On Friday, June 21, ages 12-18 can dress in their favorite cosplay and celebrate graphic novels at the Library! We’ll meet in the Jones Meeting Center at 4:30 p.m. If they want to, teens can bring their favorite graphic novels and manga to talk about.
Young Adult Librarian Kip Polmanteer says, “This is an opportunity for teens to get dressed up and show off their favorite cosplay, and also to share some of their favorite stories with each other.”
Along with discussing their favorites, teens will discuss what makes a great graphic novel/manga and what they’d like to see in the Library’s graphic novel collection in the future. We’ll also talk about different styles and types of cosplay.
Kip hopes that teens enjoy the free-flowing nature of the panel. She says, “This program will be an open space for teens to see what interests they have in common, give each other recommendations, and leave with some new reading inspiration.”
Why Focus on Graphic Novels?
Graphic novels play a helpful role in encouraging teen literacy and creating a lifelong love of reading.
Kip says, “Graphic novels and manga are often seen as ‘less than’ in terms of traditional literacy, but that’s not the whole picture. They actually open doors for lifelong readership.”
“Because of their more visual format,” Kip explains, “graphic novels tend to be more striking to those who struggle with reading; the format can capture and hold interest for longer periods of time.”
While there are fewer words in a graphic novel than a traditional book, the vocabulary in graphic novels has to be a bit more advanced. Kip explains, “When you have to say more with fewer words, the word choices become more important, thus building vocabulary.”
Plus, Kip says, “there are now some really fantastic nonfiction and biographical works in graphic novel format, which expands the possibility of using this genre for learning.”
Check out our teen event calendar to find more upcoming opportunities for ages 12-18. Follow Johnson City Public Library on Facebook and Instagram to get updates about Library programs, collections, and services.
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