Starting a Graphic Novel Book Group at Your Library

Graphic novels are wildly popular with kids–and librarians also know that they can help build visual literacy skills, increase reading confidence and strengthen vocabulary knowledge. Kids who read graphic novels also show increased reading motivation. So why not offer a graphic novel book group at your library?

At Multnomah County Library, Graphic Novel Club is an hour-long program offered monthly during the school year. We have separate clubs for grades 2-3, 4-5 and 6-8. Most locations just offer a club for one age group, but some offer more. Caregivers are usually invited to attend with grades 2-3, but grades 4-5 and 6-8 meet independently with library staff.

In the spring of 2022, our library was ramping up programming after the pandemic. We had many youth services librarians who were new to our system and needed to plan a lot of programs from scratch, so we decided a collaboratively-planned program, like a graphic novel book group, would be a good option. We modeled it after a program offered at one of our locations pre-pandemic.

Planning

Librarians who want to offer a Graphic Novel Club participate in a planning session each summer. We brainstorm a list of potential titles beforehand, and during the session we narrow down that list to 12-14 titles and divide them up to write short booktalks. Each librarian also chooses one or two titles that they would like their group to read first.

As the librarian who coordinates school-age programming, I start by purchasing the first round of titles and sorting them into tubs. I also create some shareable materials: a ballot for voting, a journal that kids can use to record their thoughts, and a flyer that each location can adapt to promote the program. I start discussion guides for each book, and library staff fill them out with discussion questions, snack suggestions and activity ideas.

Program Structure

The groups meet for the first time in the fall. We often begin with an icebreaker activity so participants can get to know each other. Then library staff booktalk the 12-14 titles from the suggestion list, sometimes splitting them into two shorter chunks with a snack or activity in the middle. The group uses the ballot to vote for the titles they would like to read that year, and staff pass out the book they’ve chosen for the first month.

After participants vote, we tally up the votes from all locations and order the most popular books to use throughout the year. We also use a routing chart so that when one location finishes with a book, they can just send the tub on to the next group. 

In subsequent months, librarians review the discussion guides and decide which snacks/activities/discussion questions they would like to include. The schedule for a typical meeting might include:

• Signing in and getting a snack
• Doing an icebreaker
• Reviewing discussion guidelines
• Discussing the book handed out at last month’s meeting
• Doing a related craft or activity
• Collecting this month’s book and passing out next month’s

Some librarians have also devoted time to introducing different art techniques and literary elements in each session.

Practical advice

If you’re interested in starting a graphic novel book group, here are some helpful tips:

• Begin each session with an icebreaker tied to the book. 
• Kids often enjoy giving the book a secret rating (written on a sticky note at the beginning of the program and kept hidden) and then sharing it at the end. Ask them if their rating changed after the discussion–often it does!
• Use a journal or a bookmark so kids can write (or draw) their thoughts about a book while they are reading. It can be hard to remember them by the time book group happens.
• To help facilitate your discussions, create some guidelines together. Some helpful resources are the Cooperative Children’s Book Center’s guidelines (specific to book discussion) and Amazeworks’ Guidelines for Respectful Discussion (useful for many kinds of group discussions).
• If kids start talking over each other, pick an item to pass around. If you’re holding it, it’s your turn to talk.
• Don’t worry too much about creating discussion questions. You can use a list of universal book discussion questions, like this one from the Carroll County Public Library that includes some questions specifically for graphic novels. And don’t forget to check the author’s and publisher’s websites, as they often include discussion guides for specific books.
• Although themed snacks can be fun, they aren’t necessary. It’s easier for staff to pick similar snacks each time that they know are popular. 
• For crafts and activities, we’ve had the best luck with “non paper” crafts like keychains, magnets, perler beads and constellation boxes. 
• If you have a skeptical administrator, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Raising a Reader resource has further information about the learning benefits of comics.

Many excellent graphic novels are coming out every year. And we know that kids love to read them. So what are you waiting for? Start a graphic novel book group today!

Jackie Partch is the Youth and Family Services Librarian for Multnomah County Library. She coordinates and supports systemwide school-age programs, including virtual tutoring, and serves as homeschool liaison.

This post addresses the following ALSC Core Competencies: III. Programming Skills

The post Starting a Graphic Novel Book Group at Your Library appeared first on ALSC Blog.

 Graphic novels are wildly popular with kids–and librarians also know that they can help build visual literacy skills, increase reading confidence and strengthen vocabulary knowledge. Kids who read graphic novels also show increased reading motivation. So why not offer a graphic novel book group at your library? At Multnomah County Library, Graphic Novel Club is an hour-long program offered monthly during the school year. We have separate clubs for grades 2-3, 4-5 and 6-8. Most locations just offer a club for one age group, but some offer more. Caregivers are usually invited to attend with grades 2-3, but grades 4-5 and 6-8 meet independently with library staff. In the spring of 2022, our library was ramping up programming after the pandemic. We had many youth services librarians who were new to our system and needed to plan a lot of programs from scratch, so we decided a collaboratively-planned program, like…
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