Boost circulation, build customer loyalty, and help readers of all ages find the graphic novels they enjoy reading with this guide to more than 2,400 titles.
Adding graphic novels to your library collection is a surefire way to boost circulation and build customer loyalty. But with thousands of graphic novels being published annually and no sign of a slowdown, how do you determine which graphic novels to purchase, and which to recommend to teen and adult readers? This guide is intended to help you start, update, or maintain a graphic novel collection and advise readers about the genre. It covers more than 2,400 titles, including series titles, and organizes them according to genre, subgenre, and theme-from super-heroes and adventure to crime, humor, and nonfiction. Reading levels, awards/recognition, and core titles are identified; and tie-ins with gaming, film, anime, and television are noted. Grade 6 through adult.
In addition, it will cite resources for learning more about the genre, and provide information on awards. Hundreds of images illustrate the guide.
Reviews
"Starred Review This well-designed and information-rich reference is a guide to the best graphic novels currently in the marketplace. Michael Pawuk explains in a unique visual comic-book style introduction that graphic novels are much longer than comic books and target a slightly older audience than picture books. He continues with important information about the design and use of this annotated bibliographic work....Because librarians can consult this valuable resource as a tool to reinvent teen collections and to entice teens to read, this work should be an essential purchase for all high school and public libraries. Highly Recommended."—Library Media Connection
"Anyone doubting the wide, wild variety in graphic novels will be set straight by Pawuk's massive guide, with plot summaries for over 2400 titles organized by genre, subgenre, and theme. Icons identify award winners, core titles, reading levels, and media tie-ins. There are author, illustrator, and title indexes plus a short subject index. Appendixes list additional sources of information and major comics publishers, and an introduction in comics format gives brief general information about graphic novels and adding them to library collections. Note that this is a genre guide, not a comprehensive book on graphic novels in the library, and the focus is on titles popular with readers, winning critical acclaim, or considered classics....Highly recommended for readers' advisory functions and for collection development. Aficionado patrons can also use it to broaden their reading."—Library Journal
"This accessible tome serves as both a readers' advisory tool and a collection-development aid for graphic novels and collected comic books in English. Symbols help readers gauge age-appropriateness, awards earned, and core-collection status. Within each genre, the works are organized by title. This helps because most readers know titles more than authors. Appendixes offer vital information on further reading, publishers, and useful Web sites. Each entry has good documentation and summaries, though some series titles are more up-to-date than others. Classics are included, but the vast majority of the titles are from the last decade. Books are well chosen and the genre-based organization makes this volume an especially good resource for school librarians seeking to provide graphic-novel options for classroom subjects and units. The broad age range covered (grade six to adult) and the lack of similar titles on the market make this volume a smart buy."—School Library Journal
"This major annotated bibliograhy of 2,500 graphic novels and related genres provides an advanced guide for building large collections for teens and adults....[t]his guide is recommended for the serious selector who reads and reads and reads this material and knows it and discusses the works with patrons."—Teacher Librarian
"This in-depth graphic novel bibliography reference book is awe inspiring. Not only will it help librarians fill holes in their collections, but it also will be great for readers' advisory and displays....Although many librarians will want to use this book as a collection development source, it is best used for readers' advisory. Fans of the graphic novel format will really appreciate this bibliographic guide to expand their reading repertoire. It is highly recommended for libraries to purchase for their adult reference collection."—VOYA
"In Graphic Novels: A Genre Guide to Comic Books, Manga, and More (part of the Genreflecting Advisory Series), Pawuk takes more than 2,400 graphic novels: arranges them according to genre, subgenre, and theme; and provides plot summaries and overviews of the main characters....The introduction -- presented in comic format -- explains why you need a graphic novels collection and offers tips on building and getting the best use out of it. With this guide in hand, you might just turn into an otaku (i.e., devoted fan)."—American Libraries
"Pawuk presents a bibliographic guide to graphic novels (and trade paperbacks) for librarians wishing to add ot their collection. Some 2,400 titles are listed by genre (super-heroes, action and adventure, fantasy, crime and mysteries, horror, contemporary life, humor, and nonfiction) and sub-genres and annotated with summary descriptions, basic publishing information, and age ratings. The listings have been chosen according to the following criteria: popularity, suitability, age level, genre, writing quality, artistic quality, artistic style, format, reputation, and awards and recognition. Also listed are publisher addresses, web sites, and other resources."—Reference & Research Book News
"The comprehensive index by title and character, as well as indexes by author and illustrator, help any user to locate the item they are looking for as well as titles of similar interest. This book will be of great use to the reader of graphic novels as well as the librarian performing readers' advisory to those perusers of this genre."—American Reference Books Annual
Endorsements
"What an accomplishment, and what a great resource for libraries on down."—Chris Staros, Publisher, Top Shelf Productions
"What a great book! Bravo to you for what you have done for the comic book industry."—Carol G. Pinkus, Marvel Entertainment, Inc.
