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Non-fiction Book - "The Best We Could Do" by Thi Bui

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Non-fiction Book - "The Best We Could Do" by Thi Bui

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This graphic memoir portrays the author's family history as refugees from Vietnam to the United States. It explores themes of perseverance, resilience, and the importance of empathy as the family works together to move and adjust to American culture. The book is a narrative that highlights the struggles and triumphs of the human spirit, connecting to the driving question's focus on spreading the importance of perseverance and kindness through graphic novels.

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Read 4,526 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. The Best We Could Do, the debut graphic novel memoir by Thi Bui, is an intimate look at ...

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Q&A - "Developing Empathy with Comics & Graphic Novels: Archive and Q&A" by LibraryPass

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Q&A - "Developing Empathy with Comics & Graphic Novels: Archive and Q&A" by LibraryPass

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The Q&A article/video "Developing Empathy with Comics & Graphic Novels: Archive and Q&A" by LibraryPass discusses the role of comics and graphic novels in fostering empathy among readers. It explores the power of visual storytelling to evoke emotions and promote understanding of diverse perspectives.  This source relates to the driving question by examining how graphic novels can encourage empathy and other positive traits in readers.

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On October 27, 2020, Jerry Craft, Tracy Edmunds, Grace Ellis, Talia Hurwich, Rossie Stone, and Anthony Zuiker, joined LibraryPass' Chief Ambassador John Shableski for a lively and insightful conversation about developing empathy with comics and graphic novels.

View the full archived recording here, and scroll down for answers to additional questions from our registrants. After viewing, download your Certificate of Completion.

Q&A w/ John Shableski
Q: Why do you think comics speak so strongly to young people?
A: D ue to the combination of image and text, the comics medium provides immediate context to the reader who may be completely unfamiliar with the environment, setting, or era of a specific story. This context then expedites comprehension of the story, and the characters' actions and expressions add more levels of detail which supports retention. Images provide context which fosters engagement; engagement leads to clearer understanding and deeper comprehension of the story.

Q. What kind of questions can I ask middle school-aged students during Graphic Novel Book Club to build empathy?

A: How do you think it feels to be like [insert character]? How different would your life be in their situation? What do you think they wanted to grow up to be? Can you describe what their typical day would be like? Do they have a family? What's their relationship with them?

Q: If you ran a Graphic Novel Book Club for 8-12 year olds, what book would you read, or activity would you do?

A: Start with the popular titles they've read or already heard of: Avatar, Big Nate, Dog Man, Naruto, Smile. Have them share their thoughts on specific characters, the plot, and/or the artwork. Follow their lead from there.
Q: How are publishers responding to the need for more diverse authors across genres?
A: Most publishers tend to respond to what consumers, librarians, and teachers are buying and what wins awards. When Gene Yang's American Born Chinese was published in 2006, it received great reviews and won major awards. More recently, Congressman John Lewis' March trilogy and Jerry Craft's New Kid have won major awards, proving there was an audience for more diverse stories in the comics medium. An individual title's success can lift an entire category or subject, making publishers more likely to seek out and publish similar titles.
Q: What are your favorite Comics/Graphic Novels for introducing and/or addressing diversity for children?
A: This really depends on the age and reading interests of each child, but I would also encourage you to chose books based on subject matter rather than gender or ethnicity. Depending on their individual interests, Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, Jerry Craft's New Kid, Sarah Garland's Azzi In Between, Shanon Hale's Real Friends, Kazu Kibuishi's Amulet, Jared Krosoczka's Hey Kiddo, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, Raina Telgemeier's Smile, Jeremy Whitley's Princeless, and Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese are all excellent titles to start with.
Q: What do you say to parents who don't want their child reading graphic novels?
A: This often requires a great deal of tact and diplomacy. It's an opportunity to have a conversation and understand a parent's expectations for their children. Do they want their child to read? Do they want them to enjoy the act of reading? Which graphic novels are they familiar with? Give them a highly regarded title that you're familiar with-like Maus or American Born Chinese- and walk them through it. Note the attention to detail, how the images and words combine to tell the story, how reading comics requires a form of literacy that's increasingly valuable in the digital age. Parents are sometimes relying on old ideas of what comic books used to be.

