teach comics

Picks for 2010.

2011-01-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

Having been away from the Teach Comics blog for a year and a half, I thought I'd compile a short list of some of my favorite graphic novels from the past year. While I could go on and on about ALL the great graphic novels and comics of 2010, I thought I'd limit it to those that I've added to my own classroom library, or that my colleagues at the middle and elementary level have had success with.

So, without further delay, here are the Teach Comics highlights for 2010:
BOOK #1- The Stuff of Legends, Book 1
Villard Books

Part Toy Story, part Dean Koontz's Oddkins, and part Jim Henson's The Christmas Toy, this sweeping action/adventure from indie creators Raicht, Smith, and Wilson appeals to readers of all levels.

The basic premise is both original and vaguely familiar- It's Brooklyn, 1944, and a young boy is stolen away to the mystical realm known only as THE DARK, by it's ruler the Boogeyman. The boy's only hope? -A band of misfit toys including a lead soldier, a ballerina, an Indian, a piggy bank, a wooden duck, a jack-in-the-box, and a stuffed bear, as well as his puppy. This unlikely group of heroes ventures after the beloved boy, battling the Boogeyman's forces in a race against time.

This is only the first volume of an on-going series, so while it is not a complete story, it sets the stage for a sweeping adventure.

While this story has been insanely popular with both high school and middle school students, I would avoid using it at the elementary levels. The sepia-toned eerie illustrations and battle scenes might be a bit too heavy for that age.

Overall, the book is a really fun read, with crisp illustrations and believable dialog- no easy feat for a story about a group of kid's toys battling the monster in the closet.

BOOK #2-Thor: The Mighty Avenger, vol. 1
Marvel Comics

Thor, a beloved Marvel Comics character (yes, based on the Norse god), is banished to earth after centuries of brash, selfish behavior to learn what it really means to be a hero. As he wanders middle America with his new friend (and possible love interest) museum curator Jane Foster, Thor encounters heroes, villains, monsters, and average folk on his quest of rediscovery.

The beauty of this book is that it works on so many levels. For young readers the story is broken up into chapters (originally published as thirty page single issues) which each feature self-contained stories with flashy characters and plenty of action and humor. For the more sophisticated reader, however, the overarching theme of self discovery and the subplot of a budding romance keeps us flipping the pages. This is an easy fit for any middle or secondary classroom.

All this appeal rests squarely on the shoulders of the capable prose stylings of Roger Landridge and the modern-yet-vintage pencil wok of Chris Samnee. In a market where writers and artists change on titles all the time, once in a while the creators of a book develop such a unique and powerful vision that you can't imagine the character, or it's universe, carrying on without those creators. It doesn't happen often, but this is one of those times.

Which brings me to the great tragedy of this book. Sadly, due to poor sales in a brutal direct market, this true gem has been canceled as a monthly series as of this month. That means that after this volume, there will be a volume 2 collecting the second half of the series and that's it. I could go on and on about the comic industry and how it's shooting itself in the foot by canceling such a brilliant title, but I fear I would be replacing my "teacher hat" with my "fanboy hat," and one must always remember their purpose when blogging.

Suffice to say, in this humble bloggers opinion, any middle or high school teacher building a graphic novel library would due well to add this title (both volumes) to their bookshelf. The appeal crosses age groups, genders, and reading abilities...How often can we say that about a text?

BOOK #3- Reading With Pictures
Reading With Pictures/ The Comic Book Project

Tapping over thirty of the hottest mainstream and independent creators in the comic book world, the nonprofit organization Reading With Pictures has put together a compilation of stories targeted specifically at elementary, middle, and high school student with the goal of building literacy skills through the comics medium. While lesson plans and literacy terms are not discussed explicitly, the book is meant to engage and motivate readers of all levels with short 2 to 6 pages stories. For younger grades the stories like G-Man: Reign of the Robo-Teachers and The Goblin of the Deep are bright, colorful, fun, and easily digestible (meaning that for a reluctant reader the length of the story is not overwhelming). For higher level students the stories in this anthology like Introduction work great as inference building tools, while also providing complex subjects for discussion around visual rhetoric.

