In defense of graphic novels

I was taught about the usefulness, accessibility, and impact of graphic novels during my master's program, and got to witness a bit of that effect in my classroom.  Now that I'm in the library, I was pleased to have three great graphic novel moments last week! I saw one student waiting in the checkout line with an Artemis Fowl book, and commented on how much I liked the series. He said he had read and liked the graphic novel, which is why he was checking out the book. (Yay!) Then another student came in who was reading Rick Riordan's 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and was bummed because the last book was still checked out. I asked if he had ever read the graphic novel for The Lightning Thief--he hadn't, and was happy he had another book to explore for the weekend. Then a teacher came in for her fairy tales we had pulled for her, and I asked if she had read 

Rapunzel's Revenge(Dean Hale, Shannon Hale, Nathan Hale); after booktalking it and suggesting how it could be used for enrichment/ critical thinking, she checked it out as well. Whooohooo!