Transcript
Page 1: KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS - Weeblyfalconlibrarians.weebly.com/.../what_kinds_of_kids_read_comics.pdf · KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS EAGER READERS W henever someon

K I D S W H O D O N ' T L IKE B O O K S

OF KIDS

E A G E R R E A D E R S

Wh e n e v e r s o m e o n e a s k s m e

W h a t k i n d o f k i d s r e a d

c o m i c s ? " t h e o l d j i n g l e f o r A r m o u r

H o t D o g s s t a r t s r u n n i n g t h r o u g h

m y m i n d : " H o t d o g s , A r m o u r

h o t d o g s , w h a t k i n d s o f k i d s ea t

A r m o u r h o t d o g s ? B i g k i d s , l i t t l e

k i d s , k i d s w h o c l i m b o n r o c k s , f a t

k i d s , s k i n n y k i d s , e v e n k i d s w i t h

c h i c k e n p o x . . . " M y v e r s i o n g o e s

s o m e t h i n g l i k e : " C o m i c s a n d

g r a p h i c n o v e l s , w h a t k i n d s o f k i d s

r e a d g r a p h i c n o v e l s ? E a g e r r e a d e r s ,

k i d s w h o h a t e a l l b o o k s , g i f t e d k i d s ,

s t r u g g l i n g k i d s , k i d s w h o n e e d a

r e a d i n g b o o s t . . . " H e r e a r e a f e w

k i d s I ' ve e n c o u n t e r e d i n m y c a r e e r

o f p r o m o t i n g c o m i c s i n l i b r a r i e s .

E a g e r R e a d e r s

W e ' l l s t a r t w i t h m y s e l f . I s t a r t e d

r e a d i n g w h e n I w a s a b o u t f o u r

y e a r s o l d ; as a way t o p r a c t i c e h e r

E n g l i s h , m y J a p a n e s e m o t h e r

r e a d t o u s k i d s w h e n we w e r e v e r y

y o u n g . I c a n ' t e v e n r e m e m b e r h o w

I s t a r t e d ; I j u s t r e m e m b e r l o o k i n g

t h r o u g h b o o k s b e f o r e I c o u l d r e a d

t h e w o r d s . A n d I s t a r t e d r e a d i n g

c o m i c s t r i p s i n t h e n e w s p a p e r w h e n

I w a s i n k i n d e r g a r t e n . By first g r a d e ,

we w e r e l i v i n g i n J a p a n a g a i n ( m y

f a t h e r w a s i n t h e A i r F o r c e ) , a n d

I s t a r t e d a s k i n g m y p a r e n t s t o b u y

c o m i c b o o k s o n o u r w e e k l y t r i p s t o

t h e B a s e E x c h a n g e . T h a t w a s t h e

b e g i n n i n g , a n d I n e v e r s t o p p e d

r e a d i n g c o m i c s ; t h e y j u s t b e c a m e

p a r t o f t h e r e a d i n g m i x i n o u r h o u s e .

I r e a d j u s t a b o u t a n y t h i n g — p o e t r y ,

p i c t u r e b o o k s , fiction, h i s t o r y

b o o k s , m y t h o l o g y , m a g a z i n e s ,

n e w s p a p e r s — i f it h a d t e x t o n i t , I

w o u l d r e a d i t . By f o u r t h g r a d e , I

w a s o n t h e h o n o r r o l l a t s c h o o l ; i n

h i g h s c h o o l I w a s t a k i n g A P c l a s s e s

( E n g l i s h , b i o l o g y , F r e n c h ) by m y

j u n i o r y e a r . I w a s o n e o f t h o s e

n e r d y t y p e s b e f o r e t h a t w o r d e v e r

c a m e i n t o u s e . I d i d v e r y w e l l o n

s t a n d a r d i z e d t e s t s , m o s t l y b e c a u s e

I r e a d so m u c h , a n d e v e n e a r n e d

a N a t i o n a l M e r i t S c h o l a r s h i p . I

r e a d l i t e r a r y c l a s s i c s , b u t I a l s o

r e a d T a r z a n , l o t s o f s c i e n c e

fiction, S h e r l o c k H o l m e s a n d o t h e r

m y s t e r i e s , a n d o f c o u r s e c o m i c s . I

w a s a D C C o m i c s f a n g i r l a n d l o v e d

G r e e n L a n t e r n , H a w k m a n , a n d

B a t g i r l ( B a r b a r a G o r d o n , w h o w a s

a l i b r a r i a n b a c k t h e n ) . T h e r e w e r e

s e v e r a l r e a s o n s I b e c a m e a l i b r a r i a n ,

a n d B a r b a r a G o r d o n ' s c i v i l i a n

p r o f e s s i o n w a s o n e o f t h e m . T h e n ,

as a l i b r a r i a n w o r k i n g w i t h c h i l d r e n

a n d t e e n s , I r e a l i z e d t h a t I c o u l d

u s e m y l o v e o f c o m i c s i n m y j o b .

