Thinking about adolescent literature has roused my curiosity for graphic novels and comics. I grew up reading comics (although probably not as seriously as others) and the thought of teaching this genre in the classroom is intriguing. As comics and graphic novels are taken more seriously as a form of literature, I know that teachers are integrating them into the classroom curriculum, but I, personally, was never was exposed to them when I was a student. So I set out to find some texts that would work either in classrooms or school libraries.
While the topic of “graphic novels and comic books” is somewhat broad, I found myself searching for and finding texts that I had not yet encountered. In my experience, the comic book reader is someone who thoroughly enjoys the storyline and becomes somewhat consumed with plot and characters. When I lived in Japan, I noticed that reading manga (Japanese graphic novels) was extremely commonplace and was practiced by both children and adults. It was not uncommon to see a businessman in a suit reading manga on the train. This image helped me see comics and graphic novels as legitimate texts. Throughout my student teaching experience and by talking with students, I have found that comic books lovers not only relish the details of these stories, but they actively analyze how the stories are told. I’ve had many conversations with comic books enthusiasts about how the plot and the characters contribute to the theme. Others like to talk about how the illustrations and artists’ depictions help create meaning in the text.
To quote Gene Yang, “’Graphic novel’ is really a political term. It’s a part of a growing effort to cast the comics medium in a new, more literary light, apart from the genres usually associated with it” (Yang, 2008). While graphic novels are becoming increasingly popular, they pose different benefits and drawbacks in the classroom. To be honest, there were many graphic novels that I read and had to discard because they seemed to contain too explicit of material. For each text, I provide not only a summary, but a list of potential uses for the classroom. I also detail whether or not the text contains profanity or nudity, or sexual content, etc. In this blog post, I hope to provide information about different graphic novels and comics and inform you about benefits and concerns with and possible contexts to use these texts.
What I want to accomplish with the integration of these texts is a) to help connect students’ out-of-school reading practices with in-school reading practices. b) help open up the difficult discussion of how literary elements help us make meanings in a text by talking about how arts, drawings, pictures, help us make meaning. I feel like the blending of images and texts lends itself well to this conversation c.) allow students a different reading experience that is not just print-based.
A note on my text selection: The set of graphic novels that I have chosen do not represent all of the different uses or selections that could be used in the classroom. I have tried to represent manga (Barefoot Gen), the traditional graphic novel (Maus), comic books (Uncle Sam and Mouse Guard), nonfiction (Cesar Chavez: Fighting for Farmworkers), comic strips in a book collection (Likewise) and comic strips online (The Boondocks). I purposely chose to not include graphic novels that are interpretations of canonical texts (for example, I found a great graphic novel version of Macbeth). I did this because I wanted to represent this genre as more stand-alone texts, although this type of adaptation would also serve well in the classroom.
Also, I tried to find texts that would appeal to a wide variety of learners, but I did find it more difficult to include the female perspective. I found some texts online that looked appealing to female readers and included female protagonists but I found it much more difficult to actually find these texts in the library or online.
A note on my text selection: The set of graphic novels that I have chosen do not represent all of the different uses or selections that could be used in the classroom. I have tried to represent manga (Barefoot Gen), the traditional graphic novel (Maus), comic books (Uncle Sam and Mouse Guard), nonfiction (Cesar Chavez: Fighting for Farmworkers), comic strips in a book collection (Likewise) and comic strips online (The Boondocks). I purposely chose to not include graphic novels that are interpretations of canonical texts (for example, I found a great graphic novel version of Macbeth). I did this because I wanted to represent this genre as more stand-alone texts, although this type of adaptation would also serve well in the classroom.
Also, I tried to find texts that would appeal to a wide variety of learners, but I did find it more difficult to include the female perspective. I found some texts online that looked appealing to female readers and included female protagonists but I found it much more difficult to actually find these texts in the library or online.
