tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88205459109157789062024-03-14T00:10:24.690-07:00All Ages ReadsTracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-24849417386755029502010-03-28T11:10:00.000-07:002010-03-28T11:11:37.425-07:00Support Reading with Pictures!Help Bring Comics into the Classroom<br /><br />Reading with Pictures is an educational non-profit organization that promotes literacy and the visual arts through the use of comics in the classroom. To achieve our goals, we’ve recently launched a pledge drive on kickstarter.com (http://kck.st/a2LVJy) to finance the publication of a groundbreaking educational comics anthology. The anthology features a cover by Jill Thompson (The Sandman) and original stories by over 50 all-ages creators including Fred Van Lente (Amazing Spider-Man), Chris Giarrusso (Mini-Marvels), Jim Gownley (Amelia Rules), Jeffrey Brown (Sulk), Scott Sava (The Dreamland Chronicles), and RWP Executive Director Josh Elder (Mail Order Ninja). This limited edition anthology will serve as a proof of concept that comics can be both entertaining and educational, and the only way to guarantee that you get your copy is by pre-ordering on Kickstarter today! <br /><br />Learn more by visiting us online at www.readingwithpictures.org.<br /><br />At Reading with Pictures, we’re getting comics into schools and getting schools into comics. <br /><br /><a href="<a href='http://kck.st/a2LVJy'><img border='0' src='http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/915250098/reading-with-pictures-getting-comics-into-schools/widget/card.jpg' /></a>Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-18187704732624819562009-07-20T15:34:00.001-07:002009-07-20T15:36:55.963-07:00New Gig!We've signed on with Chris Wilson at <a href="http://graphicclassroom.blogspot.com/">The Graphic Classroom </a>to write about the latest news in the world of all-ages comics. We'll be reporting the latest from Comic-Con, so hop on over and check it out!Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-10944055367147725682009-06-23T08:32:00.000-07:002009-06-23T08:37:58.529-07:00Link: Salt Water Taffy Author InterviewGo read <a href="http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2009/06/talking-comics-with-tim-matthew-loux/">this interview </a>with Matthew Loux, author of the Salt Water Taffy series. The books are so much fun - I'm sad they weren't nominated for an Eisner.<br /><br />Exerpt from the interview:<br /><br />O’Shea: What’s the appeal of writing an all ages book? What’s the biggest challenge of writing an all ages book? Do you wish there was another term than all ages, so that adults might pick up the book rather than unfairly pigeonholing it as something just for children?<br /><br />Loux: A great appeal for writing the Salt Water Taffy series for the all-aged is that in a lot of ways it frees me from the expectations Indie comic artists often have to do serious or emotionally challenging stories. I love that kind of work when it’s done well, but it will be a long time before i attempt anything super deep in my own career. Kids comics might be the only avenue for purely fun and silly adventure stories in the industry today, and that’s what i love to do. It is incredibly enjoyable to create stories for the Salt Water Taffy universe because of it’s freedom to be fantastical, funny, action pact, and often making no sense at all. And though the series is aimed for kids, I really did write them to be enjoyed by all ages. I try to follow the lead of master creator, Carl Barks in writing age appropriate comics that are just enormously enjoyable to everyone. On the flip side, ‘all ages’ or children’s comics’ can turn off many who think it isn’t mature enough for them. That’s probably true, because i certainly don’t write mature stories. Doing all aged material has freed me from having to do mature stories. I think also, the industry has tired so hard to be taken more seriously as a genre that it can’t handle comics that are trying to be less serious, so there’s very often this stigma among main stream comic fans against kids comics.<a href="http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2009/06/talking-comics-with-tim-matthew-loux/"></a><a href="http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2009/06/talking-comics-with-tim-matthew-loux/"></a>Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-9612361671998370492009-06-18T11:41:00.000-07:002009-06-18T11:46:25.754-07:00Not Comics: Odd and the Frost GiantsNeil Gaiman's <em>Odd and the Frost Giants </em>will be released in the US in the fall by Harpercollins. Yay! The book was written for World Book Day, which means it was written and published for free and children in the UK could buy it for one pound. Amazon lists the US release date as Sept. 22.<br /><br />From Gaiman's website: "Odd's luck has been bad so far. He lost his father on a Viking expedition, his foot was crushed beneath a tree, and the winter seems to be going on forever. But when Odd flees to the woods and releases a trapped bear, his luck begins to change. The eagle, bear and fox he encounters reveal they're actually Nordic gods, trapped in animal form by the evil Frost Giants who have conquered Asgard, the city of the gods. Can a twelve-year-old boy reclaim Thor's hammer, outwit the Frost Giants and release the gods"Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-6267667787951280502009-06-14T13:48:00.001-07:002009-06-14T13:48:59.815-07:00Twittering the Eisner NomineesI'm twittering about each Eisner nominee in the Kids and Teens/Tweens categories. It's tough to keep the reviews so short!<br /><br />@TracyEdmunds on TwitterTracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-14405308445741730242009-04-14T11:35:00.000-07:002009-04-14T11:37:28.068-07:00Animated Dark and Silly NightOne of our favorite stories from It Was A Dark and Silly Night (Little Lit) by Neil Gaiman and Gahan Wilson. Enjoy!<br /><br /><br />http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/movies/2009/04/wilson-and-gaiman-at-work-and-play.htmlTracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-16412778578085810482009-04-07T16:04:00.000-07:002009-04-07T16:06:03.443-07:00Eisner Nominations - Youth CategoriesBest Publication for Kids<br />Amulet, Book 1: The Stonekeeper, by Kazu Kabuishi (Scholastic Graphix)<br />Cowa! by Akira Toriyama (Viz)<br />Princess at Midnight, by Andi Watson (Image)<br />Stinky, by Eleanor Davis (RAW Junior)<br />Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco (DC)<br /><br />Best Publication for Teens/Tweens<br />Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, adapted by P. Craig Russell (HarperCollins Children’s Books)<br />Crogan’s Vengeance, by Chris Schweizer (Oni)<br />The Good Neighbors, Book 1: Kin, by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh (Scholastic Graphix)<br />Rapunzel’s Revenge, by Shannon and Dean Hale and Nathan Hale (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)<br />Skim, by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books)<br /><br />Our analysis to follow....Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-43659924143385339512008-09-27T09:24:00.000-07:002008-09-27T09:59:32.988-07:00Bonus Review by the Boys!At Comic-Con we were thrilled to meet the Patton family from Ohio. Turns out they actually read our column (!) and are big comics fans themselves. I asked them to write some guest reviews, not knowing that the girls were going to stage a revolt. *sigh*<br /><br />So, here is a fabulous set of reviews by Michael, 10 and Alex, 8., and mom, Jenny Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><strong>All Ages Reads - What the Boys Say</strong><br /><br />Michael, 10, and Alex, 8, had the pleasure of meeting “All Ages Reads” reviewers Shelby and Sarah at Comic-Con. These Ohio boys have read most of what the girls have recommended, bringing them hours of joy. In addition to being an avid reader, Michael draws comics, plays baseball, likes to skateboard and is always hungry. Alex loves football and videogames, collects stuffed bears, plays Chess and talks nonstop.<br /><br /><strong>Lookit!</strong><br /><strong>Volume I: A Cheese Related Mishap and Other Stories</strong><br />By Ray Friesen<br /><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="color:#009900;">Alex says … I thought it was extremely funny. Two narrators fight to tell the story. It’s so funny! When one gets hungry, he goes into the story because a character was cooking food. This book is about a kid named Raymond who visits his Uncle Clark and cousin Fidget in the country of Pellmellia. He arrives during the Cheese Festival. Eggner Von Shmoodledike, who is a professor, invented C5, which turns things into cheese. An evil scientist, who once lost to him in a dancing contest, sends his chicken ninjas to steal the C5. There’s a penguin character (Melville) who says penguins aren’t made for the cold. There’s an intermission when Raymond reads his comics. I have read it twice and will reread it. I recommend it for anyone who likes comedy.