KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS -...
Transcript of KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS -...
![Page 1: KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS - Weeblyfalconlibrarians.weebly.com/.../what_kinds_of_kids_read_comics.pdf · KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS EAGER READERS W henever someon](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022030421/5aa863fb7f8b9a81188b7df0/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
K I D S W H O D O N ' T L IKE B O O K S
OF KIDS
E A G E R R E A D E R S
Wh e n e v e r s o m e o n e a s k s m e
W h a t k i n d o f k i d s r e a d
c o m i c s ? " t h e o l d j i n g l e f o r A r m o u r
H o t D o g s s t a r t s r u n n i n g t h r o u g h
m y m i n d : " H o t d o g s , A r m o u r
h o t d o g s , w h a t k i n d s o f k i d s ea t
A r m o u r h o t d o g s ? B i g k i d s , l i t t l e
k i d s , k i d s w h o c l i m b o n r o c k s , f a t
k i d s , s k i n n y k i d s , e v e n k i d s w i t h
c h i c k e n p o x . . . " M y v e r s i o n g o e s
s o m e t h i n g l i k e : " C o m i c s a n d
g r a p h i c n o v e l s , w h a t k i n d s o f k i d s
r e a d g r a p h i c n o v e l s ? E a g e r r e a d e r s ,
k i d s w h o h a t e a l l b o o k s , g i f t e d k i d s ,
s t r u g g l i n g k i d s , k i d s w h o n e e d a
r e a d i n g b o o s t . . . " H e r e a r e a f e w
k i d s I ' ve e n c o u n t e r e d i n m y c a r e e r
o f p r o m o t i n g c o m i c s i n l i b r a r i e s .
E a g e r R e a d e r s
W e ' l l s t a r t w i t h m y s e l f . I s t a r t e d
r e a d i n g w h e n I w a s a b o u t f o u r
y e a r s o l d ; as a way t o p r a c t i c e h e r
E n g l i s h , m y J a p a n e s e m o t h e r
r e a d t o u s k i d s w h e n we w e r e v e r y
y o u n g . I c a n ' t e v e n r e m e m b e r h o w
I s t a r t e d ; I j u s t r e m e m b e r l o o k i n g
t h r o u g h b o o k s b e f o r e I c o u l d r e a d
t h e w o r d s . A n d I s t a r t e d r e a d i n g
c o m i c s t r i p s i n t h e n e w s p a p e r w h e n
I w a s i n k i n d e r g a r t e n . By first g r a d e ,
we w e r e l i v i n g i n J a p a n a g a i n ( m y
f a t h e r w a s i n t h e A i r F o r c e ) , a n d
I s t a r t e d a s k i n g m y p a r e n t s t o b u y
c o m i c b o o k s o n o u r w e e k l y t r i p s t o
t h e B a s e E x c h a n g e . T h a t w a s t h e
b e g i n n i n g , a n d I n e v e r s t o p p e d
r e a d i n g c o m i c s ; t h e y j u s t b e c a m e
p a r t o f t h e r e a d i n g m i x i n o u r h o u s e .
