Graphic novels

[Mejane]

Sort of a s/o topic from the banned/challenged books thread...

 

How do you feel about graphic novels? Do they pander to the need for stimulus and entertainment? Do they dumb down reading? Do they keep people reading who might otherwise not read at all? Do you or your children like/prefer them? Other thoughts?

[cathmom]

My children like them OK, but they also read regular books. I hate them because I can't stand having so many pictures. I find comic books confusing and refuse to read them to my children LOL.

[SquirrellyMama]

Good questions. Our house if filled with comic books and graphic novels. My dh collects and sells them.

 

I thought our year of phonics had totally failed for my 7 yr old until one night he came in with a Garfield comic book and started reading to me. He loves comics and graphic novels.

 

I do expect him to read real books also and I keep his comic book reading to very clean, no big bOOks, etc...

 

Kelly

[SquirrellyMama]

I find comic books confusing and refuse to read them to my children LOL.

 

I don't read them to the kids either. I can't get the story going like I can in a regular book. I think comic books are much better for individual reading.

[The Girls' Mom]

My girls like them. My oldest inhales books like air. She can read faster than me, and comprehend on my level. She goes through a 2 ft stack of books a week. Yet, she LOVES graphic novels. She likes the art work in them, and will often read the graphic novel version of books she's already read, and vice versa. So, just like the food we eat...they aren't a bad thing if your reading 'diet' is varied.

[Big Buckin' Longhorn]

I hope they're real reading. They do count in my house.

 

They're pretty much all my son will read on his own accord. Other than that, he only reads assigned reading from his professors . . . I still assign him a few readings too . . . even though we're technically done homeschooling. :D

 

I have always found it a great way to get people like him, who simply NEVER liked reading for pleasure, to read day and night. I can hardly get his attention sometimes because he's so deep into his graphic novels.

 

He's also very artistic/creative and is currently writing and illustrating his own series of graphic novels. They're very interesting, although I can only read them a little at a time, because they make my head spin with all the pictures. He's extremely visual.

Edited July 6, 2010 by TejasMamacita

[catz]

Good questions. Our house if filled with comic books and graphic novels. My dh collects and sells them.

 

I thought our year of phonics had totally failed for my 7 yr old until one night he came in with a Garfield comic book and started reading to me. He loves comics and graphic novels.

 

I do expect him to read real books also and I keep his comic book reading to very clean, no big bOOks, etc...

 

Kelly

 

Maybe our DH's were seperated at birth! We have a house full of them too. My kids LOVE them. I even love some of them - like Persepolis. We have an 8 book hardcover graphic novel series on the life of Buddha my son enjoyed too (probably rated PG-10). Some are fantastic and high quality. Both my kids transitioned from shorter books, to this format or other high picture books with lots of text to longer books. So I approve of them in general if they're clean. We read lots and lots of other books too though.

 

I also can't read them out loud!

[secular_mom]

Sort of a s/o topic from the banned/challenged books thread...

 

How do you feel about graphic novels? Do they pander to the need for stimulus and entertainment?

I don't feel strongly about them. It's possible.

 

 

Do they dumb down reading?

Possibly.

 

 

Do they keep people reading who might otherwise not read at all?

Sometimes.

 

Do you or your children like/prefer them? Other thoughts?

My oldest went through a Manga phase, she will still occasionally read one. I hope that my son will enjoy them and they will interest him and help him practice/develop reading skills.

 

Other thoughts: I think it's silly to vilify things (not saying that you are) like comic books/video games/audio books/movies/television/magazines/etc. I think all things have some value, some things hold more value for one person than for another and it's all 'good'. If we seek out the 'negative' in everything, then that is what we will find and I see no reason to seek out anything 'bad' about graphic novels, audio books, etc. :D

[radiobrain]

Not only do I consider them to be real reading and important (especially for boys and/or visual learners), a great way to get a kid interested in a topic/literature they might not have been before... but I consider them a new (ish), valid art form.

