In an effort to introduce students to a relatively new genre and allow them to evaluate it in the context of how they had been taught in the past, the author created an assignment about graphic novels and literacy that guided students through four short papers, forming a longer research paper for a final project. The students would begin with a narrative essay about reading; move to a compare-and-contrast essay (between a classic and graphic novel adaptation); then write an opinion essay about literacy, the disposition to read, and graphic novels; and end with a problem-and-solution essay that incorporated components of the opinion essay. The author discusses each of the four papers. By researching graphic novels, the author has learned that, as a teacher, she must remain teachable. It is important that she is as open to new ideas as she asks her students to be. Giving students the opportunity to reflect, evaluate, and decide how literacy has influenced them especially helped the reluctant readers reconsider their perceptions about their education. These students became aware of the tensions between literacy, interest, and standards, and they better understood the reading selections in their previous schools. (Contains 1 figure.)