1. Barefoot Gen
Nakazawa, K. (2004). Barefoot Gen: A cartoon history of Hiroshima: Volume one. San Francisco: Last Gasp.
Suggested Grade Level: 7-12
Available at Onondaga County Library: No
Available on Amazon: Yes
Where Did I Access the Text?: Amazon
Originally written in the 1970s, this version of Barefoot Gen was re-released in 2004 with a foreword by Art Spiegelman (author of Maus). The story, which is loosely based on Keiji Nakazawa’s life, tells the tale of the Nakaoka family, who lives in Hiromshima during World War II. Gen, the main character is a young boy whose father openly speaks out against the war. Because all food and supplies are rationed for the Japanese army, the Nakaoka family is starving. There are five children in the Nakaoka family. Koji, the eldest, joins the Japanese Navy to prove that his family is not made of traitors. Eiko, a fifth grader, is strip searched as school because she was accused of theft. At the climax of all of the family’s struggles, the bomb is dropped on Hiroshima. Miraculously, Gen and his mother remain unscathed, but his father and three of his siblings are trapped beneath the house. Try as they might, Gen and his mother, who is eight months pregnant cannot save their family form the rubble. The shock of the tragedy sends Gen’s mother into labor and volume one leaves off with Gen’s mother holding up her newborn daughter proclaiming, “When you grow up, you must never, ever let this happen again!”
I really wanted to represent manga in this collection, but I found that it was difficult to navigate some of the current manga series, because there are so many volumes and issues. It was hard to know where to pick up and where to leave off. Barefoot Gen is a manga series that currently has ten volumes. However, the first volume, I think, works well as a stand-alone text because it tells a very cohesive, captivating story. This book offers a perspective of World War II that I don’t often see represented. I think that this text would pair well with Maus.
Teaching Ideas: This graphic novel could be used in a text set about World War II, or it could be used to discuss the genre of manga. Many reviews online speak about the style of the manga drawn in this piece. Because it was illustrated in the 1970s, the style of manga is different than what has evolved today. This text could also be used with other anti-war texts. The author has since updated the volumes in this series and has recently published two further volumes that illustrate the author's desire to convince others not to use nuclear weapons. I also would recommend perhaps using this text with the movie version. I have provided a youtube link below:
Spiegelman, A. (1991). The complete Maus: A survivor’s tale. New York: Pantheon Books.
Suggested Grade Level: 9-12
Available at Onondaga County Library:Yes
Available on Amazon: Yes
Where Did I Access the Text?: Play the Game, Read the Story in Carousel Mall
Maus: A Survivor’s Tale is the autobiographical story told from the first person by the author Art Spiegelman. Through a series of interviews with his father Vladek, Art captures the horrors and struggles that his parents endured in the Holocaust. The characters in this graphic novel are depicted as animals, and all Jewish characters are mice, while all Nazis are cats and all Polish non-Jews are pigs. Through the graphic novel the reader travels back and forth between the interview process between Art and his father and the flashback to life during World War II. There are actually two parts to the Maus series: Part I- My Father Bleeds History and Part II- And Here My Troubles Began. The Complete Maus contains both parts, which I preferred because I feel like it’s somewhat difficult to read just the first part without wanting to know what happens next.
One of the aspects that I enjoyed the most about this text is that Art Spiegelman includes many details about his own writing process in this text itself. He acknowledges, to some extent, his own indecision about how to portray different characters through animals (His wife, for example, is a mouse because she converted to Judaism, but she is of French descent, so he does not know at first if he should draw her as a mouse or a frog—the animal he selected for French characters.) I found this to be an emotional read. The illustrations are simple (just as with Barefoot Gen) and in a way, this seems to make it easier to access this difficult content.
This is a graphic novel that is certainly well-established in the literary world, having won a Pulitzer Prize. I believe that this text lends itself well to many different teaching situations. Students could analyze the text from the Holocaust standpoint or the text could offer the perspective of Holocaust survivors to a text set on World War II. I think that this would pair well with Barefoot Gen, as both text offer different perspectives of the war. In the ELA classroom, readers could analyze the use of symbols in the text and the author’s decision to select different animals to represent different groups of people.
