The Best Graphic Novels For Young Scientists And Thinkers ▬ Big Think

The Best Graphic Novels For Young Scientists And Thinkers
The visual languages of comics and graphic novels are great exercise for developing brains.

Graphic Novels

Big Think: 5.01.2020 by Andrew Lasane

➧ In addition to being fun, studies have shown that the visual language of graphic novels stimulates the brain in ways that complex text can.

➧ For some readers, information is easier to process through images than it is through text alone.

➧ These graphic novels are great for getting young readers into philosophy, technology, and other scientific narratives.

If you're not on the graphic novel train by now, you're missing out. In addition to being a pathway to reading for those who see big groups of text as daunting or inherently boring, studies have shown that the visual language of comics and graphic novels is good for the brain.

In a 2019 paper titled "Visual narratives and the mind: Comprehension, cognition, and learning," assistant professor at Tilburg University and comics theorist Neil Cohn writes that because narrative sequential images are often used in things like children's books and storyboards, it has led to the "general belief that visual narratives are transparent to understand, requiring little learning beyond basic cognition like perceptual and event processing, sequential reasoning, and theory of mind." Cohn says that there is a growing field of psychological research that has shown that this is not true.

Humans are *60,000 times faster at processing images than we are at processing text, and combining the two stimulates the brain in meaningful ways.

Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas
by Jim Ottaviani

Mysteries of the Quantum Universe
by Thibault Damour and Mathieu Burniat

Hawking
by Jim Ottaviani

Hedy Lamarr and a Secret Communication System
by Trina Robbins

T-Minus: The Race to the Moon
by Jim Ottaviani

Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb
by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm

Logicomix: An epic search for truth
by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos Papadimitriou

Neurocomic: A Comic About the Brain
by Dr. Hana Roš

Heretics!: The Wondrous (and Dangerous) Beginnings of Modern Philosophy
by Steven and Ben Nadler

READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 15

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

 

* Debunked: 10 Common Myths About Our Visual Brains [Infographic]

Visme: 3.17.2017 by Samantha Lile

8.  People process images 60,000 times faster than text.

The “fact” has been used by countless digital marketers and visual storytellers over the past 30 years. It’s so pervasive, in fact, that no one bothers to research its original source. That is, until blogger Alan Levine made it his mission to discover the truth.

Graphic Novel Text Sets and Social Justice Inquiry Projects ▬ ILA

Graphic Novel Text Sets and Social Justice Inquiry Projects

ILA: 7.17.2020 by Erik Jacobson

Teachers who are attentive to their students’ reading habits have picked up on the increasing popularity of graphic novels, and many teachers have introduced these texts into the classroom. However, those working with older learners, including adults, sometimes express trepidation about working with these types of texts because they are concerned that these books might not be challenging or edifying enough. They are still often dismissed as “just comics.” Another concern of teachers is knowing what graphic novels to select for learners to work with. If teachers are not comic book or graphic novel readers themselves, they can be unsure about where to start. 

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1 Graphic Novels as a Teaching Tool in Adult Literacy

Over the last few decades, graphic novels have begun to take their place in K–12 classrooms alongside more traditional texts. Now there is growing interest in ways that these texts can be used within the adult literacy context, too.

2 Graphic Novels as Part of Adults’ Self‐Directed Learning Projects

The very diversity of graphic novels means that teachers and students should work together to assess when a particular graphic novel might be a good fit. Graphic novels vary in tone, language, and style of art, so they may or may not appeal to a given adult literacy learner.

3 Text Sets and Social Justice Inquiry Projects

As an example, the following is a text set of three graphic novels (one is a three‐book series that is available as a set) that confront white supremacy in the United States. They vary in terms of time period, but read together, they raise questions about what the most productive ways to combat systemic racism are.

Nat Turner by Kyle Baker begins by portraying the violent enslavement of people in Africa, moves onto the deadly Middle Passage, and then shifts to the selling of enslaved people in the United States.

The March series (books 1–3) by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin focuses on Lewis's experiences in the Civil Rights movement.

The Life of Frederick Douglass: A Graphic Narrative of a Slave's Journey From Bondage to Freedom by David F. Walker.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 13

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 18-19 yrs. old

(college level entry)

Bringing Pictures To Life – Teaching With Graphic Novels ─ Teach

Archives

Bringing Pictures To Life – Teaching With Graphic Novels

Teach: (2017) by Meagan Gillmore

Beverley Brenna knows what children like to read. She has written award-winning children’s books. She teaches prospective English teachers in the University of Saskatchewan’s education program. Before that, she was a classroom teacher—a reading specialist for several years. But she’s “regretful” she couldn’t offer her students a valuable tool: graphic novels.

“It’s hard to admit that maybe I missed out on a good resource,” says Brenna, who has researched how elementary students respond to graphic novels. She now teaches her students how to use them with their classes. Brenna calls them a “dark horse” that more educators are welcoming. They’re not just for literature, either. The graphic novel form is used to teach subjects ranging from science to history to world religions and current events.

But some teachers may not be convinced they’re a sure bet. They may have never read them. Or they may misunderstand the content. “I think graphic novels have a bad name, and I mean that literally,” says Brenna. The word “graphic” may cause some to assume the books are filled with violence or dark subject matter. This may be because graphic novels are sometimes confused with comic books, which often have darker themes. Other teachers doubt their literary value despite the awards many win. Brenna admits she was reluctant to use them. She’s not alone.

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Graphic novels are often viewed solely as tools to engage reluctant readers or help students learn English. This makes sense. The pictures make it easier for students to interpret a story, says Brenna. Pictures replace passages that describe the setting and characters. Readers see characters pace across a frame in frustration. The movements provide insight into characters’ emotions, an especially beneficial tool when reading a Shakespearean soliloquy. This can help them better analyze these passages in written essays.

