Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Candid Thoughts

In my opinion, comics are great for children to read and to create. Comics can offer fun and complex story plots that children love.  They are also a great tool for teaching children how to write stories using dialogue. Like all books, it’s important for African American children to see themselves in books, and comics are no different. This genre has scarce representation of African Americans and it can be difficult to find comic books and graphic novels that have African American characters and experiences. However, this is changing and there are some good ones out there(see the list below).

Things to Think About

If you have a resultant reader or want to give your child a new genre to read, comics and graphic novels would be a great start to igniting the pleasures reading. Comics may not be your thing or you may not approve, but consider offering them to your child. Who knows it may become their favorite reading genre!

Reading Activity

There are a variety of programs that children can create comic books online. Most of them are user friendly and FREE! Here is one that can get you started. Check it out:

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/comic/

Suggested Book List (Comics and Graphic Novels)

Elementary

• The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby by George Beard and Harold Hutchins illus. by Dav Pilkey ( from the creators of Captain Underpants)
• Luke on the Loose by Harry Bliss
• WordGirl: Coalition of Malice by Chris Karwowski illus. by Steve Young
• Monster and Me by Robert Marsh illus. by Tom Percival
• Billions of Bats: A Buzz Beaker Brainstorm by Scott Nickle  illus. by Andy J. Smith
• The Boy Who Burped Too Much by Scott Nickle illus. by Steve Harpster
• Invasion of the Gym Class Zombies. by Scott Nickle  illus. by Matt Luxich
• Ker-splash! by George O’Connor
• Black Jack: The Ballad of Jack Johnson. Charles R. Smith illus. by Shane W. Evans.

Middle School / High School

• In Search of the Fog Zombie: A Mystery About Matter by Lynda Beauregard  illus. by Der-Shing Helmer.
• Ultimate Comics Spider-Man. Vol. 1. Brian Michael Bendis  illus. by Sara Pichelli
• Living on Spongecake: The Curtis Chronicles. Vol. 2. Ray Billingsley illus. by author.
• Mama's Boyz: The Big Picture; What You Need To Succeed! Jerry Craft  
• The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook. Eleanor Davis  
• The Prison-Ship Adventure of James Forten, Revolutionary War Captive by Marty Rhodes Figley adapt. by Amanda Doering Tourville. illus. by Ted Hammond and Richard Pimentel Carbajal
• Muhammad Ali: The King of the Ring. by Lewis Helfand  illus. by Lalit Kumar Sharma The Sons of Liberty. Vol. 1. by Alexander and Joseph Lagos illus. by Steve Walker
• Investigating the Scientific Method with Max Axiom, Super Scientist by Donald B. Lemke  illus. by Tod Smith and Al Milgrom
• Shadow Rock. by Jeremy Love illus. by Robert Love
• Patricia C. and Fredrick L. McKissack, Jr. Best Shot in the West: The Adventures of Nat Love. illus. by Randy DuBurke.
• The ElseWhere Chronicles: The Shadow Door. by Nykko Bk. 1. tr. from French by Carol Klio Burrell. illus. by Bannister
• Media Meltdown: A Graphic Guide Adventure by Liam O’Donnell illus. by Michael Deas
• John Henry, Hammerin' Hero: The Graphic Novel. by Stephanie Peters   illus. by Nelson Evergreen
• Bessie Coleman: Daring Stunt Pilot by Trina Robbins illus. by Ken Steacy
• 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente by Wilfred Santiago
• Archie & Friends All-Stars. Vol. 3: The Cartoon Life of Chuck Clayton by Alex Simmons  illus. by Fernando Ruiz  
• Ororo: Before the Storm by Marc Sumerak  illus. by Carlos Barberi and Scott Hepburn
• Princeless: Save Yourself. Bk. 1. by Jeremy Whitley  illus. by M. Goodwin.

