Graphic Novels

I run a book club at Hughes Elementary School in Syracuse. I often find that graphic children novel’s have a hidden meaning that applies for adults as well. One of my favorite graphic novels since I was a child is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. While this novel was meant for children, as an adult I am able to relate more to it then I was able to as a child. To write this book Shel Silverstein uses technology to get the images and words on paper. The main takeaway from this novel is the concept of giving and taking. In the beginning of the novel, a little boy visits a tree daily and plays with the tree and they both are happy, as the little boy grows up he visits the tree less and less, yet the tree still gives the boy apples and her branches. The tree in the novel gives and gives to a little boy until she has nothing left to give to the boy. Imagery in this novel helps bring the message to life. Technology is important in novels as well as in electronics. Without technology picture books would not exist, and children would have a much more difficult time receiving important messages in novels.