Why Teach Graphic Novels?

 

Author and illustrator Jarrett Krosozcka is coming to CA next week. I am excited to meet him and eager to hear what he has to say to our community. As the best-selling author of the recent Hey Kiddo!, a highly compelling illustrated memoir of his growing up with a mother who is an addict, Krosozcka is one of the many talented people currently producing quality graphic novels. This field has exploded significantly in the last several years, and I have become increasingly impressed with the teachability of these works. Whereas in the past this genre seemed to exist mainly on the margins, now graphic novels have established themselves in the mainstream. Publishers have taken note, which in turn, has led to even more product. That’s a great thing for readers and teachers.

 

For example, in the 9th Grade English course, we have taught the graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi for many years now. This coming-of-age story set in Iran in the late 1970s/early 1980s does a brilliant job of placing the reader into a particular time and place (specifically during the Iranian Revolution), relying on sharp dialogue and black-and-white illustrations to make the story come alive. Previous teachers have also assigned Maus, Art Spiegelman’s incredible depiction of his father’s experiences as a Jewish youth in Nazi Germany. This book truly put graphic novels on the map, winning numerous awards and prizes in the 1990s.

 

Why use these books instead of “traditional” texts? A recent article in Edutopia sums up the three key benefits to bringing graphic novels into the humanities classroom: 1.) They are a “goldmine for reluctant readers”; 2.) they “illustrate the reading and writing skills you need to teach”; and 3.) these books “provide an entry point for complex topics.” From what I have seen both as a parent and a teacher, I would concur. Some students who labor through a print-only text find new ways to hook into the storyline when there is a visual element. And the way that these novels can use words and images together makes them particularly effective in conveying both the emotion and factual aspects of other cultural experiences.

 

No longer seen simply as “comic books,” graphic novels are establishing their place in the literary canon. Here is a list of graphic novels I would recommend for ages 13 and up:

 

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Arab of the Future series by Riad Sattouf

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

Dare To Disappoint by Ozge Samanci

Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Hey Kiddo! by Jarrett Krosozcka

Funhome by Alison Bechdel

Jerusalem by Guy Delisle

Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Palestine by Joe Sacco

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Rolling Blackouts by Sarah Glidden

Stitches by David Small

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

 

For a highly academic treatment of the power of graphic novels, I recommend the following TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAyEbgSPi9w