Reluctant and Struggling Readers

If you have a struggling reader at home there are some tips that can help you to motivate them to read. Here are some things to think about before you try some reading activities with your reluctant reader. Reading 30 minutes a day helps your child get into the routine of reading. It becomes expected before bed. Allow your child to choose his or her own reading materials. Do not put them in a box; the first step is getting them to read often and for pleasure. Last, remember children model behavior. If your child never sees you read what makes you think he or she will believe that they need to read.  A struggling or reluctant reading is not the end of the world. Instead of freaking out and overloading them with work, help them find enjoyment in reading, and it will become natural in no time!

Here are five tips to help your struggling reader:

• Pair books with audio. Whether you go to the library and get books on CD, tablet or phone this gives your child the opportunity to interact with the text in a different way.
• Create your own audio books. Record your child reading ; play it back and read along with the book.
• Turn the closed captioning on your TV or DVD. This way your child can see how images, spoken, and written language work together.
• Comic books. Comic books are fun to read and not as text heavy as books. Comic are a great way to get your struggling reader involved in reading.
• Wordless books. Wordless books allow children to come up with their own version of the story. It encourages creativity and builds on language skills.

Here are some book suggestions for your struggling reader:

• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• Please, Puppy, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee illustrated Kadir Nelson
• Keena Ford series by Melissa Thomson
• Miami Jackson Series by Patricia McKissack, Fredrick McKissack and Michael Chesworth
• Christopher Paul Curtis books
• Hip Hop Speaks to Children with CD: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat (A Poetry Speaks Experience) by Nikki Giovanni, Alicia Vergel de Dios, Damian Ward, and Kristen Balouch
• Shel Sliverstine poetry books
• The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby by George Beard and Harold Hutchins illustrated by Dav Pilkey. (Creators of Captain Underpants)
• Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Mr. Chickee's Funny Money by Christopher Paul Curtis
• The Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
• Falling Up by Shel Silverstein
• Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

See a more extensive list of books in the “Book List” tab above.

Leave a comment, become a follower, and share with a friend!!!!!! Sunkisses-Candid

March Reading Month 2013!

March is National Reading Month!  This year for National Reading Month, create a reader friendly home.  Reading shouldn’t just happen at school, it should be encouraged and displayed at home as well. Here are five activities you can do with the children in your life to promote reading.

• Instead of hiding your books on a bookshelf or piled up in a bin, display them! Try laying out four or five books on the coffee table or side tables. This will encourage them to pick up a book and read. Rotate the books every couple of weeks to keep their interest. I set books on the table in our living room. My step-daughter will just be passing by, stop, and pick up a book. Then sit down and read one after the other. Prior to sitting books out I couldn’t even get her to look at any books on her bookshelf.  Keeping books out in a common area screams pick-me-up and read me!
• Have a Read-A-Thon sleepover. Have the kids bring sleeping bags and books. Allow them to create reading forts. Turn out the lights and let them read with flash lights. Break up the read-a-thon by cooking snacks (allow them to read the recipe directions and prepare the snacks with you), storytelling, act out a book, and create crafts that allow them to re-tell a story they read. Have each child keep track of how many books they read that night and give out certificates and prizes for completing the Read-A-Thon.
• If you don’t already, read at least 30 minutes a day with your child. Don’t allow busy days to be the excuse on why you didn’t read. On busy days just read a poem or a few jokes from a joke book. Now is a good time to begin a reading routine. You want your child to get to a point where they remember to read before bed before you do.
• Tell a family story and have your child draw what you’ve shared. You can also read the title of a book (do not show them the cover) and have them draw the cover then compare the covers. It is interesting to see the variations of covers.
• Visit the library and allow your child to get their very own library card. Keep a list of books that you and your child want to check out. Remember this is an opportunity to demonstrate the value of books. Help them learn responsibility by taking care of the library book, remembering when it is due, and how to repair pages if they rip them.

Share your experiences with these activities and share your own encouragement reading activities by posting comments below!

                                                                                                                                                                      –Sunkisses Candid

Use MLK to Help Children Navigate through Today’s Violent World.