</span><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Michael says … Lookit! was a really humorous book. I liked how the two guys argued in the beginning about who got to narrate the story. They were bad narrators, but that made it funny. I liked when the professor showed his lame movie, “The Rivals,” which won an award named after the guy who made the movie. My guess is that it’s an award you’d get if you were really bad. The villain is Jarvis Van Chickenheimer. The two guys were rivals because back in kindergarten one said, “Cheese sucks.” At the end of part one, the main character Raymond joins the narrators to take a break and read his comic books about Captain Cautious. At the beginning of part two, the narrators return and get off script. The bad disguises on the characters cracked me up. They were horrible – a sock pocket, the narration hat and roller skates – but they worked to fool chicken ninjas. The art style was cool, and I think others would like this book.<br /></span><br />Jenny says … This is definitely an “all ages” book. I cracked up at its goofiness and absurdity, including parts the boys didn’t get … and you already know how funny they thought it was! The good news is that the boys were so engaged with the story, they raced to read part two. The bad news is they missed some witty storytelling in the 29-page “comics within the comic” section, particularly the Caption Cautious tales, showing Friesen’s illustration diversity. After several subsequent reads (The boys reread their favorites over and over and over again.), they read and enjoyed the middle section. I highly recommend this book to kids and parents.<br /><br /><strong>Kaput & Zosky</strong><br />By Lewis Trondheim, Illustrated by Eric Cartier, Translated by Edward Gauvin<br /><br /><span style="color:#009900;">Alex says … It’s a collection of stories in which two purple aliens invade planets. Kaput is short, egg-shaped, has red hair and likes to destroy everything. Zosky is tall, thin and smart. First they invaded Earth and a spider was like a beast to them so my guess is that they are smaller than they look. Kaput makes bad decisions that get them in trouble, and Zosky tries to stop him. The thing is there are tons of stories. Some of them are really funny. One I really liked was about another alien on a planet who would tell Kaput and Zoksy stuff (like who the ruler of this planet is) only if he beat them in hopscotch and “rock, paper, scissors.” One-page comics called “the Cosmonaut” are in between each story. Those are very funny. I wouldn’t say it’s too violent, but Kaput and Zosky do have laser guns and do kill other aliens. The art style looked familiar to me and I liked it a lot. I think boys will like it more than girls, but some girls may like it too. Everyone has their own opinion.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Michael says … Kaput and Zosky have the goal of conquering planets. Kaput, the small one, just wants to kill, kill, kill. Zosky is interested in learning about the culture and discovering the hopes, frustrations and goals of inhabitants. It’s funny because these two guys want to take over planets in two totally different ways. One planet elects its leader and Kaput didn’t like that because no one got killed. Once Kaput won a million dollars without cheating in a gambling game and said, “That was no fun.” He ends up being made ruler of the planet and didn’t want to be since he couldn’t kill people. They go to one planet where the beings look like small, red Pac-Mans who offer to do whatever Kaput and Zosky want. The leader says, “It’s all yours. Kill us, rob us, pillage the countryside … whatever floats your boat.” But this cooperation throws Kaput off, who says he “wants to be feared and dreaded.” This frustrates Kaput, and he and Zosky end up leaving the planet. The cover art made me laugh: The characters are more worried about killing a wasp than being eaten by the big monster whose tongue they are running on. All of the stories were good, and I especially liked the last “Cosmonaut” comic. I recommend this book for everyone, especially boys. Tomboys might like it too. <br /></span><br />Jenny says … The characters provide a nice foil for one another, and their interaction is the highlight. Kaput is full of fury, and Zosky is good at redirecting his partner’s feistiness. Zosky is very logical about how to accomplish their goal of taking over planets. Even though his mission is questionable, the way he pursues it is respectable. For instance, he talks Kaput out of killing everyone on one planet because then they would have no one to plant and harvest food, cook and clean, play music, etc. Zosky brings balance to the team, but the stories wouldn’t be as entertaining without Kaput. It’s their teamwork that makes the stories work. I must nod to the second to last story in which Kaput and Zosky crash land in a cabbage patch field and become the adopted babies to an alien mother who meets their every need. Zosky finds it paradise, but Kaput is angry about there being nothing more he wants. Great stuff. The vibrant colors add to the energy of the tales. I especially loved the depictions of space as Kaput and Zosky leave one planet and travel to another. Despite disappointments, they maintain enthusiasm about their quest. If parents are concerned about the violence, I suggest they read it first, although I feel none of it is gratuitous. Rather, it adds to the humor and plot progression.<br /><br /><strong>Johnny Boo<br /></strong>The Best Little Ghost in the World!<br />By James Kochalka<br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Michael says … It’s about a ghost (Johnny Boo) who has a pet ghost (Squiggle). I find that funny. Squiggle kind of looks like a ghost from Mario World except he’s really tiny and doesn’t have arms. In the beginning they play tag, and Johnny Boo can’t catch Squiggle. He was doing loop-de-loops and Johnny Boo said that was cheating. Johnny has Boo Power. When he says “Boo,” he scares Squiggle. Squiggle says he has Squiggle Power. The ghosts play by the same rules that Alex and I have: If one cheats then the other one gets to cheat. They end up fighting but the idea of ice cream reunites them. An ice cream monster appears when Squiggle shouts, “ICE CREAM!” Two problems come up, and the special powers of the ghosts come in handy. It was a short book that I recommend for others. I liked it.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#009900;">Alex says … The main theme is ice cream, and I like ice cream. I thought it was funny how Johnny Boo buried and dug up ice cream. I like the art style because it’s cartoonish. Squiggle is a simple raindrop figure, and I think it’s creative how the author formed a raindrop into a pet ghost.<br /></span><br />Jenny says … The character Johnny Boo is just so darned cute. His mug on the book’s cover caught my attention when we were at the Top Shelf Productions table at Comic-Con. He’s a marshmallow-white little guy with flowy 80s bangs. It’s amazing how much emotion is conveyed through his simply drawn eyes – joy, frustration, concern, hope, affection, fear and surprise. As the boys said, the illustrations appear rather simple, and the book is a fast read, but it has depth and a sweetness that was appealing.Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-43659135446187598162008-09-23T10:38:00.000-07:002008-09-23T11:39:40.610-07:00So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, GoodbyeIt seems we've hit, well, if not the end of the road, then at least a rather large detour. <br /><br />The girls are on strike until further notice. They both feel like they have too much going on in their non-comic lives and they want to "read comics because we like them, not because we have to talk about them."<br /><br />On top of that, this has become more of a job than a hobby lately, and seeing that we get paid the high salary of $0.00 to write our columns, the math just isn't working out. Comics and graphic novels are an industry that grows larger by the day and creators and publishers are looking for publicity, especially free publicity. I've definitely been feeling pressured to review more and more titles as the girls become less and less interested.<br /><br />Our love of the medium hasn't diminished -- we still make weekly trips to the comic shop and I will still use graphic novels in my classroom. So, I may pop up somewhere else in the future, but for now All Ages Reads is offline.<br /><br />Many, many thanks to all the readers and creators who have been so wonderful to us. Your support and kindness are the reason we kept at this so long.