Graphic novel collections have become crowd pleasers in many school libraries. But this book focuses on how graphic novels should be used as part of the curriculum, rather than on their recreational use. The author starts with the history of comics, comic books, and graphic novels. For those who are unfamiliar with the genre, a tutorial is provided on how to read graphic novels. Although there is a short section on manga, this book concentrates mainly on graphic novels. The bulk of the book consists of annotated reading lists of comic books and graphic novels divided into grade-appropriate sections. The author also provides a segment on lesson plans and activities using graphic novels, including sections on the art of graphic novels and the use of graphic novels in curricular lessons and book clubs.

This book is a perfect fit for librarians who are new to graphic novels and those who want to take a deeper look into the history and importance of graphic novels. It is also an excellent resource for those interested in the history of comics and the evolution of the graphic novel. The annotated book lists are a great collection development tool. The lessons are geared for upper elementary, middle, and high school. This book is recommended for librarians who want to add graphic novels to their collections and who want to find a means of incorporating them into the curriculum.