ETL 402 Assignment 2 Reflective Blog Post

Looking back over ETL 402 I strongly believe this subject should be mandatory for the Masters of Education (Librarianship) course, as it has taught me so much. My only criticism is that I feel ideally this subject should span two semesters to do the reading justice.

ETL 402 has strengthened my faith that children’s literature will flourish and broadened my understanding of evolving contemporary formats. As Teacher Librarian (TL) I now realise I must keep abreast of trends in literature and formats, evaluating the quality of both the writing and the format as well as whether resources meet student needs (forum post, topic 1: 1).

Through ETL 402 I have become more analytical in my evaluation of fiction. Using my new knowledge of Post Modern literature, for example, I saw Bamboozled by David Legge in a new light, noting for the first time the continuous interplay of text and images to create irony. My picture book analysis has therefore broadened to include the use of literary devices to achieve effect (forum post, topic 2: 2).

I have learnt not to reinforce stereotypes; that stories should concern individuals, not the general behaviour of a group of people (Lane & Garrison, 2013).  Through learning about Black Voice, (forum post, topic 2: 5) I became aware that my PowerPoint lessons should also have images selected to promote multiculturalism and Black Voice and have altered my work practice accordingly.

Censorship is a contentious issue and I now recognise that my selection of resources is influenced to a certain degree by who I am, my values  and my community’s values (forum post, topic 3: 4). From my reading regarding censorship, I learnt that ‘balance’ in relation to collections means diversity of resources – rather than a balance of fiction and non-fiction books (ALA, 2014). Consequently my awareness has been raised for the need for diversity when selecting library resources.

I knew little about GNs before ETL 402 and they were a much neglected collection in my library (blog post, 2014, July 19). Importantly I have learnt that GNs need careful evaluation because they vary in quality and also because their graphic content can be violent or sexual in nature (blog post, 2014, September 07). I learnt too that GNs are best promoted through being displayed face-out (Fisher, 2014) 2014, July 30. Now GNs are flying off my shelves! I have also learnt that carefully evaluated GNs can be useful as an additional resource for curriculum support (Fisher, 2014) 2014, September 10. I have learnt that although GNs appeal to many students, the complexity of the interplay between text and image means that it is important students are taught visual literacy skills in order to fully understand them (Fisher, 2014) 2014, September 09.

Above all, however, what I enjoyed most about ETL 402 was investigating the research which proves that quality stories have the capacity to improve learning across the curriculum.

References

American Library Association (ALA). Diversity in collection development: An interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. (2014). Retrieved from

http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=interpretations&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8530

Fisher, C. (2014, July 19). Last but not least…ETL402 [Web log post]. Retrieved from

 http://celeste-lifelonglearning.blogspot.sg/

Fisher, C. (2014, July 30). Graphic Novel Display [Web log post]. Retrieved from

 http://celeste-lifelonglearning.blogspot.sg/

Fisher, C. (2014, September 07). Fiction and Graphic Novels ...now I know. [Web log post]. Retrieved from

 http://celeste-lifelonglearning.blogspot.sg/

Fisher, C. (2014, September 09). The Value of GNs To Students. [Web log post]. Retrieved from

 http://celeste-lifelonglearning.blogspot.sg/

Fisher, C. (2014, September 10). The TL and Graphic Novels.  [Web log post]. Retrieved from

 http://celeste-lifelonglearning.blogspot.sg/

Fisher, C. (2014, July 20). [Online forum comment]. Topic 1 Post 1 (T1P1). Retrieved from http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL402_201460_W_D/page/5b6fcbed-6026-4233-8047-f2919d65b1aa

Fisher, C. (2014, August  02). [Online forum comment].Topic 2 Post 2 (T2P2). Retrieved from http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL402_201460_W_D/page/8a9f0dae-d32d-4885-8010-f9c5bee4e51a

Fisher, C. (2014, August  06). [Online forum comment].Topic 2 Post 5 (T2P5). Retrieved from http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?forum_id=ETL402_201460_W_D_Sub5_forum

Fisher, C. (2014, August 13). [Online forum comment].Topic 2 Post 5 (T3P4). Retrieved from http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?forum_id=ETL402_201460_W_D_Sub6_forum

Fisher, C. (2014, September 16). [Online forum comment].Topic 4 Post 2 (T4P2). Retrieved from http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?forum_id=ETL402_201460_W_D_Sub7_forum

Lane, D. & Garrison, K. (2013). Literature across the curriculum [ETL402 Module 2 p.9]. Retrieved September, 30, 2014, from Charles Sturt University website: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL402_201460_W_D/page/86e3d47c-bfab-4c68-801e-029ce5ebb841

Legge, D. (1994). Bamboozled. Gosford: Scholastic Australia Pt Ltd. 