<br /><br />You don't need us anyway! Here are some great sites covering comics for kids:<br /><a href="http://graphicclassroom.blogspot.com/">The Graphic Classroom</a><br /><a href="http://comicsintheclassroom.net/">Comics in the Classroom</a><br /><a href="http://toon-books.com/blog/">Toon Books Kids Comics Blog</a><br /><a href="http://www.goodcomicsforkids.com/">Good Comics for Kids</a>Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-82678070613354017762008-08-13T13:48:00.000-07:002008-08-13T13:50:01.792-07:00Nick Mag "Best Kids' Graphic Novel Awards"What a FABULOUS idea! Per the press release:<br /><br /><div align="center">NICKELODEON MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES ITS<br />FIRST-EVER “BEST KIDS’ GRAPHIC NOVEL” AWARDS</div><div align="center"><br />Submission Process Now Open for Spring 2009 Awards</div><div align="left"><br />NEW YORK-Aug. 13, 2008-Nickelodeon Magazine, the leading entertainment and humor magazine for kids, has announced its first-ever “Best Kids’ Graphic Novel” Awards, taking place in spring 2009. The Awards will honor the best comic books and animated novels for kids published across the U.S. The submission process is open through Sept. 30, 2008, and voting will take place in December. </div><div align="left"><br />“Comics have always been an integral part of who we are, and these Awards will allow us to honor the great work for kids being produced in graphic novels today,” said Laura Galen, Senior Vice President and Editorial Director. “Our readers consistently rave about ‘The Comic Book’ section as one of their favorites, so awards are a natural direction for the magazine.”</div><div align="left"><br />All graphic novel submissions must be submitted before Sept. 30, 2008. A list of books for kids to vote on, pre-selected by the Nickelodeon Magazine editorial staff, will be available in the December issue and online at <a href="http://www.nickmag.com/" target="_blank">http://www.nickmag.com</a>. The results will be announced in print and online in spring 2009 in conjunction with the release of Nickelodeon Magazine’s popular annual cartoon-themed issue. Nickelodeon Magazine welcomes all submissions appropriate for kids between the ages of seven and 13.</div><div align="left"><br />Publishers interested in submitting graphic novels should send two copies of each title no later than Sept. 30, 2008. Submissions should be mailed to:<br />Chris Duffy or Dave Roman Graphic Novel Award Nickelodeon Magazine 1515 Broadway 37th Floor New York, NY 10036. </div><div align="left"> </div>Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-62407036636404833812008-08-13T13:21:00.000-07:002008-08-13T13:23:56.959-07:00New Kid ReviewerWe have company! <br /><br /><a href="http://kidscomicbooks.blogspot.com/">http://kidscomicbooks.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />So far it's all superhero comics, and some titles that he's reviewed I wouldn't necessarily recommend for all 7-year-olds, but The Kid is quite a good little reviewer!Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-54422640989772814832008-08-13T13:04:00.001-07:002008-08-13T13:16:35.429-07:00Oprah's Kids' Reading ListsI recently read this post declaring that the addition of Sara Varon's <strong>Robot Dreams</strong> to <a href="http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahsbookclub/kidsreadinglist/20080805_orig_kids_6_9">Oprah's Kids Reading List for 6 to 9 year-olds</a>, intimating that this is the first graphic novel on the list. It isn't. Jeff Kinney's <strong>Diary of a Wimpy Kid</strong> is on the <a href="http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahsbookclub/20080805_orig_kids_10_12/2">10 - 12 Year-Old list </a>and Shaun Tan's <strong>The Arrival </strong>is on the <a href="http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahsbookclub/kidsreadinglist/20080805_orig_kids_12up">12 Years and Up list</a>.<br /><br />It's so wonderful to see my favorite form of literature represented on the Oprah's Kids list. Now, what about the adult list? I recommend <strong>Persepolis</strong>, as it seems to fit the female-friendly nature of the list. Your recommendations?Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-13021945919449475032008-07-27T12:03:00.000-07:002008-11-13T03:47:19.908-08:00CON!!!!!!!!!!<div align="left">We had a wonderful time at Comic-Con. We chatted with many of our favorite creators and the girls got lots of sketches. We even got to meet some of our readers, which was awesome! Too bad we had to leave on Friday afternoon -- we really wanted to stick around for Kids' Day on Sunday.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIzMCg_4HxI/AAAAAAAAADg/LNNz-bwuZb4/s1600-h/artfranco.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227777611059961618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIzMCg_4HxI/AAAAAAAAADg/LNNz-bwuZb4/s320/artfranco.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Art Baltazar and Franco of Tiny Titans and Patrick the Wolfboy. Awww yeah!<br /></em><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIzJl169CKI/AAAAAAAAADI/hxSd6Zziogo/s1600-h/andy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227774919436994722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIzJl169CKI/AAAAAAAAADI/hxSd6Zziogo/s320/andy.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Andy Runton does awesome sketches. </em></div><em><br /></em><br /><div align="center"><em>Shelby got Owly as Anung Un Rama (the real Hellboy) and </em></div><em><br /></em><br /><div align="center"><em>Sarah got Owly and Wormy as luchadores.<br /></em></div><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIzJmavNuaI/AAAAAAAAADQ/5L98cnFAHAI/s1600-h/jill.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227774929319868834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIzJmavNuaI/AAAAAAAAADQ/5L98cnFAHAI/s320/jill.jpg" border="0" /></a><em> Jill Thompson was so gracious and lovely. </em></p><p align="center"><em>You must all go out and buy a copy of <strong>Magic Trixie</strong> - it's awesome!<br /></em></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIzJm3fG4RI/AAAAAAAAADY/QvmIzmiTp_E/s1600-h/savas.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227774937036939538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIzJm3fG4RI/AAAAAAAAADY/QvmIzmiTp_E/s320/savas.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Scott Sava of Blue Dream Studios (Dreamland Chronicles, Pet Robots) has a new publishing deal with IDW and lots of Hollywood stuff in the works. </em></p><p align="center"><em>Here he is with his lovely wife, Donna, and his twin Power Rangers.</em></p><br /><br /><p>More news and tidbits from the Con to come -- after we recover!<br /></p>Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-55979278295121042292008-07-26T17:09:00.000-07:002008-11-13T03:47:20.787-08:00Coraline PuppetsI couldn't resist posting these photos from Comic-Con. These are puppets from the upcoming <a href="http://www.laika.com/entertainment/?m=bookmark&g=projects&c=coraline"><strong>Coraline</strong> movie</a>. The girls and I all enjoyed the novel (by Neil Gaiman), but I have to say that I found the <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780060825430/Coraline_Graphic_Novel/index.aspx">graphic novel</a> (illustrations by P. Craig Russell) really, really creepy. I have one question: Who the heck is Wybie?<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIu-0GrVjvI/AAAAAAAAACI/DkY-ZbmXtuY/s1600-h/Coraline.jpg"></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227481594848448242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIu-0GrVjvI/AAAAAAAAACI/DkY-ZbmXtuY/s320/Coraline.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">Coraline</div><div align="center"><br /> </div><p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIu-0GKWTWI/AAAAAAAAACQ/w4jEMgdKPqE/s1600-h/OtherMother.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227481594710084962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIu-0GKWTWI/AAAAAAAAACQ/w4jEMgdKPqE/s320/OtherMother.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center">The Other Mother<br /></p><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIu-0Saff9I/AAAAAAAAACY/1lgC7VBUuIc/s1600-h/ghost1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227481597999022034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIu-0Saff9I/AAAAAAAAACY/1lgC7VBUuIc/s320/ghost1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIu-0Yo3d4I/AAAAAAAAACg/bGdQDTI-Qcg/s1600-h/ghost2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227481599669925762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIu-0Yo3d4I/AAAAAAAAACg/bGdQDTI-Qcg/s320/ghost2.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center">Ghosts</p><p align="center"><br /></p><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIu-0nC6-_I/AAAAAAAAACo/ue9e3iGFsXU/s1600-h/Wybie.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227481603537304562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PaBXHEBujIE/SIu-0nC6-_I/AAAAAAAAACo/ue9e3iGFsXU/s320/Wybie.