may be history repeating itself? Look at Classsics Illustrated in the 1940's, or go back even further and find 'Bill's finest' as illustrated abridged children's editions produced as utility books at the start of WWII.
Seems that kids have always needed a bit of a push along the road to learning. Classics Illustrated are with us again www.classicsillustrated.co.uk and Wiley have sent over their US versions of Manga Shakespeare to further tempt the tastebuds of our reluctant readers. http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6497100.html
And why not? Illustrations work. That's why instruction manuals are full of them.