The 12 Days of Graphic Novels #5: Tiny Titans

 There is no denying the popularity of Super Heroes right now.Just because your child is young doesn't mean they have to be left out of the craze!  There are all kinds of great series for little ones, including Beware the Batman, Super Girl, and Teen Titans, but the most popular with all the kids I know is none other than Art Baltazar's Tiny Titans.

 

Following Robin, The Flash, Super Girl, and, my personal favorite, Cyborg, all as kids in elementary school. There are bad guys, love interests, and all around goofiness. If you have a child or know one that is a fan of the DC world, I highly recommend these. They are available in graphic novel form and also as individual comic books that are still in print. 

Please, go pick one of these up for your tiny comic book fan at your local comic book shop! Click here to head to Comic Shop Locator, an online service to help you find the best and closest comic book shop. I'm no way affiliated with any comic book shops (though I really want to own one!). 

I'm going to hijack this post and just say how important it is to shop at your local comic book shop. After searching for a book at a large-chain retailer last week, I can tell you hands down the experience at a comic book shop is SO much greater than going to a large chain. By shopping at your local spots, you're supporting local business, creating relationships, and getting really awesome suggestions from people whose business is solely comic books. That is what makes being a comics fan special. Don't hide from it!

The 12 Days of Graphic Novels #4: Cardboard

The Holidays can be financially straining on many American families. But what about regular holidays, like birthdays? Cam's father can only afford to give him a cardboard box for his birthday. Ever the optimist, Cam tries to make the best out of the gesture and creates a cardboard boxer. Little does he know, the cardboard is magical--the cardboard boxer comes to life!

Heartwarming and delightful, Cardboard is my favorite graphic novel by Earthworm Jim creator Doug TenNapel. Besides having a really cool last name and resumé, TenNapel is able to capture the imagination of a child even in the saddest situations.

 Fans of The Iron Giant will connect with this book in regards to the special character and the replacement of a deceased parent. This book is not all sadsies--it is funny, action-packed, and will leave you feeling like you've just watched a fantastic movie.

I recommend this book for kids grades 3 (age 8) and up. Even though they may be able to understand most of the action and words, they may not comprehend the gravity of the story. This could be a great one to read together. Its one of my go-to recommendations for those struggling to find a new graphic novel. Don't pass this one up!

The 12 Days of Graphic Novels #3: Tomboy

When I was five and younger, I had a penchant for frilly dresses that had bells in them as well as playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Nintendo. This juxtaposition confused those around me who wanted me to become some kind of Super Girly Girl. Every time I tried to be girly, however, my mom shot it down. That's probably an issue for another blog or several therapy sessions, I don't know.

There has never been anything to accurately represent someone like me in pop culture on a broad level. Sure, there are characters every now and again but there's always some "twist" that I don't relate to at all. Coach Biest on Glee was a revelation to me until we found out the character was transitioning from female to male. That's great and I think there is a place for that type of character on television. However, I felt jaded. Is being a tomboy not good enough? Does that mean I cannot be feminine? I received mixed signals even as an adult due to the fact that there are very few pieces of media where a Tomboy can be the heroine.

Until this year when I read Liz Prince's amazing graphic memoir Tomboy.

 

I expected there to be a "twist" as many of these books are. As I stated previously, these twists are not bad or reflect bad storytelling, it was just something that got my hopes up and stomped all over them.

This book was everything I hoped it would be.

This is the description from Amazon:

Growing up, Liz Prince wasn't a girly girl, dressing in pink tutus or playing Pretty Pretty princess like the other girls in her neighborhood. But she wasn't exactly one of the guys either, as she quickly learned when her Little League baseball coach exiled her to the outfield instead of letting her take the pitcher's mound. Liz was somewhere in the middle, and Tomboy is the story of her struggle to find the place where she belonged.

