details, back to the whole.

Readers turn their attention repeatedly back and forth between verbal and visual in a

widening assimilation of understanding (Arizpe & Styles, 2003). Lewis uses the term

interanimation which is defined as “the process by which, in composite texts ... the words

and images mutually influence one another so that the meaning of the words is understood in

light of what the pictures show, and vice versa” (2001, p. 169), while Arizpe and Stlyes call

this interaction a “multi-modal dynamic between image and text” (2003, p. 21). “Words and

images – the synergy is irrefutable. And the payoff is life-long” (Burmark, 2002, p. 6).

Will Eisner puts it best,

The format of the comic book presents a montage of both word and image, and the

reader is thus required to exercise both visual and verbal interpretive skills. The

regimens of art (eg. perspective, symmetry, brush stroke) and the regimens of

literature (eg. grammar, plot, syntax) become superimposed upon each other. The

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reading of the comic book is an act of both aesthetic perception and intellectual

pursuit. (Eisner, 1985, p. 8)

When trying to understand this concept I visualize words and images touching us, creating

ripples, expanding and intersecting, generating complex nuances. And this is merely on the

surface. Just imagine what is set in motion in the depths.

Why is visual literacy important?

“Not too long ago, an educated person was someone who knew how to read and write text.

Information was delivered at a manageable pace” (Friesen, 2003, ¶ 1). That time is gone

forever. Now, “literacy involves a complex set of abilities to understand and use the

dominant symbol systems of a culture for personal and community development” (Friesen,

2003, ¶ 2). The process of change is difficult and slow. “Because current literacy practices

embody and perpetuate rational thinking processes and values, opportunities for students to

benefit from artfully sensing and representing the world using alternative symbol systems

have been largely ignored” (Greene, 1997, ¶ 17). If students’ motivations and interests are

not captured they are not able to reach their potential. “Visualizations, nuances, layers of

meaning - all to be brought alive by readers willing to enter that world, with its wonders, its

questions, its injustices, its connections, its leaps of flame” (Greene, 1997, ¶ 49) are lost to

those who are aliterate. “Whether you call them nonreaders, literate nonreaders, reluctant

readers or aliterates, the group of people who can read but do not is large and growing”

(Beers, 1996a, ¶ 3).

Why not harness the power of visual images to teach students to read and write and

to comprehend and communicate across the curriculum? Why not teach visual

literacy as a means of preparing students for a life where a primary vehicle for

communication (the Internet) is based on a graphical interface and where the value

30

of a business is reflected in the quality of its visual representation? Why not take a

more visual project-based and constructivist approach to education, and encourage

students to illustrate, demonstrate, and celebrate what they learn in their own

creative ways, rather than regurgitating irrelevant, decontextualized facts on

impersonal, institutionalized, standardized tests. It’s time to let student’s values,

feelings, and achievements take center stage.” (Burmark, 2002, p. 102)

In as much as comics and graphic novels are a way into reading for young people who are

reluctant readers, so too does the format provide an accessible entry point into writing for

many of the same kids. But that is the subject of another paper and it has already been

written by Janette Combs. (see Appendix E for a short summary of the document).

Do we have an obligation to provide comics and graphic novels?

Many collection policies make reference to collecting a wide variety of formats or all

formats. What does your school or divisional/district policy say? Do collection policies need

to be more specific and mention comics and graphic novels? I believe we do have an

obligation to include this format in order to address the needs of our students. We simply

cannot afford to turn kids off by limiting their choices to materials that don’t speak to

them. The question should be, when we know that our students can benefit from including

this format that has been excluded for far too long, why aren’t we breaking down the doors

of our local comic shops to get them?

What has your experience been?

If you have a significant collection of comics and graphic novels in your library why not

share your experience with other teachers and teacher-librarians? Others would love to

hear how they have impacted your students. You may want to share you experiences on the

Graphic Novel ListServe (GNLib). If you haven’t begun yet, now is the time to get started.