Plus, it's extremely important to remind parents that kids read a lot more when they are allowed to read books that appeal to them first. As they become more avid readers, they will eventually read anything they can get their hands on-including the books they're "supposed" to read.
Q: What do you think of intergenerational activities using comics?
A: This is a brilliant idea! There is an ever-growing number of books that work with this concept; historical fiction and memoir are great genres to start with. Beyond that, you can incorporate basic comics creation activities where the older participant tells the story and the younger one draws it. Or vice versa. If neither can draw, they can cut out images from magazines or download images from the internet to use as graphics to tell their collaborative story.
Q: How can I convince teachers that graphic novels are a great addition to their current curriculum?
A: Understanding their main objectives is a great start. Then, like a sommelier, pair graphic novels that align with their syllabus. A potential short list would include: There are literally thousands of titles to choose from! If they need further convincing, note the major awards graphic novels have received over the years, including the Pulitzer, National Book Award, and Newbery Medal, as well as myriad The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation, NY Times Best Sellers. To Kill a Mockingbird, Slaughterhouse-Five, Economix: How Our Economy Works, The Manga Guide to Calculus, and The Cartoon Guide to Physics.
Q: What strategies have you used to collaborate with teachers? A: Find one or two key subjects they'll be covering over the year and identify key titles to pair with them. Many publishers are now creating lesson plans for their titles, making them easier to integrate into a syllabus. As an additional hook, remind them that the comics medium provides immediate context to a reader who may be completely unfamiliar with the environment, setting, or era of a specific story. This context then expedites comprehension, and the characters' actions and expressions add more levels of detail which supports retention. Images provide context which fosters engagement; engagement leads to clearer understanding and comprehension. Q: How does reading graphic novels at a young age translate to higher reading ability in standardized texts?
A: The combination of text and images provides context for the reader, expediting comprehension of the story, and building confidence in their ability to process information and meanings of words. Images provide context which fosters engagement; engagement leads to clearer understanding and comprehension. As their confidence grows, they are able to tackle more sophisticated texts and subject matter.
Q: What suggestions do you have for implementing graphic novel studies within the High School Visual Arts classroom?
A: Wow, this is a great idea! There are a couple of really big opportunities here, depending on your capacity and what goals you have in mind. It could be anything from a simple study in story design to a collaborative effort along the lines of the Graphic Novel Project at Stanford University -where students audition for roles on a graphic novel project, and at the end of the semester they produce a printed copy of their story.

Starting small? I'd suggest a simple ten-page story and allow the students to incorporate images they can draw or find in magazines or on the internet. A basic introduction to comics terminology will be good as they would need an understanding of terms like gutters, splash pages, thought bubbles, captions, etc. Drawing Words and Writing Pictures by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden, as well as Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, are both excellent resources for any educator.
Q: Where and how do you catalog graphic works in the library? Everything-fiction and nonfiction-are now placed in 741.5.
A: A recent development for public libraries is to create a special cutter for the subject and place the books adjacent to the 741.5 sections in Adult, Teens, and Children's titles. This helps with discovery as the section then becomes identified as the location for graphic novels. Interfiling according to subject can ensure a book gets lost. Even if it's a graphic adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird, interfiling causes a graphic novel to disappear. But when you have a dedicated graphic novel section in each age or audience range, circulation for the collection explodes, sometimes to the degree where your teen collection can have an incredible impact on your overall circulation.

"Genrefication" is another term that is finding its way into both public and school libraries. This is essentially setting the stacks similar to bookstores-which actually makes a lot of sense as students and public library patrons are more familiar with how bookstore shelves are organized by subject area: history, fiction, romance, etc. Graphic novel displays that follow this model can also create a long-lasting boost to overall circulation, potentially making your graphic novel collection a major draw for your library. You can further leverage that space by setting up themed promotions adjacent to it.
Q: Are some of the graphic novels supposed to begin at the end of the story and scroll in the opposite direction from what we expect?
A: This is manga, which is an incredibly popular form of comics from Japan and other Asian countries. Manga are traditionally black and white, and read from Right to Left. Manga is often conflated or confused with Anime, which is the Japanese word for Animation. Speed Racer is one of the earliest forms of Japanese anime that you may have been exposed to, while younger readers are more familiar with modern favorites like My Hero Academia, Dragonball-Z, Naruto, Promised Neverland, Sailor Moon, Full Metal Alchemist, Berserk, and Splatoon.
Q: Do graphic novels translate as well in a digital format?
A: Yes...IF the book itself is any good to begin with! Many modern artists work on digital platforms in their creative process so the transition to digital formats for reading is relatively seamless.
Q: Are there any structured Age Ranges coming soon (like anime?) for Littles, Tweens, Teens, and Adult?
A: We have our own age-appropriate guidelines teachers and librarians can refer to, as do some wholesalers-eg, Brodart. But at the moment, the industry has yet to produce a universal set of standards for comics.

