The world our kids are growing up in is an increasingly visual one. Graphic novels (once called COMICS) help kids learn visual literacy, that is, how to interpret the combination of images and text. Not to mention, comic books have on average more rare words per thousand than adult books, so kids learn more complex vocabulary!
Comics are incredible for those learning a new language as well! One study shows that those who used graphic novels as opposed to traditional readings in their learning scored better on comprehension tests than their counterparts. *
While the library has a large collection of graphic novels in print available for checkout, we also have some amazing eresources available for you! Comics are available digitally on Libby and Tumblebooks, but the largest collection can be found on Hoopla and Comics Plus.
Hoopla features titles from the biggest names in the industry: Marvel and DC, as well as many other comics publishers. Titles are always available through Hoopla, meaning no wait time, however you only get 5 downloads a month.Comics Plus on the other hand features almost all the same publishers as Hoopla: Dark Horse Comics, Yen Press, Fantagraphics, Image Comics, Kodansha, One Press, Papercutz, Tokyopop, Archie, Digital Manga, IDW, Mad Cave, Udon, and so many more. The best part? The entire catalog is always available and there are no limits on how many titles you check out or how long you keep them. As long as your library card is in good standing, you can read as much as you want on Comics Plus.
There are two different versions of Comics Plus available to you through SCPL: the Children’s Library and the Teen’s Library. The Teen Library has access to everything in the Children’s Library, as well as titles for older readers. Both versions have titles in English and Spanish for our bilingual patrons or just those who want to use them for language learning.
Comics used to get a bad rap, but in 2025, there is a comic for everyone, ages 5 years and up. Just ask your librarian and try one out with your library card today!
* https://journals.aiac.org.au/index.php/IJALEL/article/view/6374