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Learn about the latest education book trend — graphic novels for the classroom!

One of the biggest trends in publishing this year in the education market is the rise of graphic novels. A more visual experience for young readers, graphic novels engage kids in a new way that takes into account different learning styles outside of traditional, prose-based literacy. According to Publishers Weekly, sales of graphic novels in North American have topped $535 million!

Recently, schools have become more opened to incorporating these books into their curriculum. From stories written specifically for the format to classics that have been adapted to the more visual form, BookPal has seen schools and districts from all over the country order graphic novels for their classrooms.

Why have graphic novels become more popular lately?

Eva Volin, a supervising children's librarian at the Alameda Free Library, puts it best when she explains, "Sixty percent of the population are visual learners. At some point in time, someone decided that once you hit fourth grade you can only learn from prose... but graphic novels give visual learners an equal opportunity to absorb information the way they are most comfortable learning. We've seen in these past five to seven years that teachers are getting over visual bias."

What are the most popular graphic novel being used in classrooms today? We've rounded up our best-selling graphic novels and popular publisher's picks below!

Top 4 graphic novels for the classroom:

1. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

A complete collection of her popular works, Persepolis and Persepolis 2, The Complete Persepolis contains the story of Marjane's childhood and coming of age within a large, loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution. Persepolis is a story of the contradictions between private and public life in a country plagued by political mayhem, of a teen's high school years and trials of adolescence far from her family, and of a young woman's sweet and terrible return to her beloved homeland.

2. Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Raina just wants to be a normal 6th grader, but after she trips and falls during a Girl Scouts trip, chipping her two front teeth, that doesn't seem likely. With on-again, off-again braces; embarrassing headgear; and a retainer with fake teeth, the unfortunate incident leaves Raina with a lot of deal with. But to top if off, she also must endure a major earthquake, boy confusion, and pre-teen drama — what's a girl to do?

3. Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

While Smile is recognized as her groundbreaking debut, Ghosts is Raina's most recent contribution to the graphic novels world. Catrina and her family move to the northern coast of Northern California, to Bahía de la Luna, because her little sister, Maya, is sick. As the family gets settled in, Cat and Maya let them in on a secret: there are ghosts Bahía de la Luna. While Maya is determined to meet one, Cat wants nothing to do with them. But soon enough, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister's sake — as well as her own.

4. Bone: Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith

After being run out of Boneville, the three Bone cousins — Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone — are separated, lost in a vast and uncharted desert. One by one, each of the cousins find their way into a deep, forested valley filled with wonder, secrets, and danger. What adventures lie ahead of them?

What do you think about this new trend? Share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment below!

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This post was written by Elizabeth Lee, the marketing associate at BookPal. She is currently reading Onward by Howard Schultz.