 

Do you know how much time and thought goes into each frame? They are like miniature photographs/paintings. Why is a small frame of artwork, that can convey a mood, image, idea etc. somehow less valid than a few paragraphs?

 

However, just like any art medium, there are crappy comics/graphic novels. You know, the difference between Masterpiece Theatre and Big Brother 19. I prefer to stick with ones that are above average. Will Eisner, Jay Hosler, Tove Jansson, Calvin & Hobbes, Asterix... to name a few that popped into my head.

Edited July 6, 2010 by radiobrain

[secular_mom]

We have an 8 book hardcover graphic novel series on the life of Buddha my son enjoyed too (probably rated PG-10).

 

Ooh, what is the name of the series about Buddha? (Hope you don't mind my asking)

[phathui5]

We have a lot of them. I'm planning to order more of the Graphic Classics when my dh's big commission check comes.

[WishboneDawn]

Love 'em. I used to collect comic books and still have a good collection of comic books and graphic novels.

 

They aren't books with picture or reading lite. They're a different medium altogether that can communicate stories in a manner a little different from a novel. I find them a lot closer in form to film storyboards or even movies then books actually.

[catz]

Ooh, what is the name of the series about Buddha? (Hope you don't mind my asking)

 

Not at all! :001_smile: Here's the first volume in the series. It is a somewhat fictionalized account but we all enjoyed it. I rate it PG-13 for some partial nudity and violence. My 9 yo does ok with this stuff, so I thought it was fine for him. He's actually read the whole series a number of times. It's led to some good discussions and further research for us.

 

My husband actually gave me this series over several birthdays and holidays. Tells you where his priorities are!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Buddha-1-Kapilavastu-Osamu-Tezuka/dp/193223456X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278443086&sr=8-1

 

Edited to say - we have the hardcovers. The hardcovers are very cool because they line up on a bookshelf to make 3 pictures of Buddha! Not to mention my 9 yo old probably would have trashed them by now. It's the small things, I tell you.

[secular_mom]

Not at all! :001_smile: Here's the first volume in the series. It is a somewhat fictionalized account but we all enjoyed it. I rate it PG-13 for some partial nudity and violence. My 9 yo does ok with this stuff, so I thought it was fine for him. He's actually read the whole series a number of times. It's led to some good discussions and further research for us.

 

My husband actually gave me this series over several birthdays and holidays. Tells you where his priorities are!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Buddha-1-Kapilavastu-Osamu-Tezuka/dp/193223456X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278443086&sr=8-1

 

Edited to say - we have the hardcovers. The hardcovers are very cool because they line up on a bookshelf to make 3 pictures of Buddha! Not to mention my 9 yo old probably would have trashed them by now. It's the small things, I tell you.

Thank you, I'm adding them to my wishlist. :)

Yes, the small things are wonderful, aren't they? My husband went to the grocery store and I asked him to buy more tea bags- he also bought me an air-tight container to store the bags in and I was giddy when he handed it to me.

[Farrar]

Another graphic novels/comic book lover here. My kids are still in the early readers stage, but they love, love the TOON Books series. Stinky by Eleanor Davis is their favorite.

 

*My* favorite graphic novels series is Fables, but it's definitely adults or mature teens only.

 

I don't think it dumbs down reading. Just like any other genre, there's great art and trash and everything in between. Poor writing (in comics or any literature) is unfortunate, but it shouldn't demean the genre as a whole. I do think reading graphic novels can be a different skill from reading a book. Anyone else here know Scott McCloud's classic Understanding Comics? Such a good book about reading an image and understanding images.

[Pretty in Pink]

I'm not big on graphic novels. I classify them as fluff. I'll allow two fluff books per trip to the library. I do not purchase fluff but the kids are free to buy it with their own money if they wish.