ETL 402 Assignment 2 Part B – Reflective blog post

 Looking back over ETL 402 I strongly believe this subject should be mandatory for the Masters of Education (Librarianship) course, as it has taught me so much. My only criticism is that I feel ideally this subject should span two semesters to do the reading justice.

ETL 402 has strengthened my faith that children’s literature will flourish and broadened my understanding of evolving contemporary formats. As Teacher Librarian (TL) I now realise I must keep abreast of trends in literature and formats, evaluating the quality of both the writing and the format as well as whether resources meet student needs (forum post, topic 1: 1).

Through ETL 402 I have become more analytical in my evaluation of fiction. Using my new knowledge of Post Modern literature, for example, I saw Bamboozled by David Legge in a new light, noting for the first time the continuous interplay of text and images to create irony. My picture book analysis has therefore broadened to include the use of literary devices to achieve effect (forum post, topic 2: 2).

I have learnt not to reinforce stereotypes; that stories should concern individuals, not the general behaviour of a group of people (Lane & Garrison, 2013).  Through learning about Black Voice, (forum post, topic 2: 5) I became aware that my PowerPoint lessons should also have images selected to promote multiculturalism and Black Voice and have altered my work practice accordingly.

Censorship is a contentious issue and I now recognise that my selection of resources is influenced to a certain degree by who I am, my values  and my community’s values (forum post, topic 3: 4). From my reading regarding censorship, I learnt that ‘balance’ in relation to collections means diversity of resources – rather than a balance of fiction and non-fiction books (ALA, 2014). Consequently my awareness has been raised for the need for diversity when selecting library resources.

I knew little about GNs before ETL 402 and they were a much neglected collection in my library (blog post, 2014, July 19). Importantly I have learnt that GNs need careful evaluation because they vary in quality and also because their graphic content can be violent or sexual in nature (blog post, 2014, September 07). I learnt too that GNs are best promoted through being displayed face-out (Fisher, 2014) 2014, July 30. Now GNs are flying off my shelves! I have also learnt that carefully evaluated GNs can be useful as an additional resource for curriculum support (Fisher, 2014) 2014, September 10. I have learnt that although GNs appeal to many students, the complexity of the interplay between text and image means that it is important students are taught visual literacy skills in order to fully understand them (Fisher, 2014) 2014, September 09.

Above all, however, what I enjoyed most about ETL 402 was investigating the research which proves that quality stories have the capacity to improve learning across the curriculum.

References

American Library Association (ALA). Diversity in collection development: An interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. (2014). Retrieved from

http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=interpretations&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8530

Fisher, C. (2014, July 19). Last but not least…ETL402 [Web log post]. Retrieved from

 http://celeste-lifelonglearning.blogspot.sg/

Fisher, C. (2014, July 30). Graphic Novel Display [Web log post]. Retrieved from

 http://celeste-lifelonglearning.blogspot.sg/

Fisher, C. (2014, September 07). Fiction and Graphic Novels ...now I know. [Web log post]. Retrieved from

 http://celeste-lifelonglearning.blogspot.sg/

Fisher, C. (2014, September 09). The Value of GNs To Students. [Web log post]. Retrieved from

 http://celeste-lifelonglearning.blogspot.sg/

Fisher, C. (2014, September 10). The TL and Graphic Novels.  [Web log post]. Retrieved from

 http://celeste-lifelonglearning.blogspot.sg/

Fisher, C. (2014, July 20). [Online forum comment]. Topic 1 Post 1 (T1P1). Retrieved from http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL402_201460_W_D/page/5b6fcbed-6026-4233-8047-f2919d65b1aa

Fisher, C. (2014, August  02). [Online forum comment].Topic 2 Post 2 (T2P2). Retrieved from http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL402_201460_W_D/page/8a9f0dae-d32d-4885-8010-f9c5bee4e51a