Violence in urban areas continues to hurt communities everywhere. The residue of senseless gun violence is difficult for adults to process and even harder for children. I live in the number one most dangerous city in American according to the 2012 FBI’s 25 most dangerous cities in America list. Many children in my city have lost a parent, family member, or friend to gun violence. My step-daughter’s has a friend whose mother was shot and killed. Can you imagine losing your mother at the age of 6? I admire that little girl’s strength and wonder how she processes the death of mother. My husband’s friend was murder right in front of him when he was 13 years old. At age 30 he still struggles with what he witness and the loss of his friend in such a horrific way. Unfortunately for urban communities this is all too normal. Children experience unnatural deaths all around them and they are expected to fully function in school as if it never happened. There is no greater shock when children are the victims of senseless crime such as the children of Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around how Sandy Hook children move forward from the massacre they experienced. Violence in our nation has truly scarred and stained our history. Whether it was violence during the Civil Rights Era or now, the root of is HATE. One man who had a dream of a non-violent nation and knew the only thing that could conquer hate/violence is love. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. changed history forever operating in love and that same principle can help us change the future.

Martin Luther King Jr. was such a visionary and game changer that you can’t even begin to scratch the surface of what he embodied. Teaching about him on his national holiday should be more than about what he did for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement or viewed as just a day for African Americans; his legacy is for everyone. This year teach your child or students the principles Dr. King promoted and the accomplishments he achieved based on those principles. Discuss the violence your child or students have experienced or seen in the media. Discuss how Dr. King’s principles could have helped in those situations and how they can react to violence or bullying the way Dr. King did. Use this day to teach how Dr. King’s teachings can be applied across races, cultures, and genders. Have students or your child commit to a non-violent lifestyle and create their own dream for their home, city, state, and country.  So this month don’t just inform students about MLK and what he did in history help them to see how his legacy can continue through them.  –Sunkisses Candid

Here is a list of books about Dr. King and his wife Coretta:

·         Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange illustrated by Kadir Nelson
·         I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr. illustrated by Kadir Nelson
·         Dare to Dream: Coretta Scott King and the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Shelf Medearis illustrated by Anna Rich
·         Coretta Scott King: First Lady of Civil Rights by George E. Stanley illustrated by Meryl Henderson
·         Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport illustrated by Bryan Collier
·         Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.! by Eleanora Tate
·         I Have A Dream by Martin Luther King Jr.
·         My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Christine King Farris illustrated by Chris Soentpiet
·         March On!: The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World by Christine King Farris illustrated by London Ladd
·         As Good as Anybody: Martin Luther King and Abraham Joshua Heschel's Amazing March Toward Freedom  by Richard Michelson illustrated by Raul Colon 

Ntozake Shange (Author)

·         › Visit Amazon's Ntozake Shange Page

·         Find all the books, read about the author, and more.

·         See search results for this author

·         Are you an author? Learn about Author Central

·         See search results for this author

·         Are you an author? Learn about Author Central

› Visit Amazon's Coretta Scott King Page

·         Find all the books, read about the author, and more.

·         See search results for this author

·         Are you an author? Learn about Author Central

·         › Visit Amazon's Christine King Farris Page

·         Find all the books, read about the author, and more.

·         See search results for this author

·         Are you an author? Learn about Author Central

December Dilemma: Celebrating Kwanzaa

This time of year is so hectic and stressful for teachers. They are faced with the “December Dilemma.” The dilemma of making sure all cultures and religions are respected, not forgotten, and celebrated. 

Kwanzaa is among one of the Holiday’s included in the “December Dilemma.”

Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the U.S. and Canada honoring African heritage. It is observed from December 26th-January 1st of each year. It was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966. Kwanzaa has seven principles unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

As a child I was unaware of Kwanzaa. It wasn't until I was in high school that my mother decided to make Kwanzaa a tradition in our home.  My mom and I observed the Holiday just the two of us or sometimes with another family. I enjoyed celebrating it as a teenager, but as an adult I haven’t continued celebrating this tradition.

This made me curious as to how many Black people celebrate Kwanzaa? I posed the question on Facebook and the results revealed that most either never did or they participated in a Kwanzaa school program. With the popularity of Kwanzaa in the schools, I wonder if there is the assumption that all African Americans celebrate this holiday and know what it is.