I r e a d j u s t a b o u t a n y t h i n g — p o e t r y ,
p i c t u r e b o o k s , fiction, h i s t o r y
b o o k s , m y t h o l o g y , m a g a z i n e s ,
n e w s p a p e r s — i f it h a d t e x t o n i t , I
w o u l d r e a d i t . By f o u r t h g r a d e , I
w a s o n t h e h o n o r r o l l a t s c h o o l ; i n
h i g h s c h o o l I w a s t a k i n g A P c l a s s e s
( E n g l i s h , b i o l o g y , F r e n c h ) by m y
j u n i o r y e a r . I w a s o n e o f t h o s e
n e r d y t y p e s b e f o r e t h a t w o r d e v e r
c a m e i n t o u s e . I d i d v e r y w e l l o n
s t a n d a r d i z e d t e s t s , m o s t l y b e c a u s e
I r e a d so m u c h , a n d e v e n e a r n e d
a N a t i o n a l M e r i t S c h o l a r s h i p . I
r e a d l i t e r a r y c l a s s i c s , b u t I a l s o
r e a d T a r z a n , l o t s o f s c i e n c e
fiction, S h e r l o c k H o l m e s a n d o t h e r
m y s t e r i e s , a n d o f c o u r s e c o m i c s . I
w a s a D C C o m i c s f a n g i r l a n d l o v e d
G r e e n L a n t e r n , H a w k m a n , a n d
B a t g i r l ( B a r b a r a G o r d o n , w h o w a s
a l i b r a r i a n b a c k t h e n ) . T h e r e w e r e
s e v e r a l r e a s o n s I b e c a m e a l i b r a r i a n ,
a n d B a r b a r a G o r d o n ' s c i v i l i a n
p r o f e s s i o n w a s o n e o f t h e m . T h e n ,
as a l i b r a r i a n w o r k i n g w i t h c h i l d r e n
a n d t e e n s , I r e a l i z e d t h a t I c o u l d
u s e m y l o v e o f c o m i c s i n m y j o b .
A T a l e of Two K i d s
M y s o n s h a v e g r o w n u p w i t h c o m i c s
i n t h e h o u s e , a n d b o t h o f t h e m a r e
r e a d e r s o f c o m i c s . W h e n m y o l d e r
s o n w a s i n s e v e n t h g r a d e , h e r e a d
m y c o p y o f Ranma Vz, a m a n g a a c t i o n
c o m e d y a b o u t a b o y m a r t i a l a r t i s t
w h o , b e c a u s e o f a c u r s e , b e c o m e s a
g i r l w h e n s p l a s h e d w i t h c o l d w a t e r .
M y s o n l o v e d t h i s b o o k so m u c h t h a t
h e t o o k it t o s c h o o l w i t h h i m o n e
day . A p p a r e n t l y , h e s h o w e d it t o h i s
f r i e n d s i n c l a s s , a n d s o o n j u s t a b o u t
e v e r y o n e i n h i s c l a s s h a d r e a d i t .
M y c o p y c a m e b a c k t o m e i n p i e c e s
b e c a u s e it h a d b e e n r e a d so m u c h .
B e c a u s e so m a n y o f t h e k i d s l i k e d i t ,
t h e y w e n t o n t o r e a d m o r e v o l u m e s
o f t h e s e r i e s a n d t h e n b r a n c h e d o u t
t o r e a d o t h e r m a n g a . N o w , t h i s a l l
1 2 Knowledge Quest | Getting to Know Graphic Novels
![Page 2: KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS - Weeblyfalconlibrarians.weebly.com/.../what_kinds_of_kids_read_comics.pdf · KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS EAGER READERS W henever someon](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022030421/5aa863fb7f8b9a81188b7df0/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
C O M I C S ? Kat Kan [email protected]
STRUGGLING KIDS
I n t h e e a r l y 1 9 9 0 s I w o r k e d as a
y o u n g a d u l t l i b r a r i a n a t t h e A i e a
P u b l i c L i b r a r y , a b r a n c h o f t h e
H a w a i i S t a t e P u b l i c L i b r a r y S y s t e m .