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Have you read a comic or graphic novel lately? If you haven’t, pick up Maus: A survivor's

tale, My father bleeds history by Art Spiegel man, Persepolis: The story of a childhood by

Marjane Satrapi, Pedro & me: Friendship love and what I lost by Judd Winick, Clan apis by

Jay Hosler or Louis Riel: A comic strip biography by Chester Brown. I promise you will never

look at the comic book format in the same way again.

Have you shared a comic or graphic novel with a young person lately? Just watch their

enchantment as they become absorbed in the story.

Amy & Anna share…

The Puddleman by Raymond Briggs

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Baby Mouse: Queen of the World by Jennifer & Matthew Holm.

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Are you ready to exploit the power of visual images?

In an increasingly visual culture teachers and teacher-librarians can use graphic novels to

make the most of the way that kids entertain themselves, to foster learning about

alternative views of culture, history and human experience which in turn gives voice to

minorities and those with diverse viewpoints (Burmark, 2002, Schwartz 2002). While, "a

lack of visual literacy is as much a handicap as the inability to read or write" (Burmark,

2002, p. 7), the lack of motivation to engage with texts when fully capable is more

disheartening. We have an opportunity to draw in those students who are disenchanted with

reading because they have not found something that they can personally connect with. If we

deny our weakest and most vulnerable students the materials that they are able to delight

in we also deny them all of these skills that develop with reading. “While it may not be true

that everything that is good for you is pleasant, the most effective way of building literacy

happens to be the most pleasant” (Krashen, 2004b, p. 151).

How could you disagree with Norton’s pronouncement, “If educators ever find out what

constitutes the fantastic motivating power of comic books, I hope they bottle it and

sprinkle it around classrooms” (2003, ¶ 2). In the meantime let’s sprinkle comics and graphic

novels.

Be Brave! Take the next step…

Check out the resources on the following pages to begin or build on your collection!

I truly hope that if you have not made comics and graphic novels an important part of your

library collection that you will get started right away. Get kids what they want and need!

(see Appendix A for links to online resources, Appendix B for journals, and Appendix C for

books).

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Appendix A

Online Resources: Of course I would suggest beginning with my own web site:

It is organized with sections for parents, teens, teachers and teacher-librarians. The parent page has links to articles that are written for parents. The teen page includes links to information on how to read comics and GN, the vocabulary for discussing comics and GN and a How To for creating comics & GN as well as links to recommended titles. The teacher and teacher-librarian page includes links to a number of articles to help you select comics and graphic novels and lesson plans for working with comics and graphic novels. The link to frequently asked questions about comic books and graphic novels is a good place to begin to familiarize anyone who is new to the format. For more information on online reviews visit my virtual seminar on Graphic Novels: Online Reviews. Another good place to begin your journey into this wonderful world is Graphic Novels: Where to start? by Robin Brenner, Cary Memorial Library in Lexington, Massachusetts. Robin has developed an excellent review site no flying no tights for teens along with its sister sites sidekicks for kids and the lair for older teens and adults. Starting A Graphic Novel Collection: 5 Steps to Build A Graphic Novel Collection also complied by Robin Brenner has a number of tips to help you get started. Young Adult Library Services Association, Graphic Novels: Superheroes and Beyond lists a number of excellent titles. Comic Books for Young Adults: A Guide for Librarians by Michael Lavin, librarian, Lochwood Memorial Library includes the following topics: Do Comic Books Belong in Libraries?, Comic Book Formats, Collection Development Issues, Comic Book Publishers, Comic Book Genres, Recommended Comics, Trade Paper Backs and Graphic Novels, and Internet Resources Graphic Novels in the Elementary School by Barbara Markwell Fiehn, Assistant Professor, Educational Technology, Northern Illinois University Research and Assessment includes a bibliography of graphic novels for elementary students, background reading and tips for selecting elementary graphic novels. The Secret Origin of Good Readers a resource book for using comic books and graphic novels in classrooms edited by Robin A. Hill, Ph.D. with contributions by teacher Kristine Rodriguez, artist Richard Jenkins, and others was presented at the 2004 San Diego Comic-Con International. Comic Book Reading, Reading Enjoyment, and Pleasure Reading Among Middle Class and Chapter I Middle School Students (1996) by Joanne Ujiie and Stephen D. Krashen compares the comic book reading and pleasure reading of students from middle class and lower socio-economic communities. Diamond Bookshelf Reviews by Kat Kan, Young Adult Librarian/Consultant and Comic Fan Getting Graphic at the School Library by Kat Kan April/May 2003 Library Media Connection

