Get Your Kids Reading!

Are you looking for a way to get your kids (or illiterate friends) into reading?  Comics offer an easy way to make kids excited about reading for themselves. Here is a possible map to success.


0. Read to your kids!  
There's nothing that can truly substitute for this experience.  Show them reading is fun, go crazy with the onomatopoeia, be animated, use voices with characters.  By watching you, they will also learn the mechanics of reading.  Pointing to the words or drawing attention to specific letters will all help them down the road, so try to do it intermittently.  If you are occasionally crunched for time, you supplement with some episodes of Super Why (on PBS).

1. Polo/ Owly

Both of these series are text-less. The stories are carried in a purely graphic form.  By reading stories like this, children learn to look at panels in a  sequence.  Also, this can be their first chance to enjoy a story on their own.  Stage One gives them a chance to experience the story and then tell you about it.  Watching a child do this is ten times better than anything you'll find on tv.


2. Tiny Titans/ Johnny Boo

These may seem like a bit of a jump from the first stage, but this is a process.  Your child will not be able to fly through this on their first attempt.  Each of these series contain stories that are short and easy to approach.  Stage Two is about breaking things down.  You can pick a large word and divide it into small parts.  When they get good at sounding things out that way, they won't give up when they see the word "Treehouse".  Don't be afraid to mark up your books to give them reading cues.

3. Usagi Yojimbo/ Magic Trixie

At Stage Three, your kids have mastered the basic skills of reading. With these series, they are getting a little less silliness and a bit more humanity.  There is a range of emotions for both the characters and readers to work through.  Actions and consequences are shown in the stories and it's good for the kids to see.  Cultural and societal exposure comes from all forms of media and comics should not be discounted. 


4.  Bone/ Amelia Rules

This level is similar to the previous one.  Stage Four books have a higher concentration of words per panel.  The stories and concepts are a bit deeper as well, so don't be surprised if readers at this stage start to ask more questions about the characters.  Taking the time to explain actions and consequences with kids is greatly beneficial, whether it's in a book or in time out.


5. Marvel Illustrated Series/ Diary of a Wimpy Kid

With the other books, the young readers worked through worlds full of fantasy and silliness.  In Stage Five, kids can look at characters with a bit more realism to them.  The range of the tone is still vast, but put into a new context.  Teach kids how to relate the world in their head to the world around them.  Seeing less of the black and white that is shown in some stories and learning the shades of gray is important to their literary development just as much as their psychological development.  They will continue to judge the characters for their actions, holding them accountable from their own view point.


As your kids work through this process, take the time to listen when they tell you what they are reading.  Asking questions about what they would change or what their favorite part, enhances the experience for them and highlights creativity.


Get those kids reading, so a trip to the comic shop can be a family experience. When they get here, they just might ask for that $3 comic instead of the $20 toy.

- Ryan

Next Avengers?

Want to know the story with these guys?  Check out the video, it's well worth your time, especially with the tie-in to the current Avengers story.  



From what I can see, Marvel is treating the movie as canon at this point. Do your homework and watch Next Avengers, then pick up The Avengers #1 by Bendis and Romita Jr.

- Ryan

Picks of the Week

For the week of May 17th we would like to present:

Walking Dead #72

Fitting in was never something Michonne considered important. This issue showcases the gang enjoying a dinner party at the seemingly too-good-to-be-true compound in Alexandria. But not everyone seems to be adjusting well to their newfound normalcy and when things seem too good sometimes they just might be. If I haven't already said it enough, this book is fantastic and everyone should be reading it!




Brightest Day #2

BRIGHTEST DAY continues, but in ways you can't possibly expect! What does BRIGHTEST DAY mean to the DC Universe? Is everything from here on out going to be bright and shiny? No, BRIGHTEST DAY means something else entirely, something we can't tell you...yet. But we can tell you our heroes will need to rise up more than ever to combat the forces of evil, and a select few will uncover a secret that binds them ALL!

And the Firestorm conflict continues... but the best part of this issue has got to be the Martian Manhunter section. Man, I missed this.

Any of the Heroic Age Books:

Avengers #1 

 

 Age of Heroes #1

 

Atlas #1

Lloyd's Pick of the Month

 USAGI YOJIMBO: YOKAI HC

Yokai are the monsters, demons, and spirits of Japanese folklore, such as the shape-changing kitsune, the obakeneko demon cats, and the evil oni ogres. Usagi faces all these and more when a desperate woman begs for his help in finding her kidnapped husband. Tracing the abducted man to an old castle, Usagi finds the ruins haunted by creatures of Japanese legend and discovers that they are amassing for a great raid on the countryside! Fortunately, Usagi is joined by Sasuke the Demon Queller, who is also fighting to prevent the invasion, but things aren't always as they seem, especially when dealing with the supernatural! Completely self-contained story. The rabbit ronin turns twenty-five, and Dark Horse celebrates with the first-ever Usagi Yojimbo original graphic novel, fully hand-painted, written, and lettered by creator Stan Sakai! Usagi Yojimbo is a 2009 Eisner Award nominee for Best Continuing Series.

This series is one of all-time favorites. USAGI YOJIMBO is classic in the sense that the stories withstand the test of time. This is a series for readers from the ages of 6 to 60. I never grow tired of reading it. A great read of historical fiction all done by one man. This story is a perfect jumping on point for new readers, & long time USAGI fans. If you like samurai films &/or Japanese horror stories, this is a book for you.

