Exploring Literary Devices in Graphic Novels

This article explores the possibilities of graphic novels with young readers.  During the 2009–2010 school year, while working with four fifth-grade students, the author examined the question In what ways do readers engage while reading a graphic novel? The fifth graders took part in book discussions and one-on-one interviews after reading two pre-selected graphic novels.  Through data analysis, Dallacqua noticed a prominence of data focused around literary devices.  The devices are not only present, but recognizable to students with no prompting.  The author uses the voices of students to discuss the wide range of literary devices and their effect on students’ reading engagement with graphic novels.  She also discusses the possibilities that graphic novels offer in introducing literary devices and scaffolding student learning into traditional, print-based literature.  Ultimately, she concludes that graphic novels are a powerful medium that offers language arts teachers unlimited possibilities.