I s t a r t e d g e t t i n g s u p e r h e r o c o m i c s
i n t o t h e c o l l e c t i o n b e c a u s e I w a n t e d
t o a t t r a c t m o r e o f t h e t e e n b o y s i n t o
t h e l i b r a r y a n d i n t o r e a d i n g . T h i s
s t r a t e g y w o r k e d v e r y w e l l , b u t I a l s o
e n d e d u p h e l p i n g a m i d d l e s c h o o l
g i r l . S h e l o v e d s u p e r h e r o c o m i c s ,
e s p e c i a l l y E x c a l i b u r c o m i c s ( a b o u t
a B r i t i s h s u p e r h e r o t e a m s i m i l a r
t o t h e X - M e n ) . H e r o l d e r b r o t h e r
w o r k e d a t a l o c a l c o m i c s s h o p , a n d
h e t o l d h e r s o m e t h i n g t o t h e e f f e c t
t h a t " g i r l s d o n ' t r e a d s u p e r h e r o
c o m i c s . " S h e c a m e i n t o m y l i b r a r y
a f t e r s c h o o l o n e d a y t o f i n d m e at
t h e r e f e r e n c e d e s k , s u r r o u n d e d by
t e e n b o y s l o o k i n g t h r o u g h t h e n e w
g r a p h i c n o v e l s I h a d b r o u g h t i n :
X - M e n , B a t m a n , S p i d e r - M a n , a n d
o t h e r s . A n d w h e n s h e f o u n d o u t
t h a t I l i k e d s u p e r h e r o c o m i c s , s h e
w e n t h o m e a n d t o l d h e r b r o t h e r ,
" G i r l s D O r e a d s u p e r h e r o c o m i c s ;
m y l i b r a r i a n r e a d s t h e m ! " S h e w a s
so h a p p y t o f i n d a n a d u l t w o m a n
w h o l i k e d t h e s a m e k i n d s o f c o m i c s
t h a t s h e d i d . S h e c a m e i n a l m o s t
e v e r y s c h o o l day , a n d w e ' d t a l k
c o m i c s i n b e t w e e n m y h e l p i n g
p e o p l e w i t h r e f e r e n c e q u e s t i o n s .
E S L a n d C o m i c s
W h e n I w o r k e d i n A l l e n C o u n t y
P u b l i c L i b r a r y i n F o r t W a y n e ,
I n d i a n a , i n t h e l a t e 1 9 9 0 s , o u r
Y o u n g A d u l t s ' D e p a r t m e n t c a r r i e d
A f e w y e a r s l a t e r , m y y o u n g e r
s o n s t a r t e d a t t e n d i n g S t . J o h n
C a t h o l i c S c h o o l i n P a n a m a C i t y ,
F l o r i d a , a n d o n e o f h i s f i f t h - g r a d e
c l a s s m a t e s w a s a n o t h e r n e w boy ,
w h o s e f a m i l y h a d j u s t m o v e d f r o m
M e x i c o . T h i s b o y w a s s t r u g g l i n g
t o l e a r n E n g l i s h , a n d d u r i n g t h a t
first y e a r at t h e s c h o o l , h e h a d a
t u t o r w h o s t a y e d w i t h h i m f o r t h e
w h o l e s c h o o l day . T h e t e a c h e r
w a n t e d t h e b o y t o d o a b o o k r e p o r t
a l o n g w i t h t h e r e s t o f t h e c l a s s ,
a n d t h e s c h o o l l i b r a r i a n gave
h i m a g r a p h i c - n o v e l b i o g r a p h y
t h a t I h a d d o n a t e d t o t h e l i b r a r y .
T h e b o y w a s a b l e t o c o m p l e t e t h e
b o o k r e p o r t , a n d w e n t o n t o r e a d
m o r e o f t h e g r a p h i c n o v e l s t h a t
I h a d d o n a t e d . By e i g h t h g r a d e ,
h e w a s r e a d i n g E n g l i s h r a t h e r
f l u e n t l y , e v e n t a c k l i n g Eragon.
