BETH BACON: Thanks for joining the Pen & Story Blog, Britt. Graphic Novels are a fast-growing genre of books for kids and young adults. Many writers and illustrators want to express their ideas in words and pictures. But many may not be so clear on the different categories of graphic novels. Since you represent a lot of graphic novel writers and illustrators, we thought you’d be a great person to ask about the various graphic novel categories for young readers. Let’s start by defining a graphic novel.
BRITT SIESS: A graphic novel is a story that’s told in an illustrated medium. It differs from a picture book in that a graphic novel normally has more than one scene per page. Usually those scenes are in the form of panels. Graphic novels also tend to be longer than picture books. A middle-grade graphic novel is 150 to 200 pages, which is significantly longer than a picture book.
BETH: Can you give a quick list of the various categories of graphic novels?
BRITT: The categories may be different among different people. The way I personally break this down is: Early-reader graphic novels, middle-grade graphic novels, and YA graphic novels. Then there are cross-over graphic novels, which fall between picture books and graphic novels.
BETH: Let’s go into details about each category. How would you describe early-reader graphic novels?
BRITT: Early-reader graphic novels are shorter and use simpler vocabulary words. This category is for those kids who are are just starting to read, maybe six years old to ten.
BETH: What are some characteristics of early-reader graphic novels?
BRITT: There’s more humor in early-reader graphic novels. I think the younger you go, the more room there is for humor. The stories and characters have to be relatable to a six-, seven-, or eight-year-old. These books have fun drawings… often really loud drawings.
BETH: A popular early-reader graphic novel series is “The Bad Guys” by Aaron Blabey.
BETH: And then next category is middle-grade?
BRITT: With middle-grade graphic novels, I think has a lot more room to take on light-hearted topics or serious topics. The ideal ages for middle-grade are between eight and twelve. A middle-grade graphic novel I like right now is Pilu of the Woods which just came out with Oni Press.
I also like Hocus Pocus, which came out with Quirk Books. Boom! Studios has a lot of middle-grade graphic novels, they really rock that department.
BETH: What are some characteristics of middle-grade graphic novels?
BRITT: Middle-grade graphic novels can be almost anything! They can be fun and loud, like Five Worlds. That series has really saturated, colorful art and it’s adventure-based. Other middle-grade graphic novels are taking on more serious topics like dysfunctional families and how that affects children growing up. Hey Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka is a good example of that.
BETH: Then we move to YA graphic novels, correct?
BRITT: In terms of subject matter, YA graphic novels really have a lot of room. Oni Press, which I mentioned earlier, also does a lot of great YA novels. Archival Quality just won the McDuffy Award for diversity. It’s a wonderful YA graphic novels. Boom! Studios, again, does a lot of great YA. Heavy Vinyl and Jonesy—those are two great YA graphic novels from Boom! Studios.
BETH: Finally, let’s swing back around to the youngest category. Can you describe cross-over picture book / graphic novels?
BRITT: We are seeing more of cross-over picture book / graphic novels these days. This is a type of book where picture books are organized, in the same way as graphic novels. Graphic novels have very clear panels and these cross-over books have softer panels. The stories are in chronological order, so they are really easy to follow. These books usually have soft illustrations. Pure graphic novels sometimes have harsher or more saturated colors. But cross-over picture book / graphic novels can be more sketched works or watercolor works. They also can deal with softer, lighter topics. I guess I could say that they are kind of a quieter graphic novel.
BETH: In terms of format, are cross-over picture book / graphic novels the same size as a picture book (8 inches by 10 inches or bigger)? Or are they smaller like a novel (about 5 inches by 7 inches)?
BRITT: They’re larger than a typical graphic novel, which you could stick in your purse. Picture book / graphic novels are like the size of a piece of typing paper on its side, usually shorter and wider than a typical graphic novel.
BETH: What age group do cross-over picture book / graphic novels reach?
BRITT: I’d say ages 6 to 12.
BETH: Are cross-over picture book / graphic novels for reluctant readers?
BRITT: I wouldn’t say so, and I’m very strongly against categorizing graphic novels as “only for reluctant readers” because that makes them seem like they are a steppingstone to “real” books. I want graphic novels to be validated as a legitimate reading tool. They are legitimate books! They are not stepping stones, although they can sometimes help a child find what they are interested in reading.
BETH: Thanks so much, Britt, for helping to clarify graphic novel categories for the members of SCBWI.
ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN THIS POST
BETH BACON writes books for reluctant readers. Her titles include, I Hate Reading, The Book No One Wants To Read, The Worst Book Ever, and Blank Space. Find out more at BethBaconAuthor.com.
BRITT SIESS is a literary agent with a strong background in publishing as she’s seen all aspects of the industry. She is a former bookseller, and has interned for the Taryn Fagerness Agency, Wales Literary Agency, and Martin Literary & Media Management. She was also with the sales division of The Quarto Group, where she worked in domestic and foreign book sales.