Fisher, C. (2014, August  06). [Online forum comment].Topic 2 Post 5 (T2P5). Retrieved from http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?forum_id=ETL402_201460_W_D_Sub5_forum

Fisher, C. (2014, August 13). [Online forum comment].Topic 2 Post 5 (T3P4). Retrieved from http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?forum_id=ETL402_201460_W_D_Sub6_forum

Fisher, C. (2014, September 16). [Online forum comment].Topic 4 Post 2 (T4P2). Retrieved from http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?forum_id=ETL402_201460_W_D_Sub7_forum

Lane, D. & Garrison, K. (2013). Literature across the curriculum [ETL402 Module 2 p.9]. Retrieved September, 30, 2014, from Charles Sturt University website: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL402_201460_W_D/page/86e3d47c-bfab-4c68-801e-029ce5ebb841

Legge, D. (1994). Bamboozled. Gosford: Scholastic Australia Pt Ltd. 

The TL and Graphic Novels

The Role of the TL

TLs play a vital role in informing school communities about GNs, in GN selection and management and in collaborating to ensure GNs are promoted in schools and supported by parents.

TLs Lead The Way

TLs understand students’ information needs and interests (ASLA 1.2) and have a sound understanding of the school’s curriculum and culture. Therefore TLs are ideally placed to educate and mentor their colleagues and school community (ASLA 3.4) regarding GNs.

A survey to establish the school community’s existing knowledge and feelings towards GNs would be beneficial (ASLA 2.4), informing the TL how to prioritise strategies to best meet the community’s GN learning needs. Educating the community about the contribution carefully selected GNs can make to students’ learning and their enjoyment of reading (ASLA 3.3) is important. TLs need to be clear that GNs should co-exist, rather than replace traditional texts - each having value. A carefully thought out change plan would be necessary to create a school culture that enthusiastically embraces GNs.

Excellent TLs have a detailed knowledge of current educational pedagogy, understanding that students learn in different ways (ASLA 1.2). Inundated daily by images, students require visual literacy skills to interpret and understand what they see.  Visual literacy is often neglected (Laycock, 2011, p.5) so children need to develop a visual vocabulary to become visually literate and TLs need to lead the way by providing this necessary staff training (ASLA 3.1).  I am not someone who enjoys taking on leadership roles but I have had to with my school's Information Literacy focus (just ran a parent workshop this week on Referencing skills which went really well - so I am surprising myself!) However, I have enjoyed learning about GNs so much that I have asked to talk about their value to library staff later this year (we have about 20 library staff at my school.) I also want to invite parents in later this academic year (our year ends next July) to inform them them of the benefits of GNs. I am also planning to collaborate with staff on which GNs could be used to support our curriculum in time for the next academic year. I am very conscious too that al of this needs to be part of  a Change Plan to ensure everyone in the school community is on board and to ensure GNs are embraced , promoted and appreciated. 

Budgeting for GNs

TLs must plan carefully and budget for GN collection development, maintenance and display (ASLA 2.3). If extra funding is not available, evaluation of existing expenditure is necessary,  re-prioritising money for the GN collection (Laycock, 2005, p. 50). The ideal of displaying GNs face-out has library space and budget implications. However, as the cover’s graphic image will attract readers the money will be well spent and the space justified. Ongoing GN maintenance will also impact budgets as the GNs’ soft covers and high borrowing rates mean a reduced shelf life (Laycock, 2005, p. 53).

GNs are read faster than a novel, so the collection will need careful monitoring and regular updating (Volin, 2011, p.5). Frequent weeding for condition will be necessary as GN’s high usage and soft covers mean their condition deteriorates faster. Reading online and talking to students about emerging trends will help keep the collection current, but this needs to be budgeted for carefully.My budget focus for Term 2 will be to buy GNs and evaluate them for my school's needs before purchasing multiple copies for my library (we have almost 800 students in my Junior School - so multiples of popular books are advisable.) In Singapore it is hard to find books - especially GNs so I will be searching and probably purchasing mostly online. I really need to consider shelving too. I have just freed up three shelves to use as face-outs for GNs and the books are being borrowed so much more! I need to consider if there is any other way I can find face-out space. One possibility is using the nearby magazine area - which is all face out and would mean at last another 12 books could be displayed showing their front covers. Then I would have to move the magazines ...there's always a knock on effect, isn't there , when there are space issues in a library! 

