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So, as a typical woman who knows absolutely nothing about comic books, I am wondering if comic books count as reading material for kids. Parents are eager for their children to read, and to enjoy reading, and let’s face it, a lot of children, pa

rticularly boys, just aren’t into it. They prefer more active pastimes. For some boys, sitting down to read a regular book with few or no illustrations pretty much qualifies as torture. So if a boy is interested in comic books, should his parents encourage or discourage the hobby?

I hadn’t ever really seen a comic book until I married my husband, a guy who loved comics as a kid, at one time collected them avidly, and still enjoys a comic book from time to time. Walking into a comic book store for the first time with my husband was really an eye-opener for me. Who knew there were so many different comics, on so many different subjects? Don’t assume that comics are just for kids. Many comics are written for adults, and many are completely inappropriate for kids or even teenagers. Comics can be valued for their art style, story, or the characters they feature. Comic book collecting is an extremely popular hobby for both children and adults. I would strongly caution parents to check out all comics before allowing a child to read them. Comics do not have a rating system like video games and DVDs; some adult comics may be labeled “Mature Content” or “Parental Advisory,” but this distinction is applied at the discretion of the publisher and does not appear on all comics containing extreme violence, strong language or nudity. Do not assume that all comics are meant for kids.

Back to the question at hand, there are a couple of points in favor of allowing kids to read comic books. Inarguably, the freedom to choose reading material is an important part of nurturing a child’s love of reading. I do believe in some level of monitoring a child’s reading choices, just as a parent would monitor the television shows, movies and websites a child is exposed to, but aside from that, a child should be allowed to choose his own books. If a kid is reading something, anything, it is certainly better than not reading at all. It is possible that the close relationship between the text and illustrations of a comic could help improve a young reader’s story comprehension and ability to follow the plot. These skills could transfer to reading regular books. Another point I would like to make, based on my husband’s knowledge of comics, is that some comics may have a degree of literary value. There are comics based on popular literature, such as The Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum, and some with historical context. Not all comics are about super heroes. Comics come in a vast array of subjects and styles.

In conclusion, if my child was interested in reading comics and little else, I would allow the reading of comics for the sake of reading. I would accompany my child to the comic store to purchase the comics, and I would reserve the right to preview each comic before my child read it. I do believe that reading is reading, and whether the child is reading a textbook, a comic book, or the front of a matchbook, the practice is beneficial.

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So, as a typical woman who knows absolutely nothing about comic books, I am wondering if comic books count as reading material for kids. Parents are eager for their children to read, and to enjoy reading, and let’s face it, a lot of children, particularly boys, just aren’t into it. They prefer more active pastimes. For some boys, sitting down to read a regular book with few or no illustrations pretty much qualifies as torture. So if a boy is interested in comic books, should his parents encourage or discourage the hobby?
I hadn’t ever really seen a comic book until I married my husband, a guy who loved comics as a kid, at one time collected them avidly, and still enjoys a comic book from time to time. Walking into a comic book store for the first time with my husband was really an eye-opener for me. Who knew there were so many different comics, on so many different subjects? Don’t assume that comics are just for kids. Many comics are written for adults, and many are completely inappropriate for kids or even teenagers. Comics can be valued for their art style, story, or the characters they feature. Comic book collecting is an extremely popular hobby for both children and adults. I would strongly caution parents to check out all comics before allowing a child to read them. Comics do not have a rating system like video games and DVDs; some adult comics may be labeled “Mature Content” or “Parental Advisory,” but this distinction is applied at the discretion of the publisher and does not appear on all comics containing extreme violence, strong language or nudity. Do not assume that all comics are meant for kids.
Back to the question at hand, there are a couple of points in favor of allowing kids to read comic books. Inarguably, the freedom to choose reading material is an important part of nurturing a child’s love of reading. I do believe in some level of monitoring a child’s reading choices, just as a parent would monitor the television shows, movies and websites a child is exposed to, but aside from that, a child should be allowed to choose his own books. If a kid is reading something, anything, it is certainly better than not reading at all. It is possible that the close relationship between the text and illustrations of a comic could help improve a young reader’s story comprehension and ability to follow the plot. These skills could transfer to reading regular books. Another point I would like to make, based on my husband’s knowledge of comics, is that some comics may have a degree of literary value. There are comics based on popular literature, such as The Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum, and some with historical context. Not all comics are about super heroes. Comics come in a vast array of subjects and styles.
In conclusion, if my child was interested in reading comics and little else, I would allow the reading of comics for the sake of reading. I would accompany my child to the comic store to purchase the comics, and I would reserve the right to preview each comic before my child read it. I do believe that reading is reading, and whether the child is reading a textbook, a comic book, or the front of a matchbook, the practice is beneficial.
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