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I love a good classic. After all, I named my son Holden.
But the definition of a classic in literature may be changing. Breaking news… (insert dramatic music) last year, librarians and teachers bought more than 17,000 copies* of Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea. It surpassed To Kill a Mockingbird as the most-sold book of the year for the first time in Follett history.
Is it because it’s funny? Probably.
Is it because it’s a graphic novel? Quite possibly.
Is it because the popular series is an escape from reality for kiddos? Might be.
The award-winning Dav Pilkey graphic novel series, published by Scholastic, featuring a crime fighting part-dog, part-man protagonist has taken student readers by storm in recent years and each new title is almost guaranteed to be a best-seller even before it’s released.
According to New York librarian Thomasine Susengill Mastrantoni, “My students (and I) love the control and power Dav Pilkey hands over to the KIDS at the beginning of the story,” she explained. “At the age of Dog Man readers, so much of children’s lives is run by adults. Allowing the two main characters–kids–to make the decisions is amazing. We also like filling in the blanks. Figuring out what happens in the gutters between the panels increases our inferencing and critical thinking skills. Plus, we laugh out loud so often throughout the stories.”
Graphic novels have come a long way from a time not too long ago when educators and parents didn’t consider them “official” books. That’s changed. A quick survey of parents in my social media feed confirmed a love for Dog Man and Dog Man-like titles because they are simple and fun.
One parent shared with me that Lily, who is headed into second grade this fall, loves Dog Man, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, and Cat Kid Comic Club because there are pictures to accompany the words, and the stories are action-filled.
Another parent told me that Finn, who is third grade-bound, thinks Dog Man is hilarious but also loves that he can be a character, his mom can be a character, and they can read together. He’s expanding his reading list to FGTeeV graphic novels.
Educators agree. According to some research, across grades 3-6, 64 percent of top-selling titles are graphic novels. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Baby-Sitters Club and Dog Man are the top three best-selling series–all of which are graphic novels. Add Manga to the mix and you’ll find a cult following among kiddos.
Whether it’s a graphic novel or a traditional book genre, librarians and teachers know their students fall in love with the characters in a series. Sixty-eight percent of the top 25 selling titles are part of popular series like:
- Amulet
- The Last Kids on Earth
- Wings of Fire
- I Survived
- Dog Man
- The Bad Guys
- The Wild Robot
- The Pigeon
- The Food Group
Why are these education book sales trends important? As a country, we have a literacy crisis. According to the Nation’s Report Card, “the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed that two-thirds of fourth and eighth graders are unable to read proficiently. The average reading score for fourth graders is the lowest it has been in over 20 years. For eighth and twelfth graders, average scores are near a 30-year low.”
If you can’t read, learning will be a lifelong struggle. And in a world where reality can be scary, books can provide an escape. Which is why, even in an education setting, I’m not surprised, 23 of the top 25 selling titles this past quarter were fiction. So, while school pranks, fart jokes, and an underwear-clad principal may not be Pulitzer Prize-winning literature, these popular graphic novels are getting students reading, which is half the battle.
What are education publishers doing about it? They are producing more of what educators are looking for. Every publisher I’ve spoken to in the past year is publishing more decodables to help early readers decipher new words and build a foundation for literacy. And for the elementary and middle school readers, publishers are all on the lookout for the next Dog Man, Captain Underpants, or Manga-like graphic novel series.
Does this mean To Kill a Mockingbird is less relevant in the education landscape? Absolutely not. It’s still one of the most-read books on middle and high school required reading lists.
But hopefully, because of the industry’s continued investment in books, students who are learning to read, want to read, more students are going to be ABLE to read To Kill a Mockingbird when the time comes.
*According to Follett Content Solutions’ 2023 Annual and 2024 Quarterly Trend Reports
