As a teacher of junior high students, I was always a bit hesitant to let my students count graphic novels toward their reading page total for each term. I mean, some of the pages only have 10-15 words on them, sometimes less. Initially, they felt a bit like a glorified comic book. I did love that they got my reluctant readers to actually pick up and finish a book. Now, as a parent, my views on graphic novels have shifted slightly. My sons that are in second and third grades love them. They gobble them right up, and right now, their reading goals only consist of minutes, not total pages, so I let them check out and read graphic novels.
Having never actually sat down and read through a graphic novel cover to cover, I figured it was about time that I did. I chose five from the pile of books my boys checked out from our local library, and got reading. The first one I read took me a whopping fifteen minutes to read. Ok, not bad. The story was so-so, but it was fun, quick, and easy to read. So I picked up the next one. This one took me a bit longer, but the story was much more engaging, and I’ll admit I was laughing out loud at some parts. And so I continued, working my way through the pile. My thoughts on graphic novels evolved as I read. I’m still not a big fan of counting them toward reading pages, but for getting kids to read and for keeping them engaged in a story line, they aren’t so bad after all.
It would be selfish of me to keep it all to myself, so I thought I’d share a little about each of the five books I read. Maybe you’ve read them, maybe you haven’t. Maybe graphic novels aren’t your thing, maybe they are. But hopefully you’ll consider giving them a chance at some point!
Without further ado, here they are!
The Yeti Files: Attack of the Kraken by Kevin Sherry
Blizz Richards and his “trusty” helpers Gunthar and Alex are called to help the merpeople solve the problem of the giant kraken that keeps attacking their city. Together with long-lost researcher Emily Airwalker, they solve the mystery and save Atlantis!
This book was quick, easy to read, and fun. It would be an excellent choice for younger readers.
Agents of S.U.I.T. From Badger to Worse by John Patrick Green with Christopher Hastings and Pat Lewis
This series is a spin-off of Investigators, and is a fun read. S.U.I.T. Agents Marsha and Bongo are assigned to crack the case of a series of mysterious robberies at a resort on Bora Bora. Their tropical “vacation” turns from good to not so good pretty quickly when all of their spy gear is stolen while they are out eating. They notice that all of the food tastes weirdly like pineapple and honey. They realize that the robberies and the funny tasting food are somehow connected, and finally figure out the mystery and bring justice to the resort.
This book was full of alliterations (which my English teacher heart really enjoyed), and was easy to read. The story line was fun, and humor was mixed in throughout the book. I’d recommend this one for kids probably grades 3-6.
Agent Moose by Mo O’Hara and illustrated by Jess Bradley
Special Agent Anonymoose and Not-Quite-So-Special-Agent Owlfred make a good team as they try to solve the mystery of a missing turtle. Owlfred is the common sense of the duo, and Moose provides the goofiness. As a team, they piece clues together to find the missing turtle and expose Special Agent Camo Chameleon for the fraud that he is.
I enjoyed this book. It was fun and easy to read, and had some good bits of humor. The story was easy to follow, and the illustrations were well done. This book would be a great read for kids in grades 3-6, possibly 2nd as well.
Fox and Rabbit by Beth Ferry and illustrated by Gergely Dudas
Fox and Rabbit are quite the duo. These best friends are opposite in many ways, but balance each other out and help to push each other to conquer their fears. Fox is always up for trying new things, but Rabbit doesn’t always love to try new things and is afraid of just about everything. Together, they go on adventures, encouraging each other to be brave and have fun together.
This book was so sweet and so happy. The illustrations are simple and so good. I finished the book feeling uplifted. This book would be excellent for kids in grades 2 and up.
Big Nate: The Gerbil Ate My Homework by Lincoln Peirce
Nate is a typical sixth grade boy with lots of mischief up his sleeves. He uses every excuse in the book and finds every way possible to avoid hard work. He loves to razz his teachers, friends, and family. The book follows him through homework woes, a break up with his girlfriend, and all kinds of sixth grade drama.
This book was my favorite of the five that I read. It is packed with laugh out loud moments (my husband kept wondering what I was laughing at as I read), real life moments, and everything in between. This book would be a great read for upper elementary grades, middle schoolers, or even younger junior high students.
Well there you have it! If you’re looking for something for your reluctant reader(s) to read, give these a try. You just might be surprised at how effective graphic novels can be in encouraging kids to see the magic of reading!
