Diamond Bookshelf #19

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Image Offers Readers the Gift of Adventure in

The Kids Comics Issue:

TOP 25 KIDS GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR 2015 Favorite Graphic Novels Every Collection Needs The Ins & Outs of Kids Licensed Comics

PLUS:

• A preview of IDW’s Angry Birds/Transformers • An interview with Jeremy Whitley, creator of Princeless from Action Lab • Lesson plans, reviews, and more!

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WELCOME TO BOOKSHELF T HE GR APH I C N OV EL RES OURCE FO R EDU CA TOR S A ND LIB R A R IA NS Graphic Novels have a lot to offer as literature, educational tools, entertainment and more!

Whether you are a teacher or reading specialist seeking to incorporate graphic novels into the classroom; or a librarian or media specialist looking to add graphic novels to your collection, our mission with the Diamond BookShelf is to provide you with comprehensive information on the latest graphic novel news, reviews and events.

Sign Up NOW For Our Monthly e-Newsletter ● www.DiamondBookShelf.com/Subscribe

Image Offers Readers the Gift of Adventure in

The Kids Comics Issue:

TOP 25 KIDS GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR 2015 Favorite Graphic Novels Every Collection Needs The Ins & Outs of Kids Licensed Comics

PLUS:

TABLE OF CONTENTS SPECIAL FEATURES

The Best Comics for Kids.................................. 9 BookShelf looks at the top graphic novels for young readers

Kids Comics Pioneers....................................... 17 A look at kids graphic novel publisher Papercutz

The Ins & Outs of Kids Licensed Comics......... 20 Publishers thrive with popular licensed characters

Reliving the Magic...........................................23

On Our Cover

Joe Books brings Disney classics to comics

A box that grants wishes might seem like a great gift, but a young girl learns differently in Penny Dora and the Wishing Box. Writer Michael Stock discusses his new graphic novel series on page 24.

Michael Stock unlocks the secrets of Penny Dora and the Wishing Box

Careful What You Wish For...............................24 Rekindling the Dream.................................... 26 Eric Shanower discusses his graphic novel Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland

Escape from the Ivory Tower...........................28 An interview with Princeless creator Jeremy Whitley

Ro-Birds in Disguise......................................... 35 A preview of IDW Publishing’s Angry Birds/ Transformers: Age of Eggstinction

EDUCATORS

How to Bring Graphic Novels into the Classroom... 32 Middle School Librarian Mariela Siegert on how she teaches kids to effectively read comics

• A preview of IDW’s Angry Birds/Transformers • An interview with Jeremy Whitley, creator of Princeless from Action Lab

Katie’s Korner..................................................38

• Lesson plans, reviews, and more!

HOW TO USE THIS PUBLICATION The BookShelf magazine was created as a compliment to Diamond’s BookShelf website. With this publication, you’ll find articles designed to introduce you to the world of graphic novels and help you learn how to integrate them into your classroom or library. You’ll also find reviews, core lists, reference recommendations and special extras to help you get started.

If you want to know what comics and graphic novels are and how or why to use them, or if you are already familiar with graphic novels and are looking for a great resource to improve your collection… Read on!

Prof. Katie Monnin reviews Cast Away on the Letter A: A Philemon Adventure and Rabbids Vol. 1: Bwaaaaah!!, with suggestions for how they can be used in the classroom

LIBRARIANS

Choosing Comics for Kids................................30

Making sure your graphic novel collections are ageappropriate, by librarian David Serchay

DEPARTMENTS

Graphic Novels 101............................................5 News and Notes.................................................8 Reviews............................................................40 Core Lists.........................................................42 Resources.........................................................45 Editor: Mark Banaszak

Read BookShelf Online!

To read a pdf version of previous issues of Diamond BookShelf, visit http://bit.ly/BookShelfMag

Contributing Writers: Katie Monnin, Vince Brusio Designer: Belinda Miller Special Thanks to: Cindy Anderson, Roger Fletcher, Steve Geppi, Allan Greenberg, Kuo-Yu Liang, Dan Manser, Tom Sadowski PRINTED IN CANADA

© 2015 Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. All rights reserved. Diamond, the Diamond logo, Diamond Books logo, Diamond BookShelf logo and diamondbookshelf.com are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Diamond Comic Distributors in the United States and/or other countries.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective copyright owners.

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GRAPHIC NOVELS 101 WHAT A R E G R APHIC NOV ELS AND COMICS? GRAPHIC NOVEL can be used to denote both the content and the format of a book. When speaking of content, a graphic novel is a long, self-contained story depicted as a pictorial narrative, often taking the form of a comic book. In terms of format, however, the words “graphic novel” can be used to describe any pictorial narrative that looks like a book, whether it is a self-contained story, a chapter in a longer serial, an anthology of different work or a non-fiction text depicted in comic book form.

A COMIC BOOK is the traditional periodical form most people are familiar with. A comic book can stand on its own or be part of a SERIES. A series is also sometimes called a “title,” which refers to the entire series, not a single discrete unit.

DON’T BE. Before taking the plunge and using comic books in your instruction, you may be hesitant about the appropriateness of the content of the comic. Some misperceptions of the comic book medium are that it is rife with graphic depictions of sex, nudity, or worse. But while there certainly are titles that meet that description, it is impossible to pigeonhole the diverse landscape of comics into a single slot.

As with any form of literature, comics and graphic novels run the gamut from kid-friendly to adult and represent every kind of genre imaginable. Also like other forms of literature and entertainment, not every comic book or graphic novel may be suitable to your classroom. Remember, the comic book is a format, not a genre. It is just another unique medium used to tell a story.

Sometimes multiple issues of a series are collected into one volume. It can be hardcover or softcover. Softcover editions are often called TRADE PAPERBACKS or just TRADES, regardless of size. A smaller size paperback (the typical size for manga collections) can also be referred to as a DIGEST.

Yes: some comics may contain objectionable language, graphic depictions of violence, or sexual content.

However, this is also the case when talking about prose novels, films, television programs, computer games, etc.

Your students are most likely already exposed to such thing on television, in the music they listen to, and in the video games they play.

When a story is published in the hardcover or softcover format first (that is, without periodical serialization), it is referred to as a GRAPHIC NOVEL and only a graphic novel.

Many of these terms are interchangeable, as you can see. A “graphic novel” can refer to a hardcover or softcover, to a reprint collection or an original story. Similarly, all of the formats referenced can be called “comics” or “comic books.”

GRAPHICA and SEQUENTIAL ART are both terms frequently used in the academic community to describe all of these formats.

www.DiamondBookShelf.com

provides more great introductory information about graphic novels and comics, including: • What is Manga? • A Brief History of Comics • A Brief History of the Graphic Novel • A History of Comics in Education • A Glossary of Frequently Used Terms AND MORE! Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DiamondBookShelf and Twitter at www.Twitter.com/DiaBookShelf

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CONCERNED ABOUT COMICS?

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“But that doesn’t mean they should be exposed to such things in my classroom,” you may reply. And we agree with you wholeheartedly. Any comic found objectionable should be excluded from your classroom or school library. We ask only that you realize that not all comics — or even the majority of comics, for that matter — should be so excluded. Obviously, when choosing a particular title, some discretion will be involved. But for every objectionable or offensive title in the market, there are many, many more that are not only appropriate, but also critically acclaimed and respected works of art.

Even as conservative an organization as the Parents Television Council has endorsed comic books in schools, commenting that they “may be the best thing to happen for kids who resist the written word.”* Your community standards and mores will prevail, as they should: Be sure to investigate a new comic book or graphic novel with the same vigor and critical eye you would apply to any addition to your classroom. Depending on the class and/or lesson you are teaching, a comic’s suitability can vary; preview the graphic novel’s content before assigning it to your students.

Taking a few simple steps to educate yourself will prepare you for the concerns of others and alleviate your own as well! * Gustafson, Rod. “Help for Reluctant Readers” (06/29/04)

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GRAPHIC NOVELS 101 ST A R T I N G A G R APHIC NOV EL CO LLEC TION Deciding to include comic books and graphic novels in your collection is the first step into a larger world. Now, you must decide what to do once you’re there. Here are some basic steps on your path to using graphic novels in your collection:

1. Determine Needs

First, you need to ascertain what books you would like to incorporate into your collection. Perhaps you have one or two graphic novels already, or you may be deciding to carry these books for the first time. You’ll need to decide which books would be appropriate for your community of readers, which books they’re hankering for, and which books would delight and surprise them.

2. Find An Expert

You don’t have to possess an encyclopedic knowledge of comics and graphic novels to successfully integrate them into your library’s offerings. There are people out there who can advise you on what books are valuable. For instance, you almost certainly already have readers in your library community with an understanding and love of graphic novels. You can also reach out to the independent comic book retailers in your area who are armed with detailed information about this area of reading they have a vested interest in supporting.

(See “How to Order Comics & Graphic Novels” at the back of this publication for information on how to find and work with your local comic book store.) And, of course, you can also feel free to contact those of us at the Diamond BookShelf!

3. Purchase Graphic Novels

Once you have consulted with your readers, experts in the field, and any others who can offer insight, you’ll be ready with a list of titles of graphic novels to acquire for your library.

4. Decide How To Catalog/

Where To Shelve

Now you need to decide where to put them!

Diamond provides information on cataloging to make integrating graphic novels into your collection easier.

You can find these tools at www.DiamondBookShelf.com.

In terms of shelving you have a number of options. See “How to Catalogue Comics” for a comprehensive look at cataloging and shelving options and resources.

5. Promote Your Graphic Novels

You could have the finest graphic novel collection in history, but if no one knows about, it won’t matter.

The success of your collection relies on a certain level of promotion. If you don’t get the word out, no one will know the books are there. Start including the news about your graphic novels into your existing newsletters, pamphlets, and other promotional materials. Put up easy-toread signs at the entrances to your library so that nobody who enters will fail to know about the new additions. Add the news to your e-mail correspondence. Contact your local media and encourage them to do a story about your library’s efforts to expand and enhance readership through this vital art form. Stage contests, offer giveaways, and plan fun events. Coordinate promotions with your local comic book retailer.

6. Evaluate Success/ Circulation Data

After a certain period of time, you’re going to want to crunch the numbers. Measuring the graphic novel circulation at your library indicates the extent to which your readers are using this new library resource and will help you evaluate the success of the program. It will THERE IS NO NATIONAL STANDARD when it comes to the also point you in appropriateness or selection of graphic novels. Therefore, the best the right direction titles to include can vary from library to library. It is vital — once as to which titles and series to snap you’ve decided on a particular book — to read through the book up in the future!

yourself. What might pass muster in some communities may not pass muster in yours. This website and the various resources listed throughout are your best starting points if you are approaching comics from a starter’s perspective.

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THREE CATEGORIES TO KEEP IN MIND: 1. BESTSELLERS Lists of bestselling graphic novels can be obtained each month from w w w. D i a m o n d B o o k S h e l f . c o m .

Additionally, resources such as the New York Times’ weekly Graphic Books Bestseller List and BookScan: www.bookscan.com

can

provide

8. Make Graphic Novels

a Regular Part of Your

Ordering Cycle

similar information for the highest selling graphic novels in the bookstore market.

Once you’ve talked to your readers and assessed your circulation data to see how successful the addition of comic books and graphic novels has been, you’ll want to keep the ball rolling. An established graphic novel program in your library needs to be sustained, and making graphic novels a regular part of your ordering cycle will ensure the vibrancy of your collection. Including these titles in your regular decisions on what books to carry will help make them a significant and popular segment of your library.

2. CRITICALLY

ACCLAIMED TITLES Graphic novels that have received stellar reviews and won literary awards are sure to generate interest in the medium, will attract new readers and also make a great case for having

a

graphic

lection.

There

are

novel a

7. Poll Patrons

Never forget to meet the needs of your readership. Consulting the experts and embarking on your own research into which titles to carry is a necessary element of this program, but asking your patrons what they want is also crucial. Poll your patrons to find out what other titles they’d like to add to the collection. The flourishing graphic novel collection at a library will greatly depend on the actual requests of the readers being served.

col-

number

of literary publications that review graphic novels, including Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, School Library Journal, Booklist, VOYA and others. See pages 40-41 for a selection of recent reviews.

3. MEDIA TIE-INS Titles that tie in to hit movies, games, novels and TV shows are sure to appeal to fans of the same. Many Manga titles are also TV cartoons, and many blockbuster movies are adapted from comic books.

REMEMBER: As with any collection development, there is a period of experimentation during which you will learn which titles will circulate and which will not. You cannot judge the effectiveness of a graphic novel collection with a handful of titles, any more than you would do so with a handful of DVDs or audiobooks. If there’s no room in your budget to make a large initial purchase, start small and evaluate regularly. Add titles as you can, polling your patrons, reading review sources, and keeping diversity in mind.

As time goes on, you will find the right combination for your readership and community.

The BookShelf newsletter stays Soon, you’ll come to realize that comic books and graphic novels are an engaging and vibrant form of literature, and the promotional possibilities for your library are endless!

current with the latest media tie-ins and adaptations.

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T

O

P

10 REASONS

WHY COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS PROMOTE LITERACY

1.

They bring a whole new group of readers into the library.

2.

There’s no dearth of material that appeals to boys, and there’s a growing body of material that appeals to girls too.

3.

They engage the reluctant reader — and appeal to gifted readers, too.

4.

