The Popularity of Graphic Novels in the Classroom

Kid Reporter Asher Freije and Tatum show off their favorite graphic novels.

With all that is happening in the busy world, it can be hard to find time to read. Adults and kids may find themselves not reading at all, or very little. But graphic novels, a book format similar to comic books, have taken the reading world by storm. According to the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™, since 2018 the number of kids who say they want to read graphic novels has risen from 22% to 37%, making it one of the fastest growing book formats.

In a day and age where it's hard to get kids to sit down and read a book, graphic novels are the perfect way to get them started. A book in a comic strip format, telling a story through pictures and text bubbles, piques the interest of many kids, and graphic novel series such as Dog Man, Big Nate, and Diary of a Wimpy Kidare consistently flying off the shelves.

Students in all different grades are noticing how popular graphic novels have become.

“Books like Dog Man seem to never be in stock because they’re so popular,” said Tatum, 6th grade.

“I used to read a lot of graphic novels in elementary school, which helped spark my interest in reading,” said Maddox, 9th grade.

Social media has made it much easier to get information and content in quick, short bits, affecting attention spans. But reading is a very important skill, and reading books has many good benefits. Teachers say given the popularity of social media, students may gravitate towards graphic novels because chapter books can seem like a bigger commitment.

“I think that kids appeal to these graphic novels because in this generation, we live in more short chat-like conversations,” shared Mrs. Elise, a 5th and 6th-grade teacher. “It may be easier, if you’re distractible, to settle into a graphic novel because you can jump right into the plot.”

For a lot of kids, starting with graphic novels can help spark their love for reading and can result in a long-lasting reading habit. And at the end of the day, whether you grab an article, a chapter book or a graphic novel, what’s important is finding time to read even when life is so busy.