Graphic novels ielts reading answers

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Graphic novels ielts reading answers
A Silent ForceA There is a legend that St Augustine in the fourth century AD was the first individual to be seen reading silently rather than aloud, or semi-aloud, as had been the practice hitherto.
Reading has come a long way since Augustine’s day. There was a time when it was a menial job of scribes and priests, not the mark of civilisation it became in Europe during the Renaissance when it was seen as one of the attributes of the civilised individual.B Modern nations are now seriously affected by their levels of literacy. While the Western
world has seen a noticeable decline in these areas, other less developed countries have advanced and, in some cases, overtaken the West. India, for example, now has a large pool of educated workers. So European countries can no longer rest on their laurels as they have done for far too long; otherwise, they are in danger of falling even further
behind economically.C It is difficult in the modern world to do anything other than a basic job without being able to read. Reading as a skill is the key to an educated workforce, which in turn is the bedrock of economic advancement, particularly in the present technological age. Studies have shown that by increasing the literacy and numeracy skills of
primary school children in the UK, the benefit to the economy generally is in billions of pounds. The skill of reading is now no more just an intellectual or leisure activity, but rather a fully-fledged economic force.D Part of the problem with reading is that it is a skill which is not appreciated in most developed societies. This is an attitude that has
condemned large part of the population in most Western nations to illiteracy. It might surprise people in countries outside the West to learn that in the United Kingdom, and indeed in some other European countries, the literacy rate has fallen to below that of so-called less developed countries.E There are also forces conspiring against reading in our
modern society. It is not seen as cool among a younger generation more at home with computer screens or a Walkman. The solitude of reading is not very appealing. Students at school, college or university who read a lot are called bookworms. The term indicates the contempt in which reading and learning are held in certain circles or subcultures. It
is a criticism, like all such attacks, driven by the insecurity of those who are not literate or are semi-literate. Criticism is also a means, like all bullying, of keeping peers in place so that they do not step out of line. Peer pressure among young people is so powerful that it often kills any attempts to change attitudes to habits like reading.F But the
negative connotations apart, is modern Western society strongly opposing an uncontrollable spiral of decline? I think not.G How should people be encouraged to read more? It can easily be done by increasing basic reading skills at an early age and encouraging young people to borrow books from schools. Some schools have classroom libraries as well
as school libraries. It is no good waiting until pupils are in their secondary school to encourage an interest in books; it needs to be pushed at an early age.
Reading comics, magazines and low brow publications like Mills and Boon is frowned upon. But surely what people, whether they be adults or children, read is of little import. What is significant is the fact that they are reading. Someone who reads a comic today may have the courage to pick up a more substantial tome later on.H But perhaps the best
idea would be to stop the negative attitudes to reading from forming in the first place. Taking children to local libraries brings them into contact with an environment where they can become relaxed among books. If primary school children were also taken in groups into bookshops, this might also entice them to want their own books. A local
bookshop, like some local libraries, could perhaps arrange book readings for children which, being away from the classroom, would make the reading activity more of an adventure. On a more general note, most countries have writers of national importance. By increasing the standing of national writers in the eyes of the public, through local and
national writing competitions, people would be drawn more to the printed word. Catch them young and, perhaps, they just might then all become bookworms.Questions 16-22 Reading Passage 2 has eight paragraphs labelled A-H. Choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.Note: There are more headings than
paragraphs, so you will not use all of them. One of the headings has been done for you as an example. Any heading may be used more than once. List of Headings i Reading not taken for granted ii Taking children to libraries iii Reading: the mark of civilisation iv Reading in St Augustine’s day v A large pool of educated workers in India vi Literacy
rates in developed countries have declined because of people’s attitude vii Persuading people to read viii Literacy influences the economies of countries in today’s world ix Reading benefits the economy by billions of pounds x The attitude to reading amongst the young xi Reading becomes an economic force xii The writer’s attitude to the decline in
readingExample: Paragraph H Answer vii16 Paragraph A 17 Paragraph B 18 Paragraph C 19 Paragraph D 20 Paragraph E 21 Paragraph F 22 Paragraph GQuestions 23-27 Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?YES if the statement agrees with the writer’s claims NO if the statement contradicts the
writer’s claims NOT GIVEN if there is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this23 European countries have been satisfied with past achievements for too long and have allowed other countries to overtake them in certain areas. 24 Reading is an economic force. 25 The literacy rate in less developed nations is considerably higher than in all
European countries. 26 If you encourage children to read when they are young the negative attitude to reading that grows in some subcultures will be eliminated. 27 People should be discouraged from reading comics and magazines. READING PASSAGE 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on Reading Passage 1
below. Isambard Kingdom Brunel Isambard Kingdom Brunel was born on 9 April 1806 in Portsmouth. His father Mark was a French engineer who had fled France during the Revolution. Brunel was educated both in England and in France. When he returned to England he went to work for his father. Brunel’s first notable achievement was the part he
played with his father in planning the Thames Tunnel from Rotherhithe to Wapping completed in 1843. In 1831 Brunel’s designs won the competition for the Clifton Suspension Bridge across the River Avon. Construction began the same year but it was not completed until 1864. The work for which Brunel is probably best remembered is his
construction of a network of tunnels, bridges and viaducts for the Great Western Railway. In 1833, he was appointed chief engineer of the Great Western Railway, one of the wonders of Victorian Britain, running from London to Bristol and later Exeter. At that time, Brunel made two controversial decisions: to use a broad gauge of 2,140 mm for the
track, which he believed would offer superior running at high speeds; and to take a route that passed north of the Marlborough Downs, an area with no significant towns, though it offered potential connections to Oxford and Gloucester and then to follow the Thames Valley into London. His decision to use board gauge for the line was controversial in
that almost all British railways to date had used standard gauge. Brunel said that this was nothing more than a carry-over from the mine railways that George Stephenson had worked on prior to making the world’s first passenger railway.