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center">Wybie</p>Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-36254495807124150372008-07-16T10:19:00.000-07:002008-07-16T10:21:14.820-07:00<strong>Kids Are People, Too</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong>This <a href="http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2008/07/03/billy-batson-and-the-magic-of-shazam-or-comics-are-for-kids/">review</a>, and the ensuing posts, debating what kids want in their comics, got me thinking about how adults review comics for kids. <br /><br />Why do adults refer to “kids” as if they’re a vast monotype? Kids are as different from each other as adults are. There are 8-year-olds who like superheroes and 8-year-olds who like anime; 8-year-olds who are frightened by violence and 8-year-olds who love violence; 8-year-olds who enjoy a complex plot line and rich characters and 8-year-olds who love fart jokes. <br /><br />The kid who loves <strong>Goosebumps</strong> and <strong>Tales from the Crypt</strong> is different from the kid who likes <strong>Dragonball Z</strong> and <strong>Naruto</strong>. Just because a kid likes <strong>Marvel Adventures</strong>, that doesn’t guarantee that he or she will like every superhero comic. Some kids don’t want to be “talked down to,” but others couldn't care less. <br /><br />Predicting what a particular kid will or won’t like is difficult at best. Take my girls for example; sometimes they like what I think they will like, and sometimes they think I’m nuts. I loved <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tellos-Colossal-Todd-Dezago/dp/1582407894"><strong>Tellos</strong></a> and thought they would, too, but it just got a “meh” rating. And they don’t always agree – Sarah is one of the <strong>Archie</strong> faithful, but Shelby finds Riverdale boring. I see a huge variety of reading interests and tastes in the classroom. I brought in a stack of <strong>Teen Titans Go!</strong>, thinking my students would eat them up, but nobody touched them. One kid fell in love with <strong>The Dreamland Chronicles</strong>, another with <strong>The Incredibles</strong>, and another with <strong>Bone</strong>. And as for kids not wanting to read “baby stuff,” I had a fourth grade student who absolutely loved <a href="http://www.toon-books.com/book_jack_about.php"><strong>Jack and the Box</strong></a>, which seems to me to be intended for preschoolers. <br /><br />So how can I, as an adult, review comics for kids? I don’t think that’s my role. I don’t think that my job as a reviewer is to predict what kids will or won’t like. I give my personal opinion about a book, aimed at other adults, and provide factual information about the contents of the book. The girls review for kids; I review for parents, teachers, and librarians.Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-81080259057896429432008-07-12T21:27:00.000-07:002008-07-12T21:40:30.843-07:00Reader SurveyI know there are a few of you out there who read our reviews regularly. Thank you!!! For those of you who don't know, all our work has been unpaid for lo these many years. I'm considering building a site on which we can host a few ads, just so we can afford to buy comics.<br /><br />I'd like it to be a searchable database of our reviews and recommendations. I would have links on the front page where readers can find lists of comics/gn's by age and interest. If you click on an age group, say <em>Early Elementary</em>, you'd see an alphabetical list of titles, each one being a link to a review. <br /><br />Each review would list the title, author and artist, publisher, recommended age level with notes, and interest area or genre.<br /><br />Age categories:<br /> All Ages<br /> Early Elementary<br /> Upper Elementary<br /> Middle School<br /><br />The interest/genre categories:<br /> Action<br /> Animals<br /> Anthologies<br /> Biography<br /> Easy Readers<br /> Fantasy<br /> Female Protagonists<br /> History<br /> Horror<br /> How To<br /> Humor<br /> Literature<br /> Science<br /> Science Fiction<br /> Stories<br /> Superheroes<br /><br />I'd also like to do Top Ten lists by age and recommendations for classrooms.<br /><br />What do you all think? Is there a need for a site like this? Would you use it? How would you use it and how would you like to see it organized? Should we have a rating system, like Amazon's stars?<br /><br />Please post or email any input, advice, or comments. Thanks in advance for your help!<br /><br />TracyTracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-46719764007320136442008-07-12T21:23:00.000-07:002008-07-12T21:27:31.235-07:00Knights of the Lunch Table<strong>Knights of the Lunch Table</strong>, by Frank Camusso (Scholastic Graphix)<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em>Shelby says</em>: The story is about a boy named Artie King who is new in town and he has to go to a new school called Camelot Middle School. His sister, Morgan, is just a jerk who makes him miss the bus and makes him a soap sandwich for lunch. Artie makes the school bully mad because he gives him a soap sandwich that his sister made. Artie is the only one who can open cursed locker number 001XCL, so he becomes like the king of the school. The school bully, who thinks he’s the king, challenges Artie to a game of dodgeball against The Horde. Artie’s friends’ names are Percy, Wayne, and Gwen and they play dodgeball with Artie. The supervillanous principal, Mrs. Dagger, is on the bullys’ side, I guess ‘cause she’s evil. The science teacher is Mr. Merlyn and gets Artie and his friends out of trouble.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#009900;"><em>Sarah says</em>: <strong>Knights of the Lunch Table</strong> is good for everybody. The story is basically the King Arthur story at a school, and instead of a sword in a stone, it’s a locker that’s busted and only can Artie King can open it. If you know about King Arthur and the whole pulling-the-sword-out-of-the-stone story, you can understand it and get the references. But, if you haven’t heard about that, you can still enjoy it because it makes sense on its own. Some people might not get that the lunch ladies are the three witches from Macbeth, but even if they don’t get that, they’ll get that the ladies are weird. The story is still really good and funny even if you don’t get any of that other stuff. I read it 3 times in a row!</span> <br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em>Shelby says</em>: I liked the drawings because the characters were cartoony but the settings were detailed and it was really, really colorful. Kids will like this book even if they don’t know the story of King Arthur because I liked it and I don’t know that much about it. I liked the pictures because they are really colorful and fun. I like the story, too, because it wasn’t exactly like every other story in the world.<br /></span><br /><em>Tracy says</em>: This is a great example of an all-ages book. Kids will love the story of Artie and his friends facing down the bullies and the evil principal, while older readers will get a kick out of the clever parallels and references to everything medieval and literary. The amazing thing is how well the story stands on its own even with all the word play. It’s clever and easy to follow and each character is clearly defined visually. The panel layouts are dynamic but never get in the way of the story. <strong>Knights of the Lunch Table</strong> flows beautifully and keeps the action and laughs coming. I highly recommend this book for all libraries and classrooms.<br /><br />See a sneak peek <a href="http://www.scholastic.com/knightsofthelunchtable/">here</a>.Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-89778326507946394632008-07-12T21:22:00.000-07:002008-07-12T21:23:49.117-07:00Sticky Burr<strong>Sticky Burr</strong> by John Lechner (Candlewick Press)<br /><br /><span style="color:#009900;"><em>Sarah says</em>: <strong>Sticky Burr</strong> is about a sticky burr (duh). He lives in Burrwood Forest with his best friend, Mossy Burr, and his enemy is Scurvy Burr. His dragonfly friend is Draffle and he helps Sticky by flying him around when he’s in trouble. They get along really well. There’s also a grasshopper that teaches Mossy Burr karate. You can tell which burr is which because Scurvy Burr has a hair on the top of his head, Mossy Burr has a bow, and Sticky has a big part in the middle of his hair…I mean stickers…oh, I don’t know, but he has a part. The first part of the story is about Scurvy being mean, the second part is about rescuing fireflies from inside a maze tree, and the last part is about trying to get the wild dogs out of Burr Village. This book has a lot of little things in it – some of them are Sticky Burr’s journal pages about the creatures and places in Burrwood Forest. Another thing I like is the song in the back called “Stuck in a Tree.” I tried to play it on the piano and I like to sing it. Sticky Burr is more like a kids’ book. It’s good for kids in elementary school. <br /></span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em>Shelby says</em>: <strong>Sticky Burr</strong> is for younger kids because the dialog is very simple and easy to read. It sounds childish to me. The character designs are really simple but some of the backgrounds of the forest are complex and painted well. I liked the idea of the maze tree and the little tiny village – it’s adorable because everything is so tiny. It’s cute and I like it, but it just seems like it’s for a younger audience.