Selection

TLs understand well-resourced libraries have a direct impact on school achievement (ASLA 1.4).  GNs necessitate careful selection because they vary in quality (Hansen & Fink, 2012, p.3) and also because their content can cause offence (La Marca & Macintyre, 2006, p. 124). Manga, for example has semi-nude characters and language not suitable for young western readers (Frey & Fisher, 2008, p. 30) and what is seen can have a more powerful impact than what is read. Many publishers include an age-rating on the back of GNs but as there is no consistent ratings standard TLs must evaluate GN content carefully (Volin, 2011, p.4).

La Marca & Macintyre (2006, p. 124) and Laycock (2005, p. 51) advise using reputable GN vendors, searching library associations for recommended GN booklists and reading widely from sources like School Library Journal to inform selection. Publishers’ catalogues and online reviews can also be useful (Volin, 2011, p.5).

After advising teachers regarding appropriate GNs, collaboration is good practice to ensure the final selection supports the curriculum and facilitates higher-order thinking (Laycock, 2005, p.52) (ASLA 2.2). Involving students in the selection process will help promote GNs in the library (La Marca & Macintyre, 2006, p. 124).

The TL’s selection process should be informed by the library collection development policy and selection criteria like popularity, genre, reading level, artwork quality, writer’s/artist’s reputation. This will help the TL counteract any challenges to the collection (Laycock, 2005, p.51). The existing policy might need to be revised to include GNs if it does not already do so. The TL remains however, the ‘ultimate  selection tool’ (Laycock, 2005, p.51) for TLs have a broad overview of school needs.I was interested to discover most GNs have a recommended age displayed on their back cover. I really do believe that the TL must evaluate the GNs though as I have seen many which are inappropriate for my Juniors for a variety of reasons. 

Cataloguing

Original cataloguing by the TL might be necessary for the GN collection if the school’s cataloguing service does not create records for stand alone GN collections. Some publishers do provide online cataloguing advice but often it is for GNs located in the non-fiction collections (Laycock, 2005, p. 52). I am lucky that my staff are trained to do original cataloguing - so this is not an issue for my library. If I didn't have the staff though it could be a big problem as I am not trained to catalogue. 

GN Promotion

A single location for GNs ensures better access for users (La Marca & Macintyre, 2006, p. 124) – ideally a central location or high traffic area. Dynamic signage relating to comics will have student appeal and visually reinforce the nature of the collection (ASLA 3.2).  Although advice differs on the organisation of a GN collection (Lee, 2004, p.2), a stand alone GN collection can be organised by shelving non-fiction GNs by Dewey call number and fiction by author surname or alternatively by title or character (Volin, 2011, p.4).

Existing GN collections must be evaluated as old, uninspiring GNs, or those in poor condition will not have the ‘kapow factor’ Laycock (2005, p. 50) advises is best to inspire students. Weeding existing collections, by condition or borrowing statistics can create shelf space for  new GN collections (Volin, 2011, p. 4) (ASLA 1.4).

GNs should be displayed face-out (Laycock, 2005, p. 53 and Lee, 2004, p.2) and exploiting movie links and other tie-ins will also promote GNs. The TL needs to introduce GNs to all students, use them with classes and provide easy access for the GN enthusiast (Frey & Fisher, 2008, p. 34). Including a GN when offering book suggestions to students, (Goldsmith, 2010, p.33), is another simple, effective strategy to promote GNs (ASLA 3.2).   I can't wait to re-vamp the whole GN collection area and design some amazing signage - I want the signage to have a huge visual impact on the students so they will be attracted to those books. This subject changed my attitude completely to GNs - now when I see a child choose a GN I am saying how great GNs are and what a good choice they have made. Before I would have been telling the child not to forget they need to also choose a 'good fiction' book and that the GN was an 'extra' book  - how misguided I was!!!!! What a fabulous assignment - I learnt so much and it has made a real difference to my practice - I can't wait to implement all I have learnt. I have already made some changes - so I have made a start which is good. Unfortunately I have to weed the Guided Readers for the English Department and work with the Head of IT to design an app for Information Literacy first - but I will get there, I must be patient. 