A T a l e of Two K i d s

M y s o n s h a v e g r o w n u p w i t h c o m i c s

i n t h e h o u s e , a n d b o t h o f t h e m a r e

r e a d e r s o f c o m i c s . W h e n m y o l d e r

s o n w a s i n s e v e n t h g r a d e , h e r e a d

m y c o p y o f Ranma Vz, a m a n g a a c t i o n

c o m e d y a b o u t a b o y m a r t i a l a r t i s t

w h o , b e c a u s e o f a c u r s e , b e c o m e s a

g i r l w h e n s p l a s h e d w i t h c o l d w a t e r .

M y s o n l o v e d t h i s b o o k so m u c h t h a t

h e t o o k it t o s c h o o l w i t h h i m o n e

day . A p p a r e n t l y , h e s h o w e d it t o h i s

f r i e n d s i n c l a s s , a n d s o o n j u s t a b o u t

e v e r y o n e i n h i s c l a s s h a d r e a d i t .

M y c o p y c a m e b a c k t o m e i n p i e c e s

b e c a u s e it h a d b e e n r e a d so m u c h .

B e c a u s e so m a n y o f t h e k i d s l i k e d i t ,

t h e y w e n t o n t o r e a d m o r e v o l u m e s

o f t h e s e r i e s a n d t h e n b r a n c h e d o u t

t o r e a d o t h e r m a n g a . N o w , t h i s a l l

1 2 Knowledge Quest | Getting to Know Graphic Novels

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C O M I C S ? Kat Kan [email protected]

STRUGGLING KIDS

I n t h e e a r l y 1 9 9 0 s I w o r k e d as a

y o u n g a d u l t l i b r a r i a n a t t h e A i e a

P u b l i c L i b r a r y , a b r a n c h o f t h e

H a w a i i S t a t e P u b l i c L i b r a r y S y s t e m .

I s t a r t e d g e t t i n g s u p e r h e r o c o m i c s

i n t o t h e c o l l e c t i o n b e c a u s e I w a n t e d

t o a t t r a c t m o r e o f t h e t e e n b o y s i n t o

t h e l i b r a r y a n d i n t o r e a d i n g . T h i s

s t r a t e g y w o r k e d v e r y w e l l , b u t I a l s o

e n d e d u p h e l p i n g a m i d d l e s c h o o l

g i r l . S h e l o v e d s u p e r h e r o c o m i c s ,

e s p e c i a l l y E x c a l i b u r c o m i c s ( a b o u t

a B r i t i s h s u p e r h e r o t e a m s i m i l a r

t o t h e X - M e n ) . H e r o l d e r b r o t h e r

w o r k e d a t a l o c a l c o m i c s s h o p , a n d

h e t o l d h e r s o m e t h i n g t o t h e e f f e c t

t h a t " g i r l s d o n ' t r e a d s u p e r h e r o

c o m i c s . " S h e c a m e i n t o m y l i b r a r y

a f t e r s c h o o l o n e d a y t o f i n d m e at

t h e r e f e r e n c e d e s k , s u r r o u n d e d by

t e e n b o y s l o o k i n g t h r o u g h t h e n e w

g r a p h i c n o v e l s I h a d b r o u g h t i n :

X - M e n , B a t m a n , S p i d e r - M a n , a n d

o t h e r s . A n d w h e n s h e f o u n d o u t

t h a t I l i k e d s u p e r h e r o c o m i c s , s h e

w e n t h o m e a n d t o l d h e r b r o t h e r ,

" G i r l s D O r e a d s u p e r h e r o c o m i c s ;

m y l i b r a r i a n r e a d s t h e m ! " S h e w a s

so h a p p y t o f i n d a n a d u l t w o m a n

w h o l i k e d t h e s a m e k i n d s o f c o m i c s

t h a t s h e d i d . S h e c a m e i n a l m o s t

e v e r y s c h o o l day , a n d w e ' d t a l k

c o m i c s i n b e t w e e n m y h e l p i n g

p e o p l e w i t h r e f e r e n c e q u e s t i o n s .

