The Greatest Graphic Novel Mystery

Multiple Choice

What are graphic novels descendants of?

• novels

• true crime books

• biographies

• comic books

Multiple Choice

What was one cause that led to comic books being banned in the 1950's?

• They got too expensive to produce, so comic book companies banned them.

• A psychologist named Frederick Wertham claimed they were a cause of teen crime.

• A doctor thought that the ink in comic books was bad for people's health.

• Many writers got together and decided to protest against them.

Multiple Choice

Graphic novels are a powerful way for someone to tell their life story. What evidence from the passage supports this idea?

• “It’s impossible to say exactly when the graphic novel’s popularity began, but Will Eisner’s 1978 work, A Contract with God, is considered one of the first important ones.”

• “By the 1970s, comic books had shed their stigma, and in the 1990s Japanese manga made the form even more popular.”

• “Most importantly, graphic novels caught fire with readers—especially memoirs, with authors taking a deep dive into their own experiences.”

• “So how did graphic novels end up getting the teacher stamp of approval, when their forerunners, comics, were once banned?

Multiple Choice

What are some words that describe graphic novels today?

• unpopular but important

• popular and critically celebrated

• lighthearted and relaxing

• serious and somber

Multiple Choice

What is the main idea of this passage?

• Will Eisner’s 1978 graphic novel, A Contract with God, is considered an early example of a serious graphic novel.

• In the 1990s, Japanese manga, which are similar to comic books, became popular with teens in the United States.

• Comic books were once banned, but today, graphic novels are popular ways to explore a wide range of important topics.

• Graphic novels look like books on the outside, but inside they are illustrated with panels and dialogue with comic books.

Multiple Choice

Read the following sentences from the passage.

“Wertham condemned comics when he testified at a U.S. Senate hearing, and that stirred up a public outcry. A flurry of censorship followed, and many states passed bills outlawing certain types of comics.”

As used in this sentence, what does the word “condemned” most closely mean?

• declared something to be helpful and necessary

• declared something to be bad or unfavorable

• drew a picture of someone or something

• declared something to be exciting and inventive

Multiple Choice

What word best completes the following sentence?

In the 1950s, comic books were banned, but _____, graphic novels became popular among students and teachers alike.

• at first

• even though

• because

• eventually

Open Ended

What do graphic novels look like on the inside and outside?

Open Ended

What kinds of themes or topics can graphic novels cover?

Open Ended

Why might graphic novels today be so popular? Please support your answer with evidence from the text.