Graphic Novels

A popular genre to enter into the young adult realm is the graphic novel. The ALAN Review explains that "Graphic Novels draw in reluctant readers." The young adult is able to read without the structure of a novel. Those who struggle with reading have pictures that help move the story along. It also gives the reader a sense of accomplishment, to be able to finish a novel in hours that could have easily taken days or even weeks in a normal format.

As the graphic novel develops,there have been new forms created that do not follow the traditional comic book format. Take the novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. With over 500 pages, this novel does not use the traditional talk bubble, but the pictures take the place of words and help to guide the story. The full sized pictures are more than half of the book, but the story is still understandable.

While new graphic novels are being created, the old comic book style are still popular, with superman ranking number 3 on the Times list of top 10 graphic novels of 2007.

Though the graphic novel is not a new idea, it is becoming a new addition to education and school systems. This unused tool until recently is revolutionizing the idea of the novel for young adults.