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What could possibly make this generation of image-bombarded, constantly visually stimulated kids choose books more often? One answer lies in graphic novels, suggest Jon Scieszka, founder of the boys’ reading initiative Guys Read.
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| Photo: JumpStory |
For the last
couple of decades, I’ve been wrestling with the complicated challenge of
getting kids to read more — especially boys, who are more likely than
girls to turn away from reading books as a pastime. When desperate
parents, teachers and librarians ask me how to get their “reluctant
readers” to open a book, I’ve found that the best short answer is: Help
kids choose something they’ll want to read.
Not
surprisingly, what many of our 21st-century, image-bombarded,
constantly visually stimulated kids want to read more than ever is
graphic novels. They like stories told through a combination of text and
pictures.
And now, thanks to the huge
success of text/picture hybrid stories like Dav Pilkey’s Dogman series,
Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and Raina Telgemeier’s books,
including the memoirs “Smile,” “Sisters” and “Guts,” publishers are
offering books that employ all kinds of graphic storytelling, for all
different ages.
Emerging readers of the crucial ages 7 to 12 can now choose graphic
books from an inspiring variety of genres — humor, nonfiction, fantasy,
action/adventure and drama.
