The latest issue of School Library Journal opens up its pages to comics with a number of articles on the subject, including this nice overview by Michele Gorman which lists a number of suitable graphic novels aimed at youngsters:
After years of fighting for shelf space in libraries and classrooms, graphic novels have finally become an acceptable alternative to their prose-packed counterparts—and kids can’t seem to get enough of them. For that matter, neither can grown-ups. In 2006, U.S. consumers dropped an estimated $330 million on graphic novels and comics, with librarians accounting for about 10 percent, or $33 million, of those purchases.
There’s more, including a lengthy review section, and a look at H.W. Wilson’s Graphic Novels Core Collection, a $225 database with entries on more than 2,000 titles.
Hat tip: Heidi
March 6th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Thanks for posting this, Chris! We librarians love letting more people know that we do indeed love comics and graphic novels!
What the School Library Journal review of the HW Wilson Graphic Novel Core Collection doesn’t mention is that every single title in that database was read and evaluated by one person: me. The Core Collection launched with 2,000 titles in October; I’ve been updating it every month since late November with 50 titles each month. And I read every book I add. So I read more than 2,000 graphic novels in 2007. Whew! Of course, lots of those were curriculum-related books from school/library publishers. I have piles of graphic novels and comics all over the house.