[ThelmaLou]

When my oldest ds was going through a comic book phase, a friend recommended the Tintin books by Herge. Fabulous! We ended up buying every single one, and then his appetite for such things was satisfied. He moved on to the fantasy genre after that.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Tintin-America-Pharaoh-Complete/dp/0316359408/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278445963&sr=8-2

[SilverMoon]

I'm not big on graphic novels. I classify them as fluff. I'll allow two fluff books per trip to the library. I do not purchase fluff but the kids are free to buy it with their own money if they wish.

 

:iagree: But I ask for X amount of real books near their reading level on library trips. How much fluff they add on the side is entirely up to them. Comics don't count for our daily reading time though.

 

(The X amount is different for each child. Even my 4yo brings home Garfield comics and devours them. ;) )

[manylilblessings]

When my oldest ds was going through a comic book phase, a friend recommended the Tintin books by Herge. Fabulous! We ended up buying every single one, and then his appetite for such things was satisfied. He moved on to the fantasy genre after that.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Tintin-America-Pharaoh-Complete/dp/0316359408/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278445963&sr=8-2

 

 

We love Tintin as well!

[KarenNC]

My daughter (almost 10) would prefer that everything came in graphic novel format :). She is very visually-oriented and artistic, much more so than either my husband or myself. I think that is why geometry comes much easier to her than other math areas. Her reading skills are great (97-99th percentile on ITBS in most of the areas of language) and she will read other things if I require them. She also loves audiobooks in the car, including long, complex ones. She can easily and fairly quickly read longer books that I assign for history or literature, it's just not her preferred pleasure reading. We do have to closely monitor the maturity level of the different titles, though.

 

It is a bit frustrating that she would much rather read a graphic novel than a longer book. Our summer reading incentive is read a book of 200 pp or longer and you get silly bands.

 

Thanks for the suggestion about the Tezuka books---I now have them on hold at the library as well as the Understanding Comics book.

[Closeacademy]

They made my child a reader. Without graphic novels she probably wouldn't want to read. The only way she would have read is if I assigned her books.

 

The vocabulary in some of the books is fairly high and the pictures make it interesting. Now, the next jump for us is to move her to novels.:001_smile:

[Mejane]

Interesting replies - thanks! I admit I've never read one, but I plan to grab one next time I go to the library.

[Daisy]

The only graphic novels we allow are ones that are junior versions of classic books and a few that have been written specifically to younger children. So for example I bought Gulliver's Travels done as a graphic novel. It retains the writing style of the original (and even direct quotes from the original). I also bought a couple of Shakespeare ones. That has been an easy way to introduce the language of Shakespeare in an easier to understand format.

 

I've also allowed the new Geronimo Stilton graphic novels that are set in historical time periods. Not very educational, but they are good fun.

 

Otherwise we say no. Too many of those books have art work our family deems inappropriate.

Edited July 6, 2010 by Daisy

[Farrar]

It's probably best not to dismiss a genre without sampling one or two of its best representatives. Someone inclined to dismiss all graphic novels as "fluff" might change his or her mind after reading Maus, for example.

 

:iagree: It really gets me when people dismiss graphic novels as an entire genre as "fluff." Or when they say that books like Maus are the exception. That's just not true - especially not anymore, with books like Persopolis or Alison Bechdel's Fun Home coming out.

 

I think saying graphic novels are all fluff is like saying Romance is all fluff. Sure, if you went to the bookstore and looked through all the Jackie Collins, you might feel that way, but to say ALL romance is fluff dismisses Jane Austen and even Romeo and Juliet. Graphic novels are a different format from other books. However, you also wouldn't say that "movies" are all fluff or that "music" is all fluff. It's just a form of media.

[Corraleno]

I'm not big on graphic novels. I classify them as fluff. I'll allow two fluff books per trip to the library. I do not purchase fluff but the kids are free to buy it with their own money if they wish.

