For Pre-Readers: Children who are getting ready to read at 4 and 5 years old often will sit with a picture book and “read” it by reciting the story as best they remember or describing the pictures and extrapolating the story. For this age, graphic novels are another excellent tool to help them learn about reading and narrative. Graphic novels take the time to show every step of a story rather than just one big picture for a whole paragraph of text, which may not all align with the image they’re shown.

Bright colors and animal-oriented stories, like Babymouse by Jennifer Holm or Mr. Pants by Scott Mccormick, should be enough to draw a pre-reader in. (See more suggestions below.) And be sure to supplement their “reading” with having graphic novels read to them or with them by adults or older children.

For Early Readers: At this level, focus on the graphic novel as a shared reading experience that shows them what kind of different books are available as they improve their reading skills. Keep them interacting and engaged, pointing out words they know and describing action sequences.

For Confident Readers: Let experienced readers take the lead when you read graphic novels together. Ask them if they’d like you to help do some voices or keep your finger on the panel they’re reading to help others follow along. Remind them to describe what’s happening in action panels, or ask younger readers to take the lead in these sections. If you’re working with a few children at different skill levels, this is a great way to keep everyone engaged in the book without anyone feeling left out.

For All Ages: Encourage all kids to read graphic novels on their own. Readers who are struggling can feel a sense of accomplishment at getting through a book on their own, even if they don’t understand every word. Find the graphic novel section at your public or school library, and encourage librarians to add more graphic novels to their selection. My five-year-old loves coming home from the library, when she and her older brother both sit on the couch and she can “read” the same books that he does, passing them back and forth when they’re done.