amulet-cover-featured-image News 

Barnes & Noble to Add Kids Graphic Novel Section

By | April 20th, 2018
Posted in News | % Comments

According to The Beat’s Heidi MacDonald, children’s graphic novel sections are coming to Barnes & Noble.

The news isn’t incredibly surprising, considering how Barnes & Noble has already expanded their existing graphic novel and manga sections, and the almost absurd growth in children’s graphic novel sales over the last few years. We’ve seen publishers like DC go from publishing one line of books aimed at young, female readers (the ever-excellent “DC Super Hero Girls”) to founding two separate imprints aimed at kids and young adults. We’ve heard exultations of how well books like “Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur” and “Ms. Marvel” sell at Scholastic Book Fairs. Perhaps less visibly, we’ve seen straight-to-bookstore graphic novels like “Amulet,” “Ghosts,” and “Dog Man and Cat Kid” perform incredibly well in the market, with a 25% in sales from 2015-16 despite the widespread increase of tablet and phone devices.

But while the news of Barnes & Noble adding a kids graphic novel section might not be a surprise, it’s still a very big deal. In particular, MacDonald notes that creating a separate children’s graphic novel section will make these books much easier to find. Currently, graphic novels are shelved among various other kid and young adult fare. Breaking these books into their own section will allow for better display and easier browsing, making it more likely that kids will find a graphic novel they can get excited about.

And that’s really what it’s all about. The largest bookstore chain in America is making it easier for young readers to find and get hooked on comics early, creating a new on-ramp to the medium and stories we all love. MacDonald says Barnes & Noble is also considering creating a young adult-centric graphic novel section, meaning there would truly be a graphic novel section for everyone and anyone who walked into a Barnes & Noble. While comic store sales may have hit a momentary slump, bookstore sales seem set to continue increasing. And bookstores know it. Thus, they’re investing in better ways to get graphic novels into the hands of readers, especially young readers, who want them.


Matthew Ledger

Matt's a professional writer who started comics with "Batman Adventures" and now reads just about anything. You can find more of his work at Matt Reads Comics, Matt Plays Magic, and the short story collection 500 x 50. He's on Twitter as @mat_ledge.

EMAIL | ARTICLES