They help increase kids’ vocabulary — studies show, even more than movies, television, or adult books!

5.

They are a multi-modal form of communication (meaning is communicated through visual context, not just words), similar to spoken language, and are thus a great bridge to written language.

6.

Visual literacy is increasingly important in 21st century society.

7.

They stimulate the imagination and model visualization for readers.

8.

They offer dynamic and high-interest supplementary material for a wide range of disciplines -- not just English but also history, civics, science, art, geography, and more.

9.

They appeal to boys’ kinesthenic and visual tendencies, and help girls strengthen theirs.

10.

They create a gateway to literature!

Comics and Literacy: A Powerful Team-Up! “The presence of comics in a junior high school library resulted in a dramatic 82% increase in library traffic and a 30% increase in circulation of non-comic books.”

- Dorrell & Carroll School Library Journal

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NEWS AND NOTES Graphic Novel Named National Book Critics Circle Best Autobiography New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast’s graphic memoir Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?

(Bloomsbury, 978-1-60819-806-1) was awarded Best Autobiography for 2014 by the National Book Critics Circle, presented March 12 in a ceremony at the New School in New York City.

TCAF Opens Shop in Toronto Public Library

Chast’s graphic novel chronicles the last years of her parents’ lives, as she found herself having to take increasing care of her parents and both prepare for and cope with their eventual deaths.

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? had already been honored with the inaugural Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction and was a 2014 National Book Awards Finalist. The National Book Critics Circle called Chast’s graphic novel a “revelatory, insightful and often hilarious graphic memoir about the aging and deaths of her parents.”

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? is the first graphic novel to win the Best Autobiography award.

The Toronto Comics and Arts Festival has drawn comic fans and creators together in the Toronto Reference Library since 2009, the first year of the annual event which includes panels, readings, gallery shows, and more. Along with the festivities, each TCAF event also brought with it a pop-up store which offered attendees numerous graphic novels as well as comic-related items to take home (and keep, unlike in the rest of the library). In March, the store became a permanent fixture for the library with the opening of Page & Panel: The TCAF Shop. With nearly 2,000 square feet of space, the store will be open year-round and will serve as the library’s gift shop, with profits going toward TCAF. The Toronto Comics and Arts Festival brings in about 22,000 people to the library annually.

Harvard University Press Publishes Graphic Novel Dissertation

Nick Sousanis approached his Ph.D. dissertation a bit differently than most: he decided that the best way to present his work in interdisciplinary studies was in comic form. Not only did he successfully defend the dissertation and receive his degree from Teachers College Columbia University, but the dissertation itself was published by Harvard University Press. Unflattening ($22.95, 978-0-67474-443-1) is the first graphic novel to be published by the press, and presents Sousanis’ examination into the power of visual literacy.

“An important concept I’ve been playing with recently is that comics in many ways mirror ‘the shape of our thoughts’ in ways that a lined sheet of paper is quite limited in representing or facilitating,” Sousanis said in a BookShelf interview conducted while he was creating the dissertation.

“I think an education that embraces the multiple ways we think and that our ideas take shape is one that allows students to more fully explore the possibilities for expression and opens pathways for them to find their own way. Comics and visual thinking more generally, I believe, are an important piece of that.”

The full interview with Nick Sousanis can be read here: http://ow.ly/KMVi2

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THE BEST COMICS FOR KIDS

BOOKSHELF LOOKS AT THE TOP GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR YOUNG READERS

T

oday, comic books and graphic novels are recognized for their value to readers of all ages, not only as pure entertainment but also an effective teaching tool. A quick search for books and articles on teaching with comics elicits a multitude of resources (including many on the Diamond BookShelf web site) which demonstrate comics’ effectiveness in helping kids learn a variety of skills, including visual literacy and vocabulary. But along with their educational qualities, comics are just plain fun to read, something kids have appreciated since the art form began.

Each year, the non-profit organization Every Child a Reader presents Children’s Book Week, a nationwide initiative to encourage childhood literacy, held in schools, libraries, bookstores,

and more. This year, the organization teamed up with Diamond Comic Distributors and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund to have Children’s Book Week launch on Free Comic Book Day, May 2.

This collaboration brings attention not only to childhood literacy, but to the wide variety of comics and graphic novels created for younger readers.

In partnership with Diamond sister site KidsComics.com, BookShelf offers a list of kid-friendly graphic novel recommendations, highlighting key titles released throughout 2015, as well as classic titles that every collection should have. To read the lists online, and get more information about Children’s Book Week– as well as kid-friendly comics in general–visit KidsComics.com.

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TOP KIDS GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR 2015 Ariol: A Nasty Cat

By Emmanuel Guibert and Marc Boutavant Papercutz - 978-162991-157-1 Release Date: February 18 In the latest volume of the acclaimed French graphic novel series, grade school boy Ariol (who happens to be a donkey) finds his pleasant school life disrupted by Timberwolf, a fight-picking ill-mannered cat. Worst of all, Petunia, the object of Ariol’s affections, actually likes that cat!

The Crogan Adventures: Catfoot’s Vengeance

By Chris Schweizer Oni Press – 978-162010-203-9 Release Date: April 15 The historical fiction series is presented in a new, full color edition.

Catfoot finds himself pressed into a pirate’s life in the West Indies, but will the plots of a murderous first mate bring disaster on the entire crew?

Figment

By Jim Zub and Filipe Andrade Marvel Comics – 978-0-78519099-8 Release Date: May 6 Disney’s little purple dragon, who acts as mascot for the Epcot Journey into Imagination! attraction, takes the spotlight in this story which reveals his creation by the inventor the Dreamfinder, and the adventures they find themselves in.

Bee and Puppycat

Disney’s Cinderella Cinestory

Fishfishfish

By Various BOOM! Studios 978-1-60886487-4 Release Date: April 15

By Various Joe Books – 978-192651-605-9 Release Date: April 8

By Lee Nordling and Meritxell Bosch Lerner Publishing Group – 978-146774-576-5 Release Date: April 1

The popular animated web series spins into comics. Temp worker Bee and her curmudgeonly partner Puppycat take on a number of jobs, from cleaning house to finding plants, in a whimsical take on the “magical girl” genre.

Cleopatra in Space Book 2: The Sword and the Thief

By Mike Maihack Graphix – 978-054552-845-0 Release Date: April 29 The young Egyptian queen (now stuck in the far future) must recover her stolen sword while juggling school and a prophecy that names her the savior of the universe. Book 1 made the 2015 YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens and Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers lists.

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The classic Disney film adaptation of the familiar folk tale is presented in graphic novel form, using still shots from the film itself as the panels and presenting the full dialogue from the movie. The full story of Cinderella, her wicked stepmother and sisters, her Fairy Godmother, Prince Charming, and the glass slipper is told here.

Disney’s Inside Out Cinestory

By Various Joe Books – 9781-92651-687-5 Release Date: June 17 The newest Pixar film is adapted in this graphic novel made from stills from the movie.

An 11 year old girl named Riley moves across the country, and her personified emotions try to handle their newfound home.

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Every fish has a point of view, from the smallest to the largest, and this wordless graphic novel explores life under the water from the perspectives of three very different fish.

Howtoons: [Re]Ignition Volume 1

By Fred Van Lente and Tom Fowler Image Comics – 978-1-63215056-1 Release Date: February 25 Celine and Tuck – the sibling stars of the Howtoons instructional series – return in a new story that takes them into the future, where society has collapsed. Features instructions for kids to make new inventions at home, while explaining the science behind them.

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TOP KIDS GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR 2015 Johnny Boo Meets Dragon Puncher

By James Kochalka Top Shelf Productions – 9781-60309-368-2 Release Date: June 17 James Kochalka brings two of his acclaimed kids titles together in this offbeat crossover. Will the best little ghost in the world and a robot-kitty-warrior be enough to stop the dreaded Ice Dragon?

Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland

By Eric Shanower and Gabriel Rodriguez IDW Publishing – 978-1-63140322-4 Release Date: May 13 Windsor McCay’s classic comic strip is revived in this graphic novel from the creator of Adventures in Oz. The princess of Slumberland has chosen Nemo to be her new playmate – no matter how he feels about it!

The Lumberjanes Volume 1

By Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, and Brooke A. Allen BOOM! Studios – 978-1-60886-687-8 Release Date: April 1 Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley may be facing supernatural critters, secret caves, and magical quests, but they’re not going to let any of it stop them having a great time at camp!

The Lunch Witch Volume 1

By Deb Lucke Papercutz – 978-162991-162-5 Release Date: March 20 Grunhilda comes from generations of witches. But when no one believes in magic, what job is left for her and her foul brews, but lunch lady? When a young girl becomes the witch’s friend, she’ll find her real work cut out for her.

Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor

By Nathan Hale Amulet Books – 978-1-41971536-5 Release Date: April 22 Nathan Hale continues his series focusing on some of history’s toughest people and events with the life story of Araminta Ross, an ex-slave who helped others escape the slavery of the South, who is better known by the name she took after finding freedom: Harriet Tubman.

Minions Digest Volume 1

Oddly Normal Volume 1

By Didier Ah-Koon and Renaud Collin Titan Comics – 978-1-78276554-7 Release Date: June 17

By Otis Frampton Image Comics – 978-1-63215226-8 Release Date: March 11

The much-adored henchmen from the Despicable Me film series star in their own graphic novel series, featuring Stuart, Kevin, Bob, and the legion of little yellow guys unleashing their unique brand of mayhem on the world.

Oddly Normal is a ten year old girl who happens to be half-witch. When a birthday wish goes terribly wrong, her grandmother takes her to Fignation – a land where magic rules – as she tries to find her parents while navigating school with supernatural beings.

My Little Pony: Fiendship is Magic

By Various IDW Publishing – 978-1-63140-339-2 Release Date: June 3 Fans know the stories of Equestria’s favorite heroes, but what about the villains? The origins of Sombra, Tirek, Sirens, Nightmare Moon, and Queen Chrysalis are revealed in this graphic novel.

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TOP KIDS GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR 2015 Penny Dora and the Wishing Box Volume 1

By Michael Stock and Sina Grace Image Comics – 978-1-63215266-4 Release Date: May 27 The day before Christmas, Penny finds a box that grants her wishes.

Which is incredible, until she finds herself face to face with dragons, monsters, and dwarves, while her friend is revealed to be a princess.

Princeless Volume 3: The Pirate Princess

By Jeremy Whitley, Rosy Higgins, and Ted Brandt Action Lab Entertainment – 978-1-63229102-8 Release Date: May 20 Princess Adrienne makes a detour from her quest to rescue her sisters to spring another princess from her tower – only to find this princess has a quest of her own, which will take them all on a whirlwind journey to revenge!

Uncle Scrooge Volume 1: Pure Viewing Satisfaction

Space Dumplins

By Craig Thompson Graphix – 978-054556-543-1 Release Date: August 26

By Various IDW Publishing – 978-1-63140-388-0 Release Date: August 5

Craig Thompson, award-winning creator of Blankets and Habibi, presents his first young-readers graphic novel. Violet Marlocke sets off with a misfit group of friends to find her lost father, who’s in deep trouble – not that that’s going to stop her!

Donald Duck’s penny-pinching Uncle returns to comics in a new collection of kid-friendly tales!

Terrible Lizard

We Dig Worms

By Cullen Bunn, Drew Moss, and Ryan Hill Oni Press – 9781-62010-236-7 Release Date: April 29

By Kevin McCloskey TOON Books – 978-193517980-1 Release Date: April 15

A group of scientists open a rift in time and space, resulting in a T-Rex coming through – and quickly befriending teenager Jessica. The unlikely duo try to navigate the world without accidentally destroying too much, until a group of mutated monsters also arrive. Guess who’s powerful enough to stop them?

Kevin McCloskey takes young readers through the world of earthworms, digging into their homes, showing how they interact with the environment, and just what a worm looks like inside.

Secret Coders

Tiny Titans: Return to the Treehouse

By Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes First Second – 978-1-62672-075-6 Release Date: September 30

By Art Baltazar and Franco DC Comics – 978-1-40125-492-6 Release Date: March 11

National Book Award finalist Gene Luen Yang brings a new story for younger readers, in which the students of an elite school must solve mysteries to move ahead. Presenting readers with logic problems and coding exercises, this graphic novel encourages these skills in readers as well as the characters.

The all-ages incarnation of DC’s teenage superheroes is back! When Superboy and Supergirl discover the treehouse has been made miniscule, it’s up to the Tiny Titans to solve the mystery!

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FAVORITE KIDS GRAPHIC NOVELS Adventure Time Volume 1

By Ryan North, Braden Lamb, Mike Holmes, and Shelli Paroline BOOM! Studios/ kaBOOM! – 978-1-60886280-1 Finn the Human, Jake the Dog, Princess Bubblegum, and the many unique denizens of the Land of Ooo must band together to fight the Lich and his magic vacuum bag in this debut graphic novel based on the animated series from Cartoon Network.

Angry Birds Comics Volume 1: Welcome to the Flock

By Various IDW Publishing – 978-1-63140090-2 The Angry Birds are on the move by air, land, and sea in this kid-friendly volume based on the popular mobile video game. The birds soar on wild adventures in their super-fun home, but must always keep watch for the egg-stealing Piggies!