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Cataloguing Graphic Novels by Kat Kan Kat Kan’s column, Graphically Speaking in Voice of Youth Advocates:

Showing Anime in the Library (VOYA, April 2002) Titles Too Good to Miss by Kat Kan (VOYA, February 2004) More All Ages Fun by Kat Kan (VOYA, December, 2004) The Anime-ted Library by Kat Kan & Kristen Fletcher-Spear (VOYA, April 2005) Sports and Games by Kat Kan (VOYA, June 2005)

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Appendix B

Journals

Steve Raiteri's reviews of graphic novels in Library Journal (bimonthly)

Steve Weiner’s "Graphic Novel Roundup" in School Library Journal.

Philip Crawford's "Thought Bubbles" in Knowledge Quest.

Graphic novel review section in The Booklist.

Kat Kan's "Graphically Speaking" in Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA).

Issues entirely devoted to graphic novels:

School Library Journal, August 2002

The Booklist, February 1, 2003 Volume 99 Issue 11

The Booklist, February 1, 2004 Volume100 Issue 11

Many of these are also available online from ProQuest Education Journals database.

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Appendix C

Books

Most of the following resources are linked to further information about them.

Graphic Novels Now: Building, Managing and Marketing a Dynamic Collection by Francisca Goldsmith.

The most recent book published on the subject is a must have. Both School Library Journal and Booklist reviews rave about it. It is short and to the point, includes a short theoretical discussion, terminology, brief history of graphic novels, publishers list, a selected bibliography and support for the inclusion of graphic novels in your collection. It’s got all the nitty gritty little details you need to create, maintain and promote your graphic novel collection. It’s a handy resource that we need in our libraries to support this critically acclaimed and popular format.

Going Graphic: Comics at Work in the Multilingual Classroom by Stephen Cary

Provides the theory and research behind how comics support ESL/EAL learning and many practical suggestions for using comics in the second language classroom to motivate all students to read. It’s a great resource for ESL/EAL and classroom teachers. The whole of Chapter 2 is available in pdf format online.

Graphic Novels: Everything You Need to Know by Paul Gravett.

A useful resource for building a high school graphic novel collection. Paul Gravett discusses 30 graphic novels that have spoken to him. He includes full page spreads of the works he recommends. He also proposes other titles that would be of interest if one of his core suggestions strikes a chord with you.

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Developing and Promoting Graphic Novel Collections by Steve Miller

Graphic Novels in Your Media Center: A Definitive Guide by Allyson A. W. Lyga & Barry Lyga

Getting Graphic! Using Graphic Novels to Promote Literacy with Preteens and Teens by Michelle Gorman

Graphic Novels: A Bibliographic Guide to Book-length Comics by D. Aviva Rothschild

The 101 Best Graphic Novels by Stephen Weiner

Graphic Novels 101: Selecting and Using Graphic Novels to Promote Literacy for Children and Young Adults: A Resource for School Librarians and Educators by Philip Charles Crawford

These nine books are excellent resources for becoming more familiar with the extensive width and breadth of comics and graphic novels in order to make the best choices for your school library. Every school district or division needs these in their professional collection.

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Comics & Sequential Art: Principles & Practice of the World's Most Popular Art Form! by Will Eisner

Graphic Storytelling: The Definitive Guide to Composing a Visual Narrative by Will Eisner

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud This is an excellent resource for middle and high school students as well as teachers.

Must haves by the prolific author who is considered the grandfather of comics and graphic novels.

