by David Booth & Kathleen Gould Lundy
Rubicon Publishing, 2007
ISBN 978-1-897096-98-7
$34.95, 120 pp, colour illustrations, glossary, index, adult
www.rubiconpublishing.com
www.scholastic.ca/education
With the increasing number of graphic novels available and their obvious appeal to students (see review of Ramp Rats, page 21), come questions about their educational merit, suitability for use in schools and how to use this relatively new genre in the classroom. The answers lie in this resource, authored by authorities in the field of literacy, which debunks myths regarding graphic novels and offers information to help teachers use them effectively. The authors begin by defining graphic novels and explaining how they differ from comics. They go on to outline key features of graphic novels and how these books can be used to increase literacy and teach content in other subject areas. Practical strategies for supporting special needs students, for independent and group reading and readers theatre, and for responding to the novels are illustrated by examples of this genre. Any teacher interested in engaging their students in a new reading experience will find convincing arguments for the use of graphic novels and lots of help in getting started within this resource.
This review is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s January 2009 issue.