Bad Machinery Volume 1: The Case of the Team Spirit

By John Allison Oni Press – 978-162010084-4 The first volume of the series which made the YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens list and Publishers Weekly’s best children’s books introduces readers to the team of middle school sleuths who solve mysteries while dealing with the typical middle-school dramas.

Bone Volume 1

By Jeff Smith Cartoon Books – 978-0-43970640-7 The first volume in the beloved classic series which has won numerous awards and critical acclaim. Three cousins, driven from their home by the schemes of their shady cousin and on the run from evil Rat Creatures, relocate to a new village which is under threat from the evil Lord of the Locusts.

Chi’s Sweet Home Volume 1

By Kanata Konami Vertical Comics – 978-1-93428781-1 Chi is a young kitten who finds herself separated from her mother and siblings and adopted by a human family, with whom she shares both humorous and touching moments as she adjusts to her new life.

The Complete Alice in Wonderland

By Lewis Carroll, Leah Moore, John Reppion, and Erica Awano Dynamite Entertainment – 978-1-60690085-7 Lewis Carroll’s classic tale is adapted in its entirety. When young Alice discovers a talking rabbit, she follows him and quickly finds herself on an adventure in a strange new world.

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Courtney Crumrin Volume 1: The Night Things

By Ted Naifeh Oni Press – 978-1-93496477-4 Young Courtney is sent to live with her odd Uncle Aloysius in his creepy old house. While trying to adjust to being the new kid at school, she discovers something far more disturbing lurking under her bed. The first volume in the acclaimed supernatural tween series.

Discovery Channel’s Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Predators

By Various Zenescope Entertainment/ Silver Dragon Books – 978-09827507-4-2 Millions of years ago, the Earth was ruled by giant lizards who walked the landscapes of a world very different from ours.

This graphic novel takes readers back to those times, exploring the lives of dinosaurs such as T-Rex, Velociraptors, and Triceratops.

Fairy Tale Comics

By Various First Second – 978-1-59643823-1 Seventeen classic fairy tales are brought to comics in this collection which features creators Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets), Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Jillian Tamaki (This One Summer), Emily Carroll (Through the Woods), Craig Thompson (Blankets), and more.

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FAVORITE KIDS GRAPHIC NOVELS Howtoons: Tools of Mass Construction

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Volume 1

By Various Image Comics – 978-1-63215101-8

By Katie Cook and Andy Price IDW Publishing – 978-1-61377-605-6

The first in the series of all-new stories based on the prose series from Scholastic. Geronimo and his friends on Mouse Island travel through time to save history from his arch enemies the Pirate Cats. In this volume, Geronimo joins Christopher Columbus on his voyage to the New World.

MIT alum Joost Bonsen, inventor Saul Griffith, toy designer Ingrid Dragotta, and artist Nick Dragotta team up to present a selection of projects for kids to make using regular household items, teaching the scientific principles behind each device, including a camera obscura and a CD hovercraft.

The citizens of Equestria and stars of the pop culture phenomenon are featured in this series. There’s something not right in Ponyville, and it’s up to the Mane Six to find out what – if they can just get along long enough to do it!

G-Man Volume 1: Learning to Fly

Johnny Boo Book 1: The Best Little Ghost In The World

Plants Vs. Zombies: Lawnmageddon

By Chris Giarrusso Image Comics – 978-1-60706-270-7

By James Kochalka Top Shelf Productions – 978-1-60309013-1

By Paul Tobin and Ron Chan Dark Horse Comics – 978-161655-192-6

James Kochalka’s whimsical kids’ series starts here.

Johnny Boo and his pet ghost Squiggle have the best adventures ever, until the Ice Cream Monster shows up – but then everyone has a good time!

The hit video game becomes a kid friendly comic in this graphic novel, in which the madcap inventor Crazy Dave and his young companions face an undead invasion in their neighborhood.

Geronimo Stilton Volume 1

By Geronimo Stilton Papercutz – 978-1-59707158-1

Mikey G unlocks the powers of his family’s magic blanket, and becomes the newest hero on the block, G-Man! Along with his superpowered friends, he’ll have to face dastardly enemies along with the greatest challenge of all – school!

Hello Kitty: Here We Go!

Monster on the Hill

By Various Viz Media/Perfect Square – 978-1-42155-878-3

By Rob Harrell IDW/Top Shelf Productions – 978-1-60309-075-9

The icon of cuteness for almost four decades stars in a graphic novel series, in which she and her friends (and occasional rivals) travel across the globe (and beyond), engage in spydom, and take a journey through time itself.

In 1860s England, every town has a fearsome local monster that helps bring in the tourists – all, except one.

A young boy tries to teach a monster just how to be, well, monstrous. A 2015 ALA Notable Children’s Book, this also made the 2014 YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens and Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers lists.

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FAVORITE KIDS GRAPHIC NOVELS Princeless Volume 1

Super Dinosaur Volume 1

By Jeremy Whitley and M. Goodwin Action Lab Entertainment – 978-1-93935254-5

By Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard Image Comics – 978-1-60706420-6

Adrienne Ashe wasn’t content to live like a normal princess–sitting in a tower and waiting for some prince to rescue her. So with her pet dragon Sparky she set off to free her six sisters from their towers, finding friends and adventure along the way.

Smile

By Raina Telgemeier Graphix – 978-0-54513206-0 Middle school is bad enough, but when Raina falls and injures her teeth, what follows is a long struggle through surgery, braces, headgear, fake teeth, and the embarrassment of enduring all of this in the presence of her fellow students. Telgemeier’s graphic memoir made the 2011 YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens list and won a 2011 Eisner Award.

Derek Dynamo is just like every other kid – except his parents are worldsaving scientists and his best friend is a video game-playing T-Rex. When the evil Max Maximus unleashes his plans to recruit the dinosaurs of InnerEarth to his bid at world domination, it’ll take a kid and his dinosaur to stop him!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures Volume 1

By Kenny Byerly, Dario Brizuela, and Various IDW Publishing – 978-1-61377856-2 The martial artpracticing amphibians star in this all ages series based on the popular animated series from Nickelodeon.

Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo, and Raphael fight (and play) together to defeat the forces that threaten New York City.

Sonic the Hedgehog Archives Volume 1

By Various Archie Comics – 978-1-87979-420-7 The star of multiple Sega video games and animated series remains a popular figure through his ongoing comic book series. The Blue Blur and friends work hard to foil the plans of Dr. Eggman in these kid-friendly adventures.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

By L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young Marvel Comics – 978-0-78515447-1 Eisner Award winner Shanower and Young adapt the beloved children’s story in this, the first volume in Marvel’s Oz series. When a tornado drops young Dorothy and her dog Toto in a strange land, she just wants to get home – but to do that, she’ll need to see the Wizard!

A Wrinkle in Time

By Madeleine L’Engle and Hope Larson Square Fish – 978-1-25005694-8 Cartoonist Hope Larson (Chiggers) adapts L’Engle’s Newberry Award-winning fantasy. A group of youngsters meet a colorful cast of characters in their efforts to fend off a dark force who threatens the universe.

Tiny Titans Volume 1: Welcome to the Treehouse

By Art Baltazar and Franco DC Comics – 978-1-40122-078-5 The young heroes of Sidekick Elementary team up against to defeat such threats as boredom in this series for young readers which casts the DC superhero team the Teen Titans as super-powered kindergarteners.

Spring 2015

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KIDS COMICS PIONEERS

A LOOK AT KIDS GRAPHIC NOVEL PUBLISHER PAPERCUTZ

“I

like to say we’re a book publishing company with a comic book problem,” says Sven Larsen, Vice President of Marketing for Papercutz, who in 2015 are celebrating their tenth anniversary of publishing kid-friendly graphic novels.

Papercutz was founded by NBM Publisher Terry Nantier to help address what he saw as a lack of graphic novels for younger readers, and began by producing comics based on the classic teenage sleuths Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. In the decade since, the company has released a wide range of books, from pop culture tie-ins including Lego: Ninjago, Power Rangers, and WWE Slam City, to acclaimed European titles such as Ariol and the Smurfs, to the literary adaptations of Classics Illustrated and the Geronimo Stilton graphic novel series, based on the prose series from Scholastic.

While the publisher has had major successes with their licensed titles, they are also making a push toward original graphic novels, and are launching three in 2015, beginning with The Lunch Witch, the debut graphic novel from children’s book writer/ illustrator Deb Lucke which received a starred review from Publishers Weekly as well as praise from Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal. This year also sees the announcement of a “first-look” deal for the publisher with Nickelodeon, offering Papercutz the chance to make graphic novels based on the network’s animated series. Two of those have already been announced, based on Nickelodeon’s top two series: Sanjay and Craig and Breadwinners.

Diamond BookShelf spoke with Larsen via telephone about how kids comics have changed over the past ten years, the details of the Nickelodeon deal, and Papercutz’ resources for librarians and educators.

t Diamond BookShelf: What’s happened, or what trends have you seen in kids comics over the last ten years?

SVEN LARSEN: It’s interesting, Terry Nantier and Jim Salicrup started the company because they saw a hole in the market that at that point, in 2005, there weren’t a lot of people publishing kids comics or licensed

properties for that matter... (Terry) realized comics and graphic novels weren’t being presented in a package that was friendly to kids and friendly to teachers and librarians. Most of the stuff was collections of monthly comics and wasn’t sort of “done in one” volumes that weren’t easy for people to consume. So he really took his inspiration from the manga titles of the time, and you’ll see, in the formatting of the very first Papercutz books, they very much follow that manga packaging. A few things happened, the first was that ended up being the sneaky way into librarians, teachers, booksellers, whoever, seeing this product as “book product,” as opposed to comic book product.

But the other thing that we’ve seen especially over the last two or three years - is this huge emergence of kids graphic novels as a legitimate force in the market. Whereas before it was us, and the Graphix imprint of Scholastic being basically the only people marketing comics to kids. Now, pretty much every major publishing house has got at least some portion of their graphic novel output oriented towards kids, and almost every major licensed property is represented in comic book format... basically, there’s an expectation among kids out there that, if there’s a popular media property, there’s going to be comic books or graphic novels to go along with it.

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COMICS FOR SHARP READERS A LOOK AT KID-FRIENDLY PUBLISHER PAPERCUTZ t Can you tell us a little about the Nickelodeon deal?

It’s a very tight publishing partnership, because it’s a first-look deal for all their new animated properties.

Nickelodeon sort of got out of the animation game a few years back... and then, in the last year or two the pendulum swung the other way, and they’re very keen on creating original animated programming. So the plan here is to start off with two properties, Sanjay and Craig and Breadwinners, which are their number one and number two properties currently on the network, and then to take it from there. So we’re now at the point where we’re being shown materials on new series that might not even have a full episode in the can yet, which is terrific - publishing normally has that twelve -to-eighteen month lag time between when a property emerges and when published material can be created, and what this does is it allows to get a lot closer, so that if something debuts on Nickelodeon in the summer of 2015, it’s not going to be summer 2016 before there’s new graphic novels, there’ll be stuff, hopefully if not in that season then at least in the one afterward.

The graphic novels are a big part of the publishing program, but the other interesting part is that we’ll be re-launching Nickelodeon magazine as a monthly magazine, and that’s going to be primarily comics, which will be collected into graphic novels, but it’s another expansion of the publishing line for us, which is pretty interesting and another way to ultimately drive people back into the book stores and the comic book stores.

on the original side, because then it becomes a case of evaluating material and saying is this something we think will resonate with our audience? Is this something that fits in nicely with our publishing line? And is it too much like something we’re already publishing?

One of the things we’re really committed to is variety, so we’re not going to publish ten of the same thing and split the audience there, we really want to have something for all different kinds of readers so somebody can go and pick up a Disney Fairies, and at the same time get a Dinosaurs book for another brother or sister in the family.

t How do you determine which titles you publish?

I think on the licensed stuff, what we’re looking for there is if it fits our demographic, which is that tween 7-12 year old demographic. And we’re also looking for titles that either have some sort of media support- whether it’s a film or television series backing them-or have some sort of following already. For example, we’re doing Power Rangers, and we’re doing the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, which are probably the most popular incarnation of that franchise. Or when we started with the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, and of course there’s fifty years of fans for both those franchises, so there’s kind of an installed user base, to use a software term.

When you’re talking licensed titles, you need to have stuff that has at least some brand recognition, so Classics Illustrated is another great example of that. It’s different

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diamondbookshelf.com t Which have been the most successful books you’ve published?

t Are there any books coming out this year

Our most successful series have been the Lego: Ninjago series, where we’ve sold over two million copies in that series, and then Geronimo Stilton, we’ve sold over a million copies. That’s been a great success story because that’s been strictly a publishing phenomenon, it’s us and Scholastic pushing it without any big media support here in North America.

The three big things are three original graphic novels, starting with the Lunch Witch, which came out in March.

In the fall we have The Red Shoes, and then Scarlett.

That’s exciting because not only are they original graphic novels, but they’re fairly ambitious graphic novels. We’re pretty excited about that. We’re just interested to see what kind of response we get to these, because we’d like to do more of them, and again it’s material that’s slightly different than some of the other stuff that Papercutz has done, so it’s exciting, too, to expand the range a little bit.

t What kind of resources do you have for teachers and librarians?

All sorts of stuff, actually. We do teachers’ guides for a bunch of our different series-there’s one for Toto Troubles, Smurfs, Dinosaurs, a whole bunch of them.