Tomboy is a graphic novel about refusing gender boundaries, yet unwittingly embracing gender stereotypes at the same time, and realizing later in life that you can be just as much of a girl in jeans and a T-shirt as you can in a pink tutu. A memoir told anecdotally, Tomboy follows author and zine artist Liz Prince through her early childhood into adulthood and explores her ever-evolving struggles and wishes regarding what it means to "be a girl." 

From staunchly refuting anything she perceived as being "girly" to the point of misogyny, to discovering through the punk community that your identity is whatever you make of it, regardless of your gender, Tomboy is as much humorous and honest as it is at points uncomfortable and heartbreaking.

Sure, there were lots of things in her memoir that I didn't relate to but the experiences and feelings she had about her identity were spot on in my middle and high school years...and still to this day. Liz Prince has a fresh perspective in an overly-girly culture where femininity is judged on boobs and hair instead of the basic principle of being a woman.

If you know of a tomboy in your life, suggest this to her. It helped me--me! an "adult"-- realize that I am not alone.  Imagine what this could have done for 7th grade me! Definitely a must read.

The 12 Days of Graphic Novels #2: Ms. Marvel

There aren't enough good things I can say about this amazing comic series by G. Willow Wilson. Kamala Khan is just your average teenager living with strict parents until she is given exceptional gifts. Because of her gifts, she has to decide who she is--and could she really be Ms. Marvel?

A fresh reboot to a stereotypical super hero, Kamala Khan IS Ms. Marvel to me. She encapsulates the struggles of youth, gender issues, strict religious family and religious identity (which resonated strongly with me). All wrapped up in a superhero-discovers-their-powers story, its funny, touching, and an important read for the state of the world we currently live in. Kamala is a genuine heroine who acts like a real person and wants to do what is right.

When I was growing up with an older brother, we would read comics together. I loved the Batman universe, mainly The Animated Series and the movie with Michelle Pfeifer. However, I was never compelled to read them because the women are just extra. Sure, Selina Kyle is strong and powerful, but isn't she the bad guy? All the women in Batman are pretty much the enemies. Marvel is known for having scantily clad vixen-types be their heroes and it was about damn time someone new came along.

I am grateful for Kamala Kahn, not only for her being a female protagonist, but a Muslim-American, a teenager, and a huge but believable nerd.

The comic is still in print, so there are new issues coming out for stocking stuffers. I would recommend starting with the origin story graphic novel volumes 1-3. They're available in your local comic book store (click here to find one near you!).

The 12 Days of Graphic Novels Gift Giving Guide #1

HELLO!

I know, its been a while, but I've decided to rectify my absence by posting a TON of recommendations for Christmas presents. Graphic novels are my specialty, as I've written on my early loves of Archie comics and manga. I thought to myself, Self, wouldn't this be a fabulous time to create a graphic novel gift-giving guide? And you know what Is aid?

YES.

Duh, yes. I cannot believe I haven't thought of this before. People of all kinds can read my blog, not just library professionals (or, let's be real, friends or family). Now, I decided to make some criteria for myself before making this list. The following criteria are:

1. These books must be in print and available for purchase through Amazon or B&N.
• The reason I put this on here is because of my love for Half-Price Books. If you're unfamiliar with the Texas-based used book chain, they have an incredibly eclectic selection of books from all genres. That being said, they carry a lot of things that are out of print. I would hate to recommend something that is fabulous but you might have trouble finding.
2. These graphic novels are good for an assortment of ages.
• The graphic novels I order are primarily for children ages 10 and below. While there are tons of great books in this range that can be enjoyed by all ages, I am striving to share with you stories that I've read and think are great.  
3. There are more graphic novels than just super heroes! 
• If you don't regularly keep up with graphic novels or comics, its a common misconception to think that all that's available has the ability to fly and leap buildings in a single bound. This simply isn't the case and hasn't been for a very long time.  

Those three things are the main criteria.  My bias for certain themes or art styles may be present, mind, but I will do my best to simply put things on here I think have the potential to make someone's Christmas morning or Hanukkah night (though I know its already started!).

Look for my posts coming up shortly. I will start with one of everyone's all time favorite Blockhead...

