Graphic Novels Get Boys to Love Reading
Research has found that graphic novels address the needs of multiple learning styles and that the visualizations help readers to understand the story first and the text after.
Journal of Classroom Research in Literacy
My son is an example of how graphic novels help to solidify the concept that reading is fun! This collection of graphic novels are all books he loves.
My favorite graphic novel is the mystery series Max Finder. You have to use both the words and images to solve the short mysteries — about 5 pages each and they’re hard! What are your favorite graphic novels? Please share!
Day 1: ABCs of Graphic Novels, A-E
Day 2: ABCs of Graphic Novels, F-J
Day 3: ABCs of Graphic Novels, K-O
Day 4: ABCs of Graphic Novels: P-T
Day 5: ABCs of Graphic Novels: U-Z
K is for Knights of the Lunch Table: No. 1 (The Dodgeball Chronicles) by Frank Cammuso.
L is for Lunch Lady series by Jarrett Krosocka. His name is impossible to spell. His graphic novels are fun to read. In fact, the Lunch Lady is in development to become a movie with Amy Poehler! Lunch ladies as super heroes?! Oh yes!
M is for Max Finder mystery graphic novel series. Clues are in the form of words and images and each mystery is only 5 pages long! A clever use of graphic novels to get reluctant readers reading!
N is for Ninjago, The Challenge of Samukai by Gregg Farshtey and Paulo Henrique. Are your kids into Ninjago? Ninjago Legos. Ninjago chapter books. Ninjago animated cartoon. And now Ninjago graphic novel. My house overflows with Ninjago. And to think I had no idea what Ninjago was a year ago. Silly mommy!
O is for The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future by Dav Pikey. My son is a huge fan of Dav Pikey and this is his latest discovery! Kung-Fu and time travel. A winning combination for little boys!
O is also for Odd Friendships as in Bird and Squirrel on the Run. Bird is carefree. Squirrel is paranoid. When Squirrel loses his nut store, they end up on the run to get away from Cat. This cute graphic novel has girl and boy appeal for kids ages 7 and up.
More great posts from the Kid Bloggers Network on THE ABC’S OF…
- Books for Preschoolers from Mommy and Me Book Club
- Building a Home Library from Ready Set Read!
- Early Language Learning from Playing with Words 365
- Early Literacy from Playdough to Plato
- Exploring Books from JDaniel4’s Mom
- Graphic Novels from Pragmatic Mom
- Learning to Read Through Play from Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
- Learning to Write from NurtureStore
- Reading Comprehension for Pre K-Grade 1 from The Wise Owl Factory
- Storytelling from A Mom with a Lesson Plan
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Pinned to Learn to Read! I agree these books give the reader a great deal of satisfaction and a feeling of success. Success helps a reader have more success! I always thought church was fun and I’m sure my sister went for the cookie (our mom didn’t bake much). I’m glad you had reading there as a motivation!
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks so much for pinning! I’m excited to find books that motivate kids to read and I’ve witnessed it myself with my son. He discovered graphic novels as a new independent reader and would seek them out to read. We made many, many trips to the library for just this tiny section of books. He’d get a few, have no interest in any other books, and we’d check them out and leave. Now, a year later, that solid foundation of reading and liking to read, has set him up so that he is reading chapter books. We also read a lot of hybrid graphic novels (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Alvin Ho, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda etc.) in between. Now, he’s racing through Percy Jackson.
I’m so glad you’re writing the ABCs of graphic novels! My 5yo really likes them, and I never had much exposure to them!
Hi MaryAnne,
There are so many great graphic novels for 5-year-olds!! It’s great he likes them. I feel like it sets him up to be a lifelong reader! It’s working for my son who is 8.
There is Ook and Gluk! Also want to check out the short mysteries and the Lunch Lady! You know what impresses me about these… The ART! They are so talented and honestly I don’t know how they have the endurance!!!
Hi Ann,
Max Finder mysteries is one of our favorites!! And we love the Lunch Lady series. Jarrett is from MA and RISD too so you also have that connection!
Graphic novels, the older siblings of comic books (and what monthly issues of comic books, once bound together sometimes grow to be) are an excellent way to get kids–not just boys!–reading. It worked for my oldest and I know many adults who started this way, too.
Kara L. from my LinkedIn Group Moms on the Job
Yes! I agree! It’s just too bad that the graphic novel genre slants towards boys. There are some good ones for girls but so many more choices for boys! My girls discovered graphic novels later (ages 8 and up) but love them too! They didn’t need graphic novels to coax them to read but enjoy them as entertainment.
As a teacher, I have witnessed the value of graphic novels. I have seen my share of reluctant readers and have allowed them to read almost anything when they are given time for silent, independent reading – posters in the classroom, baseball cards, you name it – and I would certainly support graphic novels in the classroom.
I must admit I have never read one but I have scanned many. I like the idea that there are graphic novels based on classics, including Shakespearean plays. We have always been told that Shakespeare should be heard and not read, but I think the visuals in graphic novels based on his plays would count as another way of stimulating readers.
Hi Randy,
Please let me know how kids like classics such as Shakespeare as a graphic novel. The images help tell the story and the reader needs to use inferencing to comprehend which is the power of graphic novels.
It sounds like you really try to make reading fun for kids by letting them reading anything for independent reading. I think your attitude is wonderful! What grade do you teach? I can give you some of our very favorite graphic novel titles for your class library.