Brunel worked out through mathematics and a series of trials that his broader gauge was the optimum railway size for providing stability and a comfortable ride to passengers, in addition to allowing for bigger carriages and more freight capacity. He surveyed the entire length of the route between London and Bristol himself. Drawing on his
experience, the Great Western contained a series of impressive achievements – soaring viaducts, specially designed stations, and vast tunnels including the famous Box Tunnel, which was the longest railway tunnel in the world at that time. Many difficulties were met with and overcome. The Brent Valley, the Thames at Maidenhead and the hill at
Sonning between Twyford and Reading had to be crossed on the stretch of track that was to be laid from London to Reading. Brent Valley was crossed by a 960 ft. long viaduct, costing £40,000. Where the railway had to cross the Thames, Brunel built a brick bridge with two main spans of 128 ft. with a rise of only 2412 ft., and the elliptical spans of
Maidenhead Bridge are probably the most remarkable over constructed in brickwork. The high ground between Twyford and Reading necessitated a two-mines cutting, sometimes of 60 ft.
in depth. Brunel’s solo engineering feats also started with bridges. And he perhaps best remembered for the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. Spanning over 700 ft.
(213m), and nominally 200 ft. (61m) above the River Avon, it had the longest span of any bridge in the world at the time of construction. Brunel submitted four designs to a committee headed by Thomas Telford and gained approval to commence with the project. Afterwards, Brunel wrote to his brother-in-law, the politician Benjamin Hawes: “Of all the
wonderful feats I have performed, since I have been in this part of the world, I think yesterday I performed the most wonderful. I produced unanimity among 15 men who were all quarrelling about that most ticklish subject –taste.” He did not live to see it built, although his colleagues and admires at the Institution of Civil Engineers felt the bridge
would be a fitting memorial, and started to raise new funds and to amend the design. Work started in 1862 and was completed in 1864, five years after Brunel’s death. Even before the Great Western Railway was opened, Brunel was moving on to his next project: transatlantic shipping. He used his prestige to convince his railway company employers
to build the Great Western, at the time by far the largest steamship in the world, and the much longer the Great Eastern, fitted out with the most luxurious appointments and capable of carrying over 4,000 passengers. The Great Eastern was designed to be able to cruise under her own power nonstop from London to Sydney and back since engineers
of the time were under the misapprehension that Australia had no coal reserves, and she remained the largest ship built until the turn of the century. Like many of Brunel’s ambitious projects, the ship soon ran over budget and behind schedule in the face of a series of momentous technical problems. She has been portrayed as a white elephant, but it
can be argued that in this case Brunel’s failure was principally one of economics – his ships were simply years ahead of their time. His vision and engineering innovations made the building of large-scale, screw-driven, all-metal steamships a practical reality, but the prevailing economic and industrial conditions meant that it would be several decades
before transoceanic steam-ship travel emerged as a viable industry. Great Eastern was built at John Scott Russell’s Napier Yard in London, and after two trial trips in 1859, set forth on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on 17 June 1860. Though a failure at her original purpose of passenger travel, she eventually found a role as an
oceanic telegraph cable layer, and the Great Eastern remains one of the most important vessels in the history of shipbuilding – the Trans – Atlantic cable had been laid, which meant that Europe and America now had a telecommunications link. Brunel died at the relatively early age of fifty-seven, had led a charmed life, for on several occasions his life
was in danger. In 1838, while aboard the steamer Great Western, he fell down a ladder, and was found unconscious with his face in a pool of water. Twice he was nearly killed on the Great Western Railway; and he had yet another escape when he swallowed a half-sovereign which, after being six weeks in his windpipe, was at last extracted by means
of an apparatus designed by the engineer himself. The patient was attached to an enlarged edition of a looking-glass frame and then the frame and the patient quickly inverted. After several attempts the coin fell into his mouth. While his life was in danger, public excitement was intense, so high was his place in public estimation. Question 1-7 Classify
the following statements with the corresponding project designed by Brunel. Clifton Suspension Bridge C Great Eastern Steamship E Great Western Railway W Thames Tunnel T 1 _________ adopted broader gauge for tracks than normal. 2 _________ had not been completed before the death of Brunel. 3
_________ started a telecommunications link between Europe and America by the laying an underseas cable. 4 _________ contained the longest railway tunnel in the world at that time. 5 _________ is believed to be the first famous architectural project Brunel took part in. 6 _________ was selected and modified from four of Brunel’s original designs.
7 _________ was compared to a white elephant. Question 8-13 Complete the summary of the Great Eastern. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. Before the Great Western Railway was opened, Brunel convinced his railway company employers to build the Great Western. The Great Eastern was planned to be
outfitted with the capability of carrying 8 _________, cruising to the destination of 9 _________ without any breaks. The project was almost considered a failure due to its limited 10 _________ and postponed 11 _________ due to technological difficulties. Despite transoceanic travel was undeveloped and had not been considered as a viable industry, Brunel’s
innovation made the outdated steamships a 12 _________. And even the original concept of passenger travel was not fully implemented, the Great Eastern played a role as an 13 _________, connecting Europe with America.
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26 which are based on Reading Passage 2 below. Storytelling, From Prehistoric Craves To Modern Cinemas A It was told, we suppose, to people crouched around a fire: a tale of adventure, most likely—relating some close encounter with death: a remarkable hunt, an escape from mortal danger; a
vision, or something else out of the ordinary.