Picks of the Week 05/12/10

Siege #4


 THE MARVEL BLOCKBUSTER OF THE YEAR!! This double-sized finale brings the Dark Reign to a shattering conclusion and brings with it the bombastic new HEROIC AGE. Every single page of this book is a shocker: Lives are changed. Heroes fall. Deaths. Revenge. Villain comeuppance. And when the dust settles, who will be in charge of the Marvel Universe?? You will find out here and only here. This is the one they will be talking about.



Astonishing X-Men Xenogenesis #1

THE HEROIC AGE IS HERE!

The superstar team of Warren Ellis and Kaare Andrews (SPIDER-MAN: REIGN) take X-Men into the Heroic Age!
Something's happening in the tiny East African city of Mbangwi. Something that requires immediate investigation.  A newborn sprouts metal electrodes and explodes, taking out an entire hospital.  Is this the first wave of mutant rebirth that the X-Men have been praying for...or something very, very different?  Something sinister?

 

BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #1

The most anticipated series of 2010 is here! Superstar writer Grant Morrison tackles his most ambitious project to date with THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, a special six-part series that chronicles the return of the original man behind Batman's cape and cowl! Each issue spans a different era of time and features the dynamic artwork of one of today's artistic juggernauts, starting with Chris Sprouse (TOM STRONG) on the extra-sized issue #1.

Jen's Pick

Kabuki Vol. 1 Circle of Blood TP

Collecting all six issues of the first Kabuki series plus the hard to find prequel one-shot with new pages of art from scenes that for space reasons were left out of the original story. It also includes in-depth notes and story analysis about the subtext of the story. Circle of Blood recounts the origins of the government operative known as Kabuki who works in Japan's near future, It's an exploration of the relationship between Japan's government and organized crime on a truly epic scale!

This is one of the first comics I even read; I was first attracted by the watercolor-style artwork, but soon learned that there was an intricate story behind that beautiful art.

An End to Segregation Pt. 2

At the start of the week, we suggested some Tankōbon volumes for comic readers.  Today, we offer up some comics for manga fans.

1. Bone - cartoonist Jeff Smith manages mythic, epic, and comedic in the same book

 After being run out of Boneville, the three Bone cousins, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone are separated and lost in a vast uncharted desert.  One by one, they find their way into a deep forested valley filled with wonderful and terrifying creatures.  It will be the longest - but funniest - year of their lives.


If you know how to read, there's no reason you won't enjoy this book.  Heck, even if you can't read, the artwork is great!  It's the one thing that can make everyone happy.  Not even rainbows can do that.


2. Runaways - Marvel's Costco comic

At some point in their lives, all young people believe their parents are evil... but what if they really are?

Meet Alex, Karolina, Gert, Chase, Molly and Nico - whose lives are about to take an unexpected turn.  When these six young friends discover their parents are all secretly super-powered villains, the shocked teens find strength in one another.  Together, they run away from home and straight into the adventure of their lives - vowing to turn the tables on their evil legacy.


It's got a witch, an alien lesbian, a mutant, mad scientist, a strategist, a time-traveler, and a dinosaur.  That's just the good guys! If you have an interest in any of the aforementioned, treat your heroes like toilet paper and get them in bulk. Marvel covers more genres in one book than I can count (I can count to 7).


3. All Star Superman - Superman has cancer?!

Okay, so maybe I lied.  He doesn't have cancer, it's much more complicated than that (he's an alien, after all), but he is dying.  When someone finds out they are terminally ill, you think of them going sky diving and swimming with sharks.  What about someone who is capable of flying to the sun?  What does Superman do when he learns the cells in his body are dying?  You'll have to read to find out!

This story captures a feeling of hope and optimism that is almost infectious.  At the same time, it is a very sobering and emotionally rewarding read.  It is a strange juxtaposition of feelings that makes this the best Superman story out there.  If you are a person who feels feelings, check this one out. We'll hug you when you're done.


4. Scott Pilgrim - comedy, action, romance.... and super-powered Vegans!

Scott Pilgrim's life is so awesome.  He's 23 years old, in a rock band, "between jobs," and dating a cute high school girl.  Everything's fantastic until a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties.  But the path to Ms. Flowers isn't covered in rose petals.  Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends stand in the way between Scott and true happiness.  Can Scott beat the bad guys and get the girl without turning his precious little life upside-down?


If you are a member of the 8 bit generation, this series was made for you. Read it before the movie comes out. Learn about the subspace highway and air juggling your enemies. Thank us later.


5. Heavy Liquid - gritty, urban, futuristic, stylish, and some other hip adjectives

It's the ultimate high. Men kill for it.  Governments vie to possess it. And it rests in the hands of a man known simply as "S." It's called Heavy Liquid - and it's going to change the world.

Heavy Liquid is a different kind of trip - a high-speed chase through the back alleys of the world's seediest cities... and the darkest recesses of the mind. 


If I had something snappy to say here, I would. But I don't... I'm sorry.






Be sure to ask us where to find these great choices the next time your in the store.  Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more!


*** Blurb's were taken from the books covers or sleeves.

- Ryan