Parent's Perspective: Deciding whether or not kids are ready for graphic novels
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- There's a quiet battle going on with some families. It could be at the library, at the book store, or when downloading a book to your device.
Some parents are for and some are against graphic novels.
Adriene Riester from Spark Books says a graphic novel is a novel-length chapter book, over 100 pages, and has panels with graphics and illustrations.
Riester sells graphic novels in her shop in Aspinwall and hears the debate from parents with their kids sometimes.
She says that some parents feel that graphic novels aren't real books, that they're read too quickly, and basically are glorified picture books.
Admittedly, Riester is in the camp that feels like reading anything is beneficial, especially when it's something you're child wants to read.
"You have a joy of reading when you pick out the book, when it's not something forced upon you," Riester said. "Not something you don't want to read, but you have to read. That love comes from picking your own book."
Riester also said one of the benefits of the illustrations is that the authors can use words that are above grade-level because kids can use the graphics as clues to decipher the words.
She mentioned as well that kids will naturally grow from graphic novels to a regular novel, much like they advanced from picture books as kindergarteners.