We also put a lot of stuff on our web site, in terms of downloadable posters, bookmarks, and stuff like that.

We also are exhibiting at all the library shows, giving away promo items and sample copies. We send out both digital and physical advance review copies to librarians. We have a weekly newsletter that goes out to librarians as well.

you want to draw special attention to?

The latest thing that we’ve just started doing is to get graded reading levels and Common Core strands for all of our titles. That’s a program that just started, so we’ll be getting the information for the first batch of titles on our web site probably by the middle of March, and then our goal by the end of the year is to have all of “THE THING THAT WE’VE SEEN that information ESPECIALLY OVER THE LAST available for most of the ongoing series TWO OR THREE YEARS that we publish.

-

IS THE HUGE EMERGENCE

We’ve had the work OF KIDS GRAPHIC NOVELS done for all the AS A LEGITIMATE FORCE IN Geronimo titles and for the Lunch Witch, THE MARKET.” and then for a few of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys titles, but the idea there is that we’re going to try and do it for all of our big releases going forward and gradually catch up with (older series). I think we’re on a solid track where there’s going to be a lot of this information for teachers and librarians by the end of the year.

t How can librarians sign up for the newsletter?

If they go to the Resources page on our web site, there’s a sign-up form there. They can also use the contact form on our web site to request a subscription, and we have sign-up sheets at any library show we attend. We’re pretty easy to find.

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THE INS & OUTS OF KIDS LICENSED COMICS PUBLISHERS THRIVE WITH POPULAR LICENSED CHARACTERS

W

hile comic books have provided entertainment culture with much of its inspiration in the last few years, that exchange goes the other way as well. Since early in their history, comic books have featured characters who originated in other media; classic Walt Disney and Looney Toons cartoon characters starred in their own titles in the 1940s, while companies such as Gold Key published numerous titles based on the popular television programs of the time. Licensed comics - those based on a pre-existing character or property - make up a significant portion of current titles, including popular brands such as My Little Pony, Adventure Time, Doctor Who, Transformers, and Star Wars.

To get a better look at the ins and outs of publishing licensed comics from the publishers’ point of view, Diamond BookShelf spoke with three people involved in the process: Shannon Watters, group editor of BOOM! Studios’ kaBOOM! and BOOM! Box imprints, whose licensed titles include Adventure Time, Regular Show, Sons of Anarchy, Planet of the Apes, and Peanuts, which appear in graphic novels and monthly comics.

Terry Nantier, President/Publisher of Papercutz, whose licensed titles include Geronimo Stilton, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Power Rangers, WWE Slam City, and the Smurfs, all of which appear in graphic novel form.

Chris Teather, Publishing Director of Titan Publishing Group, whose licensed titles include Doctor Who, Penguins of Madagascar, Dragons: Riders of Berk, Minions, Star Wars, and Adventure Time, which appear in graphic novels, magazines, and monthly comics.

t How do the licensed books fit into your overall publishing selection?

SHANNON WATTERS: I do licensed books the same way that I do everything else. I look for people whose writing styles and drawing styles, and honestly, their kind of creative philosophies tend to vibe with the books and the property.

TERRY NANTIER: It’s still by far the majority. We have such licenses as the Smurfs, Geronimo Stilton, we’re continuing to publish Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, which is what we started with ten years ago, and we have also got raving Rabbids from the video game, Classics Illustrated… That is the majority of what we do in terms of volume, although we’ve been expanding into doing a lot more author-created and author-owned type series as well.

CHRIS TEATHER: Licensed books are a major part of our publishing portfolio and this is an area we are always looking to grow and develop further, so it’s a key part of our strategy and business focus.

t What kind of considerations do you have to take with licensed books that may be different from original works?

SW: [When looking for someone to work on a title] I like people who’ve got a great storytelling sense, I look for people who, the tone of their work has a very similar tone to the properties that I’m casting for. I look at people whose ability seems right for the title. It really is like looking for the right person with that kind of thing.

TN: Primarily, what’s got heat with kids 8-12, because that’s our primary target… it’s also what we feel has real potential, has preferably also a fair amount of other licensing involved, other merchandise so that there’s company out there, if you will, other book lines is important as well.

CT: While licensed publishing may seem daunting to some publishers, it offers a great opportunity as we are being allowed to expand and develop an existing mythos for fans and for the licensors alike. Some of our licensors will even take the new content/mythos that we develop in our books and make it part of the official universe, which is a tremendous compliment.

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t What kind of input do the licensors have?

How much free rein are you given with the titles?

SW: It depends on the licensor. They generally have quite a bit of input, but we’re really lucky, our licensors are pretty hands off as far as, like, micromanaging, but very hands-on in giving really great creative input.

Obviously, they have final sign-off on everything, and final approval on everything, but I’ve been really lucky that my taste has aligned with a lot of the people whose properties that I’ve worked on.

TN: They certainly do have a say in the creative in that they have approval rights, and approval of the artist and the storylines. They are making very closely sure -depending on the licensor, some are more involved than others in that aspect through the approvals they can be very involved with the creation of these comics, definitely.

CT: We have to take on board the wishes and the expectations of the licensor, but we are very used to doing that and respecting what they want whilst developing stories and creative solutions which work well in the medium in which we are publishing. Our licensors respect our expertise as a publisher and give us the freedom to come up with the correct creative for the product. So it’s a collaborative process, but a tremendously exciting one.

t Is there anything in particular you look for when deciding which licenses you want to pursue?

SW: Obviously, we look at whether it feels like it’s commercially viable… Is it something that we have a passion for? Is it something that we feel we could execute really effectively? Because we don’t want to get a license that nobody here is an advocate for, and

that ends up being kind of standard issue. It doesn’t do the property or us any favors if the person working on it does not have an affection and a passion for the property.

TN: Obviously, we are looking for what has potential for good storytelling. The majority of what we’re doing is not adaptations, it is new stories that will compliment stories that have already been made around that property.

CT: We are open-minded about the licenses we work on. Our expertise is in genre publishing as well as entertainment and kids properties, but we are always interested in taking on and working with new brands.

We look for properties which are fresh and fun, which appeal to a wide demographic and offer us an opportunity to develop new content and creative ideas.

t Similarly, are there particular qualities in a show/toy/game/etc. that lend themselves well to comics?

SW: I think if you have a point of view with any property you could totally do it justice in comics. Comics is just another medium to tell a story in, so you can tell any story in comics. Really taking the time and putting in the time and the work to make–because it really is an honor to be part of these properties, to be part of the creative history of these works–and if you really put in the time to do it correctly, I think it can be just as creatively fulfilling as original properties.

TN: We’re looking for what can really work well in the comics form in our choices. Not everything can, you know.

CT: It’s hard to pinpoint one or other quality. It really comes down to working on licenses which offer great storytelling opportunities and creative development.

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RELIVING THE MAGIC

JOE BOOKS BRINGS DISNEY CLASSICS TO COMICS

T

he films of the Walt Disney Studios have entertained audiences for decades, introducing a multitude of characters and stories that have been woven into the tapestry of culture across the globe. Classic figures such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy have appeared not only in film, but on television and in books, as have newer favorites such as Frozen’s Princess Elsa and Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas. While fans may love to watch the Disney films, there is just as much entertainment to be had from reading about them as well.

collected in the Darkwing Duck Omnibus ($29.99, 978-1-92651-604-2), featuring all the issues of the kidfriendly comic series.

With more Cinestories and graphic novels coming, Joe Books aims to ensure that fans of Disney will have a satisfying reading experience.

With a new series of graphic novels, Joe Books offers readers a way to enjoy the adventures of their favorite Disney stars – along with those from the Disney-owned Pixar studio – with their Disney graphic novels.

The Cinestory line of graphic novels allow readers to reexperience classic films in their entirety, using still shots from the films themselves along with the full dialogue as it appeared in the movie. Beginning with the blockbuster hit Frozen ($14.99, 978-1-92651-600-4), the line also features adaptations of classic films such as 101 Dalmatians ($14.99, 978-1-92651-6097), Cinderella ($14.99, 978-1-92651-605-9), and Alice in Wonderland ($14.99, 978-1-92651-6110). To ensure fans of the latest films will have something to read and enjoy, Joe will release the Inside Out Cinestory ($14.99, 978-1-92651-687-5) for the new Pixar animated feature coming in June.

Joe Books also offers more traditional graphic novels for Disney fans, collecting some of the best work from past and present. The Disney Princess Treasury ($19.99, 978-1-92651-602-8) adapts the stories of the beloved characters including Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, the Little Mermaid, Mulan, and Merida, while the Disney Pixar Treasury ($19.99, 978-1-92651601-1) adapts the films of the much-vaunted studio, including Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Wall-E, and Up. Along with the adaptations, the classic original comic stories of the defender of St. Canard are

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CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

MICHAEL STOCK UNLOCKS THE SECRETS OF PENNY DORA AND THE WISHING BOX

I

Imagine what happens when a young girl finds a box on her doorstep the day before Christmas.

She, of course, takes the package inside and is quick to want to open it as (obviously) she has a secret Santa. But what if the present inside makes life go…sideways? In the new all ages graphic novel Penny Dora and the Wishing Box Volume 1 ($9.99, 978-1-63215-266-4) from Image Comics, that’s how things play out.

Michael Stock began writing Penny Dora after years of teaching comic book history and scriptwriting at CalArts, and currently co-hosts the Part Time Punks radio show on Los Angeles’ KXLU in addition to making comics. Providing the art for Penny Dora and the Wishing Box is Sina Grace, whose work has appeared in Image Comics’ Li’l Depressed Boy as well as his graphic novel Not My Bag. Stock answered a few questions for us about his new graphic novel, which spun out of a story he wrote with his daughter.

Diamond BookShelf: For those who may not be familiar, what can you tell us about Penny Dora and the Wishing Box? MICHAEL STOCK: The book is basically an all-ages update of the Pandora’s Box myth. Only this time it’s a 10-year old girl named Penny Dora who finds the box on her front doorstep on the day before Christmas.

This is very literally an ALL AGES book, which I think will appeal equally to adult readers of books like Saga and The Sandman and younger readers of books like Coraline and Courtney Crumrin.

t What was the genesis for this project? Has

this book been in the making for a long time, or is it something that hit the ground running?

The first issue (of the monthly comic) is based on a short story my daughter, Nico, wrote for her school paper when she was 8. (She’s now 13 and YES we will be running her original story in the back pages at some point!). It was a story that we talked about quite a bit back then in our long L.A. drives to her school in the morning. And she even read it over the air on my radio show at one point. Since then I still get calls from listeners time to time asking ‘Whatever happened to that story Nico wrote? Whatever happened to the little girl and her wishing box?” So while the story has been

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on my mind for a long time, the comic book version pretty much hit the ground running last spring. Literally almost the moment I first told Sina Grace the idea.

t What was the creative process between

you, your daughter, and Sina Grace while developing this series? Did you come to the story from different angles, and try and find compromise? Or was it smooth sailing the minute you left port?

The story and its world is something I’ve built with my daughter, Nico. We’ll talk about it in the car on the way to school. Then, over dinner I’ll tell her what I came up with while she was at school, or just let her read the pages. Usually this will inspire giggles or wide eyes and many times she will then add: ‘well what if this happened...?’ The next step in the process involves me sending Sina a lot of photos of Nico (who Penny is based on). And Nico sending Sina even more photos of Iggy, the cat in the book (aka Iggy). From there, it’s been very smooth sailing as Sina emails me the blue lines for approval first, then inks, and eventually the colored pages...all of which has proceeded with hardly any need for changes. That’s how clearly Sina has seen the world on the page and brought it to life!

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t Without spoiling the book, what sub-plots

or scene(s) would you most likely want to tout as being most representative of the work overall?

Well, really the only limits The Wishing Box has are the limits of the imagination. And since our two main characters in the first arc are 10 years old (Penny Dora and a girl named Elizabeth who may or may not be her best friend by the end), we’re basically talking NO limits at all. So, while the wishes start off very small, once Penny’s friend Elizabeth takes control of the box...well...that’s where the serious BIG wishes start happening (and the BIG trouble really begins). And if readers need more of a hint, let me just add one word: DRAGONS.

t You used to teach the history of comics

and comic writing. Did that experience have an effect on your creative process, and if so, what?

I was teaching courses on comics at CalArts from 2010-2012, until they laid me off (along with 67% of their other adjunct faculty, after losing one of their big endowments). So, that was the point where I decided, after a lifetime of reading comics, and several years of teaching them, that it was time to take a crack at writing them. I made a sort of deal with myself that I wouldn’t even try to return to teaching until I got one of my comics published.

But honestly, I don’t know how much teaching has to do with the creative process. Period. (Says the now embittered ex-academic. Cough, cough.)

My real teacher and source of inspiration in the field of kids’ comics and graphic novels is actually my

daughter, Nico! She’s been reading comics fervently since she was 5 or so, starting with Archie, Tiny Titans and all the great Little Lulu comics from the 1950s that Dark Horse was reprinting for a while. Now, at age 13, everything Archie still rules, but so do books like Coraline, Courtney Crumrin, The Runaways and Ms. Marvel. And all of those books listed above which we’ve discovered and enjoyed so much together have proved over-the-moon inspirational to me while writing Penny Dora.

t Other than a great fantasy story that they’ll enjoy, is there anything you’d like readers to take away from Penny Dora?

These days, as a single-father of a teenage girl, I think a lot about issues of individuality and independence.

