One of the most popular parts of our Library collection is our graphic novels.

A graphic novel has a similar format and presentation to a comic but the story is novel length and can often be a stand alone story with complex themes. We have graphic novels that are just for fun but others have complex stories or are non-fiction (one of our recent purchases was all about baking bread, including recipes).

Graphic novels are a great transition into reading more deeply, and students who are neuro-diverse or who have English as their second language like them because the pictures help them understand the content. However they are not an easy read and shouldn’t be thought of as just for those students. The vocabulary can be quite advanced and it takes a special skill to grab meaning from illustration. Manga is the Japanese style of graphic novels. These have a particular artistic style, are serialised and often connected to an anime series. 

I chatted to some students about why they like graphic novels. Anaya says ‘the images give you a better picture of the emotions of the characters.’ Aurora likes them because ‘you get a better picture in your head and you can empathise with the characters.’ Arabella reads a lot of  graphic novels and likes them ‘because they show you what the characters look like and what they are doing.’ She also likes manga ‘because it also gives you a chance to experience a different culture.’

Part of our aim is to promote reading for pleasure,  which in return aids academic achievement, and graphic novels are a great device for reading for pleasure. However, it is also important to read novels with text as well, to build reading stamina.