h a p p e n e d i n a p a r o c h i a l s c h o o l i n
H a w a i i ; w h i l e t h e s c h o o l w a s r u n
by t h e c h u r c h , m o s t o f t h e s t u d e n t s
d i d n ' t g o t o c h u r c h . I n t h e p u b l i c
l i b r a r i e s , w e w e r e f a c i n g c h a l l e n g e s
a n d c o m p l a i n t s a b o u t s e x i s m a n d
n u d i t y i n Ranma 'A. W h e n I a s k e d
m y s o n a b o u t t h o s e a n d o t h e r
a s p e c t s o f t h e b o o k , h e s a i d t h a t h e
a n d h i s c l a s s m a t e s k n e w it w a s a l l
f o r f u n , " a n d , M o m , i t ' s a l l m a k e -
b e l i e v e a n y w a y ! " I n e v e r h e a r d a
s i n g l e c o m p l a i n t f r o m a n y p a r e n t
o f a s t u d e n t i n t h a t s e v e n t h - g r a d e
c l a s s . M y o l d e r s o n s t i l l l oves m a n g a
a n d a n i m e , a n d m a r r i e d a y o u n g
w o m a n w h o a l s o l oves m a n g a a n d
a n i m e ; t h e i r s o n is d o o m e d .
l o t s o f g r a p h i c n o v e l s a n d m a n g a .
T h e t o w n was t h e n e w h o m e
f o r m a n y i m m i g r a n t s f r o m
M a l a y s i a , B u r m a , V i e t n a m , a n d
K o r e a . T h e c h i l d r e n a n d t e e n s
f r o m t h o s e i m m i g r a n t f a m i l i e s
u s e d o u r l i b r a r y a l o t , a n d t h e y
b o r r o w e d l o t s o f t h e m a n g a . O n e
o f t h e t e e n s t o l d m e s h e l o v e d t h e
m a n g a b e c a u s e t h e b o o k s m a d e
it easy f o r h e r t o u n d e r s t a n d
w h a t w a s g o i n g o n , a n d so s h e
w a s l e a r n i n g m o r e E n g l i s h .
Volume 41, No. 3 | January/February 201 3 31
![Page 3: KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS - Weeblyfalconlibrarians.weebly.com/.../what_kinds_of_kids_read_comics.pdf · KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS EAGER READERS W henever someon](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022030421/5aa863fb7f8b9a81188b7df0/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
F i g u r e I . A subset of the graphic novels and graphic nonfiction in the author's school library—mairy are checked out!
What kinds of kids read comics? ALL KINDS OF KIDS READ COMICS.
S t r u g g l i n g K i d s T h e n i e c e o f j a m e s , m y l o c a l c o m i c s -
s h o p o w n e r , is d e v e l o p m e n t a l l y
d i s a b l e d a n d h a s h a d t o a t t e n d
s p e c i a l e d u c a t i o n c l a s s e s ; s h e w a n t s
d e s p e r a t e l y t o j o i n h e r f r i e n d s i n
r e g u l a r " m i d d l e s c h o o l , b u t r e a d i n g
h a s b e e n a n o b s t a c l e . S h e h a d
s t r u g g l e d so m u c h w i t h r e a d i n g , s h e
h a d c o m e t o h a t e i t . T h e n j a m e s s a i d
h e g a v e h e r a c o m i c - b o o k a d a p t a t i o n
o f The Wizard of Oz, t h e o n e p u b l i s h e d
by M a r v e l C o m i c s , f o r a C h r i s t m a s
p r e s e n t i n 2 0 I I . A t first s h e
w o u l d n ' t o p e n it b e c a u s e it was a
b o o k , b u t , e v e n t u a l l y , s h e v e n t u r e d
a l o o k at i t a n d r e a l i z e d it w a s n ' t l i k e
t h e o t h e r b o o k s a t h o m e — i t w a s a
c o m i c b o o k ! S h e e n d e d u p finishing
t h e g r a p h i c n o v e l o v e r C h r i s t m a s
b r e a k , a n d t h e n a s k e d h e r u n c l e f o r
m o r e . E n c o u r a g e d by h e r s u c c e s s
at finishing t h e g r a p h i c n o v e l , s h e
d e c i d e d s h e w o u l d p r a c t i c e m o r e
r e a d i n g , a n d n o w is u p t o f o u r t h -
g r a d e l e v e l — a n d s h e a c c o m p l i s h e d
a l l t h i s i n s e v e n m o n t h s . H e t o l d m e
s h e is n o w r e a d i n g t h e D C S u p e r -
P e t s c h a p t e r b o o k s , a m o n g o t h e r s .
