Comic books & "tweens"(ages 8-12

[SFG75]

The Christian Science Monitor has an excellent write-up on the rise of "[URL="http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0816/p16s02-bogn.html]"graphic novels with kids 8-12.[/URL] No, the graphic novels aren't shocking, they are comic books. I guess with a new title, you could gain new readers with anything.

Comics began to regain some of their popularity with kids over the past few years, however, as their creators changed their themes to appeal to both kids and adults. At the same time, comics characters like Spider-Man gained a higher profile at the movies. Meanwhile, children's publishers were inspired to start thinking about the potential of graphic novels.

"People realized there are kids who love comics, and no one was publishing anything for them," says David Saylor, vice president and creative director of Scholastic, a publisher of children's books. "We live in a virtual world. It just seemed like a natural thing that kids would enjoy graphic novels, too."

Scholastic has issued several graphic novels within the past few years, and more are planned through 2010, Mr. Saylor says.

One of Scholastic's biggest successes is a colorized reissue of "Bone," a series by Jeff Smith published in the 1990s. A blend of Pogo-inspired art, comedy, and fantasy, "Bone" was named "best all-ages novel yet published in this medium" by Time magazine.

Graphic novels that follow the Japanese art form of manga - featuring characters with wide-open eyes - are especially popular among girls who like stories about cats and princesses. Other subjects include teenage life and biographies of "American heroes," including Amelia Earhart.

Anyone have kids who enjoy these graphic novels? Or comic books in general? I agree that reading them isn't a heavy act in and of itself, but I also believe that it does lead to further reading at an early elementary age where many kids develop a bad attitude about reading.

 

[bren]

My kids have read manga for years, though more the adventure/comic than the princess/cat variety. Also they read regular cartoon books such as Calvin and Hobbes.

When some kids are first trying to read, they are so put off by text chunks - all those little clouds of letters covering entire pages, their brains won't have it. Can't blame them for that. So cartoon books with relatively short captions, small balloons, also short bits of text and the reward of having that text illuminate the pictures so piquantly, hilariously makes comics a suitable starter for many children who find those black specks intimidating.