ALL teachers interested in using comics in the classroom should definitely pick up a copy of this book.

BOOK #4- Kill Shakespeare, vol. 1
IDW Publishing

Okay, if you grew up on a diet of action adventure stories as a child and now found yourself teaching literature (I know I can't be the only one), you've probably thought at one point or another, "What if Hamlet hung out with Juliet and Othello?" or "Who's worse- Lady Macbeth or Richard III?"

-Welcome to the world of Kill Shakespeare- where all the Bard's most famous characters co-exist in one world. Join the forces of good (Hamlet, Juliet, and Othello) as the struggle against the forces of evil (and man did Shakespeare have some evil characters) to find the mysterious sorcerer Will Shakespeare.

This is a fantastic book for students and teachers alike. I've had fun sharing the text with students as they read Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet because for them it's a dynamic action/adventure version of these classic characters to connect with, while for me it's a collection filled with "easter eggs," or small allusions from a variety of Shakespeare's works.

This book is just absolute fun from beginning to end, but I'd reserve it for the high school crowd as the visual depictions can be a bit intense for the younger crowd.

BOOK #5- Superboy: The Boy of Steel
DC Comics

It wouldn't be a true Teach Comics list without at least one book related to the greatest superhero ever: Superman. Luckily, this year DC has really stepped up their game when it comes to the big blue boy scout, by releasing multiple noteworthy trades including Superman: Earth One and Superman Secret Origin, but for this blogger one title stands out from the pack- Superboy: Boy of Steel by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul.

Released originally as a series that ran for the past two years, this collection focuses not on a young Clark Kent, but on his teenage clone, who shares genetic traits with not just Superman, but his greatest enemy: Lex Luthor.

A true teen drama, The Boy of Steel focuses on Superboy's questioning of his own place in the larger world, set against the backdrop of one of the greatest superhero universes to ever exist. We've all felt alone and confused in our lives, but how does that play out when you come from both the greatest hero and villain in your world? How does family play into that? How do our friends figure into the tough decisions we make as young people on the cusp of discovering our own identity? -This book has it all. Geoff Johns is truly a master writer who captures the voice of a believable teenage protagonist struggling with a universal problem- "Who am I?"

An ideal book for middle and secondary students, I can't recommend Superboy: The Boy of Steel enough.

An introduction to transcendentalism

2011-01-09T15:07:00.000-08:00

In my years as a public school English teacher I've found that one particular piece of American Lit. curriculum simultaneously excites and terrifies most educators: transcendentalism.

We're talking about Emerson and Thoreau here- two prominent contributors to American thought and philosophy. If you ask me, that's a lot to present to kids between novels, poetry, grammar lessons, and the ever-increasing standardized test prep. In fact, when I think back to my own high school days I'm pretty sure I walked away from my teacher's presentation of "Self Reliance" and "Civil Disobedience" with little more than the idea that these guys must have been the first hippies and would have gotten along great with my aunt and uncle who still rocked the tie-dye 'Dead shirts. In truth, I was probably more interested in "transcending" my social status so that the cute girl in the front of the class would notice me. It wasn't really until I was in college, really challenging myself for the first time, that I discovered the value of the social-political-psychological movement known as transcendentalism.

Which brings me back to today. How do I do this content justice? How do I present this complicated material in a manner which is accessible for a group of teenagers at strikingly different ability levels? -If you can relate, I present to you the following: John Porcellino's Thoreau at Walden.

Published by the truly outstanding Center for Cartoon Studies, this adaption of arguably Thoreau's greatest work is excerpted out of order to create a truly brilliant sequential narrative that highlights the philosopher's solitary year while complimenting the unique style of Thoreau's prose.

The artist, John Porcellino, is a master illustrator with a powerful minimalist style, mirroring in a sense the minimalist philosophy of H.D.T. -and that is exactly why I use this particular text as my introduction to this philosophical movement.

While purists may argue that starting with the work of the "student" (Thoreau), and not the "teacher" (Emerson) is in itself an affront on the study of this movement, my goal as a high school teacher is to expose my students to the major theoretical underpinnings of the movement, not to give a chronological survey course, and for my money, "Walden" screams "transcendental" like no other.