E S L a n d C o m i c s

W h e n I w o r k e d i n A l l e n C o u n t y

P u b l i c L i b r a r y i n F o r t W a y n e ,

I n d i a n a , i n t h e l a t e 1 9 9 0 s , o u r

Y o u n g A d u l t s ' D e p a r t m e n t c a r r i e d

A f e w y e a r s l a t e r , m y y o u n g e r

s o n s t a r t e d a t t e n d i n g S t . J o h n

C a t h o l i c S c h o o l i n P a n a m a C i t y ,

F l o r i d a , a n d o n e o f h i s f i f t h - g r a d e

c l a s s m a t e s w a s a n o t h e r n e w boy ,

w h o s e f a m i l y h a d j u s t m o v e d f r o m

M e x i c o . T h i s b o y w a s s t r u g g l i n g

t o l e a r n E n g l i s h , a n d d u r i n g t h a t

first y e a r at t h e s c h o o l , h e h a d a

t u t o r w h o s t a y e d w i t h h i m f o r t h e

w h o l e s c h o o l day . T h e t e a c h e r

w a n t e d t h e b o y t o d o a b o o k r e p o r t

a l o n g w i t h t h e r e s t o f t h e c l a s s ,

a n d t h e s c h o o l l i b r a r i a n gave

h i m a g r a p h i c - n o v e l b i o g r a p h y

t h a t I h a d d o n a t e d t o t h e l i b r a r y .

T h e b o y w a s a b l e t o c o m p l e t e t h e

b o o k r e p o r t , a n d w e n t o n t o r e a d

m o r e o f t h e g r a p h i c n o v e l s t h a t

I h a d d o n a t e d . By e i g h t h g r a d e ,

h e w a s r e a d i n g E n g l i s h r a t h e r

f l u e n t l y , e v e n t a c k l i n g Eragon.

h a p p e n e d i n a p a r o c h i a l s c h o o l i n

H a w a i i ; w h i l e t h e s c h o o l w a s r u n

by t h e c h u r c h , m o s t o f t h e s t u d e n t s

d i d n ' t g o t o c h u r c h . I n t h e p u b l i c

l i b r a r i e s , w e w e r e f a c i n g c h a l l e n g e s

a n d c o m p l a i n t s a b o u t s e x i s m a n d

n u d i t y i n Ranma 'A. W h e n I a s k e d

m y s o n a b o u t t h o s e a n d o t h e r

a s p e c t s o f t h e b o o k , h e s a i d t h a t h e

a n d h i s c l a s s m a t e s k n e w it w a s a l l

f o r f u n , " a n d , M o m , i t ' s a l l m a k e -

b e l i e v e a n y w a y ! " I n e v e r h e a r d a

s i n g l e c o m p l a i n t f r o m a n y p a r e n t

o f a s t u d e n t i n t h a t s e v e n t h - g r a d e

c l a s s . M y o l d e r s o n s t i l l l oves m a n g a

a n d a n i m e , a n d m a r r i e d a y o u n g

w o m a n w h o a l s o l oves m a n g a a n d

a n i m e ; t h e i r s o n is d o o m e d .

l o t s o f g r a p h i c n o v e l s a n d m a n g a .

T h e t o w n was t h e n e w h o m e

f o r m a n y i m m i g r a n t s f r o m

M a l a y s i a , B u r m a , V i e t n a m , a n d

K o r e a . T h e c h i l d r e n a n d t e e n s

f r o m t h o s e i m m i g r a n t f a m i l i e s

u s e d o u r l i b r a r y a l o t , a n d t h e y

b o r r o w e d l o t s o f t h e m a n g a . O n e

o f t h e t e e n s t o l d m e s h e l o v e d t h e

m a n g a b e c a u s e t h e b o o k s m a d e

it easy f o r h e r t o u n d e r s t a n d

w h a t w a s g o i n g o n , a n d so s h e

w a s l e a r n i n g m o r e E n g l i s h .