Whatever its thread, the weaving of this story was done with a prime purpose. The listeners must be kept listening. They must not fall asleep. So, as the story went on, its audience should be sustained by one question above all: What happens next? B The first fireside stories in human history can never be known. They were kept in the heads of those
who told them. This method of storage is not necessarily inefficient. From documented oral traditions in Australia, the Balkans and other parts of the world we know that specialised storytellers and poets can recite from memory literally thousands of lines, in verse or prose, verbatim – word for word. But while memory is rightly considered an art in
itself, it is clear that a primary purpose of making symbols is to have a system of reminders or mnemonic cues – signs that assist us to recall certain information in the mind’s eye.
C In some Polynesian communities, a notched memory stick may help to guide a storyteller through successive stages of recitation. But in other parts of the world, the activity of storytelling historically resulted in the development or even the invention of writing systems. One theory about the arrival of literacy in ancient Greece, for example, argues
that the epic tales about the Trojan War and the wanderings of Odysseus traditionally attributed to Homer were just so enchanting to hear that they had to be preserved. So the Greeks, c. 750-700BC. borrowed an alphabet from their neighbors in the eastern Mediterranean, the Phoenicians.
D The custom of recording stories on parchment and other materials can be traced in many manifestations around the world, from the priestly papyrus archive of ancient Egypt to the birch-bark scrolls on which the North American Ojibway Indians set down their creation myth. It is a well-tried and universal practice: so much so that to this day
storytime is probably most often associated with words on paper. The formal practice of narrating a story aloud would seem – so we assume – to have given way to newspapers, novels and comic strips.
This, however, is not the case. Statistically it is doubtful that the majority of humans currently rely upon the written word to get access to stories.
So what is the alternative source? E Each year, over 7 billion people will go to watch the latest offering from Hollywood. Bollywood and beyond. The supreme storyteller of today is cinema. The movies, as distinct from still photography, seem to be an essentially modern phenomenon. This is an illusion, for there are, as we shall see, certain ways in
which the medium of film is indebted to very old precedents of arranging ‘sequences’ of images. But any account of visual storytelling must begin with the recognition that all storytelling beats with a deeply atavistic pulse: that is, a ‘good story’ relies upon formal patterns of plot and characterisation that have been embedded in the practice of
storytelling over many generations. F Thousands of scripts arrive every week at the offices of the major film studios. But aspiring screenwriters really need look no further for essential advice than the fourth-century BC Greek Philosopher Aristotle. He left some incomplete lecture notes on the art of telling stories in various literary and dramatic
modes, a slim volume known as The Poetics. Though he can never have envisaged the popcorn-fuelled actuality of a multiplex cinema, Aristotle is almost prescient about the key elements required to get the crowds flocking to such a cultural hub. He analyzed the process with cool rationalism. When a story enchants us, we lose the sense of where we
are; we are drawn into the story so thoroughly that we forget it is a story being told. This is. in Aristotle’s phrase, ‘the suspension of disbelief. G We know the feeling.
If ever we have stayed in our seats, stunned with grief, as the credits roll by, or for days after seeing that vivid evocation of horror have been nervous about taking a shower at home, then we have suspended disbelief. We have been caught, or captivated, in the storyteller’s wet). Did it all really happen? We really thought so for a while.
Aristotle must have witnessed often enough this suspension of disbelief. He taught at Athens, the city where theater developed as a primary form of civic ritual and recreation. Two theatrical types of storytelling, tragedy and comedy, caused Athenian audiences to lose themselves in sadness and laughter respectively. Tragedy, for Aristotle, was
particularly potent in its capacity to enlist and then purge the emotions of those watching the story unfold on the stage, so he tried to identify those factors in the storyteller’s art that brought about such engagement. He had, as an obvious sample for analysis, not only the fifth-century BC masterpieces of Classical Greek tragedy written by Aeschylus.
Sophocles and Euripides. Beyond them stood Homer. Whose stories oven then had canonical status: The Iliad and The Odyssey were already considered literary landmarks-stories by which all other stories should be measured. So what was the secret of Homer’s narrative art? H It was not hard to find. Homer created credible heroes. His heroes
belonged to the past, they were mighty and magnificent, yet they were not, in the end, fantasy figures. He made his heroes sulk, bicker, cheat and cry. They were, in short, characters – protagonists of a story that an audience would care about, would want to follow, would want to know what happens next. As Aristotle saw, the hero who shows a
human side some flaw or weak-ness to which mortals are prone is intrinsically dramatic. Questions 14-18 Reading Passage 2 has eight paragraphs, A-H. Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet. 14 A misunderstanding of how people today get stories 15 The
categorisation of stories 16 The fundamental aim of storytelling 17 A description of reciting stories without any assistance 18 How to make story characters attractive Questions 19-22 Classify the following information as referring to A adopted the writing system from another country B used organic materials to record stories C used tools to
help to tell stories Write the correct letter, A, B or C in boxes 19-22 on your answer sheet. 19 Egyptians 20 Ojibway 21 Polynesians 22 Greek Questions 23-26 Complete the sentences below with ONE WORD ONLY from the passage. Write your answers in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet. 23 Aristotle wrote a book on the art of storytelling
called the ________. 24 Aristotle believed the most powerful type of story to move listeners is ________. 25 Aristotle viewed Homer’s works as ________. 26 Aristotle believed attractive heroes should have some ________. You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40 which are based on Reading Passage 3 below. High speed photography A
Photography gained the interest of many scientists and artists from its inception. Scientists have used photography to record and study movements, such as Eadweard Muybridge’s study of human and animal locomotion in 1887. Artists are equally interested by these aspects but also try to explore avenues other than the photo-mechanical
representation of reality, such as the pictorialist movement.