These resources are excellent for learning the language of comics and graphic novels. “Visual literacy is a learned skill, not an intuitive one. It doesn’t just happen”. One becomes visually literate by studying the techniques used to create images, learning the vocabulary of shapes and colours, identifying the characteristics of an images that give it meaning, and developing the cognitive skills necessary to interpret or create the ideas that inform an image.” (Burmark, 2002, Preface, p. V)

The Education of a Comics Artist Edited by Michael Dooley and Steven Heller

Writing and Illustrating the Graphic Novel: Everything You Need to Know to Create Great Graphic Works by Mike Chinn

The Bristol Board Jungle by Bob Pendarvis & Mark Kneece

These three resources are great for people who want to know more about writing comics and graphic novels in school or as a career.

39

The Great Women Cartoonists by Trina Robbins

The Great Women Superheroes by Trina Robbins

From Girls to Grrrlz A History of Comics from Teens to Zines by Trina Robbins

These are must have resources to get a sense of how women contributed to the history of comics and continue to create comics and graphic novels in the present.

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: The Rise of the Graphic Novel by Stephen Weiner

Comics: Between the Panels by Steve Duin & Mike Richardson

Comics, Comix & Graphic Novels: A History of Comic Art by Roger Sabin

These three resources will help teachers and teacher-librarians to become acquainted with the historical background and development of comics and graphic novels.

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Appendix D Selected Annotated Bibliography of the Research Literature Beers, K. (1996a). When kids can’t read, what teachers can do: A guide for teachers 6-12.

Part 1. School Library Journal. 42(2) 30-33. Retrieved February 23, 2006, from Ebscohost: Academic Search Premier database. http://search.epnet.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=9603293066

Dormant, uncommitted and unmotivated -- three types of reluctant or aliterate readers (kids who can but don’t read) are identified by observing two grade seven classes for one year in Beers’ study. Beers, K. (1996b). No time, no interest, no way! The three voices of aliteracy. Part 2. School

Library Journal. 42(3) 110-113. Retrieved February 23, 2006, from Ebscohost: Academic Search Premier database. http://search.epnet.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=9603194044

Beers gains insight into the attitudes of dormant, uncommitted and unmotivated readers and suggests ways to reengage them in reading through aesthetic connections with texts. Bitz, M. (2004). The comic book project: Forging alternative pathways to literacy. Journal

of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. 47(7) 574-586. Retrieved February 22, 2006, from ProQuest Education Journals database. http://proquest.umi.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/pqdweb?did=619137141&sid=1&Fmt=4&clientId=12301&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Bitz employed the motivating popular format, the comic book to engage kids in exploring their life experiences in reading and writing. New York inner-city kids produced 8 page full color comic books and made great strides in writing. Krashen, S. (2004). The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. 2nd ed. Englewood,

CO: Libraries Unlimited. The Research, The Cure and Other Issues and Conclusions are the three sections this book is broken down into. Krashen conveys that free voluntary reading has a significant impact on both native English speakers and ESL learners and that the best way to support reading is by providing access to engaging reading materials. Comic books, graphic novels, and other “light reading” materials are investigated and revealed to be a conduit that “provides both the motivation for more reading and linguistic competence that makes harder reading possible.” (p. 116) He concludes that intrinsic motivation is powerful while extrinsic motivation does not improve reading achievement or attitudes towards reading. Research from a number of countries and over a number of years supports Krahsen’s assertion that free voluntary reading is the most effective route to increase a child’s reading, writing, spelling, and comprehension ability.