I usually "go elementary" on my high-schoolers and read selected portions of this book (and show them the niffty pictures) while we sit on the floor in a circle. (In my heart I think Henry David would appreciate us getting out of our factory made plastic chairs and skipping the multiple copies of the book for a shared reading experience.)

As I read to them, I ask my students to consider the intent of the artist in conveying the thoughts of the author. The beauty of this book is that almost every panel provides an opportunity to relate the seemingly simple, yet rhetorically complex illustrations to Thoreau's eloquent writing. When done right, and with ample time for discussion, students walk away from this reading with an understanding of transcendentalism's basic tenants concerning our connection to the natural world, and abhorrence for industrial society, and the ever-present goal of attaining a more simple life.

As a follow-up activity, I have my students mimic Porcellino's style (which, by the way, is much harder than it would seem) to construct mini-comics over other selected portions of the aforementioned works by Emerson and Thoreau.

Thoreau at Walden is an excellent scaffolding text for any teacher seeking to demystify the transcendental movement for their students.

Late Pass?

2011-01-09T14:11:00.000-08:00

Hello? Anyone there?

...

After an AMAZING 2010 filled with a new job, new school, convention presentations, and an academic article or two, I'm "back to basics" and happy as a clam with my baby: the Teach Comics blog.

For the one or two of you who have been kind enough to follow this blog through its "non-existent" year, thank you...your patience and support are the stuff of legends.

Life has felt like it's been on warp speed for the past year, but along the way I've gotten the opportunity to meet some amazing comic creators, educators, and retailers all while gathering a ton of original and shared lesson plans, books, and just plain awesome comic stuff for implementing our favorite medium into classrooms, and I can't wait to share it all with you.

Which brings me to my next point:

With a new year comes a new goal for the rejuvenated Teach Comics blog. While I will still dedicate the lion's share of this year's posts to ready-to-use comic lesson plans, I will also be recommending books that I think are noteworthy for classroom libraries, linking to new and exciting on-line resources, talking about awesome some technology for teaching comics in the classroom, holding a contest (yes, that means prizes) and sharing some hopefully thought-provoking videos and articles about the dire importance of the comic medium and it's necessity in the 21st century classroom.

Okay, Teach Comics is back. Thanks for holding out, or stopping by to read this...I promise the next post will be much more entertaining and useful and a lot less like an apologetic, absentee boyfriend.

-Ian

P.S.- I'll try to post every Wednesday to start off, and if followers demand it I'll push it up to twice a week. That said, tonight I'm just too giddy and need to post something...I hope you enjoy it!

All Ages Graphic Novels

2009-07-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

A few elementary teachers (grades k-3) have recently requested a list of "kid-friendly" graphic novels to add to their classroom libraries. Below I've highlighted three books (or two books and one series) that I know are used at this age level with some success. That said, I also have these books on the shelves of my high school classroom because like all great children's lit., they're great stories for any age!

* A note to the faithful readers: Please add any of your own suggestions to the "comment" section below!

-Ian

Robot Dreams by Sara Varon

Varon's story of a dog who builds his own friend (a robot) contains a powerful, almost completely wordless narrative dealing with friendship, loss, and love. What I enjoy most about this graphic novel is that it works on so many levels, and can be analyzed by both elementary and high school students with great interest.

The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman and Dave Mckean

While this book can be a bit scary for those that spook easy, Wolves is really a story about family and the strength (and smarts) of children. You'll probably find this text in the "picture book" section of your local bookseller as opposed to the graphic novel shelf, but Mckean's beautiful sequntial images truly makes Wolves a real highlight of early-childhood graphic novels.

Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey

This hilarious series is the story of two enterprising elementary comic book creators, their principal, and the most unlikely hero of them all...Captain Underpants! I've met many teachers and young students alike who profess great love for this clothing-challenged avenger.

Teachers Talking Comics

2009-07-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

Today I visited the 2009 Maine Writing Project at the University of Maine in Orono. The MWP is an affiliate of the National Writing Project. MWP is dedicated to the improvement of teaching and learning across the curriculum at all grade levels.