Especially resistance to peer pressure. In Penny Dora this plays out on the one-on-one level of Penny and Elizabeth (the girl who may or may not be her best friend by the end of the first arc). But ALSO on the larger level of Penny and her community -- specifically, a pre-planned community where seemingly everything is designed to produce cookie cutter children; heirs apparent to the Stepford husbands and wives who populate the suburban Southern California town.

Ultimately, Penny Dora is after all, basically an updated re-telling of the myth of Pandora’s Box. Except this time around, the box has been entrusted to a girl of 10. One of the first things we are going to see her learn is that being the keeper of the Wishing Box is less about getting all the things she ever dreamed of and more about keeping it out of the wrong hands. So, of course Stan Lee’s great lesson to us all is once again at play here again: “with great power, comes great responsibility.”

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REKINDLING THE DREAM

ERIC SHANOWER DISCUSSES LITTLE NEMO: RETURN TO SLUMBERLAND

L

ong beloved by fans of classic comics for its innovative and imaginative fantasy storytelling, Windsor McCay’s comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland will soon stir for a new generation of readers when IDW Publishing presents Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland ($9.99, 978-1-63140322-4), an all-new advnture by award-winning master storytellers Eric Shanower (Adventures in Oz) and Gabriel Rodriguez (Locke & Key). Writer Shanower paused in his conjuring of Nemo’s modern dreams to share his insights on the new series with BookShelf.

t Diamond BookShelf: Little Nemo: Return

to Slumberland isn’t your first adaptation and expansion of an existing property as you’ve had great success working with L. Frank Baum’s Land of Oz universe. What are some of the challenges of creating work with iconic, pre-existing worlds and characters— especially a strip like Little Nemo that has had such an impact on comic history and a tremendous influence on generations of creators?

My most high-profile projects deal with preexisting literary properties—the Land of Oz and the Trojan War. Both of those and Little Nemo are concepts that I liked before I created my own versions of them. I think that’s at least part of the key to a satisfying result— to already have an emotional connection. If IDW had asked me to write a new version of a concept I didn’t have a strong connection to, I don’t think it would have worked. When editor Scott Dunbier asked whether I’d be interested in writing a new Little Nemo series, neither of us knew what it would turn out to be. I was confident that I wouldn’t be able to recreate a satisfactory version of Winsor McCay’s classic comic strip. It wasn’t until I thought of introducing a brand new character, a child from today, that I saw how it might work. Once I thought of that new angle, I knew I could write it.

t Will you be utilizing stories and concepts

from the original strip as a jumping off point or will Nemo be getting into entirely new adventures in Return to Slumberland?

The nature of our project mandated a new perspective on the original material. Return to Slumberland is not a rehash of the original comic strip. The major new element—a modern child going to Slumberland—gave me the freedom to use the preexisting material in whatever way seemed best. I had no illusions that we’d be able to

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successfully reproduce the style and tone of the original, so when I started writing I planned to depart from the source material pretty widely.

But the story ended up being much closer to the original comic strip in sensibility and plot elements than I’d thought it would. I don’t know whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but everyone who’s read the script so far seems really excited about it. The story is new, all the adventures are new, but fans of the original comic strip will certainly recognize many parallels.

t How do you strike a balance between capturing and conveying the nature (such as its tone, style, or presentation) of the original strips and introducing new ideas to the work to make something that’s distinctly “new”?

I figured that trying to reproduce the nature of the original strip was a no-win situation. As an exercise or a parody it’s relatively easy to capture a sense of the original for a page or two. But for Return to Slumberland there were too many stumbling blocks for that. This is a full-length story with character growth and plot development.

McCay’s original strip is not celebrated for either of those aspects. To make Slumberland work for a general audience of today, I had to take into account modern sensibilities—and remember that many readers aren’t familiar with the original.

Return to Slumberland stands on its own legs. It’s not the original Little Nemo in Slumberland, but time after time while writing it I found that aspects of the original strip kept ending up in it. Of course, many of the original characters are there and rightly so—the Princess, Flip, Dr. Pill, King Morpheus. But the atmosphere of the original kept creeping in, too, even when I wasn’t trying

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diamondbookshelf.com to capture it. I considered trimming those aspects, since I’m concerned about unfavorable comparisons with the original. But mostly I just went with it. I figured if I wasn’t trying to force aspects of the original into this one, if they just ended up there naturally, it was okay.

So I don’t know whether there’s a balance between the old and the new in Return to Slumberland. It is what it is.

As long as it was working while I was writing it, I didn’t try to poke and prod it too much.

t Little Nemo is renowned for McCay’s

experimental and playful use of panel border, page layouts, and coloring. How have you approached creating an atmosphere of magic and wonder in Return to Slumberland with artist Gabriel Rodríguez and colorist Nelson Dániel?

I didn’t try to create an atmosphere of magic and wonder. I just wrote a script about a kid in a surprising place and tried to have him react to it naturally. I wrote in a few visual surprises using the comics form, but I tried to stay away from repeating anything that McCay did in the original. What the artists do with my scripts is pretty much up to them. Gabe is dedicated to making this project stand out, and so far I think he’s done a terrific job. He’s not Winsor McCay and I hope no reader is expecting him to be. Anyone who wants to see McCay’s art should look at the original strip. Gabe has successfully incorporated aspects of the original—particularly in the staging of scenes—into his view of Slumberland. But he’s not slavishly trying to recreate McCay’s style. It’s sort of like Gabe’s style and imagination are in the driver’s seat and every once in a while they stop at the McCay drive-up window.

t What can fans of McCay’s original strip expect when they pick up Return to Slumberland? Will new readers unfamiliar with the original comics be able to dive right into Nemo’s world with Return to Slumberland? If a fan likes, _____ (fill in the blank), they will also love Nemo.

If you love the original Little Nemo in Slumberland, you’ll like Return to Slumberland. It’s the same Slumberland, only a century later—so the basics are there but the attitude is new. If you like the animated Little Nemo movie from the 1990s, you’ll like Return to Slumberland—it’s just more Slumberland goodness. And if you never experienced Slumberland before, you’ll be discovering it along with our new main character. If you like down-to-earth, honest American fantasy adventure, you’ll love Return to Slumberland. It’s about a real kid thrust into an amazing fantasy world and just trying to deal with what gets tossed at him on a personal basis.

No fancy-shmancy epic power struggles—just stuff you can relate to and feel part of. Well, Gabe’s art is kind of fancy. But that’s a good thing.

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ESCAPE FROM THE IVORY TOWER AN INTERVIEW WITH PRINCELESS CREATOR JEREMY WHITLEY

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drienne Ashe isn’t like other princesses. Unwilling to follow tradition and simply sit in her tower and wait to be rescued by some prince, she grabs a sword and old suit of armor sets off with her dragon Sparky to break her sisters out of their towers. Along the way, she befriends a half-dwarf metalsmith named Bedelia, who abandons her life of exploitation to join Adrienne on her quest.

So begins Princeless, the graphic novel series created by writer Jeremy Whitley (and a changing set of artists, most recently Rosy Higgins and Ted Brandt) and published by Action Lab Entertainment. Throughout the three volumes (plus one spin-off), the series has garnered a wide range of acclaim, and won three Glyph Awards–given for “the best in comics made by, for, and about people of color from the preceding calendar year”–in 2012. Created for readers young and old alike, Princeless offers a humorous and thrilling adventure story that pokes fun at some of the more problematic ways in which girls and women are normally depicted.

Via email, Jeremy Whitley discussed the some of the ideas behind Princeless, fan reactions, and how the state of comics for young kids (especially girls) has improved over the last few years.

t Diamond BookShelf: What is your background? How did you get into comics?

JEREMY WHITLEY: I went to school at the University of North Carolina for English and Creative Writing. Then I worked at a Blockbuster for a while. As it happened, the Blockbuster was across the street from Ultimate Comics in Chapel Hill, NC and they brought me back to comics after a long absence. At some point, I had a realization that somebody was writing these comics and that that was something I wanted to do.

t What, if any, have been your influences in making Princeless, both in terms of things you wanted to emulate and avoid?

Princeless is largely informed by things I don’t like about things that I love. I’m a huge fan of Wonder Woman, Xena, Red Sonja, and Storm – but I hate that there aren’t versions of these stories on the shelf that I can share with my daughter without worrying about extreme violence, adult messages, and objectification of the women who are supposed to be the aspirational leads. I wanted to make a version of the things I loved that I could share with my daughter.

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“WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO HOLD UP A MIRROR TO YOUNG GIRLS, I THINK YOU ALSO HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO HELP THEM FACE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THEY’RE GOING TO ENCOUNTER IN REAL LIFE.” The tone of the book is largely influenced by stories like “The Princess Bride” that can be big fantasy adventures without taking themselves as deadly serious as so many do.

t What kind of feedback have you received for Princeless? Anything that really stands out?

I can’t really express how touching much of the feedback has been. I started the series because I was looking for something for my daughter that didn’t seem to exist. It seems that a lot of parents have the same issues. I’ve had a lot of parents of young girls of color express how much it means to them that their daughters have a heroine that looks like them.

When I first started writing Princeless I couldn’t have imagined what a rewarding experience it would be to get to interact with the fan base that the book has found.

I couldn’t be any more grateful.

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diamondbookshelf.com t Do you have a goal for how long you’d like Princeless to run? Do you have an overall story arc mapped out?

Well…yes and no. This initial story of Adrienne saving her sisters is going to total out to seven volumes. I hope to give a satisfying conclusion to the story there and leave Adrienne in a much better place than we found her.

However, I love these characters. In fact, we’re spinning the character of Raven (The Pirate Princess) into her own ongoing series. Hopefully, when these seven volumes of Princeless are finished there will still be desire to see more of Adrienne’s story. I want her to grow and hopefully get a little older along with our young readership. Who knows what the next chapter of her story will be?

t You tackle a number of tropes throughout the series, whether fantasy clichés such as the “chain mail bikini” or more real-life issues, such as Bedelia having to play second fiddle to her father. When you’re writing, how do such issues come to you? Are there certain topics you want to address as the series plays out, or do they present themselves more naturally?

It’s a little of both. Adrienne is a character who, by her nature, doesn’t buy into things that are nonsensical just because that’s how things have always been done. That gives us an opportunity to interrogate a number of tropes as the series progresses.

On the other hand, when you have a chance to hold up a mirror to young girls, I think you also have an obligation to help them face some of the problems they’re going to encounter in real life. Bedelia comes from a household with an absent mother and an emotionally abusive father – and she is able to make beautiful and wonderful art and find a way to become what she wants to be. Adrienne is wracked by deep seeded insecurity about her looks and her perceived “weirdness” in a family which she believes are all better suited for the royal life than she is. These are real things that a lot of girls have to deal with all the time.

Just because Adrienne and Bedelia are mighty doesn’t mean that they don’t have issues.

Princeless Vol. 1: Save Yourself $11.99, 978-1-93935-254-5

Princeless Vol. 2: Get Over Yourself $14.95, 978-0-98596-524-2

t You’ve said that part of the reason you started Princeless was because you didn’t see many comics that you give your daughter while she was growing up. Over the couple of years you’ve been working on Princeless, have you seen that situation change?

Absolutely. When my daughter was born there was a large portion of my pull list that I didn’t even feel comfortable leaving around for her to get into. Now there are several books that we actively read together. My daughter has an increasingly impressive pull list. Some of her favorites are: Lumberjanes, Squirrel Girl, Smile, Sisters, Howtoons, Sensation Comics, My Little Pony, Molly Danger, and Silver Surfer (though I’m not sure how much of Silver Surfer she actually gets).

t Other than Princeless, what comics are out

now that you think are doing it right, in terms of depiction and treatment of female characters?

Lumberjanes, Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Fight Like a Girl, Molly Danger, Nutmeg, Sensation Comics, Gotham Academy, Amelia Cole, She-Hulk, Batgirl, and so many more. It used to be hard to come up with a few. Now it’s hard to keep up with them all.

t You’ve been doing writing for other titles as

well, including My Little Pony and The Powerpuff Girls. Do you approach those differently than your own material? Are these series you’re already a fan of?

They are and I do. It’s nice to do both types of writing.

Sometimes my options are so open on Princeless that I find myself just coming up with ideas I won’t be able to use – at least not for some time. Being set down in a sandbox like My Little Pony, whose edges are very clearly outlined

by Hasbro and IDW, is a completely different exercise. It’s nice to be given the chance to play with somebody else’s toys and have the chance to create something fresh with them. Then going back to Princeless and having the ability to do whatever I want to do feels great.

Princeless Vol. 3: The Pirate Princess $14.99, 978-1-63229-102-8

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Princeless: Short Stories $11.99, 978-1-93935-249-1

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CHOOSING COMICS FOR KIDS B Y D AV I D S . S E RCHAY

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hile comic books have long been considered as just something just for kids, that is, of course, not true. However, that does not mean that kids do not read comics; there are even comics written specifically for children that range from wordless comics like Owly, to those simple ones for beginning readers, to those aimed specifically at an elementary school-aged and/or “tween” audience.

What makes a comic or graphic novel “juvenile?”