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Nippold, M., Duthie, J., & Larsen, J., (2005). Literacy as a leisure activity: Free-time preferences of older children and young adolescents. Language, Speech & Hearing Services in Schools. 36(2) 93-103. Retrieved February 22, 2006 from ProQuest Education Journals database. http://proquest.umi.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/pqdweb?did=832083611&sid=1&Fmt=4&clientId=12301&RQT=309&VName=PQD

The authors explore the free-time choices of older children and young adolescents that compete with reading as a leisure-time activity. Reading was found to be only somewhat popular, behind listening to music, watching TV or videos, playing sports, and playing computer video games. The most prevalent reading materials chosen were magazines, novels, and comics. Worthy, J., Moorman, M., & Turner, M. (1999). What Johnny likes to read is hard to find in

school. Reading Research Quarterly. 34(1), 12-27. Retrieved February 22, 2006, from ProQuest Education Journals database. http://proquest.umi.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/pqdweb?did=39057384&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=12301&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Research conducted with three grade six classes in an economically and ethnically diverse community highlights the importance of access to materials of interest to motivate reading and therefore improve reading skill and attitudes towards reading. Reading preferences found included scary books and stories, comics and cartoons, magazines about popular culture, and books and magazines about sports, drawing books, books and magazines about cars and trucks, series books, funny books, and books about animals. There were more similarities than differences found among boys and girls of high and low income, reading attitudes and achievement. Preferred reading materials were obtained from stores or their homes rather than school libraries and classrooms. Teachers and librarians confirmed that access to preferred materials was limited in school libraries and classrooms. Worthy, J. (1996). Removing barriers to voluntary reading for reluctant readers: The role

of school and classroom libraries. Language Arts. 73(7) 483-492. Retrieved March 8, 2006 from ProQuest Education Journals database. http://proquest.umi.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/pqdweb?did=10375699&sid=5&Fmt=3&clientId=12301&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Access to materials of choice is crucially important for encouraging voluntary reading. Worthy suggests that teachers and librarians work together to improve student access to materials of their own choosing and to provide regular opportunities for meaningful pleasure reading in school.

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Appendix E

Selected Annotated Bibliography of the Professional Literature

Asselin, M., Branch, J., & Oberg, D. (Eds.). (2003). Achieving information literacy: Standards for school library programs in Canada. Ottawa, ON: Canadian School Library Association and Association for Teacher- Librarianship in Canada.

This book is a Canadian handbook for developing school library programs to support students’ full participation in a learning community that embraces Canadian culture. It advocates learning centres for life-long learning, active learning environments, libraries as gateways to the world of diverse global perspectives, resource-based learning, and collaborative teaching and learning. It provides information literacy outcomes and standards for management, staffing, collections, facilities, and information technology, complete with tables to assess the present program. It defines the roles of all the key players that contribute to an effective library program. It is complete with appendices linking library programs to student achievement, sample evaluation checklists, competencies for teacher-librarians, and the UNESCO School Library Manifesto. And it recognizes the importance of aesthetic appreciation and representation. Biebrich, J. (2006). What parents, teens, teachers and librarians want to know about comics

and graphic novels! Retrieved February 28, 2006 from Web site: http://www.informationgoddess.ca/Comics&GraphicNovels/index.htm

The Cooperative Children’s Book Center, Library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison describes it: “this terrific site created by a Canadian teacher-librarian offers targeted information for each audience (parents, teens, teachers/librarians) along with faqs, recommended titles, and links. A great starter site for those interested in graphic novels.” (CCBC) Combs, J. (2003). Creating comics: Visual and verbal thinking in the ultimate show and tell.

Retrieved July 4, 2006 from: http://www.wm.edu/education/599/pdffiles/combsproject.pdf

This resource developed as a Masters project extols the benefits of creating comics in the classroom. It recognizes the benefits of visual–verbal connections, the impact of visualization as an entry point for storytelling, that visualization techniques are applicable to every step in the writing process, that visualization develops self-efficacy in writing, and that students gain insight into themselves and the writing process through visualization. “Using creating comics as an approach to the writing process can provide more accessible entry points than more traditional approaches” (p. 13). Traditional education favours verbal expression at the expense of visual. There are many concrete suggestions for developing communication skills through the use of sequential art.

