I have to say as an avid graphic novel fan I very much enjoyed the selection, with the exception of Treasure Island which I cannot comment on as I am still stuck on the waiting list for it at the library. I actually enjoyed American Born Chinese so much that I am eager to read Smile that was also on the list to begin with, but not discussed due to lack of availability. I’ve flipped through it and it looks like it will be equally as good, but perhaps somewhat dated for the up and growing generation who has the benefit of clear braces now. I can very much relate to the experience the main character is going through but being that smile is suggested for a younger audience we have to ask. “Is this still relatable content?”
If you are looking for a graphic novel to replace Smile on the reading list I would suggest the 7 Generations Series. The author is local and it is an astoundingly popular local title with Aboriginal youth.
I would have to say that the choices for the assigned reading differ a good deal from what I normally read. I am open to reading almost anything in graphic novel format but I do tend to gravitate toward the popular fluff. Good old fashion superhero comics, Manga, and the odd fantasy or fairytale story that catches my eye, as well as a ton of Gay and Lesbian manga. Manga was just where I first found a steady source of stories about homosexual characters so I tend to still go to a Manga source if I am looking for gay material to read for fun.
My graphic novel reading actually tends to be more diverse than my novel reading, and I often find that when I do branch out from my comfort reads in graphic novels very much enjoy the experience. These were exceptional reads and I think I might have enjoyed the graphic novel version of Treasure Island a good deal more than my classmates had I gotten the chance to read it.
My enjoyment of the reading of these diverse titles pushes the point that graphic novels are a good tool to get readers to expand genera’s in their reading repertoire. If someone plunks a novel down in front of me I am not at all interested based only on the fact that I don’t read the genera. My reaction is to discard it based on the time I would have to invest in it to determine if I liked it or not. Graphic novels are more “likeable” from the get go thinking it’s only going to take me about 10-15 minutes to determine if I want to read the whole thing or not, and I am one of those people who tends to have to finish books they start, so the concept of getting “stuck” to a book I don’t particularly like is less scary.
I highly enjoyed the diverse reading selection, and exploring these titles with the class. I’m actually surprised at how much reluctance there seems to be in the class in general to graphic novels. Reading a graphic novel or a jam packed highly illustrated manga is 2nd nature to me at this point so when skilled readers say they have a hard time following it I guess it shocks me a little. I’ve read bad graphic novels and disorganized ones, poorly translated ones that made barely any sense and I didn’t think any of the titles fell into these categories. I know the anime fans and superhero junkies give the impression of a whole bunch of geeks playing dress up at a convention but these titles and many more have a great deal to offer a variety of young and old readers, the market for girl oriented material in graphic novels has EXPLODED in the past 10 years, and with the popularity of graphic novels you can expect that you will get asked questions about them in most public or school libraries. They are generally quick reads and it’s good to have some experience with them so you can suggest good material.
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