Military, police, and security forces use photography for surveillance, recognition and data storage. Photography is used by amateurs to preserve memories, to capture special moments, to tell stories, to send messages, and as a source of entertainment. Various technological improvements and techniques have even allowed for visualising events that
are too fast or too slow for the human eye. B One of such techniques is called fast motion or professionally known as time-lapse.
Time-lapse photography is the perfect technique for capturing events and movements in the natural world that occur over a timescale too slow for human perception to follow. The life cycle of a mushroom, for example, is incredibly subtle to the human eye. To present its growth in front of audiences, the principle applied is a simple one: a series of
photographs are taken and used in sequence to make a moving-image film, but since each frame is taken with a lapse at a time interval between each shot, when played back at normal speed, a continuous action is produced and it appears to speed up. Put simply: we are shrinking time. Objects and events that: would normally take several minutes,
days or even months can be viewed to completion in seconds having been sped up by factors of tens to millions. C Another commonly used technique is high-speed photography, the science of taking pictures of very fast phenomena. High-speed photography can be considered to be the opposite of time-lapse photography. One of the many applications
is found in biology studies to study birds, bats and even spider silk. Imagine a hummingbird hovering almost completely still in the air, feeding on nectar.
With every flap, its wings bend, flex and change shape. These subtle movements precisely control the lift its wings generate, making it an excellent hoverer. But a hummingbird flaps its wings up to 80 times every second. The only way to truly capture this motion is with cameras that will, in effect, slow down time. To do this, a greater length of film is
taken at a high sampling frequency or frame rate, which is much faster than it will be projected on screen. When replayed at normal speed, time appears to be slowed down proportionately. That is why high-speed cameras have become such a mainstay of biology. D In common usage, high-speed photography can also refer to the use of high-speed
cameras that the photograph itself may be taken in a way as to appear to freeze the motion, especially to reduce motion blur. It requires a sensor with good sensitivity and either a very good shuttering system or a very fast strobe light. The recent National Geographic footage—captured last summer during an intensive three-day shoot at the
Cincinnati Zoo—is unprecedented in its clarity and detail. “I’ve watched cheetahs run for 30 years,” said Cathryn Milker, founder of the zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program. “But I saw things in that super slow-motion video that I’ve never seen before.” The slow-motion video is entrancing. Every part of the sprinting cat’s anatomy—supple limbs, rippling
muscles, hyperflexible spine—works together in a symphony of speed, revealing the fluid grace of the world’s fastest land animal. E But things can’t get any more complicated in the case of filming a frog catching its prey. Frogs can snatch up prey in a few thousandths of a second—striking out with elastic tongues. Biologists would love to see how a
frog’s tongue roll out, adhere to prey, and roll back into the frog’s mouth. But this all happened too fast, 50 times faster than an eye blink. So naturally people thought of using high-speed camera to capture this fantastic movement in slow motion. Yet one problem still remains—viewers would be bored if they watch the frog swim in slow motion for too
long. So how to skip this? The solution is a simple one—adjust the playback speed, which is also called by some the film speed adjustment.
The film will originally be shot at a high frame (often 300 frames per second, because it can be converted to much lower frame rates without major issues), but at later editing stage this high frame rate will only be preserved for the prey catching part, while the swimming part will be converted to the normal speed at 24 frames per second. Voila, the
scientists can now sit back and enjoy watching without having to go through the pain of waiting. F Sometimes taking a good picture or shooting a good film is not all about technology, but patience, like in the case of bat. Bats are small, dark-colored; they fly fast and are active only at night. To capture bats on film, one must use some type of camera-
tripping device. Photographers or film-makers often place camera near the bat cave, on the path of the flying bats. The camera must be hard-wired with a tripping device so that every time a bat breaks the tripping beam the camera fires and it will keep doing so through the night until the camera’s battery runs out. Though highly-advanced tripping
device can now allow for unmanned shooting, it still may take several nights to get a truly high quality film. G Is it science? Is it art? Since the technique was first pioneered around two hundred years ago, photography has developed to a state where it is almost unrecognisable. Some people would even say the future of photography will be nothing
like how we imagine it. No matter what future it may hold, photography will continue to develop as it has been repeatedly demonstrated in many aspects of our life that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Questions 27-30 Look at the following organisms (Questions 27-30) and the list of features below. Match each organism with the correct
feature, A-D. Write the correct letter, A-D, in boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet.
27 Mushroom 28 Hummingbird 29 Frog 30 Bat A too fast to be perceived B film at the place where the animal will pass C too slow to be visible to human eyes D adjust the filming speed to make it interesting Questions 31-35 Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 31-35 on your answer sheet. Fast motion (professionally known as time-lapse photography) and slow motion (or high-speed photography) are two commonest techniques of photography. To present before audiences something that occurs
naturally slow, photographers take each picture at a 31 ________ before another picture. When these pictures are finally shown on screen in sequence at a normal motion picture rate, audiences see a 32 ________ that is faster than what it naturally is. This technique can make audiences feel as if 33 ________ is shrunk. On the other hand, to demonstrate
how fast things move, the movement is exposed on a 34 ________ of film, and then projected on screen at normal playback speed. This makes viewers feel time is 35 ________. Questions 36-40 Reading Passage 3 has seven paragraphs, A-G. Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 36-40 on your answer
sheet. 36 a description of photography’s application in various fields 37 a reference to why high-speed photography has a significant role in biology 38 a traditional wisdom that assures readers of the prospects of photography 39 a reference to how film is processed before final release 40 a description of filming shooting without human effort 1.
W 2. C 3.
E 4.
W 5. T 6. C 7. E 8. over 4,000 passengers 9. Sydney 10.
budget 11. schedule 12. practical reality 13.

