Graphic novels Graphic novels get book world's respect and geeks -- er readers' satisfaction. The Cleveland Plain Dealer on Graphic novels: "What these books have in common, aside from enjoying brisk sales and critical raves, is a sophistication of artwork, text and emotional content that may even appeal to adults who think they don't like comics. Put another way, you don't have to know the first thing about "Spider-Man" to find something to enjoy in this realm. " [LISNews.com] I read a pile of our new graphic novels recently so that I could booktalk them to the ninth graders. I expected to just skim through some superhero stories, but I found myself quite engrossed and captivated by the characters and plots and surprised by the variety of styles and themes. I think if I could convince some of the teachers to pick them up, they might be find ways to use them in class as well as be happier about my encouraging kids to read them. 1:19:14 PM     [comment []];[]