I was invited by friends and colleagues to speak about professional development presentations and their natural progressions. I talked for an hour about my graduate studies involving comics and how that led me to hosting academic workshops and starting my beloved blog.

I couldn't ask for a better group to present to than the thirteen teachers who were present for this workshop. These folks give me hope for not only the future of our medium (as a teaching tool), but also for the future generations who will be lucky to have these progressive educators as teachers.

During the demo a few questions arose which I thought I would pass on to you, O' Kindly Reader(s). Let me know what you think by posting a response below...

QUESTION #1- Do you think comics have a place in canonical literature? If "yes," what would that place be?

QUESTION #2- Is there a particular type of student who would benefit more from graphic novels than traditional text?

QUESTION #3- Should teachers focus on building a library of graphic novel adaptations (of classical work)? Should they attain original-to-the-medium material? Or should there be a marriage of both on the classroom bookshelf?

-I know my answers. What do you think?

Comics in College???

2009-07-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

Do you have a student who wants to pursue a career in the comic book world? Well, did you know that there are actual college programs dedicated to the almighty comic book? Here are some of the most notable programs in this field (with links provided):

Emerson
-A relatively new program, Emerson's certificate program is truly indisciplinary in nature, spending equal time focusing on both the visual and word-based narratives.

The Center for Cartoon Studies
-Don't be fooled by the name- this is the "Artist's Artist" school. The curriculum traverses the vast landscape of sequential art, and the graduates have produced some of the most powerful autobiographical (and semi-autobiographical ) graphic novels in the past few years.

The Joe Kubert School
-This is the granddaddy of all academic studies in this particular field. Founded in 1976 by Joe Kubert (one of my personal heroes), The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art is dedicated to aspiring cartoonists who are dedicated to becoming professionals in cartooning, comic book, and the general field of commercial art.

Liberty vs. Security

2009-07-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

"Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither."

While Benjamin Franklin spoke these words well over two hundred years ago, this quote has gained new relevance in our post 9/11 world.

I've had an informal boy's book club up and running for some time now (which is not limited to just comics...though they are a favorite), and not too long ago I threw out this quote for my students to mentally chew on. Though I'm not that much older than my current kiddos, my adolescent years were over before America's "War on Terror" began. As we talked about this quote I noticed that my students' perspective on civil liberties varied greatly. As per my normal style, I quickly produced a graphic novel from my "free read" shelf that held both allegorical and thematic ties to the conversation at hand. That graphic novel was Marvel Comics' "Civil War."

In this teacher's humble opinion, "Civil War" is a powerful allegory for the modern American landscape we citizens navigate today. Surprisingly, when we see our favorite brightly-colored superheroes internally struggle with that same concept of liberty vs. security it reads like a punch to the gut. For example, how does Captain America, our country's fighting spirit personified, respond to government mandates for heroes? -The answer makes for some of the most exciting, heart-wrenching, and thought-provoking mainstream comic book reading of the past few years.

If you're a history or English teacher looking to spice things up with a timely debate, consider sharing this exciting book with your students.

The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli

2009-05-15T05:25:00.000-07:00

Ah, adventure stories.

If you all will allow me a moment of nostalgia...As a young child I remember watching syndicated episodes of the old Johnny Quest cartoon, and then creating my own action stories in my parent's backyard with my neighborhood friends. As I began reading on my own, the novels of Jules Verne and the Hardy Boys series captivated me. I mention this because I know my love of adventure stories (whether it be cartoons, novels, comics, etc.) is not out of the ordinary. As a high school teacher I've had a lot of luck hooking reluctant readers up with fast-paced action tales. Which brings me to Capt'n Eli...

As a reader, what I really like about the Capt'n Eli series is that author/artist Jay Piscopo embraces the lighthearted adventures of yesteryear. Heroes are clearly heroes and they have strong moral codes. In this blogger's humble opinion, our youth could use more heroes like Capt'n Eli today. Also, the fact that the ongoing story has ties to my native state of Maine and it's rocky coastline is a bonus. And yes, that main character's name is a tribute of sorts to the famous local root beer brand.