K i d s W h o D o n ' t L i k e B o o k s
My y o u n g e r s o n l i k e s t o r e a d , b u t
h e d o e s n ' t l i k e fiction. H e s t r u g g l e d
w i t h A R p r o g r a m s i n s c h o o l b e c a u s e
t h e y a l l f o c u s e d o n fiction, a l t h o u g h
h e l i k e d t o w r i t e h i s o w n s t o r i e s .
H o w e v e r , h e e n j o y e d r e a d i n g a l l
k i n d s o f n o n f i c t i o n b o o k s , a n d
h e h a s a lways l o v e d c o m i c s . A s I
d i d , h e s t a r t e d r e a d i n g c o m i c s i n
k i n d e r g a r t e n b e c a u s e o u r h o u s e
c o n t a i n e d so m a n y c o m i c s . H e
w o u l d d o t h e r e q u i r e d s u m m e r
r e a d i n g f o r s c h o o l , a n d t h e n h e ' d
p i c k u p s o m e c o m i c s f o r f u n . H e ' s
d o n e t h i s f o r y e a r s , a n d as a h i g h
s c h o o l s e n i o r ( 2 0 1 2 — 2 0 1 3 ) , h e
a p p e a r s r e a d y t o c o n t i n u e t h e
p r a c t i c e . S o m e t e a c h e r s h a v e
c o n s i d e r e d h i m t o b e a r e l u c t a n t
r e a d e r b e c a u s e h e d o e s n ' t c a r e f o r
p r o s e fiction, yet h e d o e s we l l i n
l a n g u a g e a r t s c l a s s e s . T h e s u m m e r
b e f o r e h i s f r e s h m a n y e a r o f h i g h
s c h o o l , I gave h i m t h e n e w g r a p h i c -
n o v e l a d a p t a t i o n o f R a y B r a d b u r y ' s
Fahrenheit 451 ( f r o m H i l l a n d W a n g ,
a n a u t h o r i z e d a d a p t a t i o n ) . H e r e a d
i t , a n d h e c a m e i n t o t h e k i t c h e n
t h a t e v e n i n g , a s k i n g m e t h e k i n d s
o f q u e s t i o n s a n y E n g l i s h t e a c h e r
w o u l d w a n t s t u d e n t s t o a s k . H e
c o n n e c t e d t o t h e s t o r y i n a l l t h e
r i g h t ways , b u t h e d i d so w i t h t h e
g r a p h i c - n o v e l v e r s i o n . I n h i s j u n i o r
y e a r h e r e a d t h e o r i g i n a l n o v e l f o r
h i s l a n g u a g e a r t s c l a s s , a n d h e s a i d
it was e a s i e r t h a n u s u a l t o r e a d it
a f t e r h a v i n g r e a d t h e g r a p h i c n o v e l .
E v e r s i n c e k i n d e r g a r t e n , I h a v e
a s k e d h i m t o r e a d f o r a n h o u r a
day ; d u r i n g t h e s u m m e r , h e r e a d s
a n h o u r o f r e q u i r e d r e a d i n g , t h e n
r e a d s at l ea s t a n o t h e r h o u r f o r
f u n . T h i s is a r e l u c t a n t r e a d e r ?
A l l K i n d s of K i d s R e a d C o m i c s
I ve b e e n t h e l i b r a r i a n a t S t . J o h n
C a t h o l i c S c h o o l f o r t h e p a s t five
y e a r s , a n d f o r t h r e e y e a r s I 've r u n
L u n c h T i m e B o o k C l u b f o r g r a d e s 3
t o 5 a n d f o r m i d d l e s c h o o l . W e m e e t
t w i c e a m o n t h d u r i n g l u n c h t i m e .
