Graphic Novel - books writen and illustrated in the style of a comic book
Graphic Novel - story is told using a combination of words and pictures in a sequence across the page
Graphic Novel - subgenre of comics
Elements of a Graphic Novel
Panels
Gutters
Description
Narration
Word Balloons
Sound Effects
Motion Lines
Art
Panels - the borders that wraps around a single moment in a comic
Panels - job is to contain an illustration that puts forth an idea
Gutters - spaces in between the panels that indicate changes/progress in the story
Description, Narration, and Word Balloons - words that supplement the images drawn in the panels
Description, Narration, and Word Balloons - they either give a narration/description of what is happening
Description, Narration, and Word Balloons - they can also contain thought and conversations between characters
Sound Effects - set the scene, signal something off scene, and add another layer to each story
Motion Lines - indicate how characters/objects are moving
Every creator has their own style
Art - graphic novels can appear realistic, cartoony, harsh, colorful, monochromatic, light,/dark
Misconeception:
Some parents and educators may feel that graphics novels are not the type of reading material that will help young people grow as readers
Reality:
Graphic novels have come to be accepted by librarians and educators as a method of storytelling on a par with novels, picture books, movies,/audiobooks
Misconception:
Graphic novels are too simplistic to be regarded as serious reading
Reality:
Graphic novels demand the same skills that are needed to understand traditional forms of literature. They require you to be actively engaged in the process of decoding and comprehending visuals and texts
Importance of Graphic Novels
Motivation
Unique Art Form
Deduction and Guessing
Motivation - graphic novels powerfully attract and motivate kids to read
Motivation - reluctant readers can be pulled into a story by the visual elements of graphic novels
Motivation - graphic novels with rich, complex plots and narrative structures can also be satisfying to advanced readers
Unique Art Form - graphic novels combine novels, movies, and images in their own unique way
Unique Art Form - are like prose in that they are in a written printed format, but they are also like film in that they tell a story through dialogue, and through visual images that give the impression of movement
Deduction and Guessing - students can compare the different experiences of receiving information through written narrative, versus receiving it visually without words
Deduction and Guessing - students can also discuss how in graphic novels, as in movies, readers can often deduce what happened-but was not explicity stated-in the interval between 1 image and the next