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ocean telegraph cable-layer 14 D 15 G 16 A 17 B 18 H 19 B 20 B 21 C 22 A 23 Poetics 24 tragedy 25 landmarks(-stories) 26 flaw/weakness 27 C 28 A 29 D 30 B 31 lapse/time interval 32 continuous action 33 time 34 greater length 35 slowed down proportionately 36 A 37 C 38 G 39 E 40 F RD.COM Arts & Entertainment Books When you pair serious
literature with "comic" art, the result can be extraordinary. Here's a sampling of the best graphic novels and memoirs, old and new, for a grown-up audience. Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.
rd.com, via amazon.com (8) If you think that graphic novels are just for younger audiences, think again. Sure, there are some stellar graphic novels for kids out there, but there are also plenty of thought-provoking, poignant, and flat-out fascinating graphic novels for adults that rival the best books of all time. The only difference is that these books
don’t just provide compelling narratives—they also offer absorbing illustrations that draw you even further into the writers’ worlds. And speaking of those narratives, they’re not all comic-book fodder.
Instead, the best graphic novels often tackle heavy topics, and the entries on our list deal with everything from identity and loss to racism and discrimination. Some are even memoirs that recount and explore very personal issues.
Of course, there are plenty of light offerings, too, that take readers on a whirlwind of fantasy, romance, historical fiction, and mystery. We’re not going to lie—there’s a lot out there, which is why we’ve rounded up the best of the best, from classics that launched the genre to fan favorites to recent award winners. The only problem? You won’t be able
to put them down until you’re done! Once you are, check out this list of the best fiction books to read this year and these online book clubs that will boost your reading life. via amazon.com Deep and introspective, Daytripper follows main character Bras de Olivias Dominguez as he goes about his life in Brazil, albeit with an interesting twist: Each
chapter ends in a different form of his death. This poignant graphic novel published in 2011 will make you think about what it means to live each day as if it were your last—and it will stay with you long after you finish the last page. Here are more of the best books by Latinx authors you’ll want to read right now. Shop Now via amazon.com In this
whimsical epic based on Noelle Stevenson’s critically acclaimed Webcomic, a young shapeshifter with magical and mysterious powers, Nimona, acts as a sidekick to evil supervillain Lord Blackheart. But as the duo prepares for battle, Lord Blackheart realizes Nimona may be even more powerful and unpredictable than he thought. A New York Times
bestseller, finalist for the National Book Award, and winner of countless other titles, Nimona is the perfect escape into a world of full-color fantasy. Shop Now This 2003 graphic memoir tells the story of Craig and Raina, two teens who fall in love at a winter church camp, and the ups and downs of their relationship. Struggling with faith, love, and
heartache, this familiar yet profound tale is a romance story for the ages. And if that’s not enough to convince you, perhaps the two Eisner and three Harvey awards this graphic novel earned will do the trick. Shop Now via amazon.com Anya, a high school student who was born in Russia but was adopted by an American family at a young age, has a
new friend. The only caveat?
This new friend is a ghost…the ghost of a girl her own age, who died 90 years prior under mysterious circumstances. This coming-of-age story has all of the classic tropes—not fitting in, learning to be yourself, coming to terms with life—but with an otherworldly twist. Although ostensibly a book for teens, this graphic novel is full of social commentary,
witty prose, and beautiful illustrations, all of which make it a favorite in adults circles, as well. Shop Now via amazon.com This 2018 Eisner Award-winning thriller will transport you back to Old Hollywood during the early days of the blacklist when those in the entertainment industry were shunned for alleged Communist ties. The Fade Out follows the
murder of an up-and-coming Hollywood starlet and its aftermath from the perspective of frontman Charlie Parish. Death, drama, mystery, love…really, what more could you want from a crime noir–style comic? Shop Now via amazon.com Emily Carroll is best known for her breakout Webcomic His Face All Red. In this collection of five hauntingly
terrifying illustrated stories, Carroll not only translates her hit comic onto the page but also includes four new tales about the terrors that lie within the woods.
From mysterious fiancées to houses with secrets, the works in this collection will make your hair stand on end. Seriously, this is very possibly one of the scariest books we’ve ever read. Shop Now via amazon.com What happens when a big-city girl encounters a lump in her breast? In this funny yet powerful memoir by a woman who overcame the
seemingly impossible, Marisa Acocella Marchetto tells the story of her 11-month, ultimately triumphant fight against breast cancer and reminds readers that cancer isn’t just about surviving an illness but also about transforming one’s life. A finalist for Books for a Better Life and the National Cartoonist Society Graphic Novel of the Year as well as one
of Time‘s top 10 graphic novels of the year in 2006, Cancer Vixen brings the idea of never giving up to a whole new level. Shop Now via amazon.com As you may have guessed from the cover image, this isn’t your typical cartoon cat. Set in 1950s America, the film noir comic features private investigator John Blacksad, a furry feline who attempts to
crack one mystery after another. Guarnido’s illustrations paint the underworld of violence to perfection, and the historical intricacies of the time, from the Communist Red Scare to racial tensions, make the novel seem both otherworldly yet starkly realistic at the same time. Who would have thought that a graphic novel about a cat would be a mystery
book you wouldn’t be able to put down? Shop Now via amazon.com Unterzakhn, which means “underthings” in Yiddish, tells the parallel stories of twin sisters Esther and Fayna, young immigrants growing up on the Lower East Side of New York circa 1910. It follows the sisters from childhood to adolescence to adulthood as they learn more about the
world around them and the sacrifices they must make in order to survive. NPR described Corman’s illustrations, which are inspired by Russian folk art, as having “a crudeness that highlights the gritty urban environment, but the fluid line-work of her characters adds a touch of delicacy and grace to the proceedings.” Shop Now via amazon.com No
one can resist a good coming-of-age story, and This One Summer, written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by her cousin Jillian, is certainly a good one. You’ll be drawn into the lives of best friends Rose and Windy as they go on their annual summer trip to a lake house.
