It’s a great time to be a comics reader at the Northlake Public Library District. With a growing collection, an adult graphic novel reading club, and a newly acquired Hulk statue (you read that right!), the library is clearly crazy for comics. It makes perfect sense that we extend our comic reading community to younger enthusiasts, too.
We have tried youth book clubs over the years, but these are seldom well attended. Perhaps the chosen book is too much of a commitment, especially with other demands on kids’ time. Maybe the title was just the wrong choice for many kids. And even if someone reads the book and shows up for the meeting, does she want to talk about the book? Comix Crew, our graphic novel reading club for 5th-8th graders, has, in a single bound, destroyed these long standing barriers and become a programming superhero!
Comix Crew is FAST. Comics often can be read in a snap, making the commitment low-risk (and high reward). We read one book each week in the summer, and every other week during the school year (though the kids have requested that we meet more often than this!).
Comix Crew is STRONG. This past summer, demand was so high that we opened a second session for the 5th-8th graders and a new session for 3rd-4th graders, allowing over 30 kids into the club.
Comix Crew EMPOWERS the people. We strive to make it comfortable, easy, and fun for the kids to read and discuss. Here’s how we do it:
- There are always two books to choose from. Kids can read both, but they don’t have to.
- The game and snacks come first. It’s easier to talk about Houdini the Handcuff King after you’ve broken the ice playing “The Human Knot” with other kids, or discuss Rapunzel’s Revenge with red licorice whips to nibble on between comments.
- Discussion questions are written on cards ahead of time and read by the Crew. If someone isn’t feeling brave enough to share an opinion, he still has an opportunity to participate by reading the question.
- And even if someone doesn’t feel like talking OR reading, everyone is willing to share star ratings through the mood-elevating power of stickers.
And finally, Comix Crew has a SECRET WEAPON up its sleeve: the readers! The participants of this group are routinely surprising me with their insight and interest. I was delighted by the positive ratings given to Peter Sís’s The Wall and its subsequent engaging discussion on Soviet Communism and what it means to be free. I was admittedly cautious in selecting Raina Telgemeier’s Drama, since it meant we’d be discussing characters who are gay. But these young readers’ expressions of acceptance and respect put my hesitation to shame. To the question, “How would you feel if a friend told you he/she was gay?”, unanimously the Crew reported they’d be supportive of the friend. “If your friend is gay, that’s just one thing about him,” said one Crew member. “He’s the same person! I’d just tell him, ‘Oh, okay,’ and then get back to whatever we were doing.” Another reader admitted, “I would be shocked at first. But I’d be his friend, no matter what.” Maybe the Comix Crew is revealing the hero in all of us!
Some tried-and-true choices for a middle-grade comics reading club:
- Zita the Spacegirl: Far from Home by Ben Hatke & Sidekicks by Dan Santat (theme: unlikely heroes)
- Explorer: The Mystery Boxes ed. by Kazu Kibuishi & Bad Island by Doug TenNapel (the unknown)
- The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sís & A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Madeleine L’Engle/Hope Larson (control vs. freedom)
- Meanwhile by Jason Shiga & Howtoons by Saul Griffith/Nick Dragotta/Joost Bonsen (DIY)
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum/Eric Shanower & Stickman Odyssey: An Epic Doodle by Christopher Ford (the journey home)
- The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan & Lola: A Ghost Story by J. Torres (hauntings)
- Smile by Raina Telgemeier & Zebrafish by Sharon Emerson/Renee Kurilla (what makes a friend?)
- Amulet: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi & Jellaby by Kean Soo (monsters, friendly and not-so-friendly)
(All pictures courtesy from Allison Parker)
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Our guest blogger today is Allison Parker. Allison is a Youth Services Librarian at Northlake Public Library District. She tweets as @skitterypigeon and contributes to butlerspantry.org, the blog of the Butler Children’s Literature Center of Dominican University. Feel free to contact her at allison.k.parker@gmail.com. She is happy to send you a picture of her dogs.
Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.
If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at alscblog@gmail.com.