As an educator, I really appreciate how Jay and his team at Nemo Publishing have embraced the possibilities of comics as a teaching tool. Many larger comic book publishers could learn something about working with educators from the Capt'n Eli crew. On top of offering in-school workshops on illustration and storytelling, Jay Piscopo has a series of interactive cross-discipline lesson plans available for free on the Capt'n Eli website! -How cool is that?

As a teacher who believes in the potential of comics as a teaching tool I applaud Jay and Nemo Publishing on their efforts to bring the message to the masses. Capt'n Eli is a fun, light-hearted read, and coupled with the thoughtful lesson plans of Laura Richter these books would make a great addition to any classroom.

Age Appropriate Comics

2009-04-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

My friend Sarah is an elementary teacher with a dilemma. Sarah is interested in using comics in her classroom, but she finds it hard to acquire age-appropriate books from the graphic novel section of her local library and bookstore. Sound familiar?

I've met a lot of teachers who have expressed this same problem. At it's heart the issue is one of generalization- Almost all graphic novels at a bookstore or library are often times lumped together in one section. Like any other genre of literature, there is a rich diversity in comic book content, and until booksellers catch on to the fact that educators (and the general population) would appreciate a more elaborate organization system, it is up to parents and teachers to preview comics and deem content acceptable (or not) for their children and students.

That said, there is some good news. Many sites dedicated to comic books offer age-appropriate suggestions. Aside from those sites listed in the link section on the right hand side of this page, I would also encourage parents and educators to check out Lyga & Lyga's book Graphic Novels in Your Media Center: A Definitive Guide (Greenwood, 2004) as a great "road map" to the world of comic books in education.

If you find yourself still struggling over a particular book, take a look at these selection tips from the University of Buffalo's Library site (link on right):

To avoid unpleasant surprises, preview all comics before putting them out for the public. Many titles popular with older teens may be inappropriate for younger readers.

Be particularly wary of publishers with a reputation for controversial materials (e.g., DC's Vertigo imprint).

Learn to recognize authors known for using mature themes and language (e.g., Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis).

Learn as much about the comics industry as you can by reading comics journals, visiting Web sites, and participating in online SIGs and discussion groups.

Once again, get to know a local comics retailer you can trust. Most retailers are extremely sensitive to age-appropriate concerns and will be happy to share their views.

Include a statement about comics and graphic novels in your collection development policy, specifying what types of materials will be considered off-limits for your library.

Be prepared to address censorship challenges, should they arise.

-Hope this helps Sarah!

Looking at Adaptation and Characterization With Marvel's Hercules

2009-04-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

Rationale: Like many high schools, the one I work for requires English/language arts teachers to provide some introduction to mythology as literature. As a lover of myths, it bothers me greatly to hear students complain about how boring these classic stories are. If you are an educator who can relate, I'd like to suggest adding a little graphic novel reading to "spice up" your mythology lesson plans and draw in a few of those reluctant readers.

There are many graphic novel adaptations of mythology out there, but I like to use Marvel Comics' "Hercules: The New Labors." Why this text? I enjoy this book so much because it is a modern day retelling of the Greco-Roman Myth with the classic old-world protagonist attempting to adjust to our reality-television-addicted society.

That said, what I really like about reading this text is that it provides ample opportunity to talk about key literary terms like "adaptation" and "characterization." I like to merge this comic with the reading of the actual Twelve Labors of Hercules and discuss what the word "adaptation" or "re-imagining" real means and how they are similar and different from the original text (which also leads into discussions of theme and the nature of sequels). I also like to spend some time analyzing the Marvel Comics version of Hercules, who is a seemingly happy-go-lucky drunkard who is quite humorous and hold that up to the archetypal portrayal of the hero.

Grade Levels/ Content Area(s): High School (grades 11-12)/ Language Arts- English

Objective: Students will be able to analyze the literary nature of adaptations and discuss variations in characterization.

Time Alloted: Depending on class length. Two 90 minute classes or four 45 minute classes.

