In order for students to reap the benefits of graphic novels, teachers need to first incorporate them into their classrooms. Graphic novels are not only a viable option to improve student retention of literature, but also the cornerstone of several potential lesson plans. The multimodal nature of graphic novels allows teachers to shape their lessons in new directions. When the validity of graphic novels is no longer a question, students and teachers alike will discover the countless benefits of multimodal learning.
Rebecca Maldonado is a recent graduate of University of Oklahoma with her doctorate in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum. This year she will be teaching ninth grade English at Parkside High School in Salisbury, MD. Her scholarship and research focuses on arts integration, graphic novels, text selection, and developing and exercising teacher's critical consciousness, along with the use of critical dialogue to develop social awareness in education and the community. She is also the editor of Arts Integration and Young Adult Literature: Enhancing Academic Skills and Student Voice. Jason DeHart is an Assistant Professor of Reading Education at Appalachian State University and a long-time comics reader. DeHart's research interests include multimodal literacy, including film and graphic novels, and literacy instruction with adolescents. His work has recently appeared in SIGNAL Journal, English Journal, and The Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy.
Foreword by Zachary Zajkowski Acknowledgements Introduction: A Conversation about Graphic Novels Rebecca Maldonado and Jason D. DeHart Section 1 - Research & Rationale for Graphic Novels Chapter 1 - Toons, Capes, Comix, and the Graphic Novel:A History of the Sequential Arts and the Case for Inclusion Christian George Gregory 1700-2020: A Timeline and Influential Books in the Rise of the Graphic Novel Christian George Gregory Chapter 2 - The Multiplicities of Multimodal Texts: Exploring YA Graphic Novels for Secondary Readers Mandy Luszeck Section 2 - Elements of Critical Literacy and Visual Literacy Chapter 3 - Teaching Critical Visual Literacy Through Gene Luen Yang's Boxers and Saints Young Adult Literature Text: Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang Kristen R. Strom, PhD Chapter 4 - Arising LGBTQ+ Gender Awareness in High School English Curriculum Promoting Visual Literacy with the LGBTQ+ Graphic Novel: Alison Bechdel's Fun Home Young Adult Literature Text: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel Bo Liu and Kexuan Wu Chapter 5 - History Must Be a Manual: Grappling With Our Past through George Takei's They Called Us Enemy Young Adult Literature Text: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei Ashley D. Black and Joseph P. Haughey Section 3 - Inspiring the Hearts and Minds Through Hands-on Activities and Digital Activities Chapter 6 - Interrogating What It Means to be American through Decoupage: Recycled Shadow Box Art Show and Almost American Girl to Explore Personal Identity in America Young Adult Literature Text: Almost American Girl by Robin Ha Stephen Goss and Jennifer S. Dail Chapter 7 - Image, Print, and Movement: Reaching Readers through Illustrations and Flipbooks about The Last Kids on Earth: Thrilling Tales from the Treehouse Young Adult Literature Text: The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier Damiana Gibbons Pyles, Eric Groce, and Adam Pyles Chapter 8 - Fostering Independence: Analyzing Author's Purpose in Graphic Novels Young Adult Literature Text: Nimona by ND Stevenson Angela Hase Chapter 9 - "The Overcoming of Otherness": Teaching Visual Literacy through Ekphrastic Poetry and The Arrival Young Adult Literature Text: The Arrival by Shaun Tan Russell Mayo Chapter 10- Illustrating Triple Consciousness in Melanie Gillman's As the Crow Flies Young Adult Literature Text: As the Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman Nicole Ann Amato and Jenna Spiering About the Editors About the Contributors