References: See September 7th Post

The Value of GNs To Students

GNs cater for the different learning needs of students

As resources for curriculum support need to cater to a range of learning styles, visual learners will benefit from carefully selected GNs to support their needs (Frey & Fisher, 2008, p.170) as long as the students have the necessary visual and text literacy skills to access the information (Goldsmith, 2010, p.4). For those students whose strength is ‘linguistic intelligence’ the GNs’ extensive vocabularies can feed their imaginations (Laycock, 2011, p.7).

Good communicators and empathetic students who are considered to have interpersonal strengths find GNs appealing because of the visual communication component of the GN (Laycock, 2011, p.7). GNs could also be used as a teaching tool to help students lacking interpersonal intelligence to learn to read facial cues and body language. I wonder if anyone has actually tried to do this? It could be useful I think in this area. 

GNs and Reading Access

One big advantage to GNs according to Laycock (2011, p.8) is that they have many layers (polysemic) so a GN can be accessed at different levels. I like the idea that GNs are polysemic, but I wonder if anyone has actually done the research to establish the benefits to the polysemic aspect of GNs. Children might be accessing GNs at different levels, but we should be teaching children how to get maximum access to GNs - not just be content that students access them according to their ability or existing skill set. 

Hansen & Fink (2012, p.2) and Frey & Fisher (2008, p. 32) believe graphics support the text, making GNs more accessible to struggling readers.  However, it could be argued these students must have the necessary visual literacy skills and the GN would first have to be evaluated to ensure the language level met students’ needs (Goldsmith, 2010, p.4).

GNs and The Reluctant Reader

One of the most important reasons for including GNs in a school library’s fiction collection is that the format of the GN appeals to reluctant readers, motivating them to read (Hansen &Fink, 2012, p.2). It is the comic format which has most led many people to become life-long readers (La Marca and Macintyre, 2006, p. 124) and this is reason alone to include GNs in library fiction collections. I know in the assignment we weren't supposed to dwell on reading, but this point is so monumentally important I just had to include it. If GNs lead even one child in my library to become a life-long reader I will consider the money spent on the collection to be well spent. Libraries and reading have always been an important part of my life and I can't imagine my life without them - it would be terrible! Whenever I think about when we finally return to Australia to live, I always think about how happy I will be to be able to go to Waverley library regularly. I also want to volunteer there to help  deliver books to the people in the community who are unable to make it to the library. 

GNs and Gifted and Talented Students

GNs can challenge Gifted and Talented students as they expand their skills of analysis (Hansen &Fink, 2012, p.2) through the complexity of the interplay of graphics and text. According to Lyga, (2006, p.1) GNs make the brain work harder than any other type of media, including books. Using GNs as the inspiration for a creative activity can also be valuable to Gifted and Talented Students. GNs can be a source of inspiration for children to write their own GNs - that would really extend the skills of G and T children as the intricacies of working between text and graphics to keep the plot moving is extremely complex.  

GNs and Boys

It is a difficulty for many boys that what they like to read - humour, magazines, GNs - are often considered inferior literature by adults (Newkirk, as cited in Laycock, 2007, p.1) de-motivating those boys to read and therefore affecting their learning. Adding quality GNs to the fiction collection and educating the school community to raise the credibility of GNs will benefit those boys who prefer to read GNs. We must do everything we can to be more open to what boys want to read. We want them to read, we want them to become lifelong readers and learners. If they want to read nothing but Geronimo Stilton for their fiction reads, that's fine by me. Boys get a raw deal I think - they know what they want to read - so we should respect their wishes as long as it's not harmful in any way! 

References: See September 7th Post

The Value of GNs to the Library Fiction Collection

The Value of GNs to the Collection

Library collections must meet the needs of their community; consequently, GNs meeting student needs must be included in fiction collections. 

Including GNs in a fiction collection respects the essential element of reading diversity (Goldsmith, 2010, p.20 - 21) for example, through manga, and its visual representation of a culture very different to Western culture, (Herald, 2011, p. xi). GNs can respond quickly to cultural changes, offering different perspectives on history and life (Gretchen & Schwartz, as cited in Laycock, 2011, p.9), also contributing to library collections’ diversity. Diversity is an important consideration in library collections. I think the important issue here is that through diversity books can introduce children to different perspectives, different points of view. The danger in a school community is that children are exposed to only the views of that community and it is important that children realise there are other valid viewpoints on issues to be considered.  