Often it’s the same elements that make a work of fiction (or even non-fiction) juvenile – including things like reading level and a content lacking too many “mature” elements. It also should be of interest to that age group, generally six to twelve years old. You may have a graphic novel in your adult collection whose content is totally “G” rated but whose subject matter would not appeal to younger readers. Having graphic novels that are cataloged as “juvenile” (or “kids” or whatever other term you may use) can help younger readers to find them, even if you have chosen to shelve them intermixed with graphic novels for other ages. And while those cataloged as young adult, and in some case adult, can be fine for younger ages (especially the tweens), it is nice to be able to point to a book and say that it for kids.

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Choosing what graphic novels to purchase for juvenile readers can often be difficult with the large range that is out there. It has been said that the age of the average comic book/graphic novel reader is at least in the late 20s, and some mainstream comics are written to appeal to that demographic. While it’s often easy to tell which books a definitely NOT suitable for younger ages, as with “regular” books, there sometimes is a grey area as to what can be cataloged as a “juvenile” item as opposed to Young Adult.

In some cases it can be easy as there are particular titles and even publishers that are well known as being “kid friendly.” The titles from TOON Books are perfect for those children who are beginning to read on their own, while titles from Scholastic’s Graphix line have become hits in Elementary School book fairs, especially with Jeff Smith’s Bone series and Raina Telgemeier’s Smile and Sisters. Lerner and Capstone are among the publishers of children’s non-fiction who also produce graphic novels, both in their own name or with imprints such as Stone Arch and Graphic Universe (though the later has begun to include YA titles).

With some of the larger companies you often can tell just by looking at the work. Marvel’s “Marvel Universe” titles (as well as their older Marvel Adventures and Marvel Age lines) has the familiar characters in kidfriendly digest-sized books, while DC has titles such

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as Tiny Titans and series based on various animated programs. Both companies have their ratings systems that show which titles are recommended as being fine for younger readers.

Other publishers, including producers of manga, have their own rating systems, usually with some variation of an “All Ages” rating (though of course ratings can be subjective, so while they are helpful, they are also just a guide).

CHOOSING WHAT GRAPHIC NOVELS TO PURCHASE FOR JUVENILE READERS CAN OFTEN BE DIFFICULT WITH THE LARGE RANGE THAT IS OUT THERE.

If you want to compile a list, the vendor that your library uses can be helpful. Their websites will often allow you filter a search by the suggested age range of the work which you can use with a “graphic novels” keyword or a publisher-specific search. They may even create lists of “Kidsafe” titles that will help with your selection. There are also a number of review sites that will be about juvenile graphic novels or dedicate a section to them such as No Flying No Tights. And not only does the print edition of School Library Journal include reviews on graphic novels for children and tweens (as well as teens) but their online blog Good Comics For Kids (http://blogs.slj.com/goodcomicsforkids/) has reviews of kids’ comics and graphic novels on an almost daily basis. The reviews are written by librarians and also include articles, interviews, and more.

If you are still not sure about a title and if falls into that “grey area” between juvenile and young adult then you can make the final decision once you get the title in your library. If your cataloging and/or processing is done “in-house” then you might be able to delay it until you review the material. If not, hopefully you have a way to change it after the fact. In that case it may be better to make young adult the “default,” as it is better to have something for a younger age in an older area than vice versa. In addition the position of the line between juvenile and young adult can be different depending on the nature of your community. Of course if you are purchasing for an elementary school library, cataloging “upwards” may not be an option, so if you are still unsure, it might be best to wait to the book is out and try to browse a copy at a local bookstore or comic shop. A review copy, either in book or electronic form, also might be available to you.

Having graphic novels that are good for younger children can be a great asset to your collection. Not only have they been shown to have educational components (including increased vocabulary) but they may start them on a lifelong love of graphic novels that will benefit both the library and themselves for years to come.

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HOW TO BRING GRAPHIC NOVELS INTO THE CLASSROOM B Y M ARI E L A S I E GERT

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ooking to bring graphic novels into the curriculum? A great way to do that is to actually teach the basics about graphic novels, including how to read them! I’m a librarian at a middle school of about 400 students and I decided to do this lesson with my 6th graders. This was a great grade level to teach this unit with because so many of them are overwhelmed by the amount of books in our library that seem out of reach for them. Books are bigger and harder than they used to be and the frustration is clear. By using graphic novels, I was able to help them transition their reading, while still keeping them successful.

I start the lesson by giving them definitions, facts, and statistics about graphic novels, comic strips, and comic books. These facts include information on reading levels, vocabulary, visual learning, and literacy development.

We go over the fact that they are a format, not a genre!

We discuss how there are graphic novels for all ages, genders, and interest levels. I also mention that graphic novels are not only about superheroes!

We then go into the science of graphic novels, how you must observe the parts, but perceive the whole, and how you need to infer. We talk about comic structure and we go over vocabulary definitions and terms that are specific to graphic novels, such as panels, frames, speech bubbles, thought bubbles, narration box, and the gutter. We also discuss how there are certain things from novels that can be used in graphic novels, such as symbols, sound effects, dreams, and flashbacks.

The next piece is how to infer in the gutter, the space between the panels, with transitions. Different types of transitions are explained and this lesson has us focusing on how to properly infer. The different transitions include moment-to-moment, which has very little inference involved; action-to-action, which features a single subject; subject-to-subject, which stays within a scene or idea; scene-to-scene, which moves us across big distances of time and space; and aspect-to-aspect, which focuses on different aspects of a place, idea, or mood.

I explain how the artwork is just as important as the words in a graphic novel and they play equal parts. We need to see what the artist is doing and why. What is the meaning of the artwork; what do the facial expressions tell us; what about the lettering, the font, and the color choices? How do they draw our eye to what they want us to see? Why are the panel sizes different or oddly shaped? What are they trying to tell us, without actually saying a word?

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diamondbookshelf.com At this point, it is important to apply these concepts to an example. We start to put things in place by going over the first three pages of Daisy Kutter: The Last Train by Kazu Kibuishi. We discuss everything that we learned and we talk about which transitions are being used, panel order, perspective, inferring who the character is, color usage, shadowing, and why some panels are smaller than others. We talk about how we know what the character’s mood is and we use visual literacy evidence to prove this information!

The next step I take is a graphic novel read aloud to the classroom of Babymouse by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm. This is a great read, because it breaks down gender beliefs and it shows the students that you can get great information from a book meant for a younger age group. We once again go over everything we learned and we see how one creator, such as Kibuishi, does things differently than others, such as Holm. The interesting way that Babymouse transitions from reality to daydreaming is discussed and then other examples are brought up. Students who have read Sisters or Smile by Raina Telgemeier can usually discuss the different use of color to show flashbacks within the graphic novel.

This lesson is spread over five class periods of 44 minutes each. The sixth period consists of book talks for literature circles. The students listen to me talk about the choices they have while taking notes. These are books that I have chosen and some of the options are Giants Beware by Jorge Aguirre, Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol, Knights of the Lunch Table by Frank Cummuso, Mal and Chad by Stephen McCraine, Sidekicks by Dan Santat, Cardboard by Doug TenNapel, and Bake Sale by Sara Varon. They are then told to choose their first, second, and third choice for the literature circle. The unit then continues with the teacher leading the literature circles and a graphic novel evaluation project.

This lesson has been going on for a few years now and my circulation statistics for graphic novels are always higher after the lessons, usually by 15%! It took some time and patience, but I also noticed that my teachers learned as much as the students. They were now willing to read graphic novels on their own and they said no to students much less. It was all about educating them and making them aware.

I would love to see what you do with this information to make your graphic novel push into the classroom. If you have any questions, you can always get in touch with me. Tweet me @marris116

Mariela Siegert is a Middle School Librarian at Westfield Middle School in Bloomingdale, IL as well as a reviewer for School Library Journal and First Second.

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RO-BIRDS IN DISGUISE

Angry Birds/ Transformers: Age of Eggstinction Written by: John Barber Illustrated by: Marcelo Ferreira and Livio Ramondelli Publisher: IDW Publishing Format: Softcover, 6 x 9, 92 pages, Full Color, $9.99 ISBN: 978-1-63140-258-6

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ook up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane!

It’s… a bird that’s also a plane? The ever-popular app game featuring the furious feathered fliers meets the Robots in Disguise in the IDW Publishing graphic novel Angry Birds/ Transformers: Age of Eggstinction, based on the hit crossover video game.

The Allspark–the source of life for the Transformers– has fallen out of the Autobots’ hands and onto Piggie Island, where it begins imbuing the orby inhabitants with full bodies – robot ones, at that! Soon the Autobirds find themselves in battle against the Deceptihogs, with the fate of Piggie Island in the balance!

Transformers comic writer John Barber expands on the video game, blending the characteristics of the classic Autobot and Decepticon characters with their Bird and Piggie counterparts, and offering a light-hearted take on the conflicts between the opposing sides.

Marcelo Ferreira and Livio Ramondelli’s art captures the frenetic feel of the game, making this an action-packed read.

Angry Birds/Transformers: Age of Eggstinction is scheduled for May release and is suggested for Kids (6+) readers who enjoy the crossover video game, or either franchise.

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P R E VIEW: AN G RY BIRD S/T RANS FO R M E R S : AGE OF EGGST IN CT I ON

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PRE VI E W : A N G RY B I R DS / T R A NS FO R M E R S : A G E O F E G G S T I NC T I O N

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KATIE’S KORNER:

GRAPHIC NOVEL TEACHER’S GUIDES B Y D R. K A TI E M ONNIN

Cast Away on the Letter A: A Philemon Adventure

Written and Illustrated by: Fred Translated into English by: Richard Kutner Publisher: TOON Books Format: Hardcover, 8 x 10, 48 pages, Full Color, $16.95 ISBN: 978-1-93517-963-4 REVIEW Perhaps it is a coincidence that my last review of a Toon Book praised its editors for introducing early and young adult readers to international comic and graphic novel storytellers. But only perhaps. Cast Away on the Letter A: A Philemon Adventure is yet another brilliant example of Toon Books’ ability and goal to bring early American readers into a more global conversation about reading and writing with comics and graphic novels.

Cast Away on the Letter A was NOT a solitary columnwriting experience. As if destined to understand a word I did not know, “Philemon,” which I looked up in the dictionary and found no definition for, I ran into a dear friend and colleague who said: “Yeah, that’s a Biblical reference.”

Despite these colorful insights, Dr. Monnin, can you go back to the story in this early reader comic book and tell us about what it is about? No, I don’t think so, I would reply.

Cast Away on the Letter A: A Philemon Adventure is a comic book that deserves its own interpretation and its own accolades. All I can say is that it is a must-read early reader comic book for readers in grade levels 3+. The rest I leave up to you. Readers of all ages will be thrilled to explore new ideas and new worlds not only with Philemon himself, but also with all of the image and textual vocabulary they encounter.

ELEMENTS OF STORY Plot: Philemon falls into his father’s well during the mid twentieth century. He does not land on solid-footed or watered grounding, however. He finds himself in a fantastical world comparable to that of Alice’s Alice in Wonderland and that of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Major Characters: Philemon, Hector, Anatole, Mr. Bartholomew, Friday, Shark, unicorns, sailors from ship in the Bottle or “castaways,” Daniel DeFoe Major Settings: France 1960s, wishing wells, Atlantic Ocean, beach, island, shipwreck lights, Bottle Trees, Bartholomew’s hut, bottle ship, labyrinth Themes: Identity, Family, Tradition and Change, Realism and Fantasy, Individualism and Teamwork, Adventure

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Recommended Literary Pairings: Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time RECOMMENDED COMMON CORE STANDARDS IN READING GRADES K – 5 Key Ideas and Details 1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

Lesson Plan: Directions: Because this early reader comic is so loaded with multiple levels of interpretation I would recommend that educators guide student learning with an open-ended literacy strategy: a simple K (Know), W (Wonder), L (Learn) Chart. With a Know-Wonder-Learn chart instructors and students can begin discussing this early reader comic by honoring all of their ideas and understandings regarding this multi-layered, literary-level text.

• What do you K(K)now, (W)onder, and (Learn)About Cast Away on the Letter A:

A Philemon Adventure GUIDING QUESTIONS: •

When we look at/think what do we (K)NOW?

about

the

title,

•

When we read the early reader comic what do we (W)onder?

•

After reading the early reader comic what do we (L)EARN?

Further, throughout their reading experience students can take notes / record thoughts on the following KWL graphic organizer. Instructors should stop at chosen, predetermined stopping points and ask students to keep thinking and rethinking what they want to add to or change on their KWL charts.

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Rabbids #1: “Bwaaaaaaah!”

Written by: Thitaume Illustrated by: Romain Pujol and Gorobei Publisher: Papercutz Format: HC/SC, 6 x 9, 64 pages, Full Color, $12.99/$7.99 ISBN: HC: 978-1-62991-049-9/ SC: 978-1-62991-048-2 REVIEW If you have yet to meet the Rabbids on television or in one of their many video games you are about to meet them in their very own, brand-new graphic novel series from Papercutz.

Hyper, silly, unpredictably-off-the-hook the Rabbids always entertain, and in their first new graphic novel they do not disappoint. Laugh out loud funny, the Rabbids even experiment with the graphic novel format itself, sometimes going as far as to play with their very own graphic novel story-pages, turning them inside out and upside down to model new and experimentally clever ways to read and write with both words and images.

Fitting with today’s contemporary students’ attention spans Rabbids #1 also contains a variety of shorter and longer comic book stories; in other words, feel free to read the entire graphic novel or pick your pleasure, a key factor in fostering in Reading Engagement Theory and the power of offering any-aged reader a choice. Enjoyable from start to finish the new Rabbids #1 is surely going to be a hit with today’s younger readers and the adults that share it with them.

