Sources For Graphic Nonfiction Online

I use short, graphic nonfiction in my classroom all the time. Here are some places to find some fantastic, insightful work.

I love using short graphic nonfiction in the classroom. For one thing, who doesn’t love graphic novels? And they are an effective way for students to analyze visuals as well as get short doses of interesting nonfiction. You can drop them in if you have an extra day that you need to fill, or as a supplemental reading for whatever you happen to be studying that day.

However, for a long time graphic nonfiction was tough to find. Sure, there were works like Maus and Persepolis that gained a lot of traction in classrooms. But what if you don’t want to teach those as whole class reads?

Fortunately, there are great sources of graphic nonfiction on websites that are free to use. Not everything will be suitable for every grade, but there’s definitely something out there for everyone to use. Just choose carefully.

So here we go!

The Nib

The Nib was a magazine that ran for a few years and was too good to last. It featured fantastic narratives, social commentary, and research done by terrific artists and writers. I have used a lot of their graphic nonfiction in the classroom over the years, from “It’s All Relative” (an investigative piece about the dangers of websites like “23 and Me” to “What’s In A Name” (a narrative about changing your name when transitioning). There are plenty of adult topics and controversial topics, but plenty that would be great for kids. Below is an excerpt from “I Made the Most Banned Book in America” by Maia Kobabe.

Sadly, the Nib folded last year, but I was still about to purchase copies of all the issues of the magazine to complete my collection. But they still have quite a few comics readily available for free on their website, and you can get pdfs all fifteen issues for free now too. Each issue is themed, which makes it easier to browse for topics that might be of interest to your students.

Crucial Comix

Crucial Comix picked up where The Nib left off, and they are aggressively putting out interesting graphic nonfiction on a regular basis. You can subscribe to their newsletter and get a weekly does of their newest offerings. They have plenty to offer on their website, too.

I haven’t used any of their comics yet, but I recently bought a huge collection of cartoons about Palestine and thought it was great. They don’t have a huge collection yet, so it’s easy to browse through what they have and look for interesting pieces to use. Here’s an excerpt from “High Steaks Labels”.

Positive Negatives

I recently discovered Positive Negatives after finding an interesting graphic novel about the Sri Lankan Civil War. The site has an activist agenda that works to publish graphic nonfiction that captures the stories of people around the world. Their projects are categorized by theme, and the site is very easy to browse. They even have some animated videos too.

I find their mission really interesting and worth a visit just to see what they are up to, but this is also a great place for narrative nonfiction, especially about places of crisis in the world. Here’s a selection from a series called “Where Do I Live?”

Words Without Borders

If you know of the artist Brandon Kiely who co-wrote All American Boys with Jason Reynolds, Words Without Borders is run by his wife. The website of the organization is to translate great works of literature into English that otherwise would not have found an audience in the States otherwise. They have a section specifically devoted to graphic nonfiction, and you can browse by country of origin.

Not only is the mission of the website really cool, but they have a great collection of graphic literature from creators around the world. I recommend pairing some of the selections with a novel or memoir that is set in another country to offer another viewpoint from that same country. Here’s an excerpt from “Tiananmen 1989: Our Shattered Hopes.”

Do you have any suggestions for great short graphic nonfiction? Let me know!

And here’s a link to a post about using comics to teach the research project.