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McCloud, S. (1994).Understanding comics: The invisible art. New York, NY: HarperPerennial. This is the definitive guide to and analysis of the comic medium and visual communication. Will Eisner called it “a landmark dissection and intellectual consideration of comics as a valid medium. Its employment of comic art as its vehicle is brilliant. Everyone...anyone interested in this literary form must read it. Every school teacher should have one.” McPherson, K. (2004). Multiplying literacies in school libraries. Teacher Librarian, 32(1),

60-62. Retrieved January 22, 2006 from ProQuest Education Journals database. http://proquest.umi.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/pqdweb?did=699223341&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=12301&RQT=309&VName=PQD

The author explores the implications for libraries and teacher-librarians of an expanded conception of literacy education which includes visual literacy among other new literacies. The term multiple literacies is used to connote conveyance and discovery of meaning from a variety of symbol systems. McPherson, K. (2004). Visual literacy and school libraries. Teacher Librarian, 32(2), 58-59.

Retrieved January 22, 2006 from ProQuest Education Journals database. The author advocates for and suggests ways to improve teacher, teacher-librarian visual literacy skills and how to create more opportunities for students to view and represent. Miller, S. (2005). Developing and Promoting Graphic Novel Collections. New York, NY: Neal-

Schuman Publishers. This is a comprehensive overview of graphic novels which includes an annotated list of core titles to begin a graphic novel collection. Miller covers how graphic novels have evolved, how they are categorized and the multitude of genres this format encompasses, as well as acquisition, cataloguing and collection maintenance matters. He also addresses display and promotion to draw teens into the library. Schwarz, G. (2002). Graphic novels for multiple Literacies. [Electronic version]. Journal of

Adolescent & Adult Literacy. 46(3), 262-265. Retrieved February 15, 2006, from Proquest Education Journals database: http://proquest.umi.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/pqdweb?did=224330201&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=12301&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Graphic novels offer a diverse alternative to traditional texts that appeal to young people and are useful across the curriculum. They are recognized as a valuable new medium for literacy.

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Appendix F

Definitions of Literacy for the 21st Century Literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and communicate messages in a variety of forms. (Hobbs, 1998, ¶ 7) “The Theoretical conception of literacy is undergoing a metamorphosis. Where it once meant an ability to read and write, often to some arbitrary level (grade 4 perhaps), society now demands both more sophisticated ability in traditional print text (words on the page) and also the skills of other sign systems such as visuals.” (Begoray, 2002, p. 5) “The primary literacy of the 21st Century will be visual; pictures, graphs, images of every kind. Engineering, architecture, computer trades, health care professions, even jobs as pedestrian as cooking fries at McDonald’s (now done with sophisticated robotics) all require visual literacy. It’s no longer enough to be able to read and write. Our students must be able to move gracefully and fluently between text and images, between literal and figurative worlds.” (Burmark, 2002, p. 1)

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Appendix G

Definitions of Visual Literacy

“By its nature it defies exactitude, but in defining it, I and others borrow from the accepted definition of verbal literacy: the ability to speak, read, and write a language. Visual literacy involves an integration of critical viewing with critical thinking such that a visually literate person can identify, analyze, interpret, evaluate and produce visual messages. (Debes in Braden, Beauchamp, & Baca, 1990, p. 171.) The following list demonstrates how our understanding of visual literacy has evolved. “Visual Literacy refers to a group of vision competencies a human being can develop by seeing and at the same time having and integrating other sensory experiences. The development of these competencies is fundamental to normal human learning. When developed, they enable a visually literate person to discriminate and interpret the visual actions, objects, symbols, natural or man-made, the he encounters in his environment. Through the creative use of these competencies he is able to communicate with others. Through the appreciative use of these competencies, he is able to comprehend and enjoy the masterworks of visual communication.” (Debes, 1969, p. 27) “To be visually literate is to be able to gain meaning from what we see and to be able to communicate meaning to others through the images we create.” (Braden & Walker, 1980, p. 1) “Visual literacy is the active reconstruction of past visual experience with incoming visual messages to obtain meaning.” (Sinatra, 1986, p. 5) “The ability to ‘read’, interpret and understand information presented in pictorial or graphic images.” (Wileman, 1993, p. 114) Massaris tells us that “visual literacy is a prerequisite for the comprehension of visual media” which encompasses, “familiarity with visual conventions that a person acquires through cumulative exposure to visual media.” He explains that, “the cognitive skills that are brought into play in the interpretation of television and other visual media may be applicable to other intellectual tasks as well.” He expands to include that these skills “make the viewer more aware of how meaning is created visually -– and therefore less likely to be taken in by” visual manipulation. He contends that,”knowing how visual effects are achieved may lessen the vicarious thrills we might otherwise derive from visual media, but such knowledge is self-evidently a prerequisite for the evaluation of artistic skill.” (1994, p. 3) I disagree with this last contention. I believe that the more we internalize visual literacy skills the deeper connection we can make with visual texts and the more we can live vicariously through them.

