CLEVELAND — On Wednesday, News 5’s annual “If You Give a Child a Book” campaign, in partnership with the Scripps Howard Fund, worked to put books in the hands of local children.
News 5’s internal campaign, combined with the generosity of viewers and residents through an external campaign, makes that possible.
I visited the Westlake Porter Public Library to learn about a book format kids can’t seem to get enough of.
Books, as we know, come in all shapes, sizes, and genres. But graphic novels are exploding in popularity. They’re stories told with words and pictures—similar to comic books. Their rise, though, is raising some concern. Are graphic novels helping kids build literacy skills? Or is traditional prose still best?
“The artwork is unbelievable. And the stories are so engaging,” said Victoria Vogel, adult services assistant manager at Westlake Porter Public Library.
From titles like Dog Man, Big Nate, and Mr. Wolf’s Class, graphic novels—both fiction and non-fiction—are capturing the hearts and minds of young readers.
“That is what the kids gravitate to,” Vogel said. “A lot of kids are really visual readers."
Library Journal says graphic novel sales have more than doubled since 2019, with 35 million books sold in the U.S. and Canada.
Vogel sees the demand at work and at home with her own teenage daughter.
“She is a reluctant reader. So it was a way to kind of get her interested in reading,” Vogel said.
"Do you think it's helped her development as far as reading skills? What’s been your experience?” I asked.
"Very positive experience, because she's reading. I think the way you boost literacy skills is by reading,” Vogel said. “And it has inspired her artistic skills."
But along with praise comes criticism.
"Should you fear graphic novels or embrace them? What’s your advice to teachers and parents?” I asked Matt Hands, Ph.D., a visiting professor in the Department of Education at John Carroll University.
“I would embrace anything that gets a student excited about reading,” Hands said.
Some parents and educators question whether graphic novels—as opposed to traditional prose, books written entirely in words—truly support reading development.
“The goal is to get them to see value in what they're learning,” Hands said. "They're learning to read, I would argue, maybe more fluently by engaging in graphic novels, because it's so dialogue-heavy."
Hands told me graphic novels cover most of the key skills that make up the science of reading—the research on how people learn to read and the most effective ways to teach it.
“So they're working on inflection and intonation and reading it as if someone would speak, rather than the kind of robotic or monotone word-by-word reading you often hear with younger students,” Hands said. “And then the comprehension is there and supported—scaffolded—by the use of illustrations."
Hands said graphic novels often connect with kids because of their modern characters and storylines. And in today’s digital age, students are used to getting stories through images and short bursts of text.
While graphic novels can be quicker and easier to read, Hands said they can also boost a child’s confidence and sense of accomplishment.
That’s something 7th grader Cameron Lyon told me about.
“What do you like about graphic novels?” I asked Lyon.
“They’re easy, and they’re short pages. Some are and some aren’t,” Lyon said.
Remember when I mentioned Dog Man? It’s one of Lyon’s favorite books.
But learning to read and enjoying it hasn’t always been easy for him.
Diagnosed with dyslexia, Lyon’s mom said finding books he enjoys and support from a reading coach has made all the difference.
"I think the only potential downside of graphic novels is the same as with any other text—if there’s an over reliance on them,” Hands said. “If that becomes the sole source of learning, then you risk losing out by not being exposed to variety."