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Developing Empathy with Comics & Graphic Novels-Archive and Q&A - LibraryPass™

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On October 27, 2020, Jerry Craft, Tracy Edmunds, Grace Ellis, Talia Hurwich, Rossie Stone, and Anthony Zuiker, joined LibraryPass' Chief Ambassador John Shableski for a lively and insightful conversation about developing empathy with comics and graphic novels. View the full archived recording here, and scroll down for answers to additional questions from our registrants.

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Blog - "Comic Book and Graphic Novel FAQs" by Kids Read Comics

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Blog - "Comic Book and Graphic Novel FAQs" by Kids Read Comics

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The "Comic Book and Graphic Novel FAQs" blog post by Kids Read Comics addresses common questions and misconceptions about comic books and graphic novels. It explores the educational value, storytelling techniques, and the positive impact these mediums can have on readers. By dispelling myths and providing insightful answers, the blog post contributes to the understanding of how graphic novels can promote kindness and perseverance in young adults.

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Blog - "Raising Super Readers: The Benefits of Comic Books and Graphic Novels" by Scholastic

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Blog - "Raising Super Readers: The Benefits of Comic Books and Graphic Novels" by Scholastic

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This blog post from Scholastic highlights the educational and emotional benefits of comic books and graphic novels for young readers. It emphasizes the development of empathy, critical thinking, and perseverance that can be fostered through engaging with visual narratives.

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While comic books and graphic novels have increased in popularity among children of all ages in the last few years, there are still some parents and educators that dismiss the medium as trivial or "not a real book" or "junk." We live in a visual society. It only makes sense that children are drawn to visual media.

Here are some things you might not know about comic books and graphic novels and how they can turn your child into a "super" reader:

1. Not all comics are about superheroes, and graphic novels do not always include "graphic" storylines. Did you know that there's a Pride and Prejudice graphic novel? Or that popular Shakespearean plays have been adapted into graphic novels? Did you know that the graphic novel American Born Chinese won the American Library Association's Printz Award in 2007? Face it, comics and graphic novels are on their way to becoming mainstream!

2. Some teachers and librarians on the 2014 New York Comic Con panel "Super Girls: Using Comics to Engage Female Students in the High School Classroom" listed these as some of the benefits and skills strengthened by graphic novels: motivating reluctant readers, inference, memory, sequencing, understanding succinct language, and reading comprehension.

3. Do you have a kid that skims the page or speed reads? When reading comics, children slow down and look at the images and text to fully ingest what's happening in the plot.

4. Graphic novels are bringing art education (which is often an endangered program in schools) into the classroom.

5. Graphic novels can be paired with traditional classics. One high school teacher on the "Super Girls" panel said that he's found success in pairing a canonical text like The Scarlet Letter with a graphic novel like . Both titles are centered on female protagonists feeling alienated, which a lot of tween and teen girls can relate to.

6. Speaking of girls, comics aren't just for boys. Everybody enjoys a good story. And there are plenty of great graphic novels available for kids of all ages. You can check out great graphic novels and comic book titles from Scholastic's store or ask your local librarian for suggestions.

7. Teachers and librarians on the "Why Should I Let My Child Read Comics?" panel agreed that graphic novels are great for kids with learning disabilities. Children with autism can learn a lot about identifying emotions through the images in a graphic novel. Additionally, for children with dyslexia, while it might be very frustrating for them to finish a page of a traditional book, they often feel a sense of accomplishment when they complete a page in a comic book. Accomplishment is important. It's a huge self-esteem booster and leads to kids naturally wanting to read more.

8. However, when kids have lower self-esteem because they aren't strong readers that can discourage them from wanting to read. But graphic novels are a great way to promote literacy. Teachers and librarians do not want to give ESL students picture books. Kids would reject that and deem it embarrassing. However, a comic book at a lower reading level might give kids the reading confidence they need while boosting reading and language skills.