I t ' s v e r y i n f o r m a l ; t h e s t u d e n t s a r e n ' t
r e q u i r e d t o r e a d p a r t i c u l a r b o o k s . I
s h a r e n e w b o o k s I 've r e c e i v e d f r o m
p u b l i s h e r s b e c a u s e o f m y m a i n
j o b w i t h B r o d a r t B o o k s & L i b r a r y
S e r v i c e s ; I r e c e i v e a d v a n c e - r e a d i n g
c o p i e s a n d r e v i e w c o p i e s o f fiction,
n o n f i c t i o n , a n d l o t s o f g r a p h i c
n o v e l s . U n t i l t h e y s t a r t e d c o m i n g t o
L u n c h T i m e B o o k C l u b , m o s t o f t h e
s t u d e n t s i n t h e g r o u p h a d n o t r e a d
c o m i c s , o t h e r t h a n t h e n e w s p a p e r
c o m i c s t r i p s a n d v a r i o u s c o m i c -
s t r i p c o l l e c t i o n s i n t h e l i b r a r y .
T h e s t u d e n t s , b o t h b o y s a n d g i r l s , w h o c o m e t o b o o k c l u b r a n g e f r o m s t r u g g l i n g r e a d e r s t o e a g e r , g i f t e d r e a d e r s , a n d t h e y a l l g r a b t h e c o m i c s b e f o r e a n y t h i n g e l s e . T h e y r e s p o n d t o g r e a t s t o r i e s ; t h e y l o v e t h e a r t , a n d s o m e o f t h e m e v e n t r y t h e i r o w n h a n d at d r a w i n g t h e i r f a v o r i t e
1 2 Knowledge Quest | Getting to Know Graphic Novels
![Page 4: KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS - Weeblyfalconlibrarians.weebly.com/.../what_kinds_of_kids_read_comics.pdf · KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS EAGER READERS W henever someon](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022030421/5aa863fb7f8b9a81188b7df0/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
c h a r a c t e r s f r o m t h e b o o k s w h e n
t h e y w r i t e l e t t e r s t o t h e c r e a t o r s .
( T h e y w r i t e t h e l e t t e r s f o r f u n , n o t
f o r g r a d e s . ) T h e y ' r e r e a d i n g s u c h
b o o k s as a d a p t a t i o n s o f R u d y a r d
K i p l i n g ' s Just-So Stories, Super Dinosaur
b y R o b e r t K i r k m a n , Resistance a n d
i t s s e q u e l s b y C a r l a J a b l o n s k i , t h e
J i n x s e r i e s f r o m A r c h i e C o m i c s , t h e
D a n c e C l a s s s e r i e s f r o m P a p e r c u t z ,
Mai and Chad b y S t e p h e n M c C r a n i e ,
Smile b y R a i n a T e l g e m e i e r ( t h i s w a s a
H U G E h i t a n d w e n t " v i r a l " t h r o u g h
t h e s c h o o l i n 20IC>), Meanwhile b y
J a s o n S h i g a ( a n o t h e r h u g e h i t — I
h a d t o b u y t w o c o p i e s ) , t h e n e w
M a m e s h i b a s e r i e s f r o m V i z M e d i a ,
a n d m a n y m o r e ( s ee F i g u r e i ) .
I n t h e s p r i n g o f 2 0 1 2 t h e n e w
s e c o n d - g r a d e t e a c h e r a t S t . J o h n
d i s c o v e r e d t h e s m a l l c o l l e c t i o n o f
g r a p h i c n o v e l s f o r p r i m a r y g r a d e s ;
t h e y a r e i n t e r s h e l v e d w i t h t h e easy
n o n f i c t i o n . S h e p u l l e d o u t a c o u p l e
o f t h e b o o k s a n d t h e n d e c i d e d t h e
l i b r a r y s h o u l d d i s p l a y t h e m ; s h e
p u l l e d a l l t h e b o o k s o f f t h e s h e l f
a n d s h o w e d t h e m f a c e - o u t o n
t o p o f t h e s h e l v e s ( s ee F i g u r e 2 ) .
