Graphic Novels and Comic Book Resources

Graphic novels and comic books can appeal to even the most reluctant reader. Below are links to articles, websites, and booklists to help teachers, librarians, parents, and other adults who live and work with young people make the most of graphic novels and comic books in the classroom or at home.

Click on a category or scroll down to discover a treasure trove of resources regarding graphic novels and comic books.

• Using Graphic Novels in the Classroom
• Graphic Novel Booklists
• Using Comics in the Classroom
• Articles and Interviews by Brigid Alverson

Using Graphic Novels in the Classroom

The following articles provide information about using graphic novels in the classrooms:

• “Graphic Novels for Young Kids” by Reading Rockets
• “Graphic Novel Conversation with ESL Teacher Colleen Dykema”
• “Using Comics and Graphic Novels in the Classroom” by NCTE
• “Graphic Novels in the Classroom: A Teacher Roundtable”
• “Graphic Novels: The Bridge Between Visual and Print Media” by Stan Steiner

Graphic Novel Booklists

The following booklists from authoritative sources recommend graphic novels for different age levels:

• “Graphic Novels: Read the Pictures”
• “Graphic Novels for Kids: Classroom Ideas, Booklists, and More”
• “19 Graphic Novels That Engage Students and Keep Them Reading”
• “Graphic Novels: Selected Titles for Children and Teens”
• “Graphic Novels”
• “The Best Comics for Your Classroom: A List for All Grade Levels”
• “Graphic Novels Reading Lists: 2016 Update”
• “Great Graphic Novels for Middle School”
• “Powerful Graphic Novels for Middle School”
• “Top 10 Graphic Novels 2015”
• “Top 10 Graphic Novels 2016”
• “Comic Relief: Thirty-Nine Graphic Novels that Kids Can’t Resist”
• “Graphic Novels for (Really) Young Readers”

Using Comics in the Classroom

Created by high school teacher, cartoonist, and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene Luen Yang, the HumbleComics.com website presents a history of how comics can be used in the classroom, the positive outcomes, and an extensive bibliography. According to Yang, “The educational potential of comics has yet to be fully realized. While other media such as film, theater, and music have found their place within the American educational establishment, comics has not.”

The following websites and articles provide lesson plans for creating and using comic strips:

• Teaching Comics Website
• “Eek! Comics in the Classroom” by Linda Starr
• “Comic Book Science in the Classroom” NPR Broadcast with Sarah Hughes
• “’Hamlet’ too hard? Try a comic book” by Teresa Mendez
• “Comic Strip Creations Lesson Plan”
• “Comic Creator”
• “Comics in the Classroom as an Introduction to Genre Study”
• “Comics in the Classroom as an Introduction to Narrative Structure”
• “Book Report Alternative: Comic Strips and Cartoon Squares”
• “Using Cartoons and Comic Strips”
• “Creating Comic Strips”
• “The Secret in the Cellar: A Written in Bone Forensic Mystery from Colonial America”
• “Creative Writing Using Comics Lesson Plan”

Articles and Interviews by Brigid Alverson

Brigid Alverson writes about comics and graphic novels for School Library Journal. She is the editor of the Good Comics for Kids blog and has been reading comics since she was four. She has an MFA in printmaking and has worked as a book editor and a newspaper reporter; now she is assistant to the mayor of Melrose, Massachusetts. In addition to editing GC4K, she writes about comics and graphic novels at MangaBlog, SLJTeen, Publishers Weekly Comics World, Comic Book Resources, MTV Geek, and Good E-Reader.com.

• “Teaching With Graphic Novels”
• “Good Comics for Kids”
• “Just Another Day in an LGBTQ Comic”
• “The People’s Comics: Using the Graphic Format to Teach About Current Events“
• “Teaching with Science Comics”
• “A nonfiction roundup of Graphic Novels”
• “The immigrant experience in graphic novels”
• “Graphic novels that tie in with video games”
• Brigid Alverson Talk on “Graphic Novels for Kids”
• “Interview: Eric Kallenborn on Graphic Novels in the Classroom”