Volume 41, No. 3 | January/February 201 3 31

Page 3: KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS - Weeblyfalconlibrarians.weebly.com/.../what_kinds_of_kids_read_comics.pdf · KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS EAGER READERS W henever someon

F i g u r e I . A subset of the graphic novels and graphic nonfiction in the author's school library—mairy are checked out!

What kinds of kids read comics? ALL KINDS OF KIDS READ COMICS.

S t r u g g l i n g K i d s T h e n i e c e o f j a m e s , m y l o c a l c o m i c s -

s h o p o w n e r , is d e v e l o p m e n t a l l y

d i s a b l e d a n d h a s h a d t o a t t e n d

s p e c i a l e d u c a t i o n c l a s s e s ; s h e w a n t s

d e s p e r a t e l y t o j o i n h e r f r i e n d s i n

r e g u l a r " m i d d l e s c h o o l , b u t r e a d i n g

h a s b e e n a n o b s t a c l e . S h e h a d

s t r u g g l e d so m u c h w i t h r e a d i n g , s h e

h a d c o m e t o h a t e i t . T h e n j a m e s s a i d

h e g a v e h e r a c o m i c - b o o k a d a p t a t i o n

o f The Wizard of Oz, t h e o n e p u b l i s h e d

by M a r v e l C o m i c s , f o r a C h r i s t m a s

p r e s e n t i n 2 0 I I . A t first s h e

w o u l d n ' t o p e n it b e c a u s e it was a

b o o k , b u t , e v e n t u a l l y , s h e v e n t u r e d

a l o o k at i t a n d r e a l i z e d it w a s n ' t l i k e

t h e o t h e r b o o k s a t h o m e — i t w a s a

c o m i c b o o k ! S h e e n d e d u p finishing

t h e g r a p h i c n o v e l o v e r C h r i s t m a s

b r e a k , a n d t h e n a s k e d h e r u n c l e f o r

m o r e . E n c o u r a g e d by h e r s u c c e s s

at finishing t h e g r a p h i c n o v e l , s h e

d e c i d e d s h e w o u l d p r a c t i c e m o r e

r e a d i n g , a n d n o w is u p t o f o u r t h -

g r a d e l e v e l — a n d s h e a c c o m p l i s h e d

a l l t h i s i n s e v e n m o n t h s . H e t o l d m e

s h e is n o w r e a d i n g t h e D C S u p e r -

P e t s c h a p t e r b o o k s , a m o n g o t h e r s .

K i d s W h o D o n ' t L i k e B o o k s

My y o u n g e r s o n l i k e s t o r e a d , b u t

h e d o e s n ' t l i k e fiction. H e s t r u g g l e d

w i t h A R p r o g r a m s i n s c h o o l b e c a u s e

t h e y a l l f o c u s e d o n fiction, a l t h o u g h

h e l i k e d t o w r i t e h i s o w n s t o r i e s .