This summer, however, is different: Fighting parents, life-threatening secrets, and new experiences all contribute to the girls’ transitions from childhood innocence to adulthood. This just might be your next beach read. Shop Now via amazon.com The versatility of graphic novels and their potential to educate are perhaps the genre’s most unique
characteristics, and Joel Christian Gill takes full advantage of them both in Strange Fruit. This collection of illustrated tales tells lesser-known stories from early African American history.
From the adventures of Bass Reeves to the escape of Henry “Box” Brown, readers will be introduced to a whole new perspective, as well as Black Americans they never learned about in history class. Shop Now Dystopia meets the graphic-novel genre in Jeff Lemire’s Sweet Tooth, a post-apocalyptic story about a world in which all children are born as
human-animal hybrids. The book follows Gus, a sweet boy with the features of a deer who, along with other human-animal hybrid children, is being chased by vicious hunters. Jepperd, a mysterious and violent man, rescues Gus, and together they traverse America. But will Jepperd corrupt Gus, or will Gus better Jepperd? There’s only one way to find
out. Shop Now via amazon.com The premise of Michael Cho’s debut graphic novel is relatable enough: A young woman who had dreams of being a successful writer finds herself stuck in an unwanted job and unsatisfying life. So what does protagonist Corrina Park decide to do? Begin to steal magazines from the corner shop, for one.
Cho’s illustrations pop with pink and bring vibrancy to this classic coming-of-age trope. Shop Now via amazon.com This isn’t your child’s comic book. In Qualification, David Heatley explains his addiction to 12-step programs, stemming from his troubled childhood: His father was a sexually repressed alcoholic, and his mother was a compulsive
overeater. Heatley’s graphic memoir is witty, provocative, unflinchingly honest, and, at times, strangely hilarious. Be prepared for a few more than twelve steps. If you’re looking for a straight-up self-help book, we have some suggestions in that genre, too.
Shop Now via amazon.com Sonny Liew’s The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye has earned too many awards and accolades to even list. (Just know that it won three Eisner Awards, some of the most prestigious comic book awards in the country.) This graphic biography recounts the work of Singaporean comics artist Charlie Chan Hock Chye, whose work
was expansive but largely forgotten…until now. Liew shines a spotlight on Chye’s life and work in this 2016 graphic novel, which covers Chye’s work produced during pre-independent Singapore all the way through its three prime ministers. Shop Now via amazon.com Tillie Walden creates a world of her own in 2018’s critically acclaimed On a
Sunbeam. Set deep in outer space, this graphic novel follows a team working to rebuild structures from the past in order to figure out their present. When newcomer Mia joins the group, it becomes clear that she has an ulterior motive: to reconnect with her long-lost love. On a Sunbeam is the perfect mix of science fiction, romance, and drama, and
it’s sure to get you lost in a galaxy far, far away. Shop Now via amazon.com Isabel Greenberg’s graphic novel debut tells the story of a storyteller who loves to tell stories—meta much? Set hundreds of years in the past in Early Earth, it follows the trials and tribulations of a young man as he leaves his home in the North Pole and paddles toward the
South Pole. The illustrations have tons of folk-art elements, and the witty yet thoughtful story is sure to hold your attention. Shop Now via amazon.com This memoir from Anglo-Australian Evie Wyld tells the story of Wyld’s childhood trips throughout coastal Australia and her fascination with sharks. It’s no surprise that in addition to the strange yet
fitting illustrations by Joe Sumner, it’s the beautiful prose that draws readers in; after all, Wyld wrote multiple novels before her graphic novel debut. Although on the surface this book seems to be all about sharks, it’s really about family, love, loss, and life. Shop Now via amazon.com We’d be remiss if we didn’t include Alan Moore’s award-
winning Watchmen on our list of the best graphic novels for adults. Long hailed as one of the most popular graphic novels in the history of the genre, this mid-‘80s series was recently turned into a television drama on HBO.
In an alternative historical timeline in which the United States won the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal was never uncovered, a slew of unusual and extraordinary superheroes emerge—and change the course of history forever. Don’t miss these other best-selling books that were made into movies.
Shop Now via amazon.com This graphic novel is as creative as it is heartbreaking. Chris Ware creates a visually bright and clean world full of sad and yearning characters—most notably titular character Jimmy Corrigan, whose never-ending fear of being disliked influences his every move. The juxtaposition formed between the satisfying illustrations
and the anything-but-satisfying life of Jimmy is both brutal and poignant. Shop Now via amazon.com Tony Medina addresses police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement in this heartbreaking graphic novel. Alfonso, a Black high school student, is excited about life: He was recently cast to play Hamlet in his school’s hip-hop rendition of the
classic Shakespeare play, and he wants to tell his best friend how he really feels about her. However, when an off-duty cop mistakes a clothes hanger for a gun and shoots Alfonso, the teen finds himself waking up in the afterlife on a ghost train guided by well-known victims of police shootings. This heavy graphic novel about the lengths we still have
to go in order to achieve justice and equality is an absolutely necessary read. Shop Now via amazon.com Josh Neufeld brings seven heroic true stories to life in AD: New Orleans After the Deluge. Set in the days preceding and following Hurricane Katrina, the book highlights a range of characters, from Denise, a sixth-generation New Orleanian, to Leo
and Michele, a young couple who grew up in the city. The way each character deals with the pertinent question—should they stay in the city, or should they flee?—informs much of their interactions. Shop Now via amazon.com Award-winning cartoonist Eleanor Davis’ first anthology of graphic stories was met with overwhelming success.
