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How to Teach Graphic Novels

By adding graphic novels to your teaching toolbox, you’ll help your students develop important reading and critical-thinking skills.

By Scholastic Editors
October 3, 2024

Students absolutely love graphic novels, which makes it all the more important to incorporate them into your current curriculum. With graphic novels, you’ll not only engage your striving readers and help build important reading skills, but you’ll provide advanced readers with a wonderful opportunity to think critically about a new form of storytelling — one that combines the most important elements of traditional novels, picture books, poetry, and even film in new and captivating ways!

Plus, get drawn into Teach Graphix Week October 14-18 with these free reading guides, videos, and activities.

When building graphic novels into your current curriculum, there are a few things you should keep in mind. This guide to teaching graphic novels is a wonderful resource if you’re just getting started and will help you choose the best titles to introduce in your classroom. Whether you’re hoping to improve your students’ reading development, build vocabulary, or use graphic novels across subjects, here are four tips to make adding graphic novels to your teaching toolbox even more effective.

1. Highlight the Visuals and Focus on Format

When introducing graphic novels to your students for the first time, encourage readers to focus on the format and how all the visual elements come together to help tell the story. They should consider the size and shape of the panels and how they fit together; how dialogue is used and shared; sound effects and how they’re layered through the story; and of course, the overall visual style of the graphic novel. Is the art realistic? How does the illustrator use color to show emotion?

2. Pair With Traditional Works of Literature to Teach Literary Themes

Just like their literary cousins, graphic novels often feature the same important themes other traditional works of literature employ. Graphic novels are also a great lead-in or follow-up to teaching classics and contemporary novels, especially for students who have trouble engaging with more traditional forms of literature. For example, I Survived and The Baby-Sitters Club series are available in graphic novel format as a compliment to their longform editions. Other titles like Smile, Sisters, and Guts by Raina Telgemeier captivate young readers by exploring themes of belonging and fitting in.

3. Use Graphic Novels to Inspire Creative Writing

The old writing adage, “Show, don’t tell,” is definitely on display in graphic novels — that’s why series like Cat Kid and The Bad Guys are such great books to read before students dive into creative writing projects. Whether you ask students to craft new endings for their favorite graphic novels or develop new characters or dialogue for existing stories they love, graphic novels are a great way to fuel your students’ creative writing instincts.

4. Use Graphic Novels as a Stepping-Stone

For younger readers, graphic novels are perfect for helping students transition from picture books to chapter books. They teach important reading skills and give students a wonderful opportunity to reflect on common literary themes and empathize with characters. Graphic novels also shouldn’t be limited to English and language arts. Science, social studies, and art instruction are areas where graphic novels can help introduce students to new subject matter and provide an introduction to important lessons from history, STEM, and more!

Plus, check out these great Graphix books to help build your students' vocabulary.

Adored by students of all ages, graphic novels are a tool every teacher should use to help develop the next generation of readers. They not only motivate students to read, they support learning in your classroom and help your students develop the skills they need to read and comprehend even more challenging works of literature.

Shop the best graphic novels for your classroom library below! You can shop all graphic novels and much more at The Teacher Store.

Graphic Novel Collections

Paperback Book Collection

Graphic Chapter Books Collection Grades 2-4

Grades 2 - 4
$61.00$87.84
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• Baby-Sitters Little Sister® Graphix: Karen's Roller Skates
• Bad Kitty Gets a Phone
• Banana Fox and the Book-Eating Robot
• Bug Scouts: Camp Out!
• Friends Fur-ever!
• InvestiGators
• Little Robot
• Rainbow the Koala

Paperback Book Collection

Graphic Chapter Books Collection Grades 4-6

Grades 4 - 6
$89.00$130.86
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• Akim Aliu: Dreamer∗
• Allergic
• City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm
• Crunch
• I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944, The Graphic Novel
• Mega Robo Bros
• Secret Coders
• Star the Elephant
• Thunderous
• Wings of Fire: The Dark Secret

Hardcover Book Collection

Cat Kid Comic Club: Cat Kid Comic Club Grades 3-5

Grades 3 - 5
$45.00$64.95
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In Cat Kid Comic Club, Li'l Petey, Flippy, and Molly introduce twenty-one rambunctious, funny, and talented baby frogs to the art of comic making. As the story unwinds with mishaps and hilarity, readers get to see the progress, mistakes, and improvements that come with practice and persistence.

Boxed Sets

$58.46$77.94
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Howl with laughter with Dog Man,the internationally bestselling series from Dav Pilkey,the creator of Captain Underpants!Dog Man is the crime-biting canine who is part dog,part man,and ALL HERO! This six-book boxed set includes the first six books in the Dog Man series: Dog Man,Dog Man Unleashed,Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties,Dog Man and Cat Kid,Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas,and Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild.Dav Pilkey's wildly popular Dog Man series appeals to readers of all ages and explores universally positive themes,including empathy,kindness,persistence,and the importance of being true to one's self.

A box set of the bestselling Baby-sitters Little Sister graphic novels by Ann M. Martin and Katy Farina! Join Karen on her adventures in Stoneybrook. Whether she's spying on a neighbor who she thinks is a witch, having roller-skating mishaps, or starting a kittycat club, life with Karen is always exciting!

A box set of the bestselling Baby-sitters Club graphic novels,adapted by Raina Telgemeier and Gale Galligan!Join Kristy,Mary Anne,Claudia,Stacey,Dawn,and Mallory on their baby-sitting adventures! No matter what comes up -- cranky toddlers,huge dogs,scary neighbors,prank calls -- you can count on the BSC to save the day.Bestselling cartoonists Raina Telgemeier (Books #1-4) and Gale Galligan (Books #5-7) perfectly capture all the drama and humor of the original novels by Ann M. Martin. This box set is perfect for both newcomers and longtime fans!

$34.97$38.97
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A special box set of Raina Telgemeier's bestselling memoirs!SmileThe true story of how Raina severely injured her two front teeth when she was in the sixth grade,and the dental drama that followed!SistersRaina can't wait to be a big sister. Amara is cute,but she's also cranky and mostly prefers to play by herself. Their relationship doesn't improve much over the years... can they figure out how to get along?GutsRaina has tummy trouble,and it seems to coincide with her worries about food,school,family,and changing friendships. A thoughtful,charming,and funny true story about growing up and gathering the courage to face -- and eventually conquer -- fear.

A box set of the bestselling Baby-sitters Club graphic novels,adapted by Raina Telgemeier and Gale Galligan!Join Kristy,Mary Anne,Claudia,Stacey,Dawn,and Mallory on their baby-sitting adventures! No matter what comes up -- cranky toddlers,huge dogs,scary neighbors,prank calls -- you can count on the BSC to save the day.Bestselling cartoonists Raina Telgemeier (Books #1-4) and Gale Galligan (Books #5-7) perfectly capture all the drama and humor of the original novels by Ann M. Martin. This box set is perfect for both newcomers and longtime fans!

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