H o w e v e r , h e e n j o y e d r e a d i n g a l l

k i n d s o f n o n f i c t i o n b o o k s , a n d

h e h a s a lways l o v e d c o m i c s . A s I

d i d , h e s t a r t e d r e a d i n g c o m i c s i n

k i n d e r g a r t e n b e c a u s e o u r h o u s e

c o n t a i n e d so m a n y c o m i c s . H e

w o u l d d o t h e r e q u i r e d s u m m e r

r e a d i n g f o r s c h o o l , a n d t h e n h e ' d

p i c k u p s o m e c o m i c s f o r f u n . H e ' s

d o n e t h i s f o r y e a r s , a n d as a h i g h

s c h o o l s e n i o r ( 2 0 1 2 — 2 0 1 3 ) , h e

a p p e a r s r e a d y t o c o n t i n u e t h e

p r a c t i c e . S o m e t e a c h e r s h a v e

c o n s i d e r e d h i m t o b e a r e l u c t a n t

r e a d e r b e c a u s e h e d o e s n ' t c a r e f o r

p r o s e fiction, yet h e d o e s we l l i n

l a n g u a g e a r t s c l a s s e s . T h e s u m m e r

b e f o r e h i s f r e s h m a n y e a r o f h i g h

s c h o o l , I gave h i m t h e n e w g r a p h i c -

n o v e l a d a p t a t i o n o f R a y B r a d b u r y ' s

Fahrenheit 451 ( f r o m H i l l a n d W a n g ,

a n a u t h o r i z e d a d a p t a t i o n ) . H e r e a d

i t , a n d h e c a m e i n t o t h e k i t c h e n

t h a t e v e n i n g , a s k i n g m e t h e k i n d s

o f q u e s t i o n s a n y E n g l i s h t e a c h e r

w o u l d w a n t s t u d e n t s t o a s k . H e

c o n n e c t e d t o t h e s t o r y i n a l l t h e

r i g h t ways , b u t h e d i d so w i t h t h e

g r a p h i c - n o v e l v e r s i o n . I n h i s j u n i o r

y e a r h e r e a d t h e o r i g i n a l n o v e l f o r

h i s l a n g u a g e a r t s c l a s s , a n d h e s a i d

it was e a s i e r t h a n u s u a l t o r e a d it

a f t e r h a v i n g r e a d t h e g r a p h i c n o v e l .

E v e r s i n c e k i n d e r g a r t e n , I h a v e

a s k e d h i m t o r e a d f o r a n h o u r a

day ; d u r i n g t h e s u m m e r , h e r e a d s

a n h o u r o f r e q u i r e d r e a d i n g , t h e n

r e a d s at l ea s t a n o t h e r h o u r f o r

f u n . T h i s is a r e l u c t a n t r e a d e r ?

A l l K i n d s of K i d s R e a d C o m i c s

I ve b e e n t h e l i b r a r i a n a t S t . J o h n

C a t h o l i c S c h o o l f o r t h e p a s t five

y e a r s , a n d f o r t h r e e y e a r s I 've r u n

L u n c h T i m e B o o k C l u b f o r g r a d e s 3

t o 5 a n d f o r m i d d l e s c h o o l . W e m e e t

t w i c e a m o n t h d u r i n g l u n c h t i m e .

I t ' s v e r y i n f o r m a l ; t h e s t u d e n t s a r e n ' t

r e q u i r e d t o r e a d p a r t i c u l a r b o o k s . I

s h a r e n e w b o o k s I 've r e c e i v e d f r o m

p u b l i s h e r s b e c a u s e o f m y m a i n

j o b w i t h B r o d a r t B o o k s & L i b r a r y

S e r v i c e s ; I r e c e i v e a d v a n c e - r e a d i n g

c o p i e s a n d r e v i e w c o p i e s o f fiction,

n o n f i c t i o n , a n d l o t s o f g r a p h i c

n o v e l s . U n t i l t h e y s t a r t e d c o m i n g t o

L u n c h T i m e B o o k C l u b , m o s t o f t h e

s t u d e n t s i n t h e g r o u p h a d n o t r e a d

c o m i c s , o t h e r t h a n t h e n e w s p a p e r

c o m i c s t r i p s a n d v a r i o u s c o m i c -

s t r i p c o l l e c t i o n s i n t h e l i b r a r y .

T h e s t u d e n t s , b o t h b o y s a n d g i r l s , w h o c o m e t o b o o k c l u b r a n g e f r o m s t r u g g l i n g r e a d e r s t o e a g e r , g i f t e d r e a d e r s , a n d t h e y a l l g r a b t h e c o m i c s b e f o r e a n y t h i n g e l s e . T h e y r e s p o n d t o g r e a t s t o r i e s ; t h e y l o v e t h e a r t , a n d s o m e o f t h e m e v e n t r y t h e i r o w n h a n d at d r a w i n g t h e i r f a v o r i t e

1 2 Knowledge Quest | Getting to Know Graphic Novels

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c h a r a c t e r s f r o m t h e b o o k s w h e n

t h e y w r i t e l e t t e r s t o t h e c r e a t o r s .

( T h e y w r i t e t h e l e t t e r s f o r f u n , n o t

f o r g r a d e s . ) T h e y ' r e r e a d i n g s u c h

b o o k s as a d a p t a t i o n s o f R u d y a r d

K i p l i n g ' s Just-So Stories, Super Dinosaur

b y R o b e r t K i r k m a n , Resistance a n d

i t s s e q u e l s b y C a r l a J a b l o n s k i , t h e

J i n x s e r i e s f r o m A r c h i e C o m i c s , t h e

D a n c e C l a s s s e r i e s f r o m P a p e r c u t z ,

Mai and Chad b y S t e p h e n M c C r a n i e ,

Smile b y R a i n a T e l g e m e i e r ( t h i s w a s a

H U G E h i t a n d w e n t " v i r a l " t h r o u g h

t h e s c h o o l i n 20IC>), Meanwhile b y

J a s o n S h i g a ( a n o t h e r h u g e h i t — I

h a d t o b u y t w o c o p i e s ) , t h e n e w

M a m e s h i b a s e r i e s f r o m V i z M e d i a ,

a n d m a n y m o r e ( s ee F i g u r e i ) .