Winner of the 2015 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Anthology or Collection and on the shortlist for Slate’s Cartoonist Studio Prize for Best Print Comic of the Year, How to Be Happy, despite its name, is not a self-help book. Rather, it tells quick stories of characters finding the irony in life. The reason that this makes our best graphic novels list is the
breadth and depth of its illustrations. Davis uses a wide variety of techniques and styles, from watercolors to pencil and vibrant colors to stark black and white. Shop Now via amazon.com Sci-fi meets horror meets semi-autobiography in Emil Ferris’ My Favorite Thing Is Monsters. This graphic novel is a fictional diary by 10-year-old Karen Reyes, who
draws herself as a werewolf and attempts to solve the murder of her upstairs neighbor, Anka Silverberg, a Holocaust survivor. Set against the backdrop of 1960s Chicago and Anka’s life in Nazi Germany, this compelling story mixes the personal with the political. Shop Now via amazon.com Here isn’t your typical novel—it isn’t even your typical
graphic novel. Instead, Richard McGuire paints a story about a singular corner of a room and the multiple events that have occurred in that corner over the course of hundreds of thousands of years. Extremely creative and captivating, this graphic novel is so unique that it’s the ultimate comic must-read. Shop Now via amazon.com Originally
published in 1978, Will Eisner’s A Contract with God is widely regarded as the first modern graphic novel. Four interwoven stories describe the highs and lows of life on the make-believe street of Dropsie Avenue in the Bronx. Whether you’re new to the world of graphic novels or are a bona fide comic buff, you won’t want to miss this classic that more
or less launched the beginning of an entirely new literary genre. Shop Now via amazon.com Kyle Baker brings history to life with his graphic novel Nat Turner, which depicts the real-life slave rebellion started by the titular character. This emotional and historically accurate depiction of the evils of slavery is sure to resonate with both students and
adults alike. Baker’s nearly wordless, visually arresting style makes this book all the more powerful. It’s no wonder that Entertainment Weekly called it “a hauntingly beautiful historical spotlight.” Don’t miss these other books by Black authors you’ll want to know about. Shop Now via amazon.com This unique book, which combines narrative passages
with comics, is not your average graphic novel. Told from the perspective of 15-year-old Minnie Goetze as she’s writing in her diary, The Diary of a Teenage Girl follows her experiences as she deals with her burgeoning sexuality, dreams of becoming an artist, and increasing drug abuse.
Set against the backdrop of San Francisco in the 1970s, this dark coming-of-age story is an intimate look into the life of one teen.
Shop Now via amazon.com This one is for all of you Old Hollywood history buffs out there. Pat Dorian provides a partially biographic, partially fictional account of the life of legendary silent-film actor Lon Chaney, perhaps best known for being the original Phantom of the Opera and Hunchback of Notre Dame. Dorian’s sleek monochrome illustrations
are reminiscent of the vintage content, and this 2020 work gives a voice to the intensely private “Man of a Thousand Faces.” Shop Now via amazon.com Kristen Radtke’s obsession with abandoned places and ruins started after the sudden death of a beloved uncle while Radtke was still in college. The result of this sorrowful event? Imagine Wanting
Only This, the graphic memoir Radtke wrote memorializing her uncle and her travels through the world in search of forgotten ruins. At once both historical and personal, Imagine Wanting Only This brings a stark beauty to the theme of discovery through death. This one will tug at your heartstrings, like the best sad books. Shop Now via amazon.com
This nonfiction graphic novel delves into the creation of and subsequent early days of hip-hop. Originally published online, Ed Piskor’s series of educational and historical comics was published in print form by Fantagraphics Books in 2013. The illustration style is reminiscent of early-1970s work when hip-hop originated, and it keeps with the authentic
feel of the comics. Shop Now via amazon.com Paying the Land follows the Dene, a tribe located in the Mackenzie River Valley of the Canadian Northwest Territories, as they struggle to survive and thrive against a continuous wave of development. Joe Sacco describes how the mining boom is only one of many issues the Indigenous population
continues to face, along with discriminatory educational practices, the process of becoming wage laborers, and governmental land claims. While Sacco brings awareness to the particular strife of the Dene Nation, in a broader sense he touches on a universal story of culture, loss, and life. For more on topics like this, check out the best books by Native
American authors. Shop Now via amazon.com This New York Times Best Graphic Novel of 2020 is a graphic memoir from Joel Christian Gill depicting his difficult upbringing facing racism and sexual abuse in Virginia. In such an environment, Gill was taught to fight, violently and brutally. But what happens when fighting no longer seems to solve any
problems? As Gill grows up and strives for a more fulfilling life than the one he was born into, he begins to question everything he’s ever believed in. Shop Now via amazon.com This collection of graphic tales tells the story of women going through menopause, hitting on topics ranging from hot flashes to societal stigma. Told from a variety of
perspectives spanning age, gender identity, and ethnicity, this graphic novel is sure to make you laugh at some points, cry at others, and think throughout. Shop Now via amazon.com In her best-selling graphic memoir, Alison Bechdel grapples with her relationship with her late father and the secrets that emerged after his death. Though told in
comic-book form, it’s written with the precision and complexity of the best nonfiction: “My father once nearly came to blows with a female dinner guest about whether a particular patch of embroidery was fuchsia or magenta. But the infinite gradations of color in a fine sunset—from salmon to canary to midnight blue—left him wordless.” Shop Now via
amazon.com This futuristic dystopian novel blurs the lines between reality and digital media. Anna Mill and Luke Jones create a world buried under an extensive reality network, where inventor Fin created a highly successful reality program. So why is she suddenly kicked off the network? Fin is on a mission to figure it out. In addition to the alluring
storyline, the illustrations are so intricate and psychedelic that Square Eyes will keep you coming back to each page again and again. Shop Now via amazon.com Have you ever wondered about the story behind one of the world’s most popular video games? New York Times best-selling author Brian “Box” Brown breaks it down in this graphic novel. In
1984, Alexey Pajitnov created Tetris in his spare time while simultaneously developing software for the Soviet government.
