All too often there is a one size fits all approach to bringing children of the world to reading that backfires by not meeting each child where they are.
At the 2025 Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), literary agent Janna Morishima delivered a compelling talk on the impact of graphic novels in fostering reading fluency and engagement among young readers.
Morishima, known for her work at Scholastic and co-founding the Graphix Imprint, appealed to my inner-teacher with a discussion of the cognitive benefits of visual storytelling, explaining how the brain processes images through meaning and narrative structure.
In an era dominated by social media and information overload, graphic novels serve as a crucial tool in sustaining attention and building reading stamina, Morishima argued, advocating for their inclusion in both homes and educational settings, stressing that parental involvement and classroom accessibility are key to nurturing a lasting reading culture.
Different Books for Different Reader Profiles
A critical aspect of leveraging graphic novels effectively is selecting the right titles for different reader profiles, a notion I would say many teachers and many publishers would do well to think through fully. All too often there is a one size fits all approach to bringing children of the world of reading that backfires by not meeting each child where they are.
Early Readers, Reluctant Readers and Advanced Readers
Early readers benefit from simple visuals and narratives, explained Morishima, and reluctant readers require high-energy storytelling infused with humour and action, while advanced readers thrive on complex themes and layered narratives.
Genre, reading level, and emotional needs should all be taken into account when recommending graphic novels to young audiences.
Beyond theory, Morishima shared a curated list of recommendations spanning both fiction and non-fiction. Her suggestions included Bounce Back by Misako Rocks, Pocket Peaches by Dora Wang, Haru by Joe Lathan, Punycorn by Andi Watson, and Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey. Notable non-fiction titles included The Deep by Lindsey Leigh and When Stars are Scattered by Omar Mohammed and Victoria Jamieson.
Sharjah’s Huge Challenge Ahead
At which point I had to take a breather, as books like these are simply unavailable here in The Gambia where I teach, an would be unaffordable if they were. A reminder for everyone at Sharjah that, for all they’ve achieved, they still have a huge challenge ahead in their mission to bring books to the world.
Th 16th Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival ran 23 April through 4 May with the theme “Dive into Books.” The event featured 133 guests from 70 countries and 122 publishing houses across 22 nations, attracting 125,700 visitors.
New to SCRF this year was the ‘Sherlock Holmes Exhibition’, which transformed the festival into an immersive Victorian-era playground spanning 10,000 square feet, brimming with mystery, science, and deductive challenges.
There’s a lot publishers around the world could learn from the SCRF.
This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.