Libraries should capitalise on the GN’s popularity as their appeal may entice students to experience previously unexplored genres (Laycock, 2011, p.9). It is true that many children sometimes find a genre and stick with it - this might be a way of broadening their reading experiences. 

GNs also have great value for teaching and learning. However Goldsmith (2010, pp. 2-4) cautions it is a myth that English as a Second Language (ESL) students and struggling readers can easily read GNs as the reader first needs the necessary pre-requisite visual and text literacy skills in order to understand what they are reading. I think generally people seriously underestimate the skills needed to get the most out of a GN. Visual Literacy needs to be taught to students as our world keeps expanding visually and the interpretation of images becomes inherent in our daily lives.   

Research has shown GNs can promote higher-order thinking (Cooper, Nesmith & Schwarz, 2011, p.6 and Laycock, 2007, p.3). Research has also found that GNs can promote the understanding of curriculum content through graphics and features like diagrams, and be used to introduce or reinforce learning (Cooper, Nesmith & Schwarz, 2011, p.6). This is where evaluation of GNs by the TL is crucial though, the content will only support teaching and learning if the plot through which it is delivered is plausible. Not all GNs are worth using to support the curriculum. 

Laycock’s research (2007, p.4) importantly showed that the use of GNs in lessons improved the amount and quality of boys’ learning engagement and enabled visual literacy and critical thinking skills. Boys often achieve at lower levels than girls and are less engaged in learning activities (Laycock, 2007, p.1) so if GNs being used for curriculum support improves boys’ engagement in learning that is a strong case for including GNs in the library’s fiction collection. This is a really important reason to include GNs in the fiction collection. It is awful to think there are many bys in particular who will never develop a love of reading fiction. We need to be a lot more open-minded and give boys what they want to read (within reason - I would not advocate including books with gratuitous violence for example). 

GNs are in my collection but I need to do some good hard work to improve the collection, both in quality and quantity,  before I can expect the borrowing stats to improve. 

Ever since I just set up the aforementioned extra three shelves for GN face outs I have noticed the face outs keep getting borrowed and I have to keep topping up the shelves. It's a start, but I have a long way to go with this collection and don't even have the time to evaluate it and start thinking about ordering new GNs just yet - I am trying t be patient, but I can't wait!!!

References: See Sept 7th Post

Fiction and Graphic Novels ...now I know

I absolutely loved writing my assignment on Graphic Novels (GNs). The only problem was I researched so,so  much but couldn't actually use all the information in the assignment.

We had to consider first why fiction is crucial to libraries.  (I believe those who advocate turning libraries into media centres devoid of books and filled with soulless machines are totally  ignorant of the value of stories!)  

So I thought I would reflect on the assignment and include some of the information I learnt (taken from my research) which I felt was really interesting and some comments:

Fiction: 

• Stories have been used for a variety of purposes for generations. 
• Besides entertainment, stories have been used to caution children, help children shape their identity and give children role models to aspire to (Paul Jennings as cited in La Marca & Macintyre, 2006, p. 14).
• Through fiction children develop empathy for characters in situations unlike, or like their own. Reading helps develop the imagination ( Peterson & Swartz, 2008, p. 10).
• Stories have the ability to transport the reader into  new, previously unexplored worlds, sometimes even rescuing the reader from a life otherwise filled with disappointment.
• In brief, children, through stories, come to have a deeper understanding of the world in which they live, humanity and themselves ( Peterson & Swartz, 2008, p. 13). 
•  Paul Jennings (as cited in La Marca & Macintyre, 2006, p. 14) says ‘A story tells us we are not alone. Stories make us honourable members of the human family and tell us that dreams can come true.’  Don't you just love this quote? Jennings has made what I consider to be the most important argument for fiction. 
• Besides bringing the reader lifelong pleasure, fiction can also be a conduit to support or initiate learning across the curriculum (Eberle & Williamson, 2009, p.1).

Graphic Novels:

• Many educators and parents ignore or refute the worth of the graphic novel through ignorance or a misguided notion of what constitutes ‘good’ literature. 

What Is The difference Between  GNs and Comics?

