Graphic Novels - A Whole New World

A teacher friend came up to me and asked if I had any book suggestions for her son. She told me that her son can read (and reads well) but he just hates it.  It sounded like she had exhausted everything that she knew to try and peak his interest.  A few days later, our school librarian does a lesson on the genre Graphic Novels.  Maybe it's just me, but when I hear the phrase "graphic novel" my mind jumps to comic-strip books that are typically dripping with aliens, monsters, and blood (sometimes all in the same book) and that all the nerdy boys would read on the bus ride home from school.  So, when the librarian told the kids that they would be spending the lesson looking at and reading these "graphic novels" my stomach did a flip.  Was she serious?  I don't consider myself a children's book expert by any means, but did I miss something here????  Yes, apparently I've missed something big.  I've been missing an entire genre that has made a BOLD resurgence. 

As my students read through and traded the graphic novels that the librarian picked out for them, I did a little perusing myself.  I was truly blown away at the amount of books and the types of books that have been turned into graphic novels.  It wasn't until I sat down to do more research for this blog that I realized how big this genre was...and I had NO CLUE it was out there.  There are graphic biographies, graphic classics, graphic science, graphic for girls, graphic invention and discovery, graphic history...and the list goes on. 

Here are just a few (as in a drop in the bucket) of the graphic novels that I found on available on Amazon.  All of these are suggested for the age groups of 6 and up (some are 8 and up).  If you have a boy (or a girl-although there seem to be a lot less geared towards girls) who just doesn't enjoy reading, try checking a few of these out. **Please Note: I have not read the majority of these books and do not take responsibility of their content.  That responsibility lies with you, the parent, to preview them before your child does!

I thought I'd start with a classic series.  I would read these books ALL.THE.TIME as a kid.  I don't know why....but I loved them.  Apparently they are making a comeback as well.  Our library has several different copies.  All it took was me saying that I read those books as a kid and my students were pulling them off the shelves.  The girls seem to really like them...more than the boys, at least.

Graphic Biographies

Graphic History

Graphic Science

Graphic Sport Illustrated Kids

Graphic Muppet...yes, I said it.

Graphic Nancy Dew and Graphic The Hardy Boys

Graphic Boxcar Children

Graphic Novels that would appeal to girls

Graphic Inventions and Discoveries

Graphic Tall Tales

Just a few random ones...I have one of the "Knights of the Lunch Table" series in my class library. The boys seem to like it a lot.

Graphic Classics

 So there you have it!!  I could have posted SEVERAL other covers...but I need to save room on my computer for more pictures of my adorable niece!!


**All images are from  www.amazon.com