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Blog

Happy Comics Out Loud! Day

One of our proudest achievements is launching Comics Out Loud!, a day where we celebrate comic books in the classroom. This year we’ve had over 500 educators pledge to join us in this celebration. They are in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, and Chile! We don’t want to stop there though. We want to celebrate comics in the classroom year round! Help us make that a reality by pledging to make Comics Out Loud! Year Round.

How Comics Enhance Learning

The following guest post is from David Cutler’s Spin Education and is reposted with permission. You can listen to audio of David’s interview with Bucky Carter at the original post at Spin Education. In Captain America: The Winter Solider, smashing the box office at a theater near your, a brainwashed, bionic arm-wielding “Bucky” squares off against the titular hero. As fate would have it, last week I spoke to another Bucky. But other than a shared name, this Bucky resembles not at all the villain portrayed on the silver screen. Then again, perhaps that’s not entirely true. Both are very involved with […] Read More

Eisner Nominations for Younger Readers

Today the nominees for the Eisner Awards, sometimes called the Academy Awards of comics, were announced. There are three categories recognizing work for younger readers. Congratulations to these very worthy nominees! Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7) Benjamin Bear in Bright Ideas, by Philippe Coudray (TOON Books) The Big Wet Balloon, by Liniers (TOON Books) Itty Bitty Hellboy, by Art Baltazar and Franco (Dark Horse) Odd Duck, by Cecil Castellucci and Sara Varon  (First Second) Otto’s Backwards Day, by Frank Cammuso (with Jay Lynch) (TOON Books) Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12) The Adventures of Superhero Girl, by Faith Erin Hicks (Dark Horse) […] Read More

Enhancing History with Graphic Novels

History is visceral. It’s filled with war, assassinations, plagues, and intrigue. So why do kids groan when it’s time to pull out the history textbook? Because up until recently, history was being taught using dry, huge texts that taught kids to regurgitate facts and dates, without any real involvement with the amazing stories that lay between the pages. Thankfully, this has been an evolving process. Textbooks now feature color spreads and chunk information into readable, processable, relatable pieces of information. Databases on the Internet allow students to retrieve audio and video news reports, personal stories, and targeted documentaries to enhance […] Read More

Turning Struggling Students into Superheroes: Comic Books as Teaching Tools

The following guest post is an excerpt from Michael Strom’s graduate thesis Finding Comfort in Comics: Using Comic Books and Graphic Novels to Reach Struggling Male Readers. Strom is a graduate student at C.W. Post where he is pursuing his Masters of Science in Literacy. This article first appeared at Teach.com and is reposted with permission. The Hero’s Journey I don’t remember what it was about reading that got me hooked so young. Did I really enjoy it, or was I pressured into it from my mom? Either way, I didn’t fight it. Reading was the ultimate adventure, and I was the hero […] Read More

AMP! Comics for Kids to publish Reading With Pictures: The Graphic Textbook

Andrews McMeel Publishing (AMP) has entered an agreement to publish READING WITH PICTURES: THE GRAPHIC TEXTBOOK, an educational graphic anthology produced by the nonprofit organization Reading With Pictures. The book will be released in August 2014. THE GRAPHIC TEXTBOOK unites the finest creative talents in the comics industry with the nation’s leading experts in visual literacy to create a game-changing tool for the classroom and beyond. This full-color volume features more than a dozen short stories (fiction and nonfiction) that address topics in Social Studies, Math, Language Arts, and Science, through an immersive textual and visual experience that kids will […] Read More

ALA Award Winning Books in Comic Format

Hey, That’s Comics! The American Library Association has announced the 2014 Youth Media Award Winners. A number of the winners and honorees utilize comic or graphic novel formats. Bring the power of comics into your classroom with these award-winning books!         Winner of the Newberry Medal Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, by Kate DiCamillo and K. G. Campbell “It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic […] Read More

What’s New in the Database – January 2014

We’ve added some great new resources to the Reading With Pictures database, including a great introduction to comics by Jessica Abel, several science comics perfectly suited for use in classrooms, and a long-form comic on copyright law. We hope these resources will help you bring the power of comics to your students.   “What is a Graphic Novel?” by Jessica Abel “What is a ‘Graphic Novel?’” is a condensed introduction to what comics are, how they work, and how to read them. Originally drawn by Jessica in 2002 for the site artbomb.net, it serves as great introduction for newcomers into the world […] Read More

Marek Bennett on the Comics Exchange Program in Nicaragua

Marek Bennett’s COMICS WORKSHOPS have provided discovery-based hands-on comics education for schools, libraries, and community organizations since 2002.  Bennett’s teaching and travel work has resulted in several graphic novels, including NICARAGUA COMICS TRAVEL JOURNAL (2009), SLOVAKIA: FALL IN THE HEART OF EUROPE (2011), and his current project with coffee-producing communities in Central America. [ www.MarekBennett.com ] In this post, Bennett describes a single session in COMICS WORKSHOP’s ongoing international “Comics Exchange” program between sister towns in New England and Nicaragua.  Using the medium of comics to make his case, Bennett presents a glimpse of some of the challenges and advantages of the comics […] Read More

2015 – an exciting year ahead!

We’re very excited about what has happened in 2014 and look forward to sharing all the great news and programs with you as we move into 2015. Reading With Pictures is about to launch the largest collection of comic book literacy materials the world has seen. Our organization has big plans and we need your help! With your support, our organization plans on: Spread the word on “Reading With Pictures: Comics That Make Kids Smarter” Help teachers with awesome lesson plans, like this free one from Andrews McMeel Launching a comic book recommendations and reviews section to our searchable database Continue […] Read More