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Maria Avgerinou and John Ericson did an excellent review of the concept of visual literacy in 1997. It can be accessed at: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1111/1467-8535.00035 Just click on the pdf button. “A group of acquired competencies for interpreting and composing visual messages. A visually literate person is able to (a) discriminate, and make sense of visual objects as part of a visual acuity, (b) create static and dynamic visual objects effectively in a defined space, (c) comprehend and appreciate the visual testaments of others, and (d) conjure up images in the mind’s eye.” (Brill, Kim & Branch, 2001, p. 9)

“Visual literacy is the ability to interpret, use, appreciate, and create images and video using both conventional and 21st century media in ways that advance thinking, decision making, communication, and learning.”

“Students Who Are Visually Literate:

Have Working Knowledge of Visuals Produced or Displayed through Electronic Media

• Understand basic elements of visual design, technique, and media. • Are aware of emotional, psychological, physiological, and cognitive influences in

perceptions of visuals. • Comprehend representational, explanatory, abstract, and symbolic images.

Apply Knowledge of Visuals in Electronic Media

• Are informed viewers, critics, and consumers of visual information. • Are knowledgeable designers, composers, and producers of visual information. • Are effective visual communicators. • Are expressive, innovative visual thinkers and successful problem solvers.”

(21st Century Skills) http://www.ncrel.org/engauge/skills/vislit.htm

“Visual Literacy is a learned skill, not an intuitive one. It doesn’t just ‘happen.’ One becomes visually literate by studying the techniques used to create images, learning the vocabulary of shapes and colors, identifying the characteristics of an image that give it meaning, and developing the cognitive skills necessary to interpret or create the ideas that inform an image, be it a television show, photograph, painting, chart, graph, advertisement, PowerPoint slide, animated GIF, or monster movie. It takes work, study and practice.” (Burmark, 2002, preface, p. V)

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Appendix H Definitions of Comics and Graphic Novels Comics and Graphic Novels are a format, not a genre. The term Graphic novel is not particularly accurate. In fact it’s kind of a misnomer since it encompasses nonfiction. It is important to draw the distinction between comics and comic books. Comics is the medium for telling stories through sequential art. Comic books are thin, magazine type, often serial, publications with glossy covers. They do not have ISBNs. “comics n. plural in form used with a singular verb: juxtaposed pictorial or other images in deliberate sequence intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer.” (McCloud, 1994, p. 9) For an easy read that explains the ins and outs of comics check out Robin Brenner’s What’s the deal? definitions page: http://www.noflyingnotights.com/sidekicks/what.html#definitions Jessica Abel’s What is a “graphic novel”? poster shows and tells what a graphic novel is and how to read one. http://www.artbomb.net/comics/introgn.jsp In her new book Graphic Novels Now: Building, Managing, And Marketing a Dynamic Collection, Francisca Goldsmith calls them "fully extended literary works published in a medium that combines text and image to present a narrative" (2005, p. 25). “Unlike the cartoon, comic strip, or comic book, the graphic novel is complete within itself and provides a beginning, a middle and an end to the story or information it places before the reader. However, it shares the earmarks of sequential art that comic books incorporate: image and word are bound together in order for the narrative to unfold.” (Goldsmith, 2005, p. 25) She also differentiates between cartoon, cartooning, comic strip, comic book, comic strip album, and defines manga, superheroes, role playing and nonfiction.

