This lecture will be live streamed.

This talk examines the recent history of graphic novels in relation to children’s and young adult literature, focusing on how graphic novels have gained acceptance within every stage of childhood reading. Graphic novels now mature alongside their young readers, steadily increasing in depth and complexity. The growth of graphic novels corresponds with the growth of diverse literature, with graphic novels providing a unique format for sharing stories of underrepresented people and social justice issues.

Ramona Caponegro, Associate Professor of Children’s Literature at Eastern Michigan University, teaches classes on illustrated texts. She has published essays about representations of incarceration and other social justice issues in children’s and young adult literature, children’s book awards, and early readers. She is a member of the Ezra Jack Keats Award 35th Anniversary Leadership Team, co-chair of the Pura Belpré Award 25th Anniversary Task Force, and chair of the Phoenix Picture Book Award Committee.

This is the fifth of a six-lecture series. The subject of the series is Graphic Books and Memes. The next lecture will be on April 8, 2021. The title is: Internet Memes from Politics to TikTok.. Learn from well-known experts about an array of interesting subjects, with an interactive Q&A period following each lecture.

Preregistration is required via the OLLI website or phone. A link to access the lecture will be e-mailed to you approximately one week prior to the first session.