</span><br /><br /><em>Tracy says</em>: <strong>Sticky Burr</strong> is definitely written for kids. It’s silly and sweet and the characters are charming. The character designs are very simple, so kids will enjoy drawing Sticky and his friends <a href="http://www.stickyburr.com/funstuff/sticky_burr_gallery.html">themselves</a> – there is plenty here for kids to expand on in their own Burrwood Forest tales. The story is told in traditional paneled comic pages, but Lechner mixes it up by also including large splash pages, Sticky’s “diary” pages, a “newspaper,” and even a song, which I think will help hold young readers’ attention. It’s a nice amalgamation of picture book, comic, and activity book that younger kids will really enjoy. I recommend <strong>Sticky Burr</strong> for early elementary readers. <br /><br /><strong>Sticky Burr</strong> started as a black and white <a href="http://www.fablevision.com/place/library/STICKY/index.html">webcomic</a>, but the book is a completely new story in full color. Visit the Sticky Burr <a href="http://www.stickyburr.com/main.html">website</a> for mucho goodies, including Sticky’s <a href="http://www.stickyburr.com/journal/index.html">journal</a>, <a href="http://www.stickyburr.com/funstuff/index.html">games</a>, and the Sticky Burr <a href="http://www.stickyburr.com/music/index.html">theme song</a>.Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-87384667586134000902008-07-12T21:21:00.000-07:002008-07-12T21:22:25.059-07:00Magic Trixie<strong>Magic Trixie</strong>, by Jill Thompson (Harper Trophy)<br /><br /><span style="color:#009900;"><em>Sarah says</em>: <strong>Magic Trixie</strong> is really, super, awesomely cute and funny and has a good story. Magic Trixie is this little witch that doesn’t really like her baby sister. She goes to a school that has a ghost teacher and her friends are Loupe Garou, the werewolf girl, Stitch Patch, the Frankenstein’s monster, the vampire twins, and Nefi, the mummy girl. Nefi writes notes to Magic Trixie on her bandages and Stitch Patch eats batteries for lunch! Magic Trixie has normal kid problems and magic problems, so it’s a good balance of both and it’s a good story mixing them in together. Mimi is Magic Trixie’s grandma and she’s my favorite character because she’s all fancied up with a peacock feather broom and lots of jewelry and crazy clothes. She really needs some fashion advice. Jill wrote the story well and added a lot of tiny little details in the art, like Magic Trixie’s bed looks like a haunted house and she has a Dia de los Muertos skeleton doll and her backpack is a fly. I like her cat, Scratches, which is a really good cat name. Every single panel is really pretty because it has so many different colors and little things to look at. I think Magic Trixie is kind of like a magical </span><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/junieb/"><span style="color:#009900;">Junie B. Jones</span></a><span style="color:#009900;">. Everybody would really like Magic Trixie because it’s funny and everyone will get it and the story is simple and easy to understand, and the art is bold, colorful, and very detailed.<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em>Shelby says</em>: This is probably the most colorful book I have ever seen in the world! The art...where do I start? All the art is watercolor and that is a really hard medium to use because you can’t fix anything if you mess up, but Jill is a master. Everything is so three-dimensional because there’s shading in everything, even the blacks and whites. Everything looks so realistic, yet it’s still cartoony and adorable beyond words. Magic Trixie is kinda like Sarah because she won’t stop talking and she’s really hyper, but she’s kinda like me because when I was about her age I was jealous of my little sister, too. I like how Magic Trixie doesn’t have any front teeth and whenever she’s talking you can see this big gap in between her teeth, like every other kid at that age. I like the vampire twins and Nefi the mummy girl because they’re very cute instead of scary. My friends will pretend it’s dumb because it’s cute, but I think everyone will like it, even if they won’t admit it.<br /></span><br /><em>Tracy says</em>: From the candy-colored watercolors (which make me want to lick the pages) to the adorable characters (who are just begging to be made into plushies for bedtime snuggles) to the sweet and witty story (with an “Aaaawwww” ending), Magic Trixie is a delight all around. Trixie’s friends are cute, cuddly takes on classic monsters with personalities that could easily belong to real, live children, and the adults feel so real that I wonder if Thompson modeled them on her own friends and family. Magic Trixie herself is a very bright, mischievous bundle of energy with a knack for getting in trouble – she reminds me of a certain curly-haired 9-year-old I know who shall remain nameless. I can’t recommend <strong>Magic Trixie</strong> highly enough – it’s jumped straight into my top ten all-ages comics of all time.<br /><br />Meet the whole gang over at <a href="http://magictrixie.blogspot.com/">Magic Trixie’s blog</a>. We can’t wait for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Trixie-Sleeps-Over-Thompson/dp/0061170488/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212328633&sr=8-1">Magic Trixie Sleeps Over</a>!Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-84287607620003863352008-06-16T12:02:00.000-07:002008-06-16T12:05:56.517-07:00Titans Smackdown!Ladies and Gentelemen, welcome to the All Ages Reads Titans Smackdown! In this corner, we have <strong>Tiny Titans</strong>, a festival of color and cuteness brought to you by Art Baltazar and Franco. Awwwww yeah, Titans! In the opposite corner we have <strong>Teen Titans Year One</strong>, the action-oriented origin story by Wolfram, Kerschl, Lapointe, and Peru. Our judges tonight are comic reviewers extraordinaire, Shelby, age 12, and Sarah, age 9. Let’s get ready to rumble!<br /><br /><strong>Round One: Humor</strong><br /><span style="color:#009900;">Sarah: <strong>Tiny Titans</strong> has actual jokes, even knock-knock jokes! Most of the time you don’t have to understand about the characters to get the jokes, but they’re funnier if you do. Like they talk about the Big Penny and the dinosaur that are always shown in the Batcave – that’s not so funny if you’re not a Batman fan.<br /></span><span style="color:#3333ff;">Shelby: In <strong>Teen Titans Year One</strong>, when Aqualad squeals, that’s pretty funny. Flash tries to show off and be funny but he’s not exactly cool, kind of like this kid at my school. Most of the time he’s funny but sometimes he’s just stupid.<br /></span><br /><strong>Round Two: Cuteness</strong><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Shelby: <strong>Tiny Titans</strong>, duh.</span><br /><span style="color:#009900;">Sarah: <strong>Tiny Titans</strong> – oh, the cuteness! The cuteness!<br /></span><br /><strong>Round Three: Action<br /></strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">Shelby: <strong>Teen Titans Year One</strong> has explosions and the Titans have to beat up their mentors.</span><br /><span style="color:#009900;">Sarah: <strong>Teen Titans Year One</strong> because the characters aren’t in elementary school and they aren’t chubby. There’s actually punching and the bad guys are actually scary. In <strong>Tiny Titans</strong> the Fearsome Five are really cute and they try to take the swings away from the Titans, which is very evil. NOT!</span><br /><br /><strong>Round Four: Powers<br /></strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">Shelby: In <strong>Teen Titans Year One</strong> they actually use their powers to kick the bad guys’ butts. Except Robin, of course, who just kicks butt without powers. The only way the <strong>Tiny Titans</strong> use their powers is like when the girls use Cyborg as an Easy Bake Oven.<br /></span><span style="color:#009900;">Sarah: In <strong>Tiny Titans</strong> they use their powers to do cute stuff like when Kid Devil heats up Robin’s hot chocolate or flame-broils wieners or Beast Boy turns into different animals to bug the teacher. In <strong>Teen Titans Year One</strong> they use their powers the old-fashioned way to save the world.</span><br /><br />So who is the winner of the All Ages Reads Titans Smackdown? The readers, of course! We highly recommend both titles. <strong>Teen Titans Year One</strong> might not be right for the very youngest kids – they might be afraid at seeing Batman act like a bad guy, and yes, Flash does say “kick butt.” It’s great for everyone else, though. <strong>Tiny Titans</strong> manages to be that rare beast, a truly all-ages comic; kids will laugh at the jokes and gags while adults will chuckle at the DC references. <br /><br /><span style="color:#009900;">Sarah: <strong>Tiny Titans</strong> makes you laugh out loud from cuteness and jokes. Teen Titans Year One tells a good story and makes you want to find out what happens next.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Shelby: It depends on who you are on the inside. Are you more tender on the inside, like a good steak? Then read <strong>Tiny Titans</strong> because it’s tender and cute. Or are you raw on the inside and charred on the outside? Then read <strong>Teen Titans Year One</strong> because you will enjoy some kick-butt action.