Another List (Issue Discussion)

Why Alternative Format Books are Great:

• They aren’t boring
• They are easier to read and understand
• They are a great “gateway drug” to liking reading
• They come in many different formats
• They have just as much of an impact (maybe more) as traditional novels
• There’s one for everyone
• All of them are relatable on some level
• They capture the attention of even the most distracted person
• Most of them are a quicker read, which works well with the busy lives of the reader

For me, I have always struggled with reading (which is a tad bit ironic since I'm and English major) because investing in the traditional novel format is hard work. I get distracted and lose interest quickly because novels seem boring, and frankly, I'd rather be doing something else. Trying to read on the same level as my peers make me feel illiterate, and that sucks.

But I love alternative format books! As the list mentions, they're easier for me to read, and engage me for longer as a reader. As a future educator, I will definitely be using graphic novels, books in verse, and any other format that would be beneficial to my students that will help them engage in reading and learning. There are some students, like me, who will dislike reading because it's "too hard", or because they feel like they're not good at it, but like I suggested, I think alternative formats are the gateway drug to reading and liking reading.

I think it's silly for people to disregard alternative format books as "not real", or consider them less valuable, especially since they're are obsessed with comic book universes right now.

Because language and communication is changing so much, young adults are less interested in formal avenues of communication and more interested in quicker and convenient ways to communicate. I think alternative format books are a great parallel to that. If students aren't grasping concepts using a traditionally formatted novel, maybe it's time to give them an alternative.