Suddenly, his seemingly simple game became a huge hit, and every major game developer wanted it. This true story of art, culture and gaming will make you want to play a round (or two, or three, or four) of Tetris once you finish the book. Shop Now via amazon.com This story of young love follows Ari, a boy with big-city dreams who hopes to pursue
a music career with his band after high school. His dad, however, has other ideas, wanting Ari to stay and continue working at their struggling family bakery. As Ari searches for someone to take his place at the bakery, he meets Hector, a boy who loves baking as much as Ari loves making music. From this chance encounter, love blooms between Ari
and Hector. This adorably romantic LGBTQ book from 2019 is as sweet as the bakery treats described.
Shop Now via amazon.com Sabrina was the first graphic novel ever nominated for the Man Booker Prize.
This dark story about the lack of privacy in our social-media-driven, fake-news era follows the story of Sabrina, a woman who goes missing and is eventually believed to have been murdered, and the effect this event has on her boyfriend, her sister, and, ultimately, the entire world. NPR, which put the graphic novel on its Best Books of 2018 list,
describes Sabrina as a “chilling distillation of the way the world feels nowadays.” Shop Now via amazon.com Award-winning graphic novelist Tillie Walden is back with Are You Listening? This graphic novel follows Bea and Lou, two women who meet during a chance encounter and are on the run through West Texas, trying to avoid mysterious
creatures and threatening men. A story built on trust, heartbreak, love, and female connection, this 2020 Eisner Award winner for Best Graphic Album and Best Book of 2019 by NPR, the Chicago Public Library, and O Magazine, is as heartbreaking as it is inspiring. Shop Now via amazon.com Born a sharecropper’s son in segregated rural Alabama,
Congressman John Lewis became a key figure in the civil rights movement and eventually received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. March: Book One, is the beginning of a projected trilogy that’s a firsthand account of his struggles, including a life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King Jr. The text and images
deepen our understanding of not-so-distant history, which makes this a good book about race and racism for teenagers, too. Shop Now via amazon.com Simon Hanselmann mixes stoner comedy, witchy fantasy, and real-life struggles in Megahex. This collection follows Megg, a depressed, drug-addicted witch, and her black cat, Mogg, as they struggle
to come to grips with their depression, drug use, lack of motivation, and sexuality, among other things. As High-Low put it in a review, “For a series about slackers, these books are remarkably emotionally visceral and intense.” Shop Now via amazon.com Journalist Sarah Mirk transforms her investigative work on the infamous Guantanamo Bay prison
into illustrated stories with the help of a diverse range of artists.
This collection tells the separate tales of 10 people, ranging from former prisoners to lawyers to social workers, who have had their lives affected by the prison. Creative and informative, it definitely qualifies as one of the best graphic novels of all time. Shop Now via amazon.com No discussion of the best graphic novels would be complete without
Spiegelman’s Holocaust survival story, which was published in serial form in 1980 and is widely regarded as the first true classic of the genre. Spiegelman not only approached unspeakable horror in a unique and powerful way (portraying the Jews as mice and the Nazis as cats), but he also inspired a whole new generation of writers and artists. Shop
Now via amazon.com Leave it to beloved cartoonist Roz Chast to make a story about her parents’ old age and illnesses not only heartbreaking but also tender and funny. Chast lovingly mines her parents’ quirks (like how they saved decades’ worth of old Schick razors, jar lids, and unwearable glasses), finds the humor in the hardest moments, and
conveys a sense of near-palpable devotion. Anyone who’s had to deal with declining parents will want to linger here. Shop Now via amazon.com While many of the great graphic novels tackle dark subject matters, this ambitious three-volume set is a sheer delight. In it, numerous artists illustrate the Western literary canon, including the works of
Homer, Shakespeare, the Brontë sisters, and Hemingway. A visual feast, the collection offers a fresh way of interpreting and appreciating classic books—and might encourage you to pick up a few you’ve never gotten around to reading.
Shop Now via amazon.com You wouldn’t think a memoir about clinical depression would be inspiring, but Swados, a musician and theater director, relays her battle against her demons with such candor and simplicity, and with such winsome illustrations, that it’s empowering. Swados lifts the stigma to help readers find solutions—and hope. Shop
Now via amazon.com In one of the most inventive books in recent years, LaForge intertwines two stories. One is a memoir of a Hollywood childhood marked by trauma; the other is an elaborate fairy tale. The result is a brilliant meditation on the ways we construct fantasy and reinvent memory in order to shield ourselves. Lush with illustration rather
than comic-book style, this book defies category and is too good not to mention here. Shop Now via amazon.com The popular cartoonist, illustrator, and writer (her credits range from Seventeen magazine to The Simpsons) weighs in with a fictionalized graphic memoir that takes on the counterculture scene of 1970s California with clarity and humor.
While she captures the disaffection of that era, Pond also gives us a view of the birth of a genuine artist. Shop Now via amazon.com Marjane Satrapi writes about coming of age in a loving family during the Islamic Revolution in Iran, culminating in her self-imposed exile.
(She now lives in Paris.) This is a rare, intimate view of one young woman’s struggle to come to terms with faith, political upheaval, family, and personal identity. “No more university,” she laments as the new regime cracks down, “and I wanted to study chemistry. I wanted to be like Marie Curie.” Next, check out more of the best books for women
written by female authors. Shop Now Originally Published: January 25, 2022 Originally Published in Reader's Digest