<br /></span>Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-38238994916693996232008-06-02T08:59:00.000-07:002008-06-02T09:02:33.113-07:00Little Vampire, Salt Water Taffy, & Johnny BooOur stack of titles to be reviewed is now taller than Sarah, so we’re going to try to power through a bunch of titles in the next few weeks. These reviews will be shorter than we usually do in the interest of getting the good stuff to you quickly, and I’m resorting to using the publishers’ book solicits as summaries. Cheap and easy? Yes, but quick!<br /><br /><strong>Little Vampire</strong> by Joann Sfar (First Second)<br /><br /><em>Little Vampire and his friend Michael are the stars of these three stories about the things kids care about — like bullying, friendship, and being kind to animals — seasoned with a dose of supernatural adventure. Insightful and inventive, author/illustrator Joann Sfar brings Little Vampire and Michael's fantastical world to life, feeding the imagination of young readers with stories that resonate with emotional truth.</em> (from First Second)<br /><br />First Second has released <a href="http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/littleVampire.html">three Little Vampire stories in one volume</a>. This is one of our favorite titles and we really enjoyed reading “Little Vampire and the Canine Defenders Club,” which we hadn’t seen printed in English before. Sarah sums it up: “<span style="color:#009900;">The creator’s imagination is different than most – his ideas make you feel like you’re really there even though most of it’s not real. I think it’s not for little tiny kids or kids who get scared easy, but if you like a little bit of violence and some funniness packed into one book, you will like Little Vampire.</span>” <br /><br />Creepy and dark, yet charming and lovable, the mix of simple and complex character designs gives the book a rich, textured feel. The panels are unbelievably detailed, yet feel uncluttered and inviting. You’ll be drawn in from the first page and will want to read these stories again and again. Little Vampire might be too scary for very young children or those afraid of monsters, but everyone else will love it. <br /><br />Read the full text of our previous review of <strong>Little Vampire</strong> <a href="http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=86908">here</a>. Read a <a href="http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/littleVampire.html">preview</a> at the First Second site.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Salt Water Taffy</strong> by <a href="http://www.actionmatt.com/">Matthew Loux</a> (Oni)<br /><br /><em>Eleven-year-old Jack Putnam and his eight-year-old brother Benny are being dragged against their will on a summer-long vacation with their family. And not to somewhere cool like Disney World, but to a little port town in Maine named Chowder Bay, far away from anyplace fun. But what promises to be a very bleak summer quickly becomes a series of exciting adventures in one of the most mysterious places on earth!</em> (from Oni)<br /><br />Shelby says: “<span style="color:#3333ff;">The drawings look like a cartoon and the story is sort of like Scooby-Doo except without a dog. The beginning is a little slow because there isn’t as much action, but it gets better as you go along. The best part was when the big lobster came up and attacked – the drawing was really effective with all the wood splitting and flying in the air.</span>” Sarah says: “<span style="color:#009900;">Salt Water Taffy is very different in a good way because it has so many original ideas that make it unique. Like, have you ever seen two cute little lobsters in a newspaper boat planning schemes? Well you will when you read this book!</span>” A high-energy mystery played out in stylized, black and white art makes this is a fun romp, perfect for summer reading. Salt Water Taffy is appropriate for all ages.<br /><br />Read a <a href="http://www.onipress.com/display.php?type=bk&id=338">preview</a> at the Oni site.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Johnny Boo</strong> by James Kochalka (Top Shelf)<br /><br /><em><strong>Johnny Boo</strong> is the best little ghost in the whole world, because he's got Boo Power. This means that he can go "BOO" really loudly. His pet ghost named Squiggle has Squiggle Power, which means that he can fly and do really fast loop-the-loops. Together they have the world's greatest ghost adventures!</em> (from Top Shelf)<br /><br />Sarah says: “<span style="color:#009900;"><strong>Johnny Boo</strong> has simple but fun-to-look-at art that makes the story complete. It is a cute, touching story that lets the characters feel many different ways about each other. They change emotions over and over again in the book and I like that ‘cause you can tell what they’re feeling.</span>” Shelby says: “<span style="color:#3333ff;">I like the story but it was repetitive. That’s good for little kids, but I was getting bored. It’s cute, though.</span>” Almost painfully cute, but with a slight air of naughtiness, <strong>Johnny Boo</strong> will appeal to the silly tastes of tiny tots. The story reads like it was written by a three-year-old, which is a good thing, and very young children will eat it up like secret, purple ice cream.<br /><br />Read a <a href="http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog.php?type=12&title=594">preview</a> at the Top Shelf site.Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-78700687445796398322008-05-12T19:36:00.000-07:002008-05-12T19:39:53.384-07:00Supergirl Interview & Princess at Midnight<strong>Interview: Landry Walker of Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade</strong><br /><br />Sarah broke out the happy dance when I told her that <strong>Little Gloomy</strong> and <strong>Super Scary Monster Show</strong> super team Landry Walker and Eric Jones were going to do a <a href="http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/04/19/tales-of-an-eighth-grade-something/">new Supergirl comic</a>. Sarah has always loved Supergirl, but has had a hard time finding reading material featuring her favorite superheroine: “I read a couple issues of <strong>Justice League Unlimited</strong> that she was in. She’s the girl Superman, and she’s just as good, so why don’t they make more books about her?” When I showed her the character design, she felt like DC must be doing this just for her! So, naturally, she had questions for the writer, Landry Walker. And, yes, Sarah really did make up all the questions herself.<br /><br />Sarah: Is she gonna have normal girl problems, like friends and stuff, or is she gonna be just fighting crime and villains and stuff?<br /><br />Landry Walker: Mostly normal problems, but normal problems as seen through the eyes of someone with a new set of super powers. Not so much crime, but she will also have an enemy or two.<br /><br />Sarah: Where's her school, on Earth or somewhere else in the universe -- 'cause it's called 'Cosmic Adventures.'"<br /><br />Landry: Earth. But there will be a bit of 'cosmic' in the book, too. And of course for Supergirl, Earth is a strange and distant alien world.<br /><br />Sarah: Will it be one big story or will it be six different stories?<br /><br />Landry: Kinda both. If we do our jobs right, each issue should be able to be enjoyed independently. However, there is a progression from issue to issue.<br /><br />Sarah: Will it look like <strong>Little Gloomy</strong> -- will she have a big, cute head and a little body?<br /><br />Landry: When we had our first meeting with DC, Eric produced three different drawings of Supergirl. One in a similar style to the <strong>Little Gloomy</strong> and <strong>Kid Gravity</strong> material, one as a more adult version, and one that is basically what we're using: the somewhere in-between style, more akin to traditional western animation.<br /><br />Sarah: Will there be new characters that aren't in the other Supergirl and Superman comics?<br /><br />Landry: One of the nice things about doing a DC book in the Johnny DC line is that we're not beholden to continuity, so we have the option of having familiar characters appear in unfamiliar ways.<br /><br />Sarah: Will Carl be in it? He could be a dorky kid at her school that likes bunnies or something. (Note: <a href="http://xray-studios.livejournal.com/">Carl</a> is a character from <strong>Little Gloomy</strong>. He’s a cthulhu and he likes bunnies and cookies.)<br /><br />Landry: Carl is everywhere. No one can deny that which is Carl.<br /><br />Thanks to Landry for making a little girl very, very happy. Check out <a href="http://www.slgcomic.com/pages/prev_SSMS/prev_ssms.html">Super Scary Monster Show</a> (which was just released in trade), <a href="http://www.littlegloomy.com/cryptpreviewpage.html">Little Gloomy</a>, and <a href="http://www.littlegloomy.com/kidgravity.html">Kid Gravity</a> – Walker and Jones are two guys who get how to make comics for everyone. And shhhhhhhhh…don’t tell anybody, but they’re <a href="http://littlegloomytv.blogspot.com/">working on animation.