3. Cesar Chavez: Fighting for Farmworkers
Braun, E. (2006). Cesar Chavez: Fighting for farmworkers. Mankato: Capstone Press.
Suggested Grade Level: 6-8
Available at Onondaga County Library: Yes
Available on Amazon: Yes
Where Did I Access the Text?: Onondaga County Public Library
This book is from a series of biographies from “Graphic Libraries.” I actually took out about eight or nine other books from this series in the past and I think that they are great resources for students. They’re visually appealing, and provide a lot of information into one thin book. They’re only about 30 pages long each, but they all tackle important issues and represent important historical figures well.
This graphic biography tells the story of Cesar Chavez, who fought for the rights of migrant farm workers. The biography illustrates how Chavez created organizations for laborers’ rights. We follow Cesar through his childhood, as he grows up in Depression with a struggling family and we then follow him through his pursuit to see farm workers treated fairly.
I chose this text because it is a nonfiction text that delivers content through the medium of graphic novels. The reading level for this text would be suitable for 6-8 grade students and I could see this text being taught in an ELA classroom or a Social Studies classroom. I could also see this text being paired with some of the other series from the Graphic Library to be used to write a research paper or for a social justice unit. This text could also be suitable for ELLs or students with lower reading levels in a text set about Cesar Chavez.
4. Uncle Sam
Darnell, S. & Ross, A. (1998). Uncle Sam. New York: DC Comics.
Suggested Grade Level:11-12
Available at Onondaga County Library: No
Available on Amazon: Yes
Where Did I Access the Text?: Borrowed from my brother
The protagonist of this graphic novel is none other than Uncle Sam, who wanders through America displaced and confused as he struggles to come to terms with the various injustices committed in the United States. Uncle Sam confronts various issues and time periods in the text as he tries to rationalize and understand the Civil War, slavery, and the treatment of Native Americans.
I really like this text because it functions very much like a traditional novel in that the text employs various literary elements to convey its message. For example, readers would be able to identify flashback, allusion, characterization, theme, and plot easily in this text. Although the text was written in 1998, it is still very relevant and useful in the classroom. I could see this text used in the ELA classroom because it can be analyzed as a more traditional text. Or, it could be used in the Social Studies classroom because it tackles and mentions may different historical periods and figures (Uncle Sam also confronts his predecessor Lady Columbia)
There are a few instances of the f-word that occur in the text, but they are view. Still, I would most likely suggest this for an upper level high school classroom (11-12) because of this content. Although the reading level is somewhat easy, to fully understand the themes and the plot of the text would require some knowledge of historical facts and critical thinking skills. I still think that this is one of the better examples of a text that could bridge the gap between comics/graphic novels and more canonical literature.
5. Likewise
Schrag, A. (1998). Likewise: The high school comic chronicles of Ariel Schrag. New York: Touchtone.
Suggested Grade Level: 12
Available at Onondaga County Library: No, but author texts by this author are.
Available on Amazon: Yes
Where Did I Access the Text?: Amazon
I have to preface my summary with the explanation that this text does contain a fair amount of sexual content, so I would strongly recommend reading this before including in the classroom or a library. In fact, there is a lot of sex in this book, both talked about and depicted through cartoons. So why did I include it? The protagonist, Ariel Schrag, details the awkwardness of high school when dealing with sexuality. I think that it would provide a valuable resource for students who encounter the same issues and problems as Ariel.
This is a relatively long collection of cartoons and just as I have recommended with other texts, it could be used in bits or as a whole (although I think that you would be hard-pressed to find the right classroom to use this for the whole class because of the content and because it is so long). The book starts of with Ariel breaking up with her girlfriend Mabel, and stating that she misses her old flame Sallie, who has moved away. Throughout the collection of cartoons, we see Ariel navigate the dating world, striving to define what homosexuality means to her. As I mentioned before, there are depictions of sex, but the characters are drawn in a simplistic "cartoony" way that makes it seem a little more innocuous (at least that's my opinion).