9. Reading comic books is a great way to share the joy of reading with your child. If you grew up reading Archie or Spider-Man comics, you can share that with your reader now. It's a great way to strengthen your bond. Plus, kids look up to their parents and want to share and discuss those favorite comics or moments or scenes with you. It's a no brainer!

10. Do you remember those wordless picture books that your toddler might have chewed on? Well, there are also wordless comic books. These offer a plethora of learning benefits - critical thinking, sequencing, imagination, storytelling, and creativity. Just think, every time that your child reads the book, it will be completely unique. Although the book is filled with pictures, it's a blank slate just waiting for your child's imagination to take shape.

Remember, there are a ton of great books and a ton of not-so-great books. The same is true of graphic novels and comics. Do your homework before choosing graphic novels for kids. Go to the experts if you need advice -- teachers and librarians are there to help!

Share your thoughts on pleasure reading for kids on our Facebook page!

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Raising Super Readers: Benefits of Comic Books & Graphic Novels

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While comic books and graphic novels have increased in popularity among children of all ages in the last few years, there are still some parents and educators that dismiss the medium as trivial or "not a real book" or "junk." We live in a visual society.

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Documentary - "Comic Book Confidential" directed by Ron Mann

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Documentary - "Comic Book Confidential" directed by Ron Mann

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"Comic Book Confidential" is a documentary that explores the history and impact of comic books. It delves into the ways in which the medium conveys powerful stories and messages, including themes of kindness, perseverance, and social change. By showcasing the influence of comic books on popular culture, the documentary reinforces the driving question's focus on the importance of graphic novels in promoting these values.

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Comic Book Confidential (20th Anniversary Edition)

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Amazon.com: Comic Book Confidential (20th Anniversary Edition) : Robert Crumb, Gilbert Shelton, Stan Lee, William M. Gaines, Ron Mann, Charles Lippincott, Ron Mann, Don Haig, Martin Harbury, Charles Lippincott: Prime Video

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Podcast Episode - "Comics For All" from KidLit These Days Podcast

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Podcast Episode - "Comics For All" from KidLit These Days Podcast

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In this podcast episode, the hosts discuss the power of comics and graphic novels in promoting empathy, kindness, and perseverance among readers. They recommend 15 comics that exemplify these themes and highlight the positive impact the medium can have on young adults. The episode provides insights and recommendations that directly relate to the driving question.

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Guidebook - "The Comics Studies Guidebook" by Charles Hatfield

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Guidebook - "The Comics Studies Guidebook" by Charles Hatfield

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This online guidebook provides a comprehensive resource on comics and their cultural significance. It explores various aspects of comics studies, including their ability to convey important themes and messages. By delving into the academic analysis of graphic novels, this source sheds light on how the medium can effectively promote kindness and perseverance among young readers.

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In the twenty-first century, the field of comics studies has exploded. Scholarship on graphic novels, comic books, comic strips, webcomics, manga, and all forms of comics art has grown at a dizzying pace, with new publications, institutions, and courses springing up everywhere. The field crosses disciplinary and cultural borders and brings together myriad traditions. Comics Studies: A Guidebook offers a rich but concise introduction to this multifaceted field, authored by leading experts in multiple disciplines. It opens diverse entryways to comics studies, including history, form, audiences, genre, and cultural, industrial, and economic contexts. An invaluable one-stop resource for veteran and new comics scholars alike, this guidebook represents the state of the art in contemporary comics scholarship.​

Designed for undergraduate and graduate students as well as teachers, researchers, and fans, the Guidebook focuses on core topics, as textbooks do, yet is essayistic and personal in style, reflecting the input of a score of scholars. If you're about to take, or teach, a course on comics, check out this book and see what you think!

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In the twenty-first century, the field of comics studies has exploded. Scholarship on graphic novels, comic books, comic strips, webcomics, manga, and all forms of comics art has grown at a dizzying pace, with new publications, institutions, and courses springing up everywhere. The field crosses disciplinary and cultural borders and brings together myriad traditions.

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This illustration by Jake Parker showcases a character intrigued by the comic-like world around him. It visually represents the potential impact of graphic novels in teaching and inspiring young readers. The artwork aligns with the driving question by illustrating how graphic novels can effectively attract young readers through visual storytelling.