In college, I c
ringed anytime the syllabus said the dreaded words: “Textbook Required” because I knew that meant that I had countless hours of bland reading ahead of me. More often than not, I would skim the pages hoping that obtaining information through osmosis was real and that I wouldn’t need to read the text at all (unfortunately this is not possible). “If only”, I would think, “there was some other way that this information could be presented that was visually and intellectually compelling!” Lo and behold, there is. And it comes in the form of a graphic novel.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “There is no way I can learn about (insert subject here) from a graphic novel!” I’ll admit, I too was skeptical. That is, until I discovered a series of nonfiction graphic novels by Grady Klein. Klein, an illustrator, teams up with an expert from a given field to concisely outline a subject by using easy to understand language, enthralling illustrations, and comic book-style text, yet still relaying all of the pertinent information that a textbook would give you.
I found myself enjoying learning about subjects that I struggled with in college. “The Comic Book Introduction to Statistics” made me feel more prepared, more educated, and less fearful of statistics should I ever need to use it. All in all, whether you’re learning about a subject for the first time, or refreshing your prior knowledge, I hope you consider using a graphic novel to aid you in your studies.