February 17, 2013

All ages comics and manga for 10/03/12

The days are getting shorter and finally getting cooler, so curling up with a warm blanket and a good comic is becoming more appealing. Amulet Books has the next volume of the well received Hereville series with Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword. Boom! Studios has another new issue of the well-insulated cat Garfield, and [...]

Recommended Comics for Schools: Uncle Scrooge, Papyrus, The Loxleys/Crogan’s Loyalty, Hammer and Anvil

Some time has passed since I posted part one and part two of this series, so by way of reminder, we’re not just taking a look at recent graphic titles of merit and how they align with core curriculum but also with media literacy, visual literacy, and similar topics. Uncle Scrooge: “Only a Poor Old [...]

All ages comics and manga for 9/26/12

Now that Fall is officially here, thoughts can now move toward the autumn holidays, with Halloween coming up first! Bongo Comics has the yearly tradition of the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, with the new issue coming out this week. Archie Comics has the gang going to an “old-fashioned” Halloween party. Find out what that means [...]

‘The Dark Knight Returns’: Some Critical Thinking Questions

Here are some questions you can ask fans — questions designed to extend the critical thinking they’re most likely already engaged in…

Recommended Comics for Schools: Harvey Pekar’s Cleveland, The Adventures of Venus, Rough Justice

Encourage students to analyze panels closely to determine how the visuals work with the text. Ask: Where do they clarify information? Where do they expand upon it? Where do they represent a parallel track of information?

Fall Books for Kids

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Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET Learn about fall’s collection of new books for your young readers during this School Library Journal webcast event.  From illustrated books to chapter books, topics range from superheroes to farmers, and then some! Discover what it means to be a samurai in Benjamin Martin’s Samurai Awakening, and find out if an American teenager has what takes to save his friends.  Read about Bill Finger, the man who gave Bruce Wayne a name and made him a detective in Marc Tyler Nobleman’s picture book (illustrated by Ty Templeton) Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman. See a new take on the classic Old MacDonald nursery rhyme in Old MacDonald Had Her Farm (written by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Tina Holdcroft) with brightly illustrated pictures and tongue-twisters to help readers learn about vowels while using the same E-I-E-I-O refrain. Register now to see what else Annick Press, Charlesbridge, and Tuttle Publishing will share from their fall book releases. This archive is no longer available.

All ages comics and manga for 9/19/12

With autumn just about to begin, it’s sad to have to say goodbye to some great titles! BOOM! Studios must bid a fond farewell to Roger Langridge’s Snarked!, with the final issue being released this week. Let’s hope they’ll all be back for a second series. Dark Horse completes its omnibus editions of CLAMP’s Cardcaptor [...]

Some Major No-No’s for Student Critics… and All Critics, Really

“Certainly, some adult humans will be shocked to learn that they cannot simply pick up a comic book and hurl it at the nearest child.” -Dylan Meconis

Recommended Comics for Schools: Annie Sullivan, Mystery Boxes, Anna & Froga

Skills and teaching topics covered in this post include visual literacy, nonfiction, genre, and transliteracy…

All ages comics and manga for 9/12/12

Jump into adventure with this week’s new releases! Archie Comics releases the third volume of Sonic’s rival, Knuckles The Echidna Archives. Boom! Studios continues the adventures of the girls from Adventure Time with the third issue of Marceline and The Scream Queens, and Seven Seas Entertainment releases the first omnibus of the prequel to Amazing [...]

Getting Boys to Read: Seeing Your Library Through a Guy’s Eyes

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Thursday, October 4, 2012, 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET Ever help a guy find food in the refrigerator? In this fun and informative webinar, you’ll discover how some everyday observations – like that time you maybe helped a guy find the mayo that was right in the front of the fridge – are really vital clues for thinking about getting boys to read in your library. In addition to the fun, the serious side of the topic will be addressed, including why the gap between boys’ and girls’ reading levels is a major concern among health experts and educators, and why the vast majority of reluctant readers are boys. Attendees will learn some tips to promote and support genres that boys like, including comic books, graphic novels, sports, and nonfiction, as well as some ideas for creating reading role models and communities for boys grades K-12. If you want ways to get books in the hands of your guys – and take a different look at how we think about getting boys to read – this session will inspire you. This archive is no longer available.

All ages comics and manga for 9/5/12

This week there are cats and dogs of size! Boom Studios releases the next issue of the ENORMOUS-ly popular Garfield while Vertical has the next volume of the incredibly cute and little Chi’s Sweet Home. DC comics continues its series of the mystery-solving canine who’s still more of a scardey-cat, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? and [...]

Guest Post by Ryan Goble… Uncommon Literacies: Teaching ‘This American Life’ (2)

If our job as educators is to engage the hearts and minds of our students I can think of no better pop cultural text than “This American Life” to uncover the silly, strange, and sublime states of the human condition with our students.

All ages comics and manga for 8/29/12

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It’s the last hurrah of summer with the long Labor Day weekend, so stock up on reading material now! Bongo Comics takes fans back in time to see what Bart Simpson’s dad was like as a kid with Li’l Homer. Kodansha completes its run of Gon so the whole series is available in print again, [...]

Guest Post by Robin Brenner… This Summer’s Female Heroes: Fighting More Than One Battle (2)

The mainstream comics industry has been roundly (and justifiably) criticized for its problematic representation of women as well as its reluctance to acknowledge women as a fanbase with valid opinions.

Guest Post by Robin Brenner… This Summer’s Female Heroes: Fighting More Than One Battle (1)

It’s a tough time to be a superheroine fan…

All ages comics and manga for 8/22/12

It’s might and magic on the list this week. Capstone Press releases their Free Comic Book Day titles with Incredible Rockhead and Zinc Alloy. Image Comics continues the adventures of the super theropod Super Dinosaur, and Marvel Comics weaves some Disney magic with Disney Fairies Magazine and Disney Pixar Cars Magazine.
The List:
ARCHIE COMICS
Archie #636 (Gisele [...]

Teaching Tips for Geek Gatherings

Teaching Tips for Geek Gatherings

Scoop up as much swag as you can, no matter how junky or personally uninteresting you find a given property—in fact, I suggest bringing an extra bag just to cart this stuff back and give to students…

(Re)Connecting the Pop: The Hunger Games, Election 2012, Ray Bradbury, The Avengers

Revisiting some of the pop culture topics covered here over the past few months by way of sharing some related links that get at media literacy, visual literacy, and transliteracy.

All ages comics and manga for 8/15/12

Fill that sci-fi shaped void in your life with some of this week’s new releases. Dark Horse Comics has a new Star Wars Clone Wars trade The Sith Hunters. Viz Media continues its original stories with the newest Voltron Force, Twin Trouble, or follow Hal Jordan’s adventures in space in DC Comics Green Lantern The [...]