Materials: Hercules: The New Labors (Marvel Comics)

Vocabulary: mythology, characterization, adaptation, characterization, sequel

Direct Teaching: Have students read a selected number of the Twelve Labors of Hercules (usually 2-4) and then have them read "The New Labors." Ask them to record how the stories have changed. I like to focus questions which require the students to compare the classic text to the modern re-telling (such as how the creatures were portrayed, or how other gods, like Pluto, were characterized in each text). -This is a perfect time to present the word "adaptation" and discuss how it relates to literature.

Once you feel as though students have a handle on adaptation, ask them to do a character study of each version of Hercules. I like to provide students with a "t-chart" where they record their observations on each with citations to the texts. Students should be able to explain the similarities and differences in characterization by using the exposition, dialogue, and illustrations provided in each text.

*Sometimes I have students write a two page comparison/character analysis as a written product.

Race in Comics: A Character Study Through the Decades

2009-04-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

Rationale: Much like other forms of pop culture (television/film), comics haven't always embraced the idea of diversity. In American comics minorities where more often portrayed as antagonists to white heroes up through the early 1960s. While one of the first black heroes was the Batman-like Black Panther (tongue-in-cheek, anyone?), this character was relegated to supporting cast appearances in titles like Fantastic Four and Avengers up through the 70s. It seemed as though comics, like film and tv, were not ready to embrace the idea of minorities as protagonists in popular fiction.
All that changed in the mid-seventies with the rise of Black Cinema, or “Blaxploitation Films,” which featured characters like Shaft and Foxy Brown. These tough-as-nails, street-wise urban characters were often cited as both inspirations AND negative stereotypes.
America's two major comic book publishers (Marvel and DC) followed the lead of the film industry by producing their own minority protagonists in the vein of the aforementioned movie characters. DC Comics (home of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) featured Black Lightning- a passionate, and sometimes hot-headed, inner city teacher who dons a leisure suit get-up by night to combat the drug-pushers who haunt his students. Marvel comics (who publish Spider-man and Wolverine) produced their own leisure-suit wearing hero, Luke Cage: Power Man, who after doing time for a crime here didn't commit, gains super-strength and sets up shop in Harlem to handle the pimps and gang members...all while making a buck as the first “Hero for Hire.”
As fun and original as these characters were, many critics have argued that their stereotypical urban diction and exaggerated dress code only served to perpetuate the beliefs and assumptions many had towards urban blacks at this time in history.
What is interesting is that as film and television have progressed over the past 30 years to embrace minorities as well represented complex characters, comics have also mirrored the changing times by updating the origins and representations of their minority comics, taking them for one-dimensional stereotypes to well-structured heroes with their own rich mythologies. The leisure suits are gone, and while Black Lightning and Luke Cage are still heroes of the urban minorities, they are now presented as core characters in each publishers shared universe.

As a teacher of language arts, stereotypes is a concept I spend a lot of time talking about passed on the readings I do every year with my high school students. Many of us are familiar with talking about how stereotypes relate to Jews during WWII, or towards African Americans for the past 250 years, but what if you could supply your students with a more modern example? By using the original origin tales of these two characters students can see how American culture viewed our minority population only 30 years ago. If you combine these original stories with the updated re-worked origins, students can also see how popular perceptions have changed over time and influenced what we believe and value as a culture.

Grade Levels/ Content Area(s): Middle School, High School/ U.S. History, Civics, Language Arts- English

Objective: Students will be able to analyze how stereotypes are portrayed in pop culture and how they change over time.

Time Alloted: Depending on class length. One 90 minute class or two 45 minute classes.

Materials: Black Lightning Archives #1/ Black Lightning: Year One (both from DC Comics)
Essential Luke Cage/Power Man Vol. 1/ New Avengers Issue #22

Vocabulary: stereotype, origin

Direct Teaching: Ask students to consider the word “stereotype.” I often have my classes do a word association on the board which leads us into a discussion of majority and minority cultures.
Introduce either (or both) the original Black Lightning and Luke Cage texts and have students keep track of the representations of the main characters. You may have them consider questions like:

How would you describe Black Lightning/ Luke Cage's personality?
Do these characters seem believable (why or why not)?
Does anything seem different about these protagonists from others that you've encountered?