Gift #1: Charlie Brown and Friends by Charles M. Schulz

 

Why?

With the November release of Blue Sky's The Peanuts Movie, Charlie Brown is more popular than ever. There has never been a lull in Chuck’s fandom, as his stories are still as relevant as ever. Children may not discuss things regarding the Great War or, heck, even know who the Red Baron is, but there are always Lucies and Linuses in the world.

This particular volume is comic strips blown up to fit a more standard size book. All in color, it features humorous stories of good ol’ Charlie Brown and his friends doing their usual shenanigans.

 

So long, farewell.

With 30 minutes or so left before all the end of year festivities start, I wanted to reflect on all the good and not so good that's happened this year. I've done it in prior blog posts but I am doing it personally. As Carrie and I helped sing a farewell song to one of our dear members of the co-curricular team, I thought about all the changes that will be coming.

She will be gone, as will the head of Early Childhood. One of my friends in upper school will also be gone, but I will see him over Summer on the Hill. Who knows who else will be gone this fall, making searching for those friendly faces an exercise in pushing through sad feelings and accepting those new folks that will make the next year different. Different isn't always bad and I think, personally, people are used to thinking it is.

Summer will be a time of growth and reflection. I plan on going to a book repair class, as well as read, read, read. My own school load has kept me from enjoying reading this year and that's about to change. I'm going to try to squeeze in as much "me" time as possible.

I hope everyone who works at a school had a good year and is ready for time to reflect, think, and grow this summer. I definitely am.

End of Year Reflections

Every year, things change, new assignments and tasks are given, and goals are prioritized. This year was the same as others in that regard but greatly different for me in a lot of other ways. Working and going to school full time is harder than I remembered and I thought it would be a walk in the park. That's simply not the case; I'm not as smart as I once was, nor am I focused as I once was. Life is complicated now and I cannot let that change my work and school lives, respectively, though they heavily rely on one another.

There are many places in which I can use improvement as I believe everyone is continually improving. Though maybe I finally got down the mail system pat, maybe there's a different way of doing it? Maybe  we all should not be as hard on ourselves to do a job for the job's sake; rather, we should see how we do our job as a reflection of our personal life and go from there. That's where I'm at right now because nothing is quite indistinguishable from another.

2014-2015 Successes
1. Started an after school club, Makerspace Monday

• Makerspace Monday has been a hit and failure all at once. The weather had kept us from starting the club earlier than we did but despite that, children still signed up and came to the first two gatherings. This past Monday, however, was kind of blah. Only three kids came but they had fun putting on a puppet show and playing with puzzles. There needs to be a change next year in how the Makerspace is handled, if it even is done at all. With the way my school is going (i.e. I won't be graduating until May 2016 now), I don't know that I will have much expendable energy to devote to MM. Carrie and I have discussed having the LSLC open for an hour every week or so to let kids do whatever they need to. I'm just not sure how that will fit into the already rigid way of things around here.

2.  Developed the Lower School graphic novel collection

• This has been the highlight of my year! Nothing can be better than sharing your love for graphic novels and comics with students who may be new to this type of literature. There's also nothing like discussing conspiracy theories regarding superheroes or talking about one's favorite manga.  I'm honored that I have been able to take knowledge of one of my passions and put it into motion. Though some of the students' responses to my requests for suggestions have been a bit rough, overall the reaction has been positive and for that I am grateful. Next year, I plan on ordering less superhero books and more manga, everyday life books, and alternative heroes. 

3. Keep better track of overdue materials

• I'm always going to try to improve in this area because, frankly, it can get overwhelming. This year I was able to stay on top of student issues for the most part. It was working with teachers and parents that I had the most difficulty with. Oftentimes I feel like my position has no weight and there are no consequences I can sincerely give that will encourage people to return their materials. The children see me as a teacher (most of them anyway) and will often give the same respect to me as they would to Carrie. Teachers are not always that way. 