 

Here are just a few graphic novels (and nonfiction books) that are definitely not "fluffy:"

 

Maus by Art Spiegelman

 

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

 

Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel by CM Butzer

 

Clan Apis, Optical Allusions, and Sandwalk Adventures by Jay Hosler

 

The "original text" versions of Shakespeare and other "great books" published by Classical Comics in the U.K.

 

The graphic adaptation of Origin of Species

 

Graphic adaptation of Kafka's The Trial

 

The Manga Guide to....Molecular Biology/Physics/Calculus/Relativity/etc.

 

The Cartoon Guide to...Physics/Chemsitry/Genetics/etc. by Larry Gonick

 

For younger kids there is also a series of Max Axiom comics on science topics like viruses & bacteria, cells, genetics, etc.

 

Jackie

[Daisy]

:iagree: It really gets me when people dismiss graphic novels as an entire genre as "fluff." Or when they say that books like Maus are the exception. That's just not true - especially not anymore, with books like Persopolis or Alison Bechdel's Fun Home coming out.

 

I think saying graphic novels are all fluff is like saying Romance is all fluff. Sure, if you went to the bookstore and looked through all the Jackie Collins, you might feel that way, but to say ALL romance is fluff dismisses Jane Austen and even Romeo and Juliet. Graphic novels are a different format from other books. However, you also wouldn't say that "movies" are all fluff or that "music" is all fluff. It's just a form of media.

 

Agreed and yet we often rate media on a scale. Movies are viewed as a more passive form of media. Books (without pictures) tend to require higher thought, greater comprehension, and a use of imagination. Graphic novels probably fall somewhere in between. I wouldn't dismiss the validity of any of those media forms but I'm not going to make them all equal either.

[RosesAreRed]

My son is taking a graphic novel course at the university as part of his English requirement, I am anxious to read his notes and books. He loves The Sandman and Metamorphosis was well done. I think there is a place for everything. My daughter enjoys comics like Calvin and Hobbes and it's subtle humor. She enjoys Owly because she is obsessed with owls. She is very visual and artistic so they well done graphic novels appeal to her. Yes, I like some graphic novels, yes, some are well done, yes some are not well done. I don't think they pander in general, I think they appeal to different audiences. I do think they entice reluctant readers. My kids are selective with reading materials.

[6packofun]

I just look at them as another genre, not an incentive to read "real" books and not necessarily just longer comic books. lol Maybe it's because I'm an adult who still loves picture books, but I enjoy seeing an author/illustrator give expressions to faces and tell a visually stimulating story. Maus and Persepolis qualify as literature most definitely, and just because The Dark Knight Returns (and others) is about Batman, doesn't mean it's "just a comic!" Great stories. Anything by Kazu Kibuishi is visually stunning, IMO. Graphic novels let us enjoy artistic accomplishment in *two* areas--visual art/illustration and writing--at once! :)

[AuntieM]

FLUFF???!!!

 

At age 6, eldest ds's vocabulary was far and away above most of his age mates.... thanks to Calvin & Hobbes.

 

At 7, he had a love for European and African geography, the German language and an ability to crack puns like nobody's business.... thanks to The Adventures of Tintin.

 

At age 11, he began to teach himself complicated conversions from a precalculus book he bought so he could pursue his study of ballistics, spurred on by a love for and understanding of physics... thanks to The Cartoon Guide to Physics. By the way, his high school science teacher asked for a copy of this one.

 

Ds #2, my non- reader, has read the Bible cover-to-cover.... thanks to The Graphic Bible. He is also now very comfortable (ie, not intimidated by) reading his own Bible in NASB format.

 

Call it fluff, if you like. In our home this medium has earned its place alongside the unabridged classics. It's part of our well-balanced literary diet.

 

Not all graphic books feature Archie and Jughead down at the malt shop. But that in itself is a study in history and cultural geography, is it not?

[Mejane]

 

Ds #2, my non- reader, has read the Bible cover-to-cover.... thanks to The Graphic Bible. He is also now very comfortable (ie, not intimidated by) reading his own Bible in NASB format.

