Professional Learning for Busy Educators

So when I hear teacher’s tell students that graphic novels are too easy.  That comic books are not real reading.  That it is time to pick a “real” book.  That they can read books like that for fun but not for learning, I tend to get a bit upset.  You see, comics are what kept me reading long into the night as a child when books seemed like too much work.  Graphic novels are what make my students who declare they hate reading actually give it a try.  Dog Man and all of the other books by Dav Pilkey are what made Thea believe she was a reader.  How can we just dismiss that?

If you know where to look, there has been a noticeable reclamation for Indigenous storytellers. Notably, it's visible through technology and modern forms of online gaming, comic books, animation and transmedia. And while content for “mature audiences” is definitely on the rise, I was still able to find plenty of action for kids! These Indigenous and FNMI (First Nations, Metis and Inuit) creators hail from across Turtle Island, and are aiming to eliminate negative stereotypes of Indigenous peoples as seen throughout pop culture.

As Kickapoo comic book illustrator Arigon Starr said in an interview with VICE, “We were either shamans, mystic boogeyman, or pocahotties.” But new generations of kids won’t grow up with these visions if collections like Starr's Super Indian Comics and my selections below are shown to children from all cultural backgrounds.