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WEST VALLEY CITY — Many teens at the Decker Lake Youth Center have little exposure to literature, and some have dropped out of school. Though these Utah Division of Juvenile Justice Services youths are considered among the most reluctant readers, many are now reading voraciously — and it's all thanks to graphic novels.
“Sometimes you have to think outside the box to get teens to read, but the payoff is amazing,” said Carrie Rogers-Whitehead, a librarian with the Salt Lake County Library System.
In 2013, Rogers-Whitehead and other Salt Lake County librarians teamed up with the Decker Lake staff and started a book club at the facility in hopes of increasing literacy.
“In the beginning we tried reading young adult novels,” said librarian Darlene Nethery. “But it wasn’t until some of the staff switched to graphic novels that the book club took off.”
Graphic novels, which combine text and illustrations to tell a story, have turned many reluctant or struggling teens into enthusiastic, hungry readers. At Decker Lake, the most popular reading choices are manga, a style of Japanese comics, and superhero series.
One male youth in the book club, whose name is protected, said, “I never read until I came here, and I’ll keep reading once I get out.”
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There is much more to comic books and graphic novels than the stereotypes. Find out why you and your kids should be reading these unique books.This youth struggles with dyslexia. The combination of text and illustrations help him understand and enjoy the stories.
Patrick Burton, a senior counselor at Decker Lake, stocks a small library of graphic novels for the teens — some donated by Salt Lake County Library, others from his own collection. The youths are reading so quickly now that Burton struggles to keep up with the demand.
“When we show up with new books the teens are so excited," said librarian Vernon Waters. "One youth said it is like Christmas.”
The popularity of the graphic novels also facilitated a partnership with Keyton Butler of Salt Lake Community College’s Writing Center to provide writing instruction. Many of the youths now enjoy writing and drawing more, and a few aspire to be graphic novelists.
If you have any graphic novels you’d like to donate to the Decker Lake library, please contact Patrick Burton at ptburton@utah.gov.
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Teri Harman, author and book enthusiast, writes a monthly column for KSL.com and contributes book-related segments to "Studio 5 with Brook Walker. Her novel "Blood Moon," is now available. The sequel, "Black Moon," hits shelves Sept. 16, 2014. More at teriharman.com.*