Hear Stephen Weiner describe graphic novels, their history, defend their literary merit, and share classic titles at: http://nigelbeale.com/?p=287Scroll down and click on “listen now”.

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Graphic Novels Discussed in Text

Alborough, G. (2000). Hug. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Blackley, K. & Hawley, A. (2002). Buster’s Neighborhood: Kid comet vs. the agents of doom.

Toronto, ON: Mutant Toast Productions.

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Burleigh, R. (2002). Into the air: The story of the Wright brother’s first flight. San Diego, CA:

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Dini, P. & Ross, A. (1998). Superman: Peace on earth. New York, NY: DC Comics.

Dini, P. & Ross, A. (2000). Shazam!: Power of hope. New York, NY: DC Comics.

Gownley, J. (2003). Amelia rules! The whole world's crazy. New York, NY: ibooks.

Gownley, J. (2005). Amelia rules! What makes you happy. New York, NY: ibooks.

Gownley, J. (2005). Amelia rules! Super heroes. New York, NY: ibooks.

Hosler. J. (2000). Clan apis. Columbus, OH: Active Synapse.

Kunkel, M. (2005). Herobear and the kid: The inheritance. Taluca Lake, CA: Astonish Comics.

Maddux, M. (2000). Loch: Facing the future. Houston, TX: Penny-Farthing Press.

Maddux, M. (2001). Loch: The knowledge journey. Houston, TX: Penny-Farthing Press.

Maddux, M. (2002). Loch: Discovery. Houston, TX: Penny-Farthing Press.

Masereel, F. (1985). Passionate journey. San Francisco, CA: City Lights. (Reprint of 1926

edition)

McCloud, S. (1993). Understanding comics: The invisible art. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Miyazaki, H. (2004). Nausicaä of the valley of the wind. San Francisco, CA: Viz.

Robbins, T. & Timmins, R. (2002). GoGirl! Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Comics.

Sakai, S. (2004). Usagi Yojimbo: Book one. Seattle, WA: Fantagraphics Books.

Satrapi, M. (2003). Persepolis: The story of a childhood, Toronto, ON: Random House.

Smith, J. (2004). Bone: One volume edition. Columbus, OH: Cartoon Books.

Spiegelman, A. (1986). Maus I: A survivor's tale: My father bleeds history. Toronto, ON:

Random House.

Spiegelman, A. (1991). Maus II: A survivor's tale: And here my troubles began. Toronto,

ON: Random House.

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Tolkien, J. (1989). Adapted by Dixon, C. The Hobbit. Toronto, ON: Random House.

Torres, J. (2002). Alison Dare: Little miss adventures. Portland, OR: Oni Press.

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Image Credits

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Society Web site: http://www.fumetti.org/notizie/2000/11/yellfet2.gif

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Author Note Janice Leigh Biebrich has been teaching in middle years since 1988. She has worked with at risk youth for a number of those years. Her career as a teacher-librarian was launched three years ago when she began her Master of Education Program through the Teacher-Librarian by Distance Learning program (largely online) at the University of Alberta. She is employed by the River East Transcona School Division in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In addition to working with middle years kids, for the first time this year she has delighted in working with elementary kids. Janice is past-president of the River East Transcona Teacher-librarian Association and President of the Manitoba School Library Association. She also sits on the Canadian Association for School Libraries - Presidents Advisory Council. She contributes as a member of the River East Transcona School Division (RETSD) Middle Years Social Studies Curriculum Steering Committee, the RETSD Centralized Cataloguing Committee and the RETSD Library Handbook Committee. She has been married for 32 years to Rowdy Roddy. They have two adult daughters, Jennifer and Tamara, and two fabulous sons-in-law, Neil and Michael. Her home page is information goddess.ca She has several Web sites she posts and maintains including: Comics & Graphic Novels Canadian Literature for Young People Portfolios She has a library calendar online that anyone interested in libraries may add library related events or information to. For more information about Janice see her CV.

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I’ve got YOU in my sights!

Better get moving!