If you are a history teacher this would be the perfect time to move into a conversation about the media's perception of minorities during this time period.
After the original text has been read, ask student to consider how our cultures perspective on minorities (specifically Black Americans) has changed over the past thirty years. As students consider this question, have them read the modern re-tellings of the characters origins and respond again to the questions listed above.

After reading, have students create a chart where they compare the two tales and discuss how time and changes in culture have influenced our perceptions of minorities in fiction.

Like BONE? Check these out...

2009-04-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

BONE, by Jeff Smith, is one of the most popular comics/graphic novels in publication today. Not only is this Tolkien-meets-Disney epic a hit within the traditional comics community, but this story has become a staple on k-12 school bookshelves throughout the world.

What you may not know is that Bone has two lesser-known sister books. "Stupid Stupid Rat Tails" and "Rose" expand upon the unique world of Fone Bone, Thorn, and the rat creatures that so many of us love.

Comics from Maine!

2009-04-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

The Pine Tree State has often been considered a home of writers and artists. From E.B. White and Stephen King to the Wyeth family of painters, the state of Maine seems to naturally foster creative people.

Maine also has quite a few professional comic creators.

At the request of a few local teachers, I want to mention a few comic creators who have ties to Maine (whether they live here or just write about it).

NOTE: This is by no means a complete list of creators from Maine. This is just a short list of Maine-related comic-folk who produce work SUITABLE FOR K-12 STUDENTS. -ENJOY!

Maine Book #1: Salt Water Taffy

2009-04-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

While Matthew Loux isn't from Maine, he spent a lot of time visiting our coast as a child. Those treks to our shoreline have obviously influenced his amazing new series from Oni Press- "Salt Water Taffy"

"Salt Water Taffy: The Legend of Old Salty" centers around two brothers, Jack and Benny Putnam, who spend their summer vacation in the fictional Maine village "Chowder Bay." In their first adventure they meet up with quite possibly the coolest fisherman ever, mysterious seagulls, and a prehistoric lobster. -This book is labeled as all ages, and it really fits the bill. I have this book on my high school bookcase, but I could also see it used in fourth grade (or anywhere in-between).

-I found that kids really get a kick out of analyzing the stereotypical "Maine coastal village"- which provides for great conversation in class.

Check this book out!

Maine Book #2: Skullboy

2009-04-07T08:14:00.000-07:00

Maine Book #1:

THE MIGHTY SKULLBOY ARMY

I would highly recommend this book for the 5-8 grade level. The story follows the criminally-mischievous Skullboy and his pals (a monkey and a robot) as they attempt to balance world domination with surviving grade school.

Creator Jacob Chabot is from northern Maine, and while he no longer resides here, I've met him before and enjoyed a great conversation about surviving long Maine winters by reading tons of comics. Chabot's art is clean and comical and appeals greatly to the cartoon-addicted middle school population. That said, as an adult I still love his books because the humor is spot-on. To create a humor comic with cross-generational appeal is no easy feat, but Chabot nails it.

I HIGHLY recommend this book for any teacher's classroom library

Science Comics!

2009-04-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

Comics in the language arts classroom isn't such a radical idea these days, but what about in your biology lab? I think its well past time we show our science teachers some comic book love...

Last year I introduced a good friend and colleague (who teaches high school biology and physical science) to a great comic called "Two-Fisted Science."

TFS contains a series of vignettes which introduce readers to important scientific minds from throughout history. My friend the science teacher uses this book to introduce relevant scientists at the beginning of new units or topics.

Some of the stories are better than others, but it seems that overall TFS makes for a nice break from the textbook sidebar biography.

*I think its important to mention that my science friend also uses the Mac application "Comic Life" for reports on communicable viruses (see above)...Be sure to check out the link to the "Comic Life Tutorial" under the "Great Sites" section of this blog!

Building Inference Skills Through Comics

2009-04-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about comics/ graphic novels is that they constantly challenge the reader's ability to make inferences. All teachers of language arts know that in order to be a competent reader a student must first develop their critical thinking and hypothesis-making skills. Consider the following lesson plan as more of a repeatable activity that can be done over and over to strengthen the aforementioned skills will also tapping into visual literacy cues.