I n t h e s p r i n g o f 2 0 1 2 t h e n e w

s e c o n d - g r a d e t e a c h e r a t S t . J o h n

d i s c o v e r e d t h e s m a l l c o l l e c t i o n o f

g r a p h i c n o v e l s f o r p r i m a r y g r a d e s ;

t h e y a r e i n t e r s h e l v e d w i t h t h e easy

n o n f i c t i o n . S h e p u l l e d o u t a c o u p l e

o f t h e b o o k s a n d t h e n d e c i d e d t h e

l i b r a r y s h o u l d d i s p l a y t h e m ; s h e

p u l l e d a l l t h e b o o k s o f f t h e s h e l f

a n d s h o w e d t h e m f a c e - o u t o n

t o p o f t h e s h e l v e s ( s ee F i g u r e 2 ) .

W h e n s h e d i d so , t h e s e c o n d - g r a d e

s t u d e n t s s t a r t e d b o r r o w i n g t h e m ,

a n d t h e b o o k s w e n t o u t o n c o n s t a n t

r o t a t i o n f o r t h e r e s t o f t h e s c h o o l

y e a r . I p l a n t o e x p a n d t h e "easy

g r a p h i c n o v e l s " c o l l e c t i o n o v e r t h e

n e x t s c h o o l y e a r ( a n d w i l l c o n t i n u e

t o d i s p l a y s o m e o n t o p o f t h e s h e l f ) .

C o n c l u s i o n W h a t k i n d s o f k i d s r e a d c o m i c s ?

A l l k i n d s o f k i d s r e a d c o m i c s . T h e

f o r m a t w o n ' t a p p e a l t o e v e r y o n e ,

b u t so m a n y d i f f e r e n t g e n r e s o f

c o m i c s a r e a v a i l a b l e t h a t s c h o o l

l i b r a r i a n s s h o u l d b e a b l e t o f i n d

s o m e t h i n g t o a p p e a l t o a l m o s t

a n y o n e . J u s t r e m e m b e r t o l o o k

b e y o n d s u p e r h e r o e s a n d f i n d t h e

w o n d e r f u l b o o k s b e i n g p u b l i s h e d

by i n d e p e n d e n t p u b l i s h e r s , t r a d e

p u b l i s h e r s , a n d e v e n e d u c a t i o n a l

p u b l i s h e r s . W h e t h e r k i d s a r e

a t t r a c t e d by t h e c o l o r f u l a r t , t h e

n o n t h r e a t e n i n g l o o k o f f e w e r

w o r d s o n t h e p a g e , o r g r e a t

s t o r i e s , c o m i c s p r e s e n t a n o t h e r

f o r m a t t h a t w i l l p r o m o t e r e a d i n g —

e s p e c i a l l y r e a d i n g f o r f u n .

K a t K a n started

reading comics when

she wasfivejears old

and never stopped.

She earned her MLS

in ig8lfrom the (then) School of Library

and Information Studies at the University of

Hawaii-Manoa. She worked in the Hawaii

State Public Library Sjstemfrom 1383

as a children's andyoung adult librarian,

and she managed the Young Adult Section

for the Hawaii State Library until leaving

in she worked in the Young Adults'

Services Department at the Allen County

Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana,

from 1997 through 2002. She has worked

in the Collection Development Department

for Brodart Books & Library Services as the

collection development librarian/graphic

novel specialist since 2 0 0 3 , and has worked

for St. John Catholic School in Panama City,

Florida, since 2OOJ. Kat has written the

"Graphically Speaking"graphic novel column

for Voice of Youth Advocates since 1994' ar,d

she also reviews graphic novels for Booklist.

F i g u r e 2 . Graphic

novels for primary

grades are popular, too.

J L . 1 i l ,

Whether kids ore attracted by the colorful art, the nonthreatening look of fewer words on the page, or great stories,

COMICS PRESENT ANOTHER FORMAT THAT W I L L PROMOTE R E A D I N G — E S P E C I A L L Y R E A D I N G FOR FUN.

Volume 41, No. 3 | January/February 201 3 33

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