It’s all too easy to dismiss colorful, fun books of this sort, with their brief chunks of text and apparently oversized photos, as merely motivational in nature.
Is ‘Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox’ the Darkest Superhero Film Ever?
By on July 30, 2013
Can creators in essence separate the “super” from the “hero” and still be said to be working with the same character?
You Don’t Need to Go to Comic-Con to Have Fan Literacies
By on July 19, 2013
Many popular fanfiction stories are based on books that can be found in school libraries: The Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, and, of course, Harry Potter. For most fanfiction authors, though, that’s where the connection between fanfiction and school ends: they’ve never been asked by a teacher or librarian about their out-of-school writing.
Ways to Welcome Fanfiction in Schools
By on July 18, 2013
Fanfiction: What Educators Really Need to Know
By on July 17, 2013
Do young fanfiction authors seek the kind of feedback that educators would find “useful” in K-12 settings, and are fanfiction communities really the nurturing environments of peer-critique that some make them out to be?
In Honor of Baseball’s All-Star Game, A Book to Pre-Order
By on July 16, 2013
Something to Consider on the Eve of Comic-Con: Cosplay and Critical Thinking
By on July 16, 2013
“We can look at cosplay as a medium that assists other media, anime and manga, by targeting a certain audience segment related to fandom.”
Confessions of a Cosplaying Librarian
By on July 15, 2013
Now in Theaters: An Absolutely Must-See Doc About Digital Literacy
By on July 14, 2013
Filmmaker Cullen Hoback’s work represents a treasure trove of ideas for those who want to connect domestic spying and the death of privacy to civics, media studies, ICT, and political theory—not to mention information literacy and digital literacy specifically.
Big Brawlers and Little Children: The Not-New Appeal of ‘Pacific Rim’
By on July 12, 2013
The reason such overt silliness is nonetheless so effective is that we all connect with the fantasy of controlling a creature much, much larger than we could ever hope to be.
Oh, All That Annoying Movie Marketing: A Chat with Critic Eric D. Snider
By on July 6, 2013
The Pop Culture Propaganda of Ender’s Game, Pacific Rim, and G.I. Joe
By on June 30, 2013
These posters’ apparently value-free aspect is perhaps what’s most worth exploring with young people…
Moriarty, Hannibal, and Despicable Me: How We End Up Rooting for the Bad Guy
By on June 28, 2013
‘World War Z’ At the Movies: Some Critical Thinking Questions
By on June 23, 2013
Media literacy discussion points covering novel-to-film adaptations, marketing, genre, screen violence, and more.
Why Are Zombies So Good for Libraries?
By on June 21, 2013
More than just a craze, the interest in zombies points the way towards a new kind of literacy engagement.
Joss Whedon, Modern Dress Shakespeare, and the Problem of Class in Classrooms
By on June 18, 2013
‘Tiger Eyes’ and Transliteracy: Confessions of Someone Who Hasn’t Read the Novel
By on June 7, 2013
‘Tiger Eyes’ is not really an upbeat film—which is, oddly, what makes it so refreshing.
‘Super Pop!’ and Making (Extremely Fun) Connections Across Media
By on June 5, 2013
BEA, Famous Authors, and Why We’re All Guilty of Promoting ‘Celebrity Culture’
By on June 4, 2013
I guess there was some cosplay going on, but most participating attendees chose to dress up as publishing executives for some reason.
Doctor Who… Librarian?
By on May 28, 2013
… the gateway to countless worlds of pure fancy intentionally looks pedestrian—one has to transcend the importance of “surface” to be rewarded with the riches that lie beneath.