Inference Activity

Rationale: Having a strong inferential reading ability is necessary to successful engagement with (and comprehension of) any and all texts. In order to bolster both the text-based and visual inference skills of my students I often times rely on the segmented structure of comics. When working on inference skills, I ask students to look at and analyze single panels, pages, and eventually whole comics. This “building block” activity (where students build upon the knowledge in prior steps to make new inferences) piques their interest and gives them a digestible amount of information to work with (instead of asking them to make inferences over whole chapters or entire books).

Grade Levels/ Content Area(s): Middle School, High School/ Language Arts- English

Objective: Students will be able to build inference skills

Time Alloted: Depending on class length. One 90 minute class or two 45 minute classes.

Materials: Any comic/ graphic novel. I like to use “American Born Chinese” or the Marvel Comics book “411”.

Vocabulary: inference, hypothesis

Direct Teaching: Display a single panel from your chosen comic on a piece of paper (I like to use a panel with no words, but with a lot of visual information). Ask students to “read the image” by recording what they think the panel means directly on the paper. Have students draw lines to the visual clues they detect. After sharing student hypotheses, repeat the process with the entire page from which the panel comes.
I will use this process as either a frontloading activity for reading, or as a simple, fun inference exercise. The key is to make sure that students are accounting for the context clues they discover.

My Favorite Book

2009-04-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

Please excuse this break in the lesson plans... I promise it is for a good reason.

For anyone interested in using comics in the classroom (which is hopefully everyone who visits this site), I cannot recommend Terry Thompson's book "Adventures in Graphica: Using Comics and Graphic Novels to Teach Comprehension" (Stenhouse) enough.

While the book is billed for the 2-6 grade level, I've found that it is very translatable to high school. Thompson really knows his stuff, and provides a plethora of useful strategies and activities to engage the reader and writer in all of our students.

The Comic Book Research Paper

2009-04-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

Rationale: The writing of a research paper can often times be a laborious process for both student and teacher alike. Sadly, many students find the process so mind-numbing that the only long term outcome of the paper is that it scares away many potential writers (who post-research look at writing as a chore).

After reading Minx Comix's “The Plain Janes” with a few of my 11th graders we had a great afternoon conversation about the main character's belief that “ART SAVES.” Within a year this replaced the traditional research paper question.

I found that my students interest in researching different artistic genres to defend their positions really brought new life to the research phase of the paper construction.

Below I'll present my frontloading activities the requirements of my research paper. Our school requires MLA format, but you may substitute any citation style.

Grade Levels/ Content Area(s): Middle School, High School/ Language Arts- English

Objective: Students will be able to construct a research paper on an assigned question with individually collected data.

Time Alloted: Depending on class length. 3 90 minute class or 6 45 minute classes.

Materials: The Plain Janes (vol.1)

Vocabulary: research, data, citation, works cited, reference

Anticipatory Set: Before reading “The Plain Janes,” have students consider/discuss the following questions:

-To you, what does the word “community” mean?

-In your opinion, what is art?

-What kind of art appeals to you?

-In the broadest sense, what does it mean to be saved?

-Can art save a person? If “yes,” how?

*You may also consider showing students images of visual art (architecture, paintings, etc.), or recordings of literature and music before asking the questions above.

Direct Teaching:
After you feel as though students are ready to move on, assign “The Plain Janes.” The reading usually takes my high school students 2 45 minute class periods.

Once students have completed the reading we approach the frontloading questions again. After some discussion, I assign the following papers:

RESEARCH PAPER
After reading the graphic novel “The Plain Janes,” support or refute the claim made throughout that “ART SAVES.”

To defend your position, select two (3) works of visual art (paintings, illustration, sculpture, architecture), music, or prose (poetry, lyrics, short story, portions of a novel) to defend your stance (or one of each). Each piece must be accompanied by a documented analysis of the work from a reputable source (published reviews are recommended).

Paper Expectations:

-5 page minimum (double-spaced)
-parenthetical reference (the book and research texts)
-reference page in MLA format

*Don't forget to factor in time for research and writing workshops.