 

I had no idea there was a graphic Bible.

 

Not all graphic books feature Archie and Jughead down at the malt shop. But that in itself is a study in history and cultural geography, is it not?

 

Loved Archie growing up. :)

 

 

 

.

[Mejane]

Here are just a few graphic novels (and nonfiction books) that are definitely not "fluffy:"

 

 

 

Thanks for the list!

[catz]

Thanks for the list!

 

Thank you Correlano for that list! We've read a number of those. A couple more I thought of that I enjoyed and wouldn't consider fluffy ...

 

This one is a fictionalized account of post WW2 Hiroshima

http://www.amazon.com/Town-Evening-Country-Cherry-Blossoms/dp/0867196653/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278503536&sr=1-10

 

The true story of a man who spent 2 months as an animator in North Korea

http://www.amazon.com/Pyongyang-Journey-North-Guy-Delisle/dp/1897299214/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278503791&sr=1-1

[WishboneDawn]

When my oldest ds was going through a comic book phase, a friend recommended the Tintin books by Herge. Fabulous! We ended up buying every single one, and then his appetite for such things was satisfied. He moved on to the fantasy genre after that.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Tintin-America-Pharaoh-Complete/dp/0316359408/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278445963&sr=8-2

 

Asterix is great too. There's nothing "fluffy" about either series.

[WishboneDawn]

.

 

Otherwise we say no. Too many of those books have art work our family deems inappropriate.

 

Too me that's like saying no to novels because too many have words or scenes I might deem inappropriate. :(

[WishboneDawn]

Agreed and yet we often rate media on a scale. Movies are viewed as a more passive form of media. Books (without pictures) tend to require higher thought, greater comprehension, and a use of imagination. Graphic novels probably fall somewhere in between. I wouldn't dismiss the validity of any of those media forms but I'm not going to make them all equal either.

 

I'm not buying that either. I'm not sure why pictures somehow mean there's less higher though, comprehension and imagination. Take a gander at The Last Supper, American Gothic or Guernica. Does the fact that they are simply pictures somehow mean they're less worthy or less demanding then an essay or novel on the subjects? They're great picture exactly because they demand of us all those qualities you list.

 

Is a Shakespeare play in performance less demanding then a Shakespeare play written out on paper?

 

Is a performance like Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy, the manner in which he draws viewers to imagining his inner thoughts and emotions somehow less an act of imagination because he makes his appeal to us with gestures rather then written characters?

 

Is the ability to render a scene in a series of drawings less of a genius then the ability to render it in written characters?

 

I don't buy it at all. Imagination is not all about making pictures in your head to accompany text. It's about traveling places internally we may not have ventured before an a good movie, picture or graphic novel can do that just as well as any novel. Higher thought? Goodness, of course that's accessible though pictures as well. It's why a simple Venn diagram can open of paths of logic a 1000 word essay might not. Comprehension? It's why a piece of good art might be a pretty picture to one person and a deep political comment to another.

 

It could be that some people are extremely literate and accomplished when it comes to books but not so much so when it comes to other media. They understand what books offer because they're so familiar with them. But when it comes to other media, not so much. They take a look at most of what's on offer on TV or on a comic book rack and decide that's representative of a whole medium. Most things look superficial when you only take a superficial look at it.

 

But me, as much as I'm a complete book worshipper I did work in a book store once upon a time and there's nothing like spending hours upon hours unpacking, shelving, organizing, reccommending and selling crappy book after crappy book to realize there's nothing sacred or inherently superior about a bunch of text stuffed between a couple of covers.

[Farrar]

:iagree: I also don't buy that media is somehow ranked in terms of better or worse. The way we tell stories has changed and diversified over the centuries, but different media do different things for us in different ways.

