Anonymous wrote:The librarian at our elementary school says graphic novels are great for kids to read.
I say let it go.

Librarians aren’t experts in education or parenting. They can tell you a book is popular but that’s it. And frankly, if a librarian tells me a book is popular with kids these days, I’m probably steering clear of it for my own kids.

Junk food vs healthy food

We ban them inside the house.

I left mine alone and now, at 11, she reads regular book. Same for my 14 year old.

Leave it. She’ll be fine if she reads “junk”. Why must y’all micromanage everything?

Stfu OP

My 8 year old loves the graphic novels as well. She will also read Highlights and The Weekly Jr. magazine though and I figure that gives her more variety.
She always tells me how much she loves to read so I don't want to tamper with that.

You’re lucky kid is reading at all. Reading is not the norm these days. Encourage kid. Don’t discourage.

The librarian at our elementary school says graphic novels are great for kids to read.
I say let it go.

There's some good graphic novels OP. Just because there are pictures doesn't mean your kid can't learn. Do a little research and talk to your librarian. My son was into an American history graphic novel series at that age--I can't remember the name, but it featured prominent people in history like Nathan Hale. it was good stuff.

Graphic novels develop strong reading skills.

They are better than "age appropriate" books where the kids are just passing their eyes over the words and not comprehending.

My 12yo is the same. She had a prize box at school for doing a good job with writing help so I started that at home. It’s a gift bag with stuff in it from five below and whenever she finishes a chapter book she chooses something.

Anonymous wrote:Same struggle with my 8 year old. It feels like trying to get a kid to choose a nourishing meal when there’s junk food everywhere. So annoyed with how these kind of books are so available at the school library, book fair, etc.

This is nuts.

With all due respect OP, I would leave her alone. She's reading and enjoying it that's enough. I say this as a kid who read junk novels as a teen and whose parents were a bit disappointed that I wasn't reading Tolstoy, but who still got into multiple Ivy League schools with near perfect English SAT scores that I attribute to the love of reading I had.

Same struggle with my 8 year old. It feels like trying to get a kid to choose a nourishing meal when there’s junk food everywhere. So annoyed with how these kind of books are so available at the school library, book fair, etc.

DD 10 has always been an avid reader but these days all she ever reads are graphic novels.
This is true for both paperback and reading on apps. I guess I should be glad she is into reading but she has her head buried in these all. the. time. that I'm wondering if it's actually good. I'm always trying to persuade her to read age-appropriate chapter books at the library etc. but she refuses and only reaches for graphic novels. Has anyone experienced similar things and any advice on how I can get her to try different genres (actually anything not graphic)? I'm not sure if I have to semi-force her to read normal chapter books by taking the graphic ones away for awhile, or this is a bad idea by turning off her enthusiasm for written content in general. Any advice appreciated!