I have never been a big fan of comic books. Imagine my indignation when it was decided to integrate graphic novels into our high school curriculum! It was a criminal offence to everything I call literature! What made me think better of comics genre? Two things.

1. They say, “Curiosity killed the cat”. In my case, it did not kill the cat but it sure did slaughter prejudice, stereotypes and resistance to the novelty of the idea. I carried out a research into this new genre. Indeed, graphic novels are considered literature. For instance, the comic book American Born Chinese  was nominated for National Book Awards in 2006.

Arguments in favor of graphic novels:

• They promote literacy among children of all ages.
• They attract kids’ attention.
• They are suitable for readers with short attention span.
• It doesn’t matter what kids read, literacy is literacy.
• They are academically stimulating.
• They lower affective filter and reduce pressure of L2.
• Visual literacy is an integral part of our students’ lives. Graphic novels are a multimode teaching/learning tool that activates multiple intelligences.

2. However, it was not the research that convinced me. My students did.  I saw them finish reading the graphic novels assigned for this term yearly in the first semester. Then, who cares what I like and dislike? Students like comic books, they read, they are engaged. This is all that matters.

Useful links:

A sample lesson plan and materials for “beginners” like me can be found in my previous post.

Graphic Novels in the ESL Classroom.   

Are Graphic Novels Literature?

Teaching Graphic Novels as Literature.