[Daisy]

I'm not buying that either. I'm not sure why pictures somehow mean there's less higher though, comprehension and imagination. Take a gander at The Last Supper, American Gothic or Guernica. Does the fact that they are simply pictures somehow mean they're less worthy or less demanding then an essay or novel on the subjects? They're great picture exactly because they demand of us all those qualities you list....

 

 

When so often people say that their reluctant readers won't read anything but graphic novels, then yes, I stick by my previous statements. Pictures are often used in helping decode reading. An over-reliance upon them makes for poor comprehension and lower reading ability.

 

That does not in any way, shape, or form undermine the importance of art or other media forms in our society. That graphic novels have their place, I'll readily admit. I will not, however, place them on an equal footing with classic literature, especially for younger readers. I'm fine with us agreeing to disagree.

Too me that's like saying no to novels because too many have words or scenes I might deem inappropriate.

 

Well, there are plenty of novels I avoid also and whole genres for the matter. I avoid the entire trashy romance genre, though I'm sure there comes along a well-written trashy romance every now and then. If you re-read my previous post, you'll find that I didn't say we avoided graphic novels altogether. I said we prefer to stick to classic books retold as graphic novels and ones specifically written for younger children.

[lovemyboys]

When my oldest ds was going through a comic book phase, a friend recommended the Tintin books by Herge. Fabulous! We ended up buying every single one, and then his appetite for such things was satisfied. He moved on to the fantasy genre after that.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Tintin-America-Pharaoh-Complete/dp/0316359408/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278445963&sr=8-2

 

Dc devoured these over the past year or so....finally read the last one and reread a few favorites a couple months ago.

 

They didn't get into Asterix much at all.

 

For the modern graphic books like the Warrior (cats), Bionicle, Transformers and similar, they just don't care for much at all. This is fine by me, dc end up going back to the more densely written books with the same characters.

 

Interestingly, they spend a good deal of time creating their own comic strips.

 

And Calvin&Hobbes, totally different subject in this house. ;)

[spradlin02]

I don't read them to the kids either. I can't get the story going like I can in a regular book. I think comic books are much better for individual reading.

 

My son likes me to read TinTin to him. Cpt. Haddock hurts my throat and all the character changing is quite difficult.

 

I think if they engage kids and make them want to read, great. I wouldn't say it should a staple in a diet, but it's certainly worth having in the menu.

[JessieKat]

As a graphic artist, I have no qualms against graphic novels. Of course, I've assisted in the production of quite a few, so I'm biased. ;)

 

For children, however -- I don't recommend any sort of graphic novels. I keep them away from my son because I want him to visualize things by reading. It increases his imagination and his understanding of what things are. If he doesn't understand, he can come to me. He tries harder.

 

One other reason is that most graphic novels are made for adults. Comic books are targeted towards children and they're fine as "junk food", but graphic novels DO tell a story and I wouldn't mind introducing my kid to them at some point. The highly acclaimed Maus by Art Spiegelman is an outstanding introductory graphic novel. History classes in high school will often read this together in class. It's outstanding!

[Food4Thought]

Here are just a few graphic novels (and nonfiction books) that are definitely not "fluffy:"

 

 

Thanks for the list! I'm a fan of graphic novels and manga. I learned more about myself and social relations reading Fruits Basket than I did reading Catcher in the Rye. DS will spend more time trying to decipher words in a graphic novel than in a wall-of-text chapter book, and I like that it gets him more interested in books and well-told stories.

 

I'm using 3 different graphic novels as part of our 1st grade curriculum next year (not spines, but supporting text in history and science). There are a lot of really well-written and well-drawn books out there. I'd hate to miss out on them because I dismissed the genre as a whole.

[jade]

Graphic novels as well as comics are different than novels or picture books. I think all have validity as a reading document. My husband has taught several college courses on graphic novels and we all have grown to appreciate the genre.

 

There are many graphic novels that are geared for high school or adult readers. But many newer ones are coming out for younger readers, including a series edited by Art Spiegelman, the creator of Maus (http://www.amazon.com/Art-Spiegelman/e/B000APXXEK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1) and his wife Francoise Mouly, the art editor at The New Yorker. Their series is called Toon Books (http://toon-books.com).