Again, I think that this is just a good text to have either in the library or in your own collection as a teacher or literacy specialist because Ariel represents a voice that I have not seem otherwise in this genre. As she deals with relationship issues and issues regarding safe sex, I can see Ariel providing support to many different students in and out of the classroom.
6. Mouse Guard
Petersen, D. (2009). Mouse Guard: Winter 1152. Chicago: Archaia Studio Press.
I think that this text illustrates the power of images in how we make meaning as a great deal of suspense is built through images along. The pictures are colorful and vibrant, taking the reader deep into the world of these mice. This might be another text that would be interesting to pair with Maus, as readers in an ELA classroom could compare the symbols of mice and how they are portrayed in graphic novels and cartoons and why they are selected to play certain roles. I could also see this text being used in an art class as students could examine how images create meaning. And, although it might be a stretch, I could see this text being used as part of a social justice unit (being attacked and banding together against seemingly evil forces.) This is a text that has a reading level appropriate for younger readers but it could also be used in upper level classes with an emphasis on more critical analysis.
Suggested Grade Level: 6-8 (or possibly even younger)
Available at Onondaga County Library: Yes
Available on Amazon: Yes
Where Did I Access the Text?:Borrowed from my brother, who purchased it at Play the Game, Read the Story, in Carousel Mall.
Mouse Guard is a series that deals with the triumphs and struggles of mice who battle their environment and various oncoming predators (in this particular volume they battle an owl). The series takes place in medieval times (based on the dress of the mice, who behave much like humans, but there are no humans present in this series.)
In this volume, Lieam and Calanawe battle an owl in a long scene that mostly occurs in images, and not with words. I am drawn to this comic because it portrays the struggle of characters against strong, menacing outside forces. The battle scene has a bit of a David and Goliath feel to it, but the end of this issue leaves the reader hanging, as the owl who was presumed to be dead attacks again and we have to wait until the next issue to see what happens.
McGruder, A. (2011). The Boondocks. Retrieved from http://www.gocomics.com/boondocks.
Suggested Grade Level: Depends on which cartoons you select from this site.
Available at Onondaga County Library: Yes, different versions, including DVDs of the show.
Available on Amazon:Different versions of The Boondocks are.
Where Did I Access the Text?:gocomics.com
Gocomics.com is a website that posts comic strips daily. If you visit the homepage, you will see that the website features other comic strips like Calvin and Hobbes and Doonesbury. I chose this online resource because I think that it is a great way to access comic strips, which typically consist of just one line and only 4 or 5 frames. I also wanted to include the comic strip Boondocks.
I think that using the comic strip in the classroom can be useful in many contexts. I think that it would be useful in an art class, because the reader can look more closely at how the images convey meaning in a text. I think that dialogue also becomes important to study in this context and I could see analyzing comic strips in an ELA setting. Often, comic strips convey meaning with very few words, so we must focus closely on a few details.
In my student teaching experience, many students mentioned The Boondocks in class discussions. I am mostly familiar with the series through the cartoon that appears on Adult Swim. Although the cartoon has some content that might not be appropriate for the classroom (depending on your classroom) the comic strip has potential to be examined as a stand alone text. I recommend perusing this site to find a strip that would be appropriate for your classroom setting.
Online resources that I found especially helpful in my search for graphic novels:
http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/graphicnovels/
Other articles that are useful:
Cobbison, L. (2005). Anime fans, DVDs, and the authentic text. Velvet Light Trap, Fall 2005 (56), p. 45.
Roswell, J., & Burke, A. (2009). Reading by design: Two case studies of digital reading practices. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(2), p. 106-118.
Yang, G. (2008). Graphic novels in the classroom. Language Arts, 85(3), p. 185.
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