Many young adults enjoy graphic novels because the genre differs so dramatically from the books that educators traditionally have encouraged adolescents to read. Growing up with television and video games, contemporary young adults look for print media that contain the same visual impact and pared-down writing style and contribute to their enthusiasm for visual rather than written literacy. For many young adults, graphic novels represent a welcome move away from what they consider traditional "school" reading. This enthusiasm is reflected in the increase in sales of graphic novels from $75 million in 2001 to $120 million in 2003 (Raiteri 2003). To help educators adjust to this new reality, this article looks at the various types of graphic novels, the reasons for using them, the characteristics of quality graphic novels, and suggestions for using graphic novels in middle and secondary classrooms. (Appendix: Recommended Graphic Novels.)