Graphic Novels - the new hotness!

With 1004 distinct items in the Library System, we have a veritable treasure chest of Graphic Novels. We can't keep them on the shelf, they're the most rapidly-growing niche in publishing, and many are spawning a new renaissance in Hollywood. Good Stuff!

But wait - what is a Graphic Novel? You don't know?

Graphic novels are similar to comic books. Like comic books, they use sequential artwork to help tell a story. However, they are more likely to be stand-alone stories, and plot lines are more extended.

Some are collections of comics (Usagi Yojimbo) and some are books in their own right (Pride of Baghdad) . Still others have won prostigeous awards like the Xeric Award (Clan Apis) and one has even won the Pulitzer Prize (Maus)

Better to refer to them as a format (just as we do a book, magazine, audiobook, or movie) because they cover many genres; Cyberpunk, Horror, Romance, Fantasy and more.


Does this mean that these books are only for teens?
Not at all. Graphic Novels tend to be very appealing for all ages. (This includes the staff that develop this collection) The visual presentation, great character development, well-written plots, and escapism make this format of book very appealing.


Graphic Novels are all about Superheroes, right?

Actually, no...they’re not even all fiction.

Although we do have superheroes such as Wonder Woman, Spiderman, and Wolverine we also have other fiction and non-fiction books.

Here are a few examples:

Biography
· Pedro and Me
· The amazing true story of a Teenage Single Mom
. Persepolis

Horror
· Sandman
· Tapping the Vein
. Thirty Days of Night

Cyberpunk
· Heavy Liquid
· Channel Zero

Christian Fiction
· Left Behind
· Tribulation Force

Classics
· Moby Dick - Melville
· Remembrance of Things Past—Proust

Non-Fiction
· Cartoon Guide to Genetics
· Cartoon Guide to Physics
. Jack The Ripper


BEST OF ALL many are now coming to the big screen.

So if you're interested in this 'new' format, why not give them a try?
There are many terrific books out there, just waiting for you to discover them.