W h e n s h e d i d so , t h e s e c o n d - g r a d e
s t u d e n t s s t a r t e d b o r r o w i n g t h e m ,
a n d t h e b o o k s w e n t o u t o n c o n s t a n t
r o t a t i o n f o r t h e r e s t o f t h e s c h o o l
y e a r . I p l a n t o e x p a n d t h e "easy
g r a p h i c n o v e l s " c o l l e c t i o n o v e r t h e
n e x t s c h o o l y e a r ( a n d w i l l c o n t i n u e
t o d i s p l a y s o m e o n t o p o f t h e s h e l f ) .
C o n c l u s i o n W h a t k i n d s o f k i d s r e a d c o m i c s ?
A l l k i n d s o f k i d s r e a d c o m i c s . T h e
f o r m a t w o n ' t a p p e a l t o e v e r y o n e ,
b u t so m a n y d i f f e r e n t g e n r e s o f
c o m i c s a r e a v a i l a b l e t h a t s c h o o l
l i b r a r i a n s s h o u l d b e a b l e t o f i n d
s o m e t h i n g t o a p p e a l t o a l m o s t
a n y o n e . J u s t r e m e m b e r t o l o o k
b e y o n d s u p e r h e r o e s a n d f i n d t h e
w o n d e r f u l b o o k s b e i n g p u b l i s h e d
by i n d e p e n d e n t p u b l i s h e r s , t r a d e
p u b l i s h e r s , a n d e v e n e d u c a t i o n a l
p u b l i s h e r s . W h e t h e r k i d s a r e
a t t r a c t e d by t h e c o l o r f u l a r t , t h e
n o n t h r e a t e n i n g l o o k o f f e w e r
w o r d s o n t h e p a g e , o r g r e a t
s t o r i e s , c o m i c s p r e s e n t a n o t h e r
f o r m a t t h a t w i l l p r o m o t e r e a d i n g —
e s p e c i a l l y r e a d i n g f o r f u n .
K a t K a n started
reading comics when
she wasfivejears old
and never stopped.
She earned her MLS
in ig8lfrom the (then) School of Library
and Information Studies at the University of
Hawaii-Manoa. She worked in the Hawaii
State Public Library Sjstemfrom 1383
as a children's andyoung adult librarian,
and she managed the Young Adult Section
for the Hawaii State Library until leaving
in she worked in the Young Adults'
Services Department at the Allen County
Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana,
from 1997 through 2002. She has worked
in the Collection Development Department
for Brodart Books & Library Services as the
collection development librarian/graphic
novel specialist since 2 0 0 3 , and has worked
for St. John Catholic School in Panama City,
Florida, since 2OOJ. Kat has written the
"Graphically Speaking"graphic novel column
for Voice of Youth Advocates since 1994' ar,d
she also reviews graphic novels for Booklist.
F i g u r e 2 . Graphic
novels for primary
grades are popular, too.
J L . 1 i l ,
Whether kids ore attracted by the colorful art, the nonthreatening look of fewer words on the page, or great stories,
COMICS PRESENT ANOTHER FORMAT THAT W I L L PROMOTE R E A D I N G — E S P E C I A L L Y R E A D I N G FOR FUN.
Volume 41, No. 3 | January/February 201 3 33
![Page 5: KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS - Weeblyfalconlibrarians.weebly.com/.../what_kinds_of_kids_read_comics.pdf · KIDS WHO DON' LIKT BOOKE S OF KIDS EAGER READERS W henever someon](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022030421/5aa863fb7f8b9a81188b7df0/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Copyright of Knowledge Quest is the property of American Library Association and its content may not be
copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written
permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.