Teaching with comics

I hate to even post this as I always post everything I do for free. I don’t want to put a paywall between this work and teachers who are already underpaid. Resources - like buying books, paying for my website, blog, etc. - gets expensive when funds are tight. If you use my resources and would like to send a little support, I’d appreciate it. If you can’t, I understand and I’ll keep on posting anyway! Thank you to everyone for all of your support over the years!

The Girl From the Sea. Molly Know Ostertag. 2021. When my daughter first saw this, she turned to me, and in an awed voice, said - “Dad, this is BEAUTIFUL!” That about sums up the stunning illustrations and coloring in this wonderful story - the emotional involvement with the characters, the panoramic land and seascapes, just so much to visually get lost in. The story itself is “normal” in many aspects - a young woman trying to navigate the break-up of her parents, her annoying brother, planning for her future, navigating a circle of friends, and just trying to find herself. The supernatural part of it, the mythology, comes when a motivated and dedicated Selkie appears from the sea and this turns into a beautiful love story. As the main character, Morgan, tries to come to terms with who she is, she must also figure out how to come out to her friends and family. This, too, is a realistic portrayal of a complicated teen, but told within a beautiful mythology. I will use this in my Fairy Tale/Folklore lesson in my high school classroom - lesson here - https://historycomics.edublogs.org/2014/11/06/fairytales-as-artifacts/

Love! This story is just so full of powerful representation, but that’s not the point. Yes, the main character is Black, but she’s not fighting against systematic racism, not having to fight against police profiling - she is herself. I am loving how smart and inquisitive she is - just like Moon Girl in so many ways. Don’t get me wrong - there are plenty of powerful and VITAL books about issues of racism, but it is also great to see a Black character, and LGBTQIA+ as well, not always having to be a victim, just being a great character. We need to allow our students to see themselves in our literature in as many different roles as possible. Snap and her friend question who they are, but they have accepting parents and much is accomplished by “simply” being true to oneself and for parents having the courage to open the lines of communication. The moral of the story is really one of not being too quick to judge someone, in this case an elderly community member being accused of being a witch by the kids…. There is just the right amount of imagination, science, nature, and love in this wonderful adventure. As we read about gay and transgender characters, they are “just” characters in a story, a story that is inclusive and that can include anyone. This is not a book for boys or girls, for straight or queer, this is a story for us all. What Leyh is doing is normalizing who were are as humans, no matter our identity or circumstance. When we read stories like these, we open the lines of communication and we need to do this as early as possible. A combination of witchcraft and LGBTQIA+ means this books will wind up on a banned books list, as all great books do! I could easily see this book being read by 4th-8th graders, but I will also be sharing with my high schoolers. The illustrations were vibrant and full of life - often making me laugh and truly feeling the emotions of the characters.

A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns. Archie Bongiovanni and Tristan Jimerson. 2018. This book is exactly that - a small book that really get across just how easy it is to not be a total jerk and to really see the individuals before us. Not preachy and not angry - this is like having an honest conversation with folx you have known forever. As long as we are trying, really trying, it’s ok to mess up now and again - but everyone deserves to be seen for who they are. There are checklists for pronouns and even conversation starters for those who may not feel comfortable bringing up identification. I can see this being used in schools for both faculty and staff. Brilliant.

A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities. Mady G. & J.R. Zuckerberg. 2019. A very colorful and disarming way to visually understand and celebrate humanity. Well organized and told in a story-like manner that belies its educational value.

Poison Ivy: Thorns. Kody Keplinger, Sara Kipin, Jeremy Lawson, Steve Wands. 2021. My kids and I love this entire series from DC! This is an origin story for Poison Ivy as a teen trying to navigate the perils of high school as a young woman fighting back against toxic masculinity and finding a true love in Alice. This does not read like a typical superhero type story, but as a meaningful and intelligent take on a hero who is relatable and realistic. The illustrations from Kipin add so much beauty and anxiety to this murder mystery/sci fi/horror story! Add in the coloring from Lawson and the characters, as well as the backgrounds, become all encompassing and add to the thrill! This is truly a story for that often overlooked age set - my daughter and found this to be the absolute perfect fit for her age. I love that Ivy is seen as a dedicated scientist, well on her way to a fruitful (pun intended) career and uses he intelligence and creativity to solve environmental issues, even if her ideas might be a bit… misguided. The unexpected part of this story was seeing her push back against toxic masculinity and the resources provided at the back of the book.