</a><br /><br /><br /><strong>Review: Princess at Midnight, by Andi Watson (Image)<br /></strong><br />Tracy: I have to admit up front to an Andi Watson bias – I love pretty much everything he does. Part of it is probably because I have been an Anglophile since childhood and Watson’s work makes me feel all British inside. I’m so hooked on <strong>Glister</strong> that I keep both volumes on my nightstand and re-read them nightly. So, of course, I love <strong>Princess at Midnight</strong>. If I look at the book objectively, take off the Andi Watson-colored glasses, I have to say, it’s still fabulous, and the girls think so, too. I actually tried to discourage them from reviewing this because we <a href="http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=117298">reviewed Glister</a> fairly recently, but they liked it so much they insisted. <br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Shelby: Holly and Henry are twins. They were born early so they were immediately hooked up to oxygen tanks and that is why their dad home schools them – he’s overprotective because of that. Holly’s always bored; Henry is competitive. When Holly goes to bed every night she wakes up as the princess of Castle Waxing. She decides to go on a picnic, but the Horrible Horde are there so she declares war. When the cockatrice crows at Castle Waxing it’s time for the princess to go to bed, and then Holly wakes up at home and begins her boring day at home school with her dad. I liked the art because it’s cute and it’s simple but it’s shaded in a kind of odd way, but it works. It looks a bit three-dimensional and two-dimensional at the same time. I like the way that Holly’s dad is talking but you can’t exactly read what he’s saying because the speech bubble isn’t big enough to fit all the words. It kind of tells you that Holly isn’t listening to him. I like the story because it’s original and it’s funny at times and it’s kinda weird at other times. I think everyone would like it because there’s entertainment for all ages.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#009900;">Sarah: I liked the pictures and the story ‘cause it was very interesting. I like the pictures ‘cause they weren’t exactly perfect – it looks kind of rough, like a dream would be. It’s really cool. I liked the story ‘cause she had many different types of emotions; at one point she was calm and happy, sometimes she was angry, sometimes she was kind of sad, sometimes she was frightened and stuff like that. The characters that are in her world are really funny. I think probably everybody, even boys, would like this book. The girls would like it because it’s about girl power and stuff and it’s a good story. Adults would like it ‘cause it’s a good story. And boys would like it because of the surprise ending.</span><br /><br />Tracy: A twist on traditional children’s fairy tales, <strong>Princess at Midnight</strong> is almost like something I remember from my childhood, only better. I would so love to be the Princess of Castle Waxing and give the Horrible Horde a good drubbing. Who wouldn’t? I can empathize with the overprotective parents’ fear of sending their fragile little ones into the big, bad world, while at the same time feeling Holly’s frustration at being smothered by her parents and annoyed by her little brother and needing an outlet, even if it’s in her dreams. Kids will enjoy the sauciness and strength of twins Holly and Henry, while adults can tarry awhile in a world that evokes the best kind of childhood. <br /><br />The war against the Horrible Horde is mostly fought with mud and rocks that never hit anyone, so violence isn’t a problem – though Henry does take a nice soccer ball to the face. The final showdown against the most horrible of the horde involves much displaying of weapons (The Flail of Wailing and the Breadknife of Strife being my favorites), but no actual wielding of said weapons. Watson’s dialogue will certainly stretch most readers’ vocabularies – praetorian, cacophony, annihilative, and baneful all appear on the same page – so some adult assistance with the text may be required. I’d say Princess at Midnight is a must-read for anyone who likes good stories, be they kindergartner or college student, mom or dad, Princess of Midnight or Rendslaughter Sinewsplitter the Third. <br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Kid-Friendly Comics News and Notes</strong><br /><br /><strong>Owly Lesson Plans</strong><br />Andy Runton and his mom, Patty, have written a great set of <strong>Owly</strong> lesson plans. If you’ve at all wondered, “How can I use comics in my classroom?” this is a great resource to get you started! At first glance the lessons seem to be for younger students, but as I read through them I could see that almost every lesson could be quickly adapted for use with many different grade levels, from Kindergarten to high school. The booklet includes some wonderful illustrations and student work pages drawn by Andy. And it’s all FREE! Download this great teaching guide <a href="http://www.andyrunton.com/teaching/">here</a>.<br /><br /><strong>Riverside Reads</strong><br />Scott Tingley of Comics in the Classroom has a new project:<br />What happens when you take a classroom full of comic loving kids, give them access to a web designer, art supplies, a giant stack of comics and a government grant? You get <a title="blocked::http://rcs.nbed.nb.ca/kids/" href="http://rcs.nbed.nb.ca/kids/" target="_blank">Riverside Reads</a>, the newest comic book website, created almost entirely by kids, for kids.<br /><em>"My students have just launched a web-publishing site for their comics, stories and reviews and I couldn't be more excited!" states Comics in the Classroom EiC Scott Tingley. "The purpose of the site is to get kids excited about school work in general and the whole process of writing specifically." The site will feature brand new, original comics created by Tingley's third grade class. Each kid will have the chance to contribute original comics, original artwork, reviews of existing comics and stories in various forms. <br /></em>This is a great example of innovative teaching using comics. Check out the site for the kids’ interview with Andy Runton of <strong>Owly</strong> and their Free Comic Book Day reviews. Congratulations to Scott and all the kids!Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-86735677789768139332008-05-02T21:01:00.000-07:002008-05-02T21:07:10.729-07:00Unpublished Interview about Kids and ComicsMonths ago, I did an interview for a book about All Ages comics that has not been published. I recently re-read it and thought it might be of interest because it covers a lot of ground, so here it is.<br /><em></em><br /><em>Please tell me a little about yourself and your role in comics and books. </em><br />I came to comics fairly late. As a kid, I can remember reading Asterix at my grandma’s house and a few Donald Duck comics, but not much more than that. About 5 years ago my best friend, who has always been a comics fan, got me started on Fables and I was hooked. I think I’ve been to the comic shop almost every week since then! Once I started bringing home comics, my two daughters wanted to read them too, but most of what I was reading wasn’t suitable for them. So we all went looking for comics and graphic novels that we could read together. The hunt continues to this day. I’m also a teacher and I’ve seen how comics can change a reluctant reader into a rabid reader in a very short time. I’d like to see it happen for more kids.<br /><br /><em>What are some of the reasons that comics for kidsand "all ages" have made a resurgence in the pastdecade or longer?</em><br />In the beginning, comics were seen as only for kids and it was mostly kids who read them. When those kids grew up, they wanted their comics to grow with them, so the cry became, “Comics aren’t just for kids anymore!” Now, as the folks who grew up reading comics become parents (and grandparents) themselves, they want to share their love of comics with their children. I think the people having the biggest influence are the creators. A lot of people who write and draw comics want to reach a broader audience and want to write for their own kids. Interestingly, librarians are one of the biggest forces at the other end – they’ve seen the way comics draw in reluctant readers and are clamoring for more high-quality all-ages work for their children’s collections. The popularity of manga is certainly another influence. Kids feel like they’ve discovered a whole new type of reading! Once they are comfortable with the manga format, it’s not a far jump to American or European comics and graphic novels.<br /><br /><em>Do you believe this resurgence will soon peak andfade, or are all-ages comics here to stay?</em><br />I think that the comic format is here to stay, but maybe not in the way we are used to. Graphic novels and books that are a hybrid of prose, illustration, and comics will probably be the way this generation gets their comics, not the traditional, serialized, pamphlet-style books that most people think of when they hear “comic books.”<br /><br /><em>What do you think about the role the Web andwebcomics play in the lives of kids and teenagers?</em><br />Webcomics just aren’t on the radar of any of the kids we know. Most kids use their computers to play games, do homework, or keep in contact with friends, but not to read for pleasure.<br /><br /><em>How do you address concerns over the content ofcertain graphic novels/manga with parents, teachers,kids, etc.?