 

We had a wonderful experience this year using Chester Comix by Bentley Boyd (http://www.chestercomix.com/) which is American history through comix books. Highly recommended! We supplemented these occasionally with a textbook, but mostly used Chester Comix.

 

We're clearly moving into a more visual culture and visual literacy is going to be increasingly important in the future. Children need the ability to read and analyze texts of all types. Graphic novels are one type of text.

[LaissezFaire]

For my son who is dyslexic they were a gift from God. He always wanted to be able to read a book but it was overwhelming to him to see all those words on a page and try to track them. With graphic novels he was able to 'get' what was going on with picture clues and now he is happily starting to read novels. I think there is definitely a place for them.

[Farrar]

For children, however -- I don't recommend any sort of graphic novels. I keep them away from my son because I want him to visualize things by reading. It increases his imagination and his understanding of what things are. If he doesn't understand, he can come to me. He tries harder.

 

 

I don't get this argument. I also think being able to visualize what you're reading is important and I know that it's important to get a strong grounding in decoding for young children just learning to read so some people believe pictures can be counter-productive in early stages. However, I haven't found that visual imagery has harmed my kids' imaginations in any way - not visual imagery of any kind, from fine art to 3-D movies and anything in between. Why would also reading graphic novels (especially when there are so many really good ones coming out now) as well as traditional novels harm a kid's ability to use their imagination any more than any other media? I'm guessing you don't disallow other visual arts or block out the pictures in picture books. Why are graphic novels different in this respect?

[WishboneDawn]

I don't get this argument. I also think being able to visualize what you're reading is important and I know that it's important to get a strong grounding in decoding for young children just learning to read so some people believe pictures can be counter-productive in early stages. However, I haven't found that visual imagery has harmed my kids' imaginations in any way - not visual imagery of any kind, from fine art to 3-D movies and anything in between. Why would also reading graphic novels (especially when there are so many really good ones coming out now) as well as traditional novels harm a kid's ability to use their imagination any more than any other media? I'm guessing you don't disallow other visual arts or block out the pictures in picture books. Why are graphic novels different in this respect?

 

Further to this, would it be reasonable to disallow books so that kids could imagine the text that would go along with movies and comics?

 

We understand that reading builds writing skills. Why is it not considered that movies and comics would build visualization skills?

[secular_mom]

Further to this, would it be reasonable to disallow books so that kids could imagine the text that would go along with movies and comics?

 

We understand that reading builds writing skills. Why is it not considered that movies and comics would build visualization skills?

Yes, does seeing things that wouldn't have occurred to you somehow 'rob' you of being able to invent it for yourself? Does using a cookbook when you are learning how to cook mean you will lose the ability to create your own dishes? Will the food be bland because you didn't make up the recipe yourself?

I really hate blanket statements (not saying I'm not guilty of making them) that imply that something is 'bad' for EVERYone. I don't see the need to label them as 'good' or 'bad' or 'fluff' or 'classic'- either something is worth the readers time to read (totally up to the reader to judge) or it's not. Either it has value for a reader, or it doesn't- same with movies, etc.

For children with reading difficulties, comic books and graphic novels can help them, I'm sure there are some that it could hinder but that doesn't mean that anyone should look down their nose at a parent who 'allows' their child to read them.

Different strokes for different folks.

 

I'm perfectly fine with people making decisions like these for their own family, so long as they don't imply people who make a different decision are somehow lacking.

 

About the labels applied to such material, I think (and this is JMHO) that when people start owning their feelings and saying things like 'I do not want you to read that material because I don't find any value in it' instead of 'You can't read that book, that is fluff and it's not valuable'. One statement owns itself as an opinion, the other states it as though it were fact- that people will stop feeling so defensive about their choices and we would feel less divided.