4. Gained useful information through professional development

• Professional development was on point for me this year! The sessions I attended at TLA were pertinent for the changes we are trying to press forward with in the library. Region 10's offerings were great for me, as they included Makerpsace activities and Lego club. Training through BER and the What's New in Children's Literature 2015 are always delightful and insightful. Though we are not able to do a lot of the lessons in the guidebook from that course, we can take bits and pieces and adapt them to our kids' needs.

5. Gained confidence in my ability to do my job

• Well, this is also on my list of weaknesses, but first let me explain myself regarding the confidence I've gained. I had hit a wall a long time ago that had all kinds of negative things about myself written on it. A lot of those things had to do with my intelligence and ability to do anything right (my brain is dramatic, I know). A lot has changed in my personal life to where I feel like I am capable of more than I tell myself. Shoot, this school year was a year of As and Bs on top of working my job. I feel very accomplished in that fact. That's also one of the challenges I need to work on next year. Whatever clicked, whatever changed, I am thankful for. I am ok with owning up to my mistakes and fixing them, talking out issues and being bold about where I stand. Am I perfect? No way! Slowly and surely, though, I am getting there.

2014-2015 Challenges
1. Grandparents and Special Friends Day

• Good. Gravy. I thought I had done a better job with organizing GPSFD gifts and whatnot, but it was overwhelming. Everyone always says that I can bring my laptop and lock myself up to work on it and I was always to afraid to say I needed to. Forget that! Next year, I need to dedicate more time to organizing the aftermath of that fateful November day. 

2. Being organized

• I used to think I was organized. In fact, when I started this job, I was much more organized.  My desk was secluded and so was I, leaving me to my own devices and time for organizing papers. Now? Not really. An article in the Huffington Post defined "12 Things Every Type B Person Wishes You Understood". Not all of these spoke to me, as I am ridiculously competitive. I would say 11 out of 12 hit a chord and I realized that I had been trying to force myself to be a Type A because some of the folks I work with are. It's okay that I'm not! I have accepted this about myself and am trying to come up with strategies to manage working with my crazy self. I am anal about writing and believe it or not appearances (think about that for a minute...) but in my personal life am trying to be kinder to myself. And if I must "label" myself, I'll be Type B.

3. Inventory

• Over the years I've learned that once you think you've done a really great job at something, you usually messed up somewhere (at least in my case). I felt that way with inventory this year. There are so many categories and variables that I messed things up a smidge. I know I shouldn't be worried about it but I have learned from my mistake and am planning on doing better next year. I'm not sure how I could fit this into a goal of mine necessarily, except maybe being extra thorough with every task.

4. Budgeting

• I stayed within my budget for graphic novels this year but felt I did not order things that I should have. It sounds silly but I really would like to focus more on being extra cautious about what I'm purchasing, asking if its just me who wants to read it vs. the kids, and if it will see circulation in the future. The superhero graphic novels I ordered kind of felt flat really, as they are not as cool and flashy as those for middle school (obviously). I'm going to work harder to keep up with the students' requests rather than what I'd like to see. Of course, they will be reviewed by two sources or me, but I need to rely on the kids more.

5. Work/Life balance

• I don't know what I'm doing. Most days I feel like its a struggle just to make sure I don't break down and cry or eat ice cream to comfort myself because life for me is stressful. I don't know how to balance school/work/wife stuff/other. I feel like I'm spinning my wheels and they're about to pop off at any given time. After being denied financial aid this summer and originally being upset about it, I think its a good thing. I can only do so much. This summer will be a break to see what I can and cannot handle and how everything fits together. The solution will have to come from there.

I'm sure there's more I'm missing. Let's see, I've covered being kinder to myself (maybe I should include being kinder to others?), try to be more outgoing and collaborative, unafraid to teach lessons and create interactive games and the like for the students. Trust is a big component in this too. Though there is always room for improvement, I need to remember to congratulate myself for a job well done and forgive myself for mistakes I make, especially the minute ones. Hopefully 2015-2016 will be the best year yet.