</em><br />This is the biggest challenge. At this point the only thing I can say is that adults should read the material first to determine whether it is suitable for kids as there really is no other reliable way to tell. One of the reasons we write our column is to address this issue and let parents, librarians, and teachers know specifically what is contained comics and graphic novels that we believe are all-ages.<br /><br /><em>Do you believe comics publishers should adopt astandard rating system similar to the one used in thefilm industry? Or are we already overclassifying thesebooks?</em><br />Ratings systems only work when they are specific and consistent. Right now, each publisher has its own system, so something that is rated “Youth 7+” by one company might be very different from something rated “All Ages” by another publisher. Archie and DC (the Johnny DC line) are using the Comics Code and those books are certainly suitable for everyone, as are the Disney Gemstone comics. Beyond that, it really varies. I’ve read plenty of books labeled “All Ages” that contained just a few inappropriate words or images which lead me to not recommend them for children’s libraries or classrooms. Some people wonder what the big deal is –prose works don’t have ratings, so why should comics? There are three reasons that a standardized, voluntary rating system would be beneficial to comics and graphic novels. One, it is a visual medium and it’s much easier for a child to be exposed to inappropriate material just by flipping through a comic than a prose novel. Two, many of the creators who are making “all-ages” comics and graphic novels are not children’s book writers and sometimes are not aware of what most parents, librarians, and teachers would consider “inappropriate” for kids. And three, some librarians and teachers are looking for guidance on shelving graphic novels appropriately. Honestly, it’s not the kids that I’m worried about – they hear those words on the playground – but the parents. All it takes is one word in one book to create a lawsuit, a media frenzy, and a bad reputation for comics and graphic novels.<br /><br /><em>What role does/might the reviewer/critic play inall-ages comics?</em><br />At this point, I feel like there are two important roles for the reviewer. One is to bring attention to good books that might otherwise get overlooked by the comics press because they are all-ages. The other is to not only talk about the quality and appeal of a book, but the age-appropriateness as well.<br /><br /><em>What role does/might the librarian, teacher, andparent play in all-ages comics?</em><br />Librarians have been instrumental in the rise in popularity of graphic novels. They’ve seen so many kids come in and get hooked who would otherwise not pick up a book at all. I’m hoping that teachers will be the next to jump on board, but it may take a while. Parents tend to be great supporters if they read comics, but otherwise many are still hesitant and don’t see graphic novels as “real” books because they don’t have enough text. I hope we can get parents and teachers to see that comics can be good for kids.<br /><br /><em>Do you think reading works in the comics form canbe beneficial -- or even detrimental -- to a child'saquiring verbal and reading comprehension skills?</em><br />Wordless comics are wonderful for pre-readers. Kids must learn to track left to right and “read” each panel in order, all while becoming familiar with story structure. Young children must move from concrete to abstract in their interpretations of the world; at first a dog is a furry thing that barks, but then children learn that it can be represented by a photograph of a dog, a drawing of a dog, and finally by the letters “dog.” “Reading” the pictures and symbols of a wordless comic is a good intermediate step between the real world of their experience and the abstract world of reading text, where ink on a page conveys meaning.<br /><br />The comic format can work magic with beginning, struggling, or reluctant readers. First, the text tends to be in word balloons and captions, which are much less intimidating to beginning readers than pages filled with words. More importantly, in my opinion, kids can read much more complex stories than “See Jane run” because much of the story is told visually. Especially for older kids who are still struggling with decoding and comprehension, graphic novels can provide all the elements of literature while supporting their text reading with visual cues.<br /><br />Accomplished and fluent readers benefit from the comic format as well. Reading comics sometimes requires the reader to be more actively engaged in decoding the author/illustrator’s message than prose. Readers must not only decode text, but also decode the visual elements and symbols, then synthesize the two to “read” the story.<br /><br />Certainly, graphic novels should not replace prose in a child’s life, but it can definitely be an added element. It’s another tool that teachers can use, just like film or video, computer programs, or educational games.<br /><br />Creating comics can also be a great tool for learning. In order to write/draw a comic, the creator must be very clear about the story, break it into panels in a way that conveys meaning to the reader, and tell the story using both visual and text mediums. Many times the experience of creating comics helps kids improve their text writing.Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-79055820030194754592008-04-22T16:11:00.000-07:002008-04-22T16:17:55.121-07:00NYCC ReportsPublisher's Weekly has two reports of interest:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6553786.html?nid=2789">Kids' publishers panel</a><br />This post includes an interesting discussion about publishing formats and prices. I particularly like this quote from Jann Jones of DC, who is heading up the new kids' line, noting that many of the creators formerly working on kids' books would rather have been working on books for grown-ups: <em>“They would just write watered-down versions of our characters,” she said. “I wanted something just for kids by people who were passionate about it.”</em><br /><br /><a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6553798.html?nid=2789">A short report on the panel about comics for girls, with title recommendations.</a><br />Jimmy Gownley, kids' comics superhero, speaks out: <em>Gownley was quick to respond to a complaint that comics were “dumbed down,” noting that because the pictures help guide comprehension, a child can read a full grade higher in comic books than in prose.</em>Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820545910915778906.post-80330694285246757792008-04-16T17:15:00.000-07:002008-04-16T17:40:56.332-07:00Eisner Nominations: Best Publication for KidsWe'll be doing a column soon covering all these nominees, but here are my quick reations to each. It's a pretty solid lineup, but we need to read more before I can evaluate them all properly.<br /><br /><strong>Amelia Rules!</strong> and <strong>Amelia Rules! Funny Stories</strong>, by Jimmy Gownley (Renaissance)<br /> I have to be honest here - I haven't read a lot of <strong>Amelia Rules!</strong> The art just doesn't appeal to me personally so I haven't bothered to crack open the pages, but I know the girls have both read "The Things I Cannot Change" -- I promise I'll read it tonight. <br /><br /><strong>Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures</strong>, edited by Jeremy Barlow (Dark Horse)<br /> I really, really like these books. There's definitely some cartoon violence, but how can you tell a story about Jedis without it? I completely dig the art and could just stare at the pages all day. That said, we've only bought few issues -- we'll get some more soon.<br /><br /><strong>Mouse Guard: Fall 1152</strong> and <strong>Mouse Guard: Winter 1152</strong>, by David Petersen (Archaia)<br /> <a href="http://allagesreads.blogspot.com/2007/04/mouse-guard.html">Here is a link to our review </a>of <strong>Mouse Guard: Fall 1152</strong>. <br /><br /><strong>The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain</strong>, by Peter Sis (Frank Foster Books/Farrar, Straus & Giroux)<br /> I have no idea how this Caldecott winner has evaded my radar. I'll definitely be picking up a copy this week. Check out the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Growing-Behind-Curtain-Caldecott/dp/0374347018">preview</a> at Amazon -- looks very intriguing.<br /><br /><strong>Yotsuba&!</strong>, by Kiyohiko Azuma (ADV)<br /> We have one trade of this title and we all liked it, but the translations are a bit akward at times. The girls had to ask me more than once to explain what was going on. I'll pick up a couple more volumes so we can give it another go.<br /><br />Looks like I've got some shopping to do!<br /><br />One last note: there are two titles in the <em>Best Publication for Teens</em> category that I absolutely love -- <strong>Mighty Skullboy Army</strong> and <strong>Laika</strong>. Go check those out for sure.Tracy (Comic Mom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13034597797744364101noreply@blogger.com0