More about graphic novels

Today's Children's Bookshelf e-newsletter discusses graphic novels. The Young and the Graphic Novel, by James Bickers, makes several interesting points regarding the recent (though some would argue not so recent) popularity of graphic novels, the population reading them, and the quality of what is being published.

"Most publishers point to the changing face of the modern world as a prime mover behind the trend. Today's children are the first generation to grow up more accustomed to digital screens than the printed page; as wireless devices proliferate, kids increasingly understand and appreciate data that is transmitted to them in visual form."(Bickers, 2/21/07)

Giving readers what they want is a good indication that current trends are being watched by book publishers. Kids have always liked comics, but comics have not always liked kids. Many of the graphic format novels have been traditionally for adults, both in content and illustration. With the recent proliferation of Manga, in novel and television (remember Speed Racer?), it seems U.S. book publishers are a bit late to the party with their generalization of why younger readers are now enamoured with graphic novels. Call me cynical, but that reason will work well with upper management.

"From a content perspective, the books that are on the way are all over the topical map. Many houses are leveraging existing brands (Time Warp Trio, Amazon High and Warriors from HarperCollins; Baby-sitters Club and Goosebumps from Graphix; Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys from S&S's Papercutz), while others are using the medium to tell stories from classic literature (Barron's Graphic Classics line, which includes Kidnapped, Moby Dick and Oliver Twist) and history (DK's Graphic Readers line delves into ancient Greece, Rome and China, while School Specialty Publishing tackles the Civil War and the story of Anne Frank). Lerner is also getting in the game with its new Graphic Universe line, which focuses on myths and legends from around the world." (Bickers, 2/21/07)

I completely agree with Bickers's content perspective comment; publishers are in a rush to provide more graphic novels and quality varies. As mentioned in previous posts about graphic novels, when cataloging we have had to make the distinction between juvenile and adult graphic novels in the library stacks. Finding quality children's graphic novels is more difficult since the rush to publication, filling that need, has had an adverse effect on the final product. I have been able to purchase a few classics (Call of the Wild, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and MacBeth), old favorites (Birth of a Nation and Bone), and new favorites (Babymouse and Time Warp Trio).

Due to research, purchases, and reviews, I am learning more about the genre as well. The more I learn, the better our collection becomes.

Tags: Graphic novels, Childrens bookshelf