Hey, everyone!
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, and I’m completely swamped, but as I like to always put too much on my plate, I’d like to stick to past protocol and blog as much as possible during this Teen Read Week.
For this first day of the week, I’d like to take this time to promote titles that our school’s librarians have ordered and shelved upon my request that were based on student suggestion and taste. I’m going to share this post with the peeps in my department and encourage them to take their kids down to the library to check out some of these titles, but I’m also encouraging all of you out there in digital-land to check out some of these titles as well. I’ve blogged about a few of these in the past, but why not drop a nice list of titles for you and your students this Teen Read Week 2015. Check ’em out, put ’em on your classroom shelf, and promote comics as much as you can: be the cool teacher! BUT, read everything first…mostly, I mean Ms. Marvel is a must, but I teach seniors, and I don’t know what your kids or parents can handle. This is just a cool little list to explore comics on this Monday of Teen Read Week.
1.) Ms. Marvel
Teenage Muslin girl gains powers and becomes a hero! Dealing with pressure from her parents and friends, Kamala Khan is the teens’ hero. Bold and fearless, Kamala is a character that we can all relate to at least a little.
2.) Batgirl
DC’s revamped Batgirl is hip and powerful. Donning selfies and Dr. Martens, the new Batgirl, According to Batgirl writer Brenden Fletcher in an interview with MTV, “mixes the best elements of ‘Veronica Mars’ and ‘Girls,’ with a dash of ‘Sherlock’ thrown in for good measure.”
3.) Lumberjanes
Guest review by Ronell Whitaker!
http://theothercomicbookteacher.com/2014/06/03/ive-got-issues-lumberjanes/
4.) Swamp Thing (New 52)
A creepy tale of life fighting death, The New 52 Swamp Thing penned by Scott Snyder of Batman fame, is a hit for those with alternative story tastes.
5.) Animal Man (New 52)
I was hooked into this very strange tale of self-exploration by Jeff Lemire. Animal Man is a hero that borrows the abilities of animals to fight evil. As he attempts to settle down, he discovers that his daughter has interesting abilities that end up tossing his reality into disarray. Like Swamp Thing, this book is strange and a bit bloody but the interesting story-telling by Lemire makes this a cool read.
6.) Gotham Academy
Gotham Academy is part of The New 52. It is billed as a teen drama, but it’s set in the shadow of Gotham City, so it’s a teen drama with flair. The art is cool and hip. Fun, engaging story-telling makes this a classroom shelf must in most middle/high school libraries and classrooms.
Check these out, and let me know if you have any questions!
Happy Teen Read Week, and I hope I can help you and your students discover new titles.
@comics_teacher
mr.kallenborn@gmail.com