| Young Adult Literature and Multimedia—Resources |
What's Hot and What's Not?
By Cynthia Norberg, M.L.I.S.
Librarian, Jack London Middle School Wheeling, IL.
Ask a teen and they can tell you exactly what is hot and what is not. Today¹s tech savvy teens are connected to one another in many ways; their community is global. Books, magazines, blogs, websites, music, cell phones, movies and television keep teens tuned in to the latest trends and happenings and they want to be a part of it. During adolescence the peer group strongly influences individual interests and reading is no exception. A book series or format can become the ³it² thing just by being in the hands of the ³it² crowd. What¹s happening on the Internet, television and the movies can create a frenzy of ³me too² behaviors. The Manga invasion in movies, television, books, and magazines as well as the more story-lined trend in video games has ushered in a new hunger for the graphic novel format, leaving libraries that service teens struggling to catch up. School librarians are looking at their collection development policies and trying to figure out where the graphic novel format fits in.
Making a case for the graphic novel in school libraries is easier than many school librarians believe. According to Gretchen Schwartz, a professor at Oklahoma State University, who has studied the educational benefits of graphic novels, she believes that graphic novels ³have substance in terms of the story, theme, information, and make you think.² (Galley, 2004) Her research and that of others is dispelling the myth of the graphic novel as junk. The graphic novel format also benefits visual learners. Brain research shows that approximately eight percent of students cannot visualize during reading, they cannot turn the words into pictures in their heads. The sequential art of the graphic novel assists these students in visualizing the story, aiding comprehension. (Lyga, 2007) Reluctant readers and English language learners can often be enticed to try a graphic novel because of the use of pictures, it¹s seemingly shorter length, and the desire to have one of the ³hot² books everyone else is reading. The Bone series by Jeff Smith and Electric Girl by Michael Brennan are examples of current hot titles for middle school readers. A student¹s success with the graphic novel format often leads to a desire to keep reading for pleasure a major goal of teachers and school librarians.
The popularity of the graphic novel has lead to an explosion in publishing of the format. School librarians must choose titles for the school library collection wisely. Collection development resources on graphic novels can be found in the journals VOYA, School Library Journal, and Booklist. Several books like Graphic Novels 101 by Crawford (2003), Michele Gorman¹s Getting Graphic! Using Graphic Novels to Promote Literacy with Preteens and Teens (2003) and Graphic Novels in Your Media Center by Lyga (2004) are being published to aid school librarians in the acquisition of graphic novels. Reputable websites like Comic Books for Young Adults: A Guide for Librarians (http://ulib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/lml/comics/pages/index.html) and No Flying, No Tights (http://noflyingnotights.com) offer librarians additional sources of information.
I have no doubt graphic novels will be a valuable addition to the school library collection. Their unique format offers advantages for visual learners and fills a niche for many readers. The increase in trusted review sources supporting the format will aid school librarians in choosing quality titles. Now, librarians just have to agree on where in the library to put them!
References
Brennan, M. (2003). Electric Girl. San Francisco: AIT/Planet Lar.
Bringing Graphic Novels into the Classroom. Retrieved on January 31, 2007, from http://www.forewordmagazine.com
Crawford, P.C. (2003). Graphic Novels 101. Salt Lake City, UT: HiWillow Research & Publishing. Normal Adolescent Development Part I. Retrieved on January 31, 2007 from
Galley, M. (2004). Going ŒGraphic¹: Educators Tiptoe Into Realm of Comics. Education Week, (23), 6-6. Retrieved on January 31, 2007 from Professional Development Collection database
Gorman, M. (2003). Getting Graphic! Using Graphic Novels to Promote Literacy with Preteens and Teens. Columbus, OH: Linworth Publishing.
Harlan, M.A., Loertscher, D.V., & McElmeel, S.L. (2006). Young Adult Literature and Multimedia: A Quick Guide. Salt Lake City, UT:
Lyga, A. (2004). Graphic Novels in Your Media Center: A Definitive Guide. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Smith, J. (2005). Out From Boneville. New York: Graphix.
Young, R. (2007, January). Graphically Speaking: The Importance of Graphic Books in a School Library Collection. Library Media Connection, 26-28.