• GNs are all comics, but not all comics are GNs (Frey & Fisher, 2008, p.31). 
• According to Education Scotland (n.d.), graphic novels use the comic strip format but differ from comics in that the narrative of graphic novels is longer and of greater complexity. 
• Lee (2004) states that GNs, usually unlike comics, are a complete story and are published in the same way a book is published using high quality paper which again differentiates it from comics.  
• Generally graphic novels consist of both text and illustrations ‘read’ in the same way a book would be read. 
• As McCloud (1994, p.156) describes it, the ‘words and pictures are like partners in a dance and each one takes turns leading.’ Isn't this a wonderful use of imagery? I will forever think of the words and images of GNs dancing across the pages.

What Is Manga?

• Manga is the Japanese word for comics and is not a genre (Volin, 2011, p. 4). I always thought manga was a genre!
• Manga is a Japanese-derived magazine-type of GN which is written as a series - for example the Pokemon series (Sullivan, 2009, p.63 & Laycock, 2011, p.1)

What Is Anime?

• Anime is closely related to manga and has a huge following in Japan (Frey & Fisher, 2008, p. 63). 
• Anime, unlike manga, includes multimodal elements such as gesture, movement and audio and is influenced by the posed acting of the Japanese kubuki theatre (Frey & Fisher, 2008, p. 63). I learnt about the kubuki theatre in Japan years ago but didn't realise anime was influenced by it until doing the research for this assignment. 

GNs  To Support Teaching and Learning

• GNs, including manga, can be used to support the curriculum in an entertaining way (Laycock, 2011,p.11).  It had never occurred to me before that GNs could be used to support the curriculum - I thought they were for entertainment value only!
• Research has shown that although some GNs may support learning in some curriculum areas not all graphic novels are worthy of inclusion to support the curriculum (Cooper, Nesmith & Schwarz (2011, p.9) and so must be evaluated by the TL carefully. Now, this I learnt is absolutely critical. As I evaluated GNs for the assignment, the variations in quality were astonishing! One GN Classic in terms of the story was suitable for my Junior students, but the sexually provocative way in which some of the female characters were dressed made me realise that this book would be best used with Senior students when it could be used as an illustration of the sexual objectification of women in literature. 

The Classics

• Classics have been published as GNs since 1941 (Cornog, &Perper, 2009, p. 89) but have experienced a recent surge in popularity (Price, 2009). 
•  Many classic books are now available as GNs however, even a rudimentary evaluation by the TL of a variety of classic GNs will show a disparity in quality.
• Classical Comics Ltd publish Macbeth by William Shakespeare  in three formats, original text, plain text and quick text to meet the needs of students. This book exemplifies all that is best in GNs and is an excellent resource to support teaching and learning. This book made me recognise the outstanding features of some GNs which could be used to support the curriculum. Not only is the text/illustration sequencing easy to follow but the graphics are vibrant and detailed which engage the reader. The images clearly illustrate the emotions of the characters leading to a better comprehension of the narrative.  It introduces all characters by name, role and illustration then sets the scene in the Prologue by describing the setting of Scotland in 1040. After the play finishes the book continues to inform the reader for example, with the inclusion of  a biography of William Shakespeare, a family tree and timeline of Macbeth and the Kings of Scotland and much more of the historical background of the play.   For students wanting to learn about the creation of the novel there is a section which explains how the three text versions and illustrations were created. To conclude there is  information  regarding the Globe Theatre and how Shakespeare’s influence continues today.Truly an outstanding GN to support teaching and learning!

Popular Literature as GNs:

• A recent trend is the publishing of popular series, like Alex Rider, Artemis Fowl and The Baby Sitters Club, as GNs (Volin, 2011, p.4). 
• Some purists, however, believe that only stories written and first published as GNs are real GNs (Volin, 2011, p.4).  

GNs To Support PSHCE

• GNs are gradually being considered a valuable tool for curriculum support, being both informative and entertaining (Karp, 2011, p.1).  
• One curriculum area in which they are being used more commonly is Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCE).
• Azzi In Between (Sarah Garland, 2012) is a GN well suited to supporting aspects of the PSHCE curriculum. Azzi’s family are representative of refugees world-wide seeing a better life. 
• This graphic novel helps students develop empathy for see the refugees’ issue (topical world-wide), through the eyes of a child faced with a new life in a new country where she doesn’t speak the language and has no friends.
• Immigration is an important curricular focus (Karp, 2011, p.3). Using a GN like The Arrival  (Shaun Tan, 2006) or Azzi In Between By Sarah Garland, where the story is enriched by the added dimension of images  helps the reader better connect with the story and gives the reader greater empathy for the characters – a dimension textbook’s lack (Karp, 2011, p.p. 3-4). The topic of refugees is a highly emotive one in many countries today. I believe books like Azzi In Between are essential to ensure our students consider why refugees flee their countries and why we, who are so privileged by comparison, should be sympathetic to their plight and understand the hardships they face in seeking a better life. 

