Literacy Short Takes
RSSMartha Cornog
Editors note: I know a gift when I see one, and I couldn't believe my luck when the editor of BookSmack!, Library Journal's (LJ) sassy and smart book review enewsletter, asked me if I had room for Martha Cornog's piece on comics and literacy. A longtime LJ reviewer and coeditor of Graphic Novels Beyond the Basics: Insights and Issues for Libraries (Libraries Unlimited, 2009), Martha really knows her stuff, and I'm thrilled to be sharing the first installment of a three-part series with SLJTeen's readers. Part one, which you can read below, focuses on graphic novels in the classroom. In part two, which will appear in our next issue, on January 5, you'll learn about graphic narrative and get a list of comics with a teaching slant. And in our January 19 issue, Martha will conclude the series with an amazing compilation of resources for web-based and online graphic novels. Without further ado, here's Martha... The Canadian Council on Learning recently trumpeted the value of using comics to promote literacy, and books to help teachers work with this flexible and appealing format have been popping up all over. Ergo, this back-to-school (and New York Comic-Con timed) list of books and resources on using graphic novels with students. Librarians can adapt many of these resources to use with book discussion groups and programing. Moreover, these books offer excellent advice for those times when you patrons, administrators, other library staff, or the media ask, "Why on earth is the library collecting comics?" The resources also provide helpful information on grant writing and building a graphic novel collection. Some of these resources were suggested at "Reading and Teaching with Graphic Novels: Navigating the Resources," a panel moderated by educational consultant Peter Gutierrez at ALA's 2010 annual conference in Washington, DC. My thanks to Peter and his panelists. Comics in the Classroom: Rationale, Approaches, and Methods Bitz argues that while comics constitute a valid literary form and can motivate kids to read, creating comics in the classroom offers students a more intense and comprehensive educational experience. His Comic Book Project is designed to give underserved high schoolers a greater voice in the learning process by encouraging them to write and create art about their own lives. Manga High presents a detailed case study—the Comic Book Club at New York City's Martin Luther King Jr. High School—and includes profiles of educators and students, examples of student-created minicomics, and guidelines for setting up your own club. If you work with high school students, you'll want to check out this anthology of case studies and practical advice for using graphic novels to enhance kids' reading skills and reading enjoyment. Chapters pair graphic novels thematically with selections from prose works and explore the connections between the two formats. The contributors are professors or teachers themselves, and the approach is designed to engage students of all reading abilities—from reluctant to advanced readers. Cartoons and Comics in the Classroom: A Reference for Teachers and Librarians. Libraries Unlimited. 1983. 181p. ed. by James L. Thomas. illus. bibliog. index. Price varies (out of print). ISBN 978-0-872-87357-5. ED These helpful ideas and strategies are perfect for using with students in grades three through 12. Thomas's book also includes practical suggestions for using comics to teach subjects such as history, English, foreign languages, and science. Although some of the information is dated, most of the essays are still useful and interesting. For example, in the chapter entitled "Spider-Man at the Library," you'll learn how a Missouri high school library added Spider-Man comics to its collection and almost doubled its overall circulation—and increased the circulation of noncomic materials by 30 percent! This was one of the first books to examine the positive place of comics in libraries and classrooms-and although it's now out of print, it's worth tracking down a copy. CARY, Stephen. Going Graphic: Comics at Work in the Multilingual Classroom. Heinemann. 2004. 218p. illus. bibliog. index. pap. $32.50. ISBN 978-0-325-00475-4. ED Looking for tips, ideas, and activities for comics-based activities to use with kids who are learning a second language? Then this book is for you. It's also useful for librarians who serve multilingual patrons, and it includes information on important research studies, as well as a copious list of resources. This collection of essays highlights the importance of visual literacy and shows how to use comics, graphic novels, and other media to increase kids' critical thinking skills and get them excited about learning. Of special note, there's a chapter on how to use visual media to teach K-12 students with autism, learning disabilities, or impaired hearing or vision. Krashen, a noted reading researcher, summarizes a large number of studies on the benefits of "free voluntary reading" (FVR), or reading for pleasure. He argues that FVR improves second-language learning, vocabulary acquisition, and cognitive development-plus, it encourages kids to read more often. Krashen also discusses the benefits of reading comics. Described as "a major cannon in the reading research wars" that is helping establish the value of comics for literacy, the research in this book provides a solid foundation for promoting reading for pleasure. This detailed guide offers English-language arts (ELA) teachers an abundance of classroom-based and curriculum-relevant ideas for using graphic novels with middle school and high school students. Its strategies often pair graphic novels with more traditional narratives and offer advice on how to use writing and drawing (as well as reading) to boost literacy. The author also includes numerous worksheets, handouts, classroom-activity exercises, and reference lists. Rourke presents superhero comics as an entertaining conduit for teaching wisdom and positive values to high schoolers, linking these stories to the great myths and works of philosophy as well as to other texts. Part one offers 19 brief essays, introducing educators to superheroes, their narrative contexts, and the take-home messages they impart. Part two offers practical advice on using specific superhero comics in the classroom-complete with vocabulary lists, curriculum tie-ins (to history, civics, literature, and ethics), lesson plans, and exercises. Although this collection of 34 very diverse essays is aimed at college kids, its many helpful suggestions can also be mined for the high school classroom. The detailed case studies range from the predictable (using Maus to teach a unit on the Holocaust) to the crafty (introducing anime and manga into humanities courses to lure sci-tech majors) and touch upon many subjects, including literature, art, media, and history. (See LJ's original review.) This article originally appeared in School Library Journal's enewsletter SLJTeen. Subscribe here. I surely wish people would learn to possesives correctly, especially those in the education field.
"...it's many helpful suggestions can also be mined for the high school classroom."
It's equals it is. As you can see, proofreading makes quite a difference... * = Required information
BITZ, Michael. Manga High: Literacy, Identity, and Coming of Age in an Urban High School. Harvard Education Pr. 2009. 196p. illus. bibliog. index. pap. $29.95. ISBN 978-1-934-74218-1. ED
Building Literacy Connections with Graphic Novels; Page by Page, Panel by Panel. National Council of Teachers of English. 2007. 164p. ed. by James Bucky Carter. illus. bibliog. pap. $30.95. ISBN 978-0-814-10392-0. ED
Teaching Visual Literacy: Using Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Anime, Cartoons, and More to Develop Comprehension and Thinking Skills. Corwin Pr. 2008. 195p. ed. by Nancy Frey & Douglas Fisher. bibliog. index. pap. $33.95. ISBN 978-1-412-95312-2. ED
KRASHEN, Stephen D. The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. 2d ed. Libraries Unlimited. 2004. 199p. bibliog. index. pap. $27. ISBN 978-1-591-58169-7.ED
MONNIN, Katie. Teaching Graphic Novels: Practical Strategies for the Secondary ELA Classroom. Maupin House. 2009. 256p. illus. bibliog. index. pap. $24.95. ISBN 978-1-934-33840-7.ED
ROURKE, James. The Comic Book Curriculum: Using Comics To Enhance Learning and Life. Libraries Unlimited. 2010. 189p. bibiog. index. pap. $35. ISBN 978-1-598-84396-5. ED
Teaching the Graphic Novel. Modern Language Assn. of America. 2009. 352p. ed. by Stephen E. Tabachnick. illus. bibliog. index. pap. $22. ISBN 978-1-603-29061-6.ED
Reader Comments (2)
Posted by Lauri on December 15, 2010 11:50:13AM
Posted by Lynn on January 19, 2011 03:29:15PM
