Helpful Resources for Graphic Novels

Collection Development Services

Compiled by Kat Kan

  • I generally spend at least two hours every day going through all the sites I've listed here, to catch up on news and see what's happening. What a fun way to work, yes? In addition to the links shown below, most comics publishers also have websites, and you can use the company names to search for their respective sites. Happy surfing!
    - Kat Kan

GENERAL SITES

Many of the following websites include teacher resources, such as lesson plans and activities for children.

First Second Books
Links on this page take readers to blog entries that often cover cool behind-the-scenes publishing information, and also to some serialized web comics. 

No Flying, No Tights - Graphic Novel Reviews for Teens
Robin Brenner began writing about graphic novels on a website she created for a library school class. Now teens and librarians can go to her colorful and fun site to get her reviews and opinions. Robin features a section for younger readers, which is a great source of titles suitable for elementary and younger middle school students. She also includes links to various blogs for more comics and library information. 

TOON Books
Using the links on this page, teachers will find lesson plans using TOON Books titles, as well as ideas for other classroom activities, such as Readers' Theater, all for grades K-4. Other links lead to activities for children, including a cartoon maker, TOON Book audio readers in several different languages (English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese), and more. 

Good Comics for Kids
This is a team blog run by Brigid Alverson, with such members/posters as Robin Brenner, Eva Volin, Mike Pawuk, and others, devoted to comics and graphic novels for children and teens. It's updated almost daily and includes reviews, links to great sites, commentary, interviews with comics creators, and more. 

The Comic Book Project
Started by Dr. Michael Bitz at Columbia University, this program provides materials for teachers who want to set up afterschool programs for students. "The goal of the project is to help children forge an alternative pathway to literacy by writing, designing, and publishing original comic books." 

Diamond Bookshelf
This is the website for Diamond Books, a part of Diamond Comics Distributors. Here you'll find comics news, reviews, lesson plans, and helpful articles, as well as links to more sites. 

Pop Culture Classroom 
This organization provides teacher resources, including lesson plans, runs a blog, and sponsors the Excellence in Graphic Literature Award (first awarded in 2018).

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
This organization fights against censorship of (mostly) comics. Its website includes articles and helpful information in its "Resources" section.

NEWS & REVIEWS

Stellar Panels
This a new graphic novel review column aimed at school librarians, written by veteran comics reviewer and blogger Brigid Alverson. The first column appeared on March 18, 2019.

CBR (formerly Comic Book Resources)
This site has regular columns, interviews, and news about movies and comics.

ICv2
This daily news website is aimed at comics/games retailers and toy specialty shops, but the industry news is often of interest to librarians as well. The site also provides reviews of graphic novels, manga, and anime.

Newsarama
This site includes news and interviews, as well as some columns that might be of interest. It's very superhero-centric. 

The Beat
This is Heidi MacDonald's blog, which covers news about comics and includes library-related items. It's updated at least daily. One of her regular contributors, Torsten Adair, has an MLS and attends most ALA Annual conferences.

The Comics Reporter
Tom Spurgeon blogs about comics daily, and he includes a lot of library-related news as well. His links can lead you to interesting articles and blogs and keep you reading for hours. He won an Eisner Award in 2010 for Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism. His Sunday interviews are wonderfully informative. 

Comics Worth Reading
Johanna Draper Carlson and Ed Sizemore share reviewing duties at this site. They cover graphic novels, comic books, manga, movies, TV, DVDs, and also provide cogent commentary on various issues related to the comics industry. 

Sequential Tart 
This online magazine is devoted to comics by and about women. It's definitely aimed at adult readers rather than children or teens, but some of the articles are good resources for libraries.

PODCASTS

Podcasts are still very popular, and there are plenty of comics podcasts vying for peoples' time. 

Player FM - Comics
Provides links to comics podcasts, with a helpful "explicit" icon to note those using strong language.

Comics Podcast Network 
Links to a whole bunch of comics podcasts for people to explore.

BOOKS

100 Greatest Graphic Novels: the Good, the Bad, the Epic, by Katrina Hill and Max Langley
Filled with superheroes, grade-school heroines, psychotic villains, and mythical creatures — in addition to tenderness and heartbreak — 100 Greatest Graphic Novels celebrates some of the finest graphic novels ever written and drawn. This guided tour of incredible stories is wonderfully visual and organized by various themes, offering reviews and commentary of ironic superhero stories (The Dark Knight Returns, Kingdom Come, Watchmen), coming-of-age tales (American Born Chinese, Roller Girl, This One Summer), historical literature (Barefoot Men, Maus, When the Wind Blows), modern drama (Killing and Dying, Marbles, Swallow Me Whole), and everything in between (The Acme Novelty Library, Fred the Clown, X'ed Out).

Graphic Novels: A Guide to Comic Books, Manga, and More, 2nd Edition, by Michael Pawuk and David Serchay
Covering genres from action/adventure and fantasy to horror, science fiction, and superheroes, this guide maps the vast and expanding terrain of graphic novels, describing and organizing titles, as well as providing information that helps librarians build and balance their graphic novel collections and direct patrons to read-alikes.

Comic Book Collections and Programming: A Practical Guide for Libraries, by Matthew Z. Wood 
This book will help librarians build a collection that's right for their library, including specialty collections for kids, teens, and adults. It covers the practical realities of this non-traditional format, like binding, weeding, and budgeting. It also address advanced topics like comics and pedagogy, bringing comics artists and authors into the library, and using comics as a community outreach tool — even hosting comic conventions in libraries.

The Readers' Advisory Guide to Graphic Novels, Second Edition, by Francisca Goldsmith
The first edition of this readers' advisory represented a pioneering effort to provide help and encouragement to librarians diving into this exciting format, and since then the popularity of graphic novels has continued apace. Goldsmith has updated her guide to encompass a bounty of new titles, authors, and styles, ensuring its continued usefulness as a tool for both RA and collection development.

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