Promoting Love For the Classics: Pubbly’s Interactive Graphic Novels

Synchronizing the experience of reading with the cadence of child development — in a fast paced world — is what Pubbly does. Part of this literary balance is cultivating a love for timeless classics as well as modern stories that capture the attention of today’s child. Pubbly revitalizes classics through interactive graphic novels to promote a love of learning and a preparation for later literary studies.

This is the third article in a six-part series exploring the wonder of the safe, engaging environment the Pubbly platform creates for a child. Whether through interactive games, thoughtful animation, or promoting classics through graphic novels, Pubbly is a haven for young learners — ones who are sprouting and those who have already bloomed. This article explores Pubbly’s wide selection of interactive graphic novels and how these stories put a fun spin on old favorites for young readers. 

The Birth of Pubbly’s Short-form Graphic Novels

Pubbly’s short-form graphic novels originated as an educational aid for young learners who were struggling with the reading journey and needed something more interactive. Graphic novels are highly appealing to young readers because they combine compelling illustrations with engaging writing. They are also especially helpful for children struggling to read as the sentences are broken up into boxes with accompanying illustrations to accommodate the shorter attention span of modern readers. These interactive graphic novels make classic literature and biographies more accessible as an entry point into many literary worlds and offer the advantage of introducing complex themes with limited text complexity.

Pubbly’s animated graphic novels are an intuitive way to encourage reading comprehension. The rich illustrations provide a form of scaffolding that supports learners in their understanding of key themes and literary devices. Some struggling readers are not equipped to orient themselves to engaging with text from left to right and top to bottom. To assist, Pubbly created a system to help lead the reader’s direction in a fun, confidence-building way. Speech bubbles pop up as they are voiced, and panels move across the screen like a movie to keep the reader engaged and on track — while also reinforcing the skill set for reading from top to bottom and left to right.

This educational approach brings classics alive for modern young readers. Stories like Frankenstein and Don Quixote are enriched with highly animated illustrations, but all of the graphic novels — including Jane Eyre, Black Beauty, and other classics — have a dialogue box and panel animations to intrigue and support young readers. Combining the fluidity of animation with the added benefit of pop-up text, the stories simultaneously entertain and empower the reader to track new words. The rhythm of the text and animation also mimics the cadence of reading with a parent, fostering the child's development and delight.

Stories of Character Grow Their Readers

While the graphic novels are targeted towards later elementary and middle school students, any age group can read them. And regardless of the age of the reader, stories promoting an early understanding of classic literature, along with biographies of historical figures like Helen Keller, Mohandas Gandhi, Neil Armstrong, and Jane Goodall, develop character. As we have discussed in previous articles, when children read about a concept, the corollary part of their neural firing lights up. That is to say, children who read about courageous, ingenious, and determined people will have the inspirational spark to ignite their own bravery, and may see the surprising relevance historical figures’ lives have to their own.

Creating critical and empowered readers includes giving children the opportunity to find meaning in things that may not seem immediately or explicitly related to them; this invites children to stretch their thinking and grow their meaning-making skills. Plus, early exposure to foundational texts makes for an easy cross-point when they resurface later in life, encouraging readers to pick up the originals later to do a deeper dive into the content.

To help further support young learners and their families, educational support resources are paired with Pubbly’s graphic novels. Some explore conversational topics to promote critical thinking — e.g., “How did Black Beauty help people understand the issue of animal cruelty?” Others foster more open-ended inquiry. Each graphic novel is accompanied by a PDF that helps orient the reader to the story, giving background about the author, the setting, and relevant themes. 

The classics have remained so for a reason; their timelessness and complexity ask readers of all ages to consider circumstances and evolution of story. For example, Frankenstein ends up being very relatable to young people facing the modern world. Who is the real monster — Dr. Frankenstein or his “monstrous” creation? Is life black and white, or are there subtle clues and layers to story and character? Pubbly brings all of these considerations to the fore in an engaging and accessible platform that shares the best graphic novels for kids in a way that builds confidence and joy in reading. 

Read a Pubbly Today

Pubbly is dedicated to having a portion of our animated books, educational programs, and games FREE and open to early learners everywhere. Sign up now to view on desktop or download our Pubbly Player on iOS, Amazon Kindle, or Android. The next article will explore Pubbly’s educational games as a confidence builder, educational entertainment, and support for parents and teachers.

1. IAPWE, 08, April 2019

https://iapwe.org/graphic-novels-are-gaining-in-popularity/