Graphic Novels are Graphic No's

I have an unofficial rule that students should not read graphic novels in my class. Graphic Novels are a genre that (in my opinion) is nothing more than glorified, rebranded comic books. I don't keep them in my classroom library, and I encourage students to challenge themselves with an actual chapter book when they borrow books from the library. 

However, I did realize my possible mistake in my passionate argument that my 7th graders (who read on grade level) should not be reading picture books in my classroom when a student asked me if he could read a graphic novel during our silent sustained reading block. I laughed (then felt bad) but answered, "You do not need my permission to read." I countered with my same argument of ensuring that he checks out two books at the library, one being a chapter book, that will help him graduate to more challenging texts. 

The reading specialist called me about this unofficial rule in front of the entire staff and faculty meetings. The librarians have tirelessly tried to change my mind, but I cannot be convinced, especially when my students admit they prefer graphic novels because "they are easy." The argument by my school is "at least they are reading." I disagree. Research shows that "The decline of academic rigor in schools has contributed to the culture of the school-to-prison pipeline" (Winn & Behizadeh, 2011). That is what I am trying to prevent in my classroom (and school) that has a demographic susceptible to school-to-prison pipeline statistics. 

My idea behind "banning" these graphic novels for Tier 1, middle-grade students is that children have no reading stamina - especially those who read below grade level. Although I hate the teacher mentality of "teaching to the test," reading stamina is essential to a student's ability to decode and comprehend both fiction and nonfiction texts on a state test, and coddling students with reading that requires little comprehension is doing them an injustice, and arguably compromising their right to be literate. 

I have listed below the popular graphic novels on the shelves today and the alternatives that will challenge young readers without giving them a negative relationship with reading. But hurry! Some of these books are slowly finding their way to the banned book list.

A Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Originally published as a free verse, this text was adapted into a graphic novel. Both the free verse and graphic novel are about a 15-year-old boy named Will Holloman, who is seeking revenge for his older brother Shawn's murder. Will gets into an elevator with a gun, planning to kill the person he thinks is responsible. As the elevator goes down, he meets the ghosts of people from his past who had been affected by violence, like his brother and a friend. Each person gives him advice and helps him think about the consequences of his actions. Will has to decide if he will follow through with his revenge plan or make a different choice. The story shows how violence affects people and the importance of making the right decisions. 

The Babysitters Club series by Ann M. Martin 

The Girl Scouts of America recently partnered with HarperCollins Publishing to create a series of eight middle school novels centered around the Girl Scout values. The girls in the series each have their own unique personalities, backgrounds, and strengths, but they all share a sense of teamwork, friendship, and the values of the Girl Scouts, like helping others and being responsible.

The Smile series by Raina Telgemeier

Instead, try the classic Stargirl series by Jerry Spinelli. Both series follow themes relevant to middle school issues like being true to yourself, standing up for your beliefs, and accepting others, even when different. It teaches important lessons about friendship, individuality, and staying true to your values.

Dogman series by Dav Pilkey

Instead, try The Campground Kids series by C. R Fulton. Both of these series are funny, full of action, and often have silly situations, but they also show the importance of doing the right thing,  courage, problem-solving, and the value of friendship.

Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland 

Written initially as chapter books and adapted into graphic novels, The Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland is about a group of young dragons caught in a big, dangerous conflict. The story is set in the world of Pyrrhia, where different dragon tribes are at war. Each book follows a different dragon as they try to stop fighting and make the world better. The main characters, like Clay, Tsunami, Glory, and Sunny, each have unique powers and face challenges that test their courage, friendship, and loyalty. As they go on adventures, they learn important lessons about leadership, trust, and being a hero. The series is full of action, mystery, and friendship.

Although some alternatives have a lower Lexile, they require approaching or on-grade-level comprehension skills. Other popular series that are categorized under the genre "graphic novel" but have few graphics that are used as support instead of the whole text are The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, the Middle School series by James Patterson, and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney. 

Of course, the disclaimer here is that if your students are performing far below grade level and need tier 2 or tier 3 interventions, moving away from graphic novels could negatively affect their relationship with reading. However, a teacher can push students to achieve reading growth using Alfred Tatum's research practice called "the exponential growth model" (Perry, 2018). He argues that a teacher should pair a fiction text with a nonfiction text in class. However, the invaluable aspect of teaching is that only we know our students, their strengths, humor, successes, and weaknesses, which should ultimately drive your teaching craft. 

References: 

Perry, T. (2018). Leading the call: Using texts to nurture reading, writing, and intellectual development: A conversation with Alfred Tatum. Voices from the Middle, 25(3), 13–15. 

Winn, M. T., & Behizadeh, N. (2011). The right to be literate. Review of Research in Education, 35(1), 147–173