WEEK THIRTEEN PROMPT

Though this week's group of "genres" all seem very different, they all have in common the fact that many people don't feel that they are legitimate literary choices and libraries shouldn't be spending money on them or promoting them to adults. The common belief is that adults still don't or shouldn't read that stuff. How can we as librarians, work to ensure that we are able to serve adults who enjoy YA literature or graphic novels? Or should we? I can't wait to read your thoughts on this. Thanks!

Why must there be some type of division imposed by the ‘literary police’ that applaud ‘educational material’ and put down ‘purely, entertainment material’ for readers? What is wrong with some type of escape from reality? As far as YA literature, I could not wait to read all of the Harry Potter and Twilight series. I still think the books are for adults or the ‘kid in us’ who love 'make-believe' and fantasy. I took a Children’s Literature Class several years ago and I got to read many great books that I had missed in between my oldest child’s age group and my youngest. I was introduced to the Giver, The Fault in Our Stars, The Golden Compass and the rest of Philip Pullman’s books. 

As far as graphic novels, when I did the research on this genre, I found it has become very popular among all age group, adults, teens, and young children as a great source of entertainment. It is appealing because the novel is a combination of words and larger than life illustrations which meet the needs of all readers on whatever their reading skills entail.

Graphic novels have the same features as a novel which are a plot, setting, conflict, and characters (Murray, 2017). Over the years, graphic novels have evolved in becoming an essential part of the popular culture, plus an integral aspect of the literary community. Despite the fact that graphic novels have been criticized for aiding to juvenile delinquency, blamed for their portrayal of violence, and been overlooked to claims of poor physical quality, they are now acknowledged as a valuable resource for educators, librarians, and other professionals (Pinkley & Casey, 2103). Graphic novels contain artwork and text; they also have meaningful themes and allow readers of all ages to develop critical thinking, learn visual literacy, and improve comprehension and literary interpretation skills (Pinkley & Casey, 2013).

We need to support our readers no matter what their age or tastes in materials and formats. We need to stay on top of new books, mediums, etc…so we are able to effectively help them and introduce them to the wonderful variety of information we have to offer.

Works Cited

Graphic Novels. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.illustrationhistory.org/genres/graphic-        novels

Murray, C. (2017). Graphic Novel. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from          https://www.britannica.com/art/graphic-novel

Pinkley, J. & Casey, K. (2013). Graphic Novels: A Brief History and Overview for Library     Managers. Library Leadership and Managers, 10. Retrieved from            https://journals.tdl.org/llm/index.php/llm/article/viewFile/7018/6233

Tychinski, S. (n.d.) A Brief History of the Graphic Novel. (n.d.). Retrieved from       http://www.diamondbookshelf.com/Home/1/1/20/164?articleID=64513