In sum, if you are looking for a new graphic novel guaranteed to entertain and engage your students this is one of the best new choices on the market.

ELEMENTS OF STORY Plot: Playful and adventurous, readers join the Rabbids on their wacky adventures and unpredictable choices.

Characters: Rabbids (lots of them) Themes: Inference, Play, Friendship, Creativity, Adventure, Goals, Teamwork, Short Stories and Long Stories

RECOMMENDED COMMON CORE STANDARDS* Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually. *Even though this is a Language Arts, Reading Common Core Standard for grades K – 5 Rabbids #1 can be read in the upper grades levels as well.

Lesson Plan: Directions: Because this graphic novel is so creative and engaging an enjoyable lesson plan can revolve around asking students to choose three of their favorite key ideas and details from the Rabbids adventures. The following graphic organizer will help you and your students identify, organize, and then discuss everyone’s favorite Rabbids # 1 selections.

Page #

Summary

Why is this Rabbids comic your favorite?

List of peers selections that you also really enjoyed!

Dr. Katie Monnin is an Associate Professor of Literacy at the University of North Florida. Besides the joy that comes with reading comic books and graphic novels, Dr. Monnin enjoys a Peter Panish life of researching and writing her own books about teaching comics, graphic novels, and cartoons: Teaching Graphic Novels (2010), Teaching Early Reader Comics and Graphic Novels (2011), Using Content-Area Graphic Texts for Learning (2012), Teaching Reading Comprehension with Graphic Texts (2013), and Get Animated! Teaching 21st Century Early Reader and Young Adult Cartoons in Language Arts (2013); Teaching New Literacies in Elementary Language Arts (in press, 2014). When she is not writing (or sitting around wondering how she ended up making an awesome career out of studying comics and graphic novels), Dr. Monnin spends her time with her two wiener dogs, Sam and Max.

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REVIEWS:

MORE GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEWS Booger Beard

Gronk: A Monster’s Story Volume 1

Written by: Vincent Navarrete

Written by: Katie Cook

Illustrated by: Vincent Navarrete

Illustrated by: Katie Cook

Publisher: Oni Press Format: Hardcover, 6 x 9, 40 pages, Full Color, $12.99 ISBN: 978-1-62010-220-6

Format: Softcover, 8 x 8, 64 pages, Full Color, $9.99 ISBN: 978-1-63229-088-5

For those readers or recommenders who may be sensitive to any sort of bodily function, be warned: the title of this graphic novel tells you exactly what you’re in for. What it doesn’t tell you, though, is that you’re also getting a fun, charming story for young readers that happens to teach a little Spanish in the process.

The story centers on young Mijo who, just before his mother can give him lunch, lets loose with a great sneeze that leaves him with the titular facial covering. While his mom naturally wants to clean it off, Mijo protests, explaining in colorful detail all the cool things he could do with his newfound beard (Luchador! Pirate! Lawn Gnome!). His mother remains unimpressed by his arguments, and finally comes up with a foolproof plan to deal with this new development.

Booger Beard offers a quick, engaging read for kids in first through fourth grade. Along with the slightly gross premise, it also features a number of words and phrases in Spanish, which are explained through translation, context, and finally a glossary in back, along with very bright and eye-catching art. Overall, Booger Beard is an entertaining way to introduce Spanish to young readers, or give them a story they’ll find fun or yucky, or both.

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Publisher: Action Lab Entertainment

Katie Cook’s all ages web comic gets its first print collection in this volume, which features 47 strips along with backup pages from other comic artists. The comic stars Gronk, a young monster who’s not very good at doing monster things, and sets out to see the world beyond the dark forest where monsters live. She soon meets Dale, and after telling her story, goes to live with Dale and her cat Kitty and large dog Harli. From there, Dale begins introducing Gronk to the human world, mainly through geeky films, games, and misadventures in daily human routines.

Written as a series of classic four panel comic strips, Gronk offers readers many humorous fish-out-of-water episodes, whether it’s Gronk trying to play with the cat tower, learning the true origins of bacon, or being introduced to geeky culture from Dale. In fact, many of the jokes reference pop/geek culture, but mainly well-known properties like Star Wars and Harry Potter (with some Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure for the older readers). With some touching moments interspersed with the jokes, Gronk: A Monster’s Tale is a witty, fun read that both young and old can enjoy.

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Hinges Book 1: Clockwork City

March of the Crabs Volume 1: The Crabby Condition

Written by: Meredith McClaren Illustrated by: Meredith McClaren

Written by: Arthur de Pins

Publisher: Image Comics Format: Softcover, 6 x 9, 112 pages, Full Color, $15.99 ISBN: 978-1-63215-253-4

Illustrated by: Arthur de Pins Publisher: BOOM! Studios/Archaia Format: Hardcover, 7 x 10, 112 pages, Full Color, $19.99

Clockwork City, the first graphic novel collection of Meredith McClaren’s ongoing webcomic Hinges, is a deft introduction to a strange and enticing world which promises a great story to come.

ISBN: 978-1-60886-689-2

A girl with hinged joints, white skin, and dark hair appears on what looks like a backstage area, with a pendant around her neck reading “Orio” (which we discover is her name). Without introduction she’s quickly approached by another woman, this one suspended by strings from something unseen. The girl is rushed across this area and shoved through doors–not before picking up a strange animal companion named Bauble–and finds herself in the center of a small town, quickly meeting Alluet, her “adjustment liason.” Alluet tries to find Orio work in her new home, not easy when her mischievous companion keeps causing trouble. Between these attempts, Orio has disturbing dreams involving Bauble and her clock pendant, while in the night something is stalking the citizens of the town.

Much like Orio, Hinges drops the reader into this world immediately, revealing details as the story progresses, and hinting at something larger and less benign behind the scenes. McClaren’s keeps the story moving at a fast pace (sometimes a little too fast), introducing just enough to keep the reader’s attention and interest.

Where the comic really shines is in the artwork. McClaren’s line work is thin and expressive, giving the characters a very vibrant, fluid sense of motion. With a strong sense of flow between panels and dynamic panel structures, the art draws the reader in, making this mysterious world quickly feel fully realized and familiar, even as they’re met with new elements.

There’s clearly more to come with this series, and Clockwork City gives the reader just enough to bring them back to see what that is. Hinges Book 1 is suggested for readers 10 and up who enjoy fantasy stories.

Through time, species tend to adapt and evolve in order to better thrive in their surroundings.

But what if there were a species that didn’t evolve?

And what if the members of that species grew tired of their static situation?

Arthur de Pins’ March of the Crabs examines this scenario in a humor-filled look at Cancer Simplicimus Vulgaris–the square crab–who, through a trick of nature, can not turn its body, but must walk the same path back and forth. When a crab loses his friend to beachcombing kids due to lack of mobility, he falls into despair. But in the course of rescuing a fellow square crab from a menacing band of brown crabs, he unwittingly discovers a method of circumventing the physical limitations, and proposes to spread this revolutionary idea to all his species. Meanwhile, a nature film crew has taken a special interest in the square crab, convinced that if the square crab evolves, it will mean the end of humanity.

The Crabby Condition is a light, fun read that examines the crabs’ plight from their point of view, along with humans whose lives intersect with their struggles. The plot features a number of twists and turns–including a third act that guarantees a sequel–which keep the story moving at a quick pace that keeps the reader engaged and waiting for the next development. De Pins’ animation background shines in the graphics, which has the feel of modern-retro pop art, and easily switches perspectives between animal and human POVs. March of the Crabs: The Crabby Condition is suggested for Young Adult (13+) readers and features a light amount of cursing as well as the occasional cigarette smoking, and is suggested for readers who enjoy natureand animal-based fiction, as well as humorous looks at the ups and downs of life.

For more reviews, visit http://bit.ly/BookShelfReviews Spring 2015

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CORE LISTS BookS h elf p resents a l i s t of s e l e ct e d e s s e n tia l title s f o r d if f e re nt a g e ra ng e s.

Titles for Kids (Age 6+) Alice in Wonderland: The Cinestory

Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor

By Nathan Hale Amulet Books – 978-1-41971-536-5

Oddly Normal Volume 1

By Various Joe Books – 978-1-92651611-0

By Otis Frampton Image Comics – 978-1-63215-226-8

Ariol Volume 7: Where’s Petula?

By Michael Stock and Sina Grace Image Comics – 978-1-63215-266-4

By Emmanual Guibert and Marc Boutavant Papercutz – 978-1-62991-186-1

Bee and Puppycat Volume 1

By Natasha Allegri and Garrett Jackson BOOM! Studios – 978-1-60886-487-4

Penny Dora and the Wishing Box Volume 1

Princeless: The Pirate Princess

By Jeremy Whitley, Rosy Higgins, and Ted Brandt Action Lab Entertainment – 978-1-63229-102-8

Rust Volume 3: Death of the Rocket Boy

Cleopatra in Space Book 2: The Thief and the Sword

By Royden Lepp BOOM! Studios – 978-1-60886-413-3

By Mike Maihack Graphix – 978-0-54552-845-0

Teen Titans Go! Volume 1: Party Party

Do-Gooders

By Scholly Fisch, Ben Bates, and Various DC Comics – 978-1-40125-242-7

By J. Torres and Justin Wagner Oni Press – 978-1-62010-250-3

Tiny Titans: Return to the Treehouse

Dragons Beware!

By Art Baltazar and Franco DC Comics – 978-1-40125-492-6

By Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado First Second – 978-1-59643-878-1

We Dig Worms!

The Dumbest Idea Ever!

By Kevin McCloskey TOON Books – 978-1-93517-980-1

By Jimmy Gownley Graphix – 978-0-54545-347-9

The Wild Piano: A Philemon Adventure

El Deafo

By Lee Nordling and Meritxell Bosch Lerner Publishing Group – 978-1-46774-576-5

Gronk: A Monster’s Story Volume 1

By Kaoru Mori Yen Press – 978-0-31630-223-4

Henni

By Miss Lasko-Gross Z2 Comics – 978-1-94087-802-7

In Real Life

By Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang First Second – 978-1-59643-658-9

Ivar, Timewalker Volume 1: Making History

By Fred Van Lente, Clayton Henry, and Robert Gill Valiant Entertainment – 978-1-93934-663-6

LARP! Volume 1

By Dan Jolley, Shawn Deloache, and Various Dark Horse Comics – 978-1-61655-686-0

Last of the Sandwalkers

By Jay Hosler First Second – 978-1-62672-024-4

March: Book Two

By Rep. John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell Top Shelf Productions – 978-1-60309-400-9

The March of the Crabs Volume 1: The Crabby Condition

By Arthur de Pins BOOM! Studios – 978-1-60886-689-2

By Fred TOON Books – 978-1-93517-983-2

Nimona

Titles for Young Adults (Age 13+)

Odd Schnozz and the Odd Squad

By Cece Bell Amulet Books – 978-1-41971-217-3

Fishfishfish

Emma Volume 1

By Noelle Stevenson Harper Teen – 978-0-06227-822-7

By Jeffrey Burandt and Dennis Culver Oni Press – 978-1-62010-244-2

Part-Time Princesses

By Monica Gallagher Oni Press – 978-1-62010-217-6

By Katie Cook Action Lab Entertainment – 978-1-63229-088-5

Bad Machinery Volume 3: The Case of the Simple Soul

Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland

By John Allison Oni Press – 978-1-62010-193-3

By Jonathan Maberry and Tony Vargas IDW Publishing – 978-1-63140-186-2

Batgirl Volume 1: The Batgirl of Burnside

Shadow Show: Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury

By Eric Shanower and Gabriel Rodriguez IDW Publishing – 978-1-63140-322-4

Lumberjanes Volume 1

By Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, and Brooke A. Allen BOOM! Studios – 978-1-60886-687-8

The Lunch Witch Volume 1

By Deb Lucke Papercutz – 978-1-62991-162-5

Marvel Universe Ant-Man Digest

By Various Marvel Comics – 978-0-78519-747-8

My Little Pony: Fiendship is Magic

By Various IDW Publishing – 978-1-63140-339-2

By Cameron Stewart, Brendan Fletcher, and Babs Tarr DC Comics – 978-1-40125-798-9

Rot & Ruin: Warrior Smart

By Various IDW Publishing – 978-1-63140-267-8

The Death-Defying Dr. Mirage

A Silent Voice Volume 1

By Jen Van Meter and Roberto de la Torre Valiant Entertainment – 978-1-93934-649-0

By Tow Ubukata and Yoshitoki Oima Kodansha Comics – 978-1-63236-056-4

The Devil is a Part-Timer Volume 1

Silver Surfer Volume 1: New Dawn

By Satoshi Wagahari and 029 (Oniku) Yen Press – 978-1-60309-400-9

By Dan Slott and Michael Allred Marvel Comics – 978-0-78518-878-0

Edward Scissorhands Volume 1: Parts Unknown

Strong Female Protagonist

By Kate Leth and Drew Rausch IDW Publishing – 978-1-63140-260-9

By Brennan Lee Mulligan and Molly Ostertag Top Shelf Productions – 978-0-69224-618-4

SuperMutant Magic Academy

By Jillian Tamaki Drawn & Quarterly – 978-1-77046-198-7

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Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron Prelude