Highly Illustrated Novels As GNs

• GNs are ideally suited to the genres of adventure or fantasy. 
• Novels which have a high proportion of illustrations can also fall into the GN classification (Peterson & Swartz, 2008, p.121) and one of the most popular of these for Junior students is the Geronimo Stilton series.
•  This series has visual appeal to those young students transitioning from Infants to the Junior School. The different coloured, different sized fonts break up the text of the novel-format that many students at this age struggle to read. Not only does the text vary in size, in general it is larger than the print found in most novels and this makes for easier reading for this age group. 
• The popularity of this series alone is also an encouragement to reluctant readers and many get ‘hooked’ on their stories long after the appeal of the different visual aspects of the series has diminished leading many of them to go on to become lifelong readers. 
• This series has particular appeal to boys and fiction books which appeal to boys are essential to a library’s fiction collection  to encourage them to read. Boys like plot driven books more than character driven books (I had never thought about this before so now  I try to introduce 2 stories in the same session, one of which is plot driven)– so the GN collection must include books with lots of action (Sullivan (2009, p.65). 
• The Geronimo Stilton series, despite featuring a strong main character, has the excitement of adventure fiction boys are keen to read delivered in an easy-to-read format.  My Year 3 students absolutely love Geronimo Stilton - especially the boys. I have bought at least 100 new books over the past two years and I never have more than about 15 titles on the shelf at any one time! I never thought of them being related to GNs - Geronimo Stilton is highly illustrated and the illustrations are comic in form, but I would not have thought of them as GNs - but rather novels with a high proportion of illustrations. I guess people could argue this one either way!  

Graphic Novel Autobiographies and Biographies

• Raina Telgemeir’s Smile (2010), solely published as a GN, is a good example of a GN autobiography which resonates with students. (Note: this is a non-fiction GN so wasn't included in my assignment, but it is such an outstanding GN I thought it worthy of inclusion in my blog). 
• It is based on the true story of how Raina fell,  knocked out her two front teeth and then spent the next few years having dental work to correct the problem. Smile is an excellent GN to include in the PSHCE curriculum to support pre and early-teen girls who, like Raina, are going through the conflicting emotions of  adolescence as they grapple with issues like self image, friendships and romantic involvement.

References

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Australian School Library Association. (2014).Standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians. Retrieved from http://www.asla.org.au/policy/standards.aspx

Cooper, S., Nesmith, S., & Schwarz, G. (2011). Exploring graphic novels for elementary science and mathematics. School Library Media Research, Vol.14 [Peer Reviewed Journal]. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournals/slr/vol14/SLR_ExploringGraphicNovels_V14.pdf

Cornog, M., & Perper, T. (2009).Graphic novels beyond the basics.  Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, LLC.

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Garland, S. (2012). Azzi In Between. London: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.

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No flying no tights. (2014).  Retrieved from http://noflyingnotights.com/

Peterson, S.S., & Swartz, L. (2008). Good books matter: How to choose and use children’s literature to help students grow as readers. Ontario: Pembroke Publishers.

Price, A. (2009). New books from old: Turning classics into comics. Publishers weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/41383-new-books-from-old-turning-classics-into-comics.html

School Library Journal. (2014). Retrieved from  http://www.slj.com/

Shakespeare, W. (2008). [McDonald, J. Script Adaptation & Haward, J. Artwork]. Macbeth: The graphic novel - Quick text version. Bristol: Hampton Printing [Bristol] Ltd.

Sullivan, M. (2009).Connecting boys with books 2. Chicago: American Library Association.

Volin, E. (2011). Good comics for kids: Collecting graphic novels for young readers. Children and Libraries. Retrieved from: http://inclusivelibrariesforchildren.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/9n1_volin.pdf