Graphic novels have fewer words, and the text is written in smaller chunks. This makes it easier for students who might struggle with tracking or following large sections of words to pay attention. Removing barriers in reading is important for students who are learning English. Graphic novel adaptations of classic novels or plays may make it easier for them to understand what their English-fluent classmates are reading. This builds their confidence and helps them read more advanced material.

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The more students like reading, she says, the more they’ll read.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 8

Reading Level: standard / average.

Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old

(Seventh and Eighth graders)

Graphic Novels :: Drawing on the Classics via LAPL Blog

Drawing on the Classics

LAPL Blog: 8.20.2019 by Vince Zalkind, Messenger Clerk, North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library

July is Graphic Novels in Libraries Month

Booklist’s Guide to Graphic Novels in Libraries

It’s back-to-school time! Time to sharpen up your pencils, meet your new teachers, and grab your list of classics to read for homework. Time to put away those comic books and graphic novels in favor of “serious” literature, right? Wrong! There is a growing list of visually stunning adaptations of the classics that are worth checking out for both the reluctant reader and the bookworm.

But isn’t that “cheating"? Quite the opposite. Visual literacy is a necessary skill for readers young and old. Whether you notice or not, in our daily lives we are constantly using shapes, colors, symbols, and signs to contextualize our world. By consuming classics in a graphic format, we are helping struggling readers understand the text better, as well as helping readers of all levels develop this vital skill. Though these great graphic novel adaptations are no substitute for the original text, they can certainly make Olde English easier to understand and offer a new perspective.

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These are just a few of the offerings we have on the shelves and as e-books. Graphic adaptations, along with audiobooks and study guides, can help your readers have the most successful school year possible no matter their learning style.

There’s no wrong way to read a book!  READ MORE >>

Science Comic Series is Fun Reading via Getting Smart

Science Comic Series is Fun Reading

Getting Smart: 6.26.2019 by Winifred Kehl

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of nonfiction comics and graphic novels, especially ones about science.

In the past few years there’s been a small but steady stream of new titles available, and late last year *First Second press announced a new series for kids called, appropriately, Science Comics.

Each volume covers one topic; the first two titles available are Dinosaurs: Fossils and Feathers (by MK Reed and Joe Flood) and Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean (by Maris Wicks).

Aimed at kids ages eight and up, both Dinosaurs and Coral Reefs are gorgeously illustrated and maintain a light-hearted and approachable voice of narration.

Content ranges from the basic (such as the basics of the water cycle) to the complex (like taxonomy of species and the chemistry of ocean acidification).  READ MORE >>

Science Comics

*Macmillan

Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic – dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you’re a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty year old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you!

Bats: Learning to Fly - Falynn Koch

Cars: Engines That Move You - Dan Zettwoch

Cats: Nature and Nurture - Andy Hirsch

Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean - Maris Wicks

Crows: Genius Birds - Kyla Vanderklugt

Dinosaurs: Fossils and Feathers - M.K. Reed

Dogs: From Predator to Protector - Andy Hirsch

Flying Machines: How the Wright Brothers Soared - Molly Brooks, Alison Wilgus

Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield - Falynn Koch

Polar Bears: Survival on the Ice - Jason Viola

Robots and Drones: Past, Present, and Future - Mairghread Scott

Rockets: Defying Gravity - Anne Drozd, Jerzy Drozd

Sharks: Nature's Perfect Hunter - Joe Flood

Skyscrapers: The Heights of Engineering - John Kerschbaum

Solar System: Our Place in Space - Rosemary Mosco, Jon Chad

The Brain: The Ultimate Thinking Machine - Tory Woollcott

Trees: Kings of the Forest - Andy Hirsch

Volcanoes: Fire and Life - Jon Chad

Wild Weather: Storms, Meteorology, and Climate - Jonathan Hill, M.K. Reed

SDCC ’18: Graphic Novel Explosion Reaches Libraries, Why Can’t You Find Any to Read? via Comics Beat

Graphic Novels, Comics,
and the Common Core, 2013

SDCC ’18: Graphic Novel Explosion Reaches Libraries, Why Can’t You Find Any to Read?

Comics Beat: 7.27.2018 by Victor Van Scoit

There’s many reasons to build out an adult graphic novel collection in a library. Graphic novels aid in keeping a library relevant with the current culture. They serve as an entry to reading for those adults that aren’t fond of traditional novels. Graphic novels are excellent tools in increasing literacy—both prose and visual—for adult literacy and ESL programs. But none of that matters if patrons can’t find those graphic novels easily.

That seems to be the biggest foundational hurdle libraries are facing when building an adult graphic novel section based on insight from  the Strategies for Successful Adult Graphic Novel Collection Development in Public Libraries panel. Moderated by Monica Barrette (Escondido Public Library) with panelists Cassidy Charles (Santa Barbara Public Library), Marcela Peres (Lewiston Public Library, Director), and Amie Wright (Edmonton Public Library, Library Manager) the panelists shared experiences that could easily transcend into the world of retail.

Panelist first noted how best to make the case to those in charge for budget approvals. This required reminding to at times forego the theoretical merits for the practical merits of hard data. This data could be shared as one-sheets with critical data for decision makers to understand your needs.  Another idea was to use existing circulation data of the library’s books to invest in similar genres for the graphic novel collection.

Making graphic novels intuitive to locate is the biggest hurdle, and any obstacle might turn away a potential new reader. Cassidy Charles found buried in the children’s collection 1000 items categorized incorrectly, making it difficult even if you did know what you were looking for. Should one organize by genre, publisher, writer, artist, title?  READ MORE >>