Product Description

This ultimate guide to collecting and using graphic novels in a school library is written by an elementary librarian who uses graphic novels in her library media center for instruction and to advance pleasure reading. The book contains lesson plans linked to school curriculums for all ages plus a discussion of why graphic novels are useful with certain types of readers, particularly boys and reluctant readers. It feature helpful information and lists for collection development including reviews, reviewing sources, jobbers, web sties and publisher contact information and posits reasons to help the librarian defend the use of graphic novels with students.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1033341 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 200 pages

From School Library Journal
This excellent resource guide offers school librarians and educators a comprehensive introduction to graphic novels. There is a growing number of professional resources about the topic, all of which cover similar subject matter, including definitions and terminology, cataloging, vendors, and recommended titles. What makes this book unique is the inclusion of numerous reproductions of sample pages from graphic novels and the many lesson plans designed for grades K-12, focusing on the curricular areas of English/language arts, the humanities, and social studies. Readers unfamiliar with the genre will appreciate the section on "How to Read a Comic Book" and the Lygas' ideas about using graphic novels to address multiple intelligences, visual literacy, and reluctant readers. A minor shortcoming is the lack of attention to the topics of age appropriateness and the depiction of women, a concern for many schools. This indispensable, well-organized guide will provide school librarians with all of the necessary information for implementing and developing a graphic-novels collection.–Philip Charles Crawford, Essex High School, Essex Junction, VT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Motivated by their own appreciation of comic books and their experience using them in libraries, the authors offer a readable introduction to graphic novels in the media center. In the first section, they make cogent arguments for the inclusion of graphic novels. A second section introduces common terms and includes an extremely useful "how to read" subsection, complete with sample pages. The remaining sections provide recommended titles for all ages, testimonials from teachers and comic book store proprietors, resource lists, and a set of 17 lesson plans. An appendix of 100 graphic novels, a glossary, references, a lengthy bibliography of mentioned works, and an accurate index complete the volume. Equally useful for those who know graphic novels and for complete neophytes, this is a sound addition for larger elementary-, middle-, and high-school library professional collections. Ann Welton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
“Lyga and Lyga's (2004) Graphic Novels in Your Media Center is an excellent, comprehensive introduction to graphic novels for school librarians....Allyson Lyga's experience as an elementary school teacher and library media specialist provides a perspective that speaks directly to the issues and concerns of librarians who work in schools. Especially noteworthy are her numerous lesson plans designed for grades K-12 that focus on the curricular areas of English and language art, the humanities, and the social studies. Lyga's lessons are well-designed and grounded in the content standards of K-12 schools. Librarians new to graphic novels will appreicate the section on "how to read a comic book" and the discussion of how graphic novels can be used to address multiple intelligences, visual literacy, and reluctant readers.”–Knowledge Quest

“Graphic Novels in Your Media Center offers not only guidance to make your collection appealing to readers but also potentially keeps you off the P&C 'hitlist' by offering a safe path between all the soft-core porn and blood-letting violence....[a] very practical and insightful book.”–Synergy

“[O]ffers justifications for including graphic novels in the school library, a discussion of cataloging issues, and a list of recommended titles. It is unique, however, because of the inclusion of many reproductions of the books under discussion and detailed lesson plans for eleven graphic novel titles....Librarians who are looking to increase their knowledge would be well served by picking up this volume.”–VOYA

“This text delivers an excellent staff-development-in-a-book with regard to graphic novels. School librarians are encouraged to add graphic novels to their collections and show how to effectively use them in lesson plans and even tie them to content-based standards. The book presents a solid overview of the types of readers this genre reaches and its connection to visual literacy....This is an excellent source for collection development and, if necessary, justifying the inclusion of graphic novels in the school library collection. Recommended.”–Library Media Connection

“Graphic Novels in Your Media Center combines a thorough knowledge of graphic novels with practical experience in the school media sector, and is an excellent resource for its intended audience.”–Kliatt

“[T]he authors offer a readable introduction to graphic novels in the media center....Equally useful for those who know graphic novels and for complete neophytes, this is a sound addition for larger elementary-, middle-, and high-school library professional collections.”–Booklist/Professional Reading

“This excellent resource guide offers school librarians and educators a comprehensive introduction to graphic novels....What makes this book unique is the inclusion of numerous reproductions of sample pages from graphic novels and the many lesson plans....This indispensable, well-organized guide will provide school librarians with all of the necessary information for implementing and developing a graphic-novels collection.”–School Library Journal

“Allyson A.W. Lyga and Barry Lyga demonstrate how to use graphic novels to advance reading, with definitions of common terms, annotated lists of graphic novels for different age groups, explanations on how to form partnershiops with comic book stores, and 17 lesson plans for elementary, middle, and high school students.”–American Libraries