Bodies

By Liz Prince Zest Books – 978-1-93697-655-3

By Various Marvel Comics – 978-0-78519-355-5

By Si Spencer and Various DC Comics – 978-1-40125-275-5

The Valiant

MPH

Deadpool’s Art of War

By Matt Kindt, Jeff Lemire, and Paolo Rivera Valiant Entertainment – 978-1-93934-660-5

By Mark Millar and Duncan Fegredo Image Comics – 978-1-63215-265-7

By Peter David and Scott Koblish Marvel Comics – 978-0-78519-097-4

Ms. Marvel Volume 2: Generation Why

Earthling

By G. Willow Wilson, Jake Wyatt, and Adrian Alphona Marvel Comics – 978-0-78519-022-6

By Aisha Franz Drawn & Quarterly – 978-1-77046-166-6

Titles for Older Teens (Age 16+) Alex + Ada Volume 2

By Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn Image Comics – 978-1-63215-195-7

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Volume 1

By Kore Yamazaki Seven Seas Entertainment – 978-1-62692-187-0

Assassination Classroom Volume 1

By Yusei Matsui

By Viz Media – 978-1-42157-607-7

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

By TAGRO Dark Horse Comics – 978-1-61655-735-5

A Sailor’s Story

By San Glanzman Dover Publications – 978-0-48679-812-7

Scott Pilgrim Color Hardcover Volume 6

By Bryan Lee O’Malley Oni Press – 978-1-62010-005-9

Exquisite Corpse

By Pénélope Bagieu First Second – 978-1-62672-082-4

Ghetto Brother: Warrior to Peacemaker

By Julian Voloj and Claudia Ahlering NBM – 978-1-56163-948-9

Grip: The Strange World of Men

By Gilbert Hernandez Dark Horse Comics – 978-1-61655-830-7

Here

Seconds

By Bryan Lee O’Malley Ballantine Books – 978-0-34552-937-4

By Richard McGuire Pantheon Books – 978-0-37540-650-8

In the House of the Worm

Black Widow Volume 1: Finely Woven Thread

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign Volume 1

By Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto Marvel Comics – 978-0-78518-819-3

By Takaya Kagami and Yamato Yamamoto Viz Media – 978-1-42157-150-8

By George RR Martin, John Joseph Miller, and Ivan Rodriguez Avatar Press – 978-1-59291-259-9

The Cartoon Introduction to Philosophy

Thomas Alsop Volume 1

Jupiter’s Legacy Volume 1

By Michael F. Patton and Kevin Cannon Hill & Wang – 978-0-80903-362-1

By Chris Miskiewicz and Palle Schmidt BOOM! Studios – 978-1-60886-684-7

By Mark Millar and Frank Quitely Image Comics – 978-1-63215-310-4

Clay Lord: Master of Golems Volume 1

Through the Woods

Nemo: River of Ghosts

By Jun Suzumoto Seven Seas Entertainment – 978-1-62692-149-8

By Emily Carroll Margaret K. McElderry Books – 978-1-44246596-1

By Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill Top Shelf Productions – 978-1-60309-355-2

The Complete Pistolwhip

By Jason Hall and Matt Kindt Dark Horse Comics – 978-1-61655-720-1

You Don’t Say

By Nate Powell Top Shelf Productions - 978-1-60309-366-8

ODY-C Volume 1

By Matt Fraction and Christian Ward Image Comics – 978-1-63215-376-0

Critical Hit Volume 1

The Other Side of the Wall

By Matt Miner and Jonathan Brandon Sawyer Black Mask Comics – 978-1-62875-111-6

By Simon Schwartz Lerner Publishing Group – 978-1-46776-028-7

Enormous Volume 1

By Tim Daniel and Mehdi Cheggour 215 Ink – 978-0-69232-730-2

Genius Volume 1

By Marc Bernardin, Adam Freeman, and Afua Richardson Image Comics – 978-1-63215-223-7

A Glance Backward

By Pierre Paquet and Tony Sandoval Magnetic Press – 978-1-94236-710-9

Kill Shakespeare Volume 4: Mask of Night

By Anthony del Col, Conor McCrrery, and Andy Belanger IDW Publishing – 978-1-63140-058-2

Louise Brooks, Detective

By Rick Geary NBM – 978-1-56163-952-6

Love at Fourteen Volume 1

By Fuka Mizutani Yen Press – 978-0-31633-665-9

Titles for Adults (Age 18+) Annihilator

By Grant Morrison and Frazier Irving Legendary Comics – 978-1-93727-844-1

Arsène Schrauwen

By Olivier Schrauwen Fantagraphics Books – 978-1-60699-730-7

Ballistic Volume 1

By Adam Egypt Mortimer and Darick Roberts Black Mask Comics – 978-1-62875-028-7

Beautiful Darkness

By Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoët Drawn & Quarterly – 978-1-77046-129-1

Black River

By Josh Simmons Fantagraphics Books – 978-1-60699-833-5

Spring 2015

The Realist

By Asaf Hanuka BOOM! Studios – 978-1-60886-688-5

The Spectators

By Victor Hussenot Nobrow – 978-1-90770-475-8

Trash Market

By Tadao Tsuge Drawn & Quarterly – 9781770461741

Trees Volume 1

By Warren Ellis and Jason Howard Image Comics – 978-1-63215-270-1

Trillium

By Jeff Lemire DC Comics – 978-1-40124-900-7

Trinity Seven Volume 1

By Kenji Saitou and Nao Akinari Yen Press – 978-0-31630-221-0

Wytches Volume 1

By Scott Snyder and Jock Image Comics – 978-1-63215-380-7

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Now you can fit GRAPHIC into your Common Core approved curricula

NOVELS

Presenting the Diamond Graphic Novels Common Core List

Using Common Core Standards will aid schools in preparing students for the challenges in college and the workforce.

We’ve assembled a list of graphic novels from Diamond Book Distributors’ publishers which work with a Common Core curriculum—and we’re hard at work developing materials to help educators better utilize them in their classrooms. Check back with us as we update our Common Core Standards List with more graphic novels, lesson plans, reading levels, and more.

“As an advocate of comic books and graphic novels in K - 12 educational classroom settings, the Common Core Standards are the best news like-minded educators have ever received.” – Dr. Katie Monnin, University of North Florida assistant professor of literacy and author of Teaching Graphic Novels.

To see the Diamond Graphic Novel Common Core List as well as other Common Core resources,

visit www.diamondbookdistributors.com/commoncore

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RESOURCES B O O K S A B O UT G RAPHIC NOV ELS Comics and Narration

Class, Please Open Your Comics: Essays on Teaching With Graphic Narratives

By Thierry Groensteen In this volume comics theorist Groensteen investigates how the comics medium functions, introducing the principle of iconic solidarity, and showing the systems that underlie the articulation between panels at three levels: page layout, linear sequence, and nonsequential links woven through the comic book as a whole. He examines his theory both through works that prove and challenge this framework.

SC, $30.00 (University Press of Mississippi) ISBN: 978-1-49680-256-9

Edited by Matthew L. Miller This book focuses on best practices for using graphic novels in a college setting from experienced instructors. The six sections cover helping students with weak visual literacy skills, how comics fit multimodal composition, and how to teach postmodernism with comics.

SC, $40.00 (McFarland & Co.) ISBN: 978-0-78649-514-6

101 Outstanding Graphic Novels

By Stephen Weiner Librarian Weiner, with input from comics professionals, critics, and retailers, has assembled this collection of essential books, spanning genres and age ratings.

This book serves both as an introduction to the world of graphic novels and a core list for collection development.

HC, $15.99 (NBM) ISBN: 978-1-56163-944-1

The Meaning of Superhero Comic Books

By Terrence R. Wandtke Scholars have long made the connection between superhero comics and ancient mythology, and this volume examines that connection, from the early workings of the superhero comics industry through later, postmodern series.

SC, $40.00 (McFarland & Co.) ISBN: 978-0-78646-491-3

U S E F U L The Comic Book Project – Center for Educational Pathways

L I N K S

GNLib: Graphic Novels in Libraries

Maryland Comic Book Initiative

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GNLIB-L/

http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/ MSDE/programs/recognition-partnerships/ md-comic-book

http://www.comicbookproject.org/

ComicsResearch.org – Academic & Library Resources

Good Comics for Kids (School Library Journal Blog)

http://www.comicsresearch.org/academic.html

http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/ goodcomicsforkids

Eek! Comics in the Classroom!

(Education World)

Graphic Novels for Multiple Literacies (IRA – Gretchen Schwarz)

http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/ profdev/profdev105.shtml

http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/ lit_index.asp?HREF=jaal/ 11-02_column/index.html

NACAE: the National Association of Comics Art Educators http://www.teachingcomics.org/

Expanding Literacies through Graphic Novels http://www1.ncte.org/Library/files/Free/ recruitment/EJ0956Expanding.pdf

The Graphic Novel and the World History Classroom (History Cooperative) http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ whc/4.2/rhett.html

Graphic Novel Reporter http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com

No Flying, No Tights (Graphic Novel Review Site) http://www.noflyingnotights.com/

Using Comics and Graphic Novels in the Classroom (The Council Chronicle, Sept. 05) http://www.ncte.org/magazine/archives/122031

YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens List Making Curriculum Pop

http://www.ala.org/yalsa/ggnt

http://mcpopmb.ning.com

More Links DiamondBookShelf.com maintains an ever-growing database of web resources for educators and librarians.

Categories include official Publisher sites, resources for teachers, resources for librarians, graphic novel and comics review sites, resources for kids and more!

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HOW TO ORDER COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS Yo u ha v e m an y op tion s – c h oose th e o ne t hat w o rks bes t f o r yo u!

1. BUY FROM YOUR LOCAL COMIC BOOK SHOP

2. BUY FROM YOUR USUAL WHOLESALER OR BOOK JOBBER

For a variety of reasons, your local comic book shop could be the best possible resource for your purchase of graphic novels. In fact, many local comic shops service both schools and libraries already with the latest comics and graphic novels.

Baker & Taylor, Booksource, Brodart, Follett, Ingram, Partners West, and other wholesalers all carry a full line of graphic novels. Most schools and libraries already do business with one or more of these companies, and it’s easy to add in your order through these procurement channels. Why not add graphic novels to your next order?

3. BUY DIRECT FROM DIAMOND If there are no comic book stores in your area and your usual wholesaler doesn’t have deep stock on a variety of titles, Diamond does sell directly to educators and librarians.

For more information, call Allan Greenberg at 443-318-8001 ext. 8864 or email library@diamondcomics.com or schools@diamondcomics.com

A GREAT RESOURCE: YOUR LOCAL COMIC BOOK SHOP Quality comic book shops are a valuable resource for libraries and schools seeking graphic novels and graphic novel information. In the past, such partnerships have proven successful for all involved, with increased sales and circulation, as well as the satisfaction that comes with community involvement.

As comic book and graphic novel specialists, comic shop retailers have up-to-date knowledge on the most recent and upcoming hits, and a great familiarity with what their customers are reading and enjoying. Many are more than willing to work together on cross-promotional events, reaching out to and expanding the audience of graphic novel fans.

So, how do you go about finding and dealing with your local comic shop?

Well, it’s easier than you think. By following these easy steps, you’ll be coordinating with your local comic shop in no time!

Research and Choose a Store. Once you’ve located a store, the next thing to do is find out more about it. If you used the Comic Shop Locator, many of the stores have posted brief profiles. The best way to find out more information about a store is to visit it in person. That way, you’ll have the opportunity to browse through the store’s collection and get personal advice from the knowledgeable experts on hand. All stores will have their own unique approach – find one that you feel comfortable with.

Introduce Yourself. Going into any new environment can be intimidating, especially when you have preconceived notions.

But there’s nothing to fear from comic shop retailers. Many of them are happy to welcome librarians and teachers into their stores because they understand the mutual benefit working together can achieve. Let them know you’re interested in using graphic novels and they will be more than happy to help!

Find a Store. We’ve already done the work for you! To find your closest comic shop, all you have to do is use the Comic Shop Locator Service. Just log on to http://www. comicshop locator.com and enter your zip code. It’s as simple as that! Located on the store listings is the School and Library Partners icon above. Stores with this designation have told us they are willing to partner with schools and libraries to aid with selection, programming, purchasing, and more.

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DIAMOND BOOKSHELF e-N ews le t t e r S i g n -u p • www.D ia m on dB o o kShelf .co m/s ubs cribe

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BOOKSHELF WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU! What did you think of this issue of the Diamond BookShelf? Send your feedback, ideas and suggestions for future articles to: Diamond BookShelf 10150 York Road Hunt Valley, MD 21030 Email: editor@diamondbookshelf.com

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The BookShelf e-Newsletter is designed to inform educators and librarians about the best graphic novels for their schools and libraries!

Diamond Comic Distributors is the world’s largest distributor of English-language comic books,

We at Diamond have known for years that comic books and graphic novels are excellent teaching and learning tools…we’re pleased that so many educators are starting to agree! We hope you find this publication and our website a useful resource to convince others that comics can make a difference in helping to promote literacy, motivate readers and more.

graphic novels and comics-related merchandise.

If you find Diamond BookShelf worthwhile, be sure to pass it on and tell your colleagues!

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We believe that comics are not only great fun and great art, but also have educational value and are terrific tools for promoting literacy.

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