Graphic Novels

So kids are really into the graphic novels these days. I think its great, kids getting visual vocabularies, experiencing how stories can be told in sequential art etc. I've heard parents say, 'put that back its not a real book' so prejudice against them still exists of course, but the fact that kids are interested in them, even reluctant readers, is pretty cool.

Schools seem a little AR(Accelerated Reader) obsessed. I know its an easy tool for assigning reading and measuring if the kid read the book, but AR rates a book by vocabulary, not interest or quality, so kids can miss out on great books that might make them better readers. Of course there are teachers, parents, and librarians to help kids find books that interest them. And if some of those books are graphic novels or comics then so be it. It's summer after all!