 I would like to encourage teachers this year when addressing Kwanzaa to not assume that the African American students in the class celebrate and/or know about Kwanzaa. Keep in mind the Kwanzaa activities and lessons may be some students’ first encounter with the Holiday. View it as an opportunity to introduce cultural tradition in an authentic and accurate manner.

African traditions and culture was stripped from the slaves and unfortunately African Americans could not celebrate homeland traditions. However, this shouldn't discourage people from understanding its purpose and embracing it as an African American tradition. I encourage all African American families to honor African heritage by celebrating Kwanzaa every year!

Happy Kwanzaa!

Here is a list of African American Holiday books to share with the sunkissed child in your life!

• My First Kwanzaa by Karen Katz
• 'Twas the Night B'Fore Christmas: An African-American Version by Melodye Benson Rosales
• Li'l Rabbit's Kwanzaa by Donna L. Washington and Shane W. Evans
• Grace at Christmas by Mary Hoffman illustrated by Cornelius VanWright
• Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medearis and Daniel Minter
• A Treasury of African-American Christmas Stories edited by Bettye Collier-Thomas
• Santa's Kwanzaa by Garen Eileen Thomas and Guy Francis
• Hello, Santa! (Little Bill) by Catherine Lukas  illustrated by Bernie Cavender and  Etsu Kahata
• The Night Before Christmas by Rachel Isadora
• Imani's Gift At Kwanzaa by Denise Burden-Patmon and Floyd Cooper
• Christmas with Little Bill by Eric Weil illustrated by Daniel M. Kanemoto
• An Angel Just Like Me by Mary Hoffman illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu
• It's Kwanzaa Time!: A Lift-the-Flap Story by Synthia Saint James
• The Bells of Christmas by Virginia Hamilton illustrated by Lambert Davis
• A Kwanzaa Celebration Pop-Up Book by Nancy Williams  and Robert Sabuda
• Chita's Christmas Tree by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard illustrated by Floyd Cooper

The Best Teacher in the World is Black!

Randomly, I found a book last week that caught my attention.  My job collected children’s books for a local shelter and, of course, I rummaged through the books to see what was donated. I came across a book called, The Best Teacher in the World by Bernice Chardiet and Grace Maccarone illustrated by G. Brian Karas.  The reason it caught my attention is because “the best teacher in the world” is African American!  This book was published in 1990 and the illustrator or authors (who are White) chose to depict the best teacher in the world as African American.  It was hard then and still is to find books that have African American main charters that are not culturally specific. To see an African American teacher in a book and she is labeled “the best teacher in the world” is such a powerful image for children to see. However, there is one downside.  Although Ms. Darcy appears to be African American, she could be illustrated as any race. She does not have any distinct features that determine she is African American besides the tinted skin color and small Afro. In past posts, I've discussed the importance of African American children seeing illustrations that depict characters with distinct features (and illustrated authentically) that mirror them. That still holds true. Ms. Darcy doesn't have distinct features but you can assume she is Black. In this case, the illustrator style of art doesn't allow any of his characters to have distinct features whatever skin tone. The writing is good and the story has a predictable but well constructed plot. I recommend this book to be shared with the child in your life and for your home and school libraries!      -Sunkisses Candid

I have been on the hunt for Halloween books that have African American characters. This has been very difficult. I was not able to find very many. I mostly found books with African American supporting characters. Here is a list of books I have found. If you know of any I haven’t listed please mention them in the comments!  

•   One Halloween Night by Mark Teague
• What Is Halloween? by Michelle Medlock Adams illustrated by Amy Wummer
• Miss Smith and the Haunted Library by Michael Garland
• Disney's Little Einsteins: Halloween Surprise by Marcy Kelman
• Witch Switch: Super Special (Katie Kazoo Series) by Nancy E. Krulik illustrated by John & Wendy
• Gooey Goblins: Halloween Special (Candy Fairies Series) by Helen Perelman illustrated by Erica-Jane Waters
• Ready, Freddy! #11: Pumpkin Elf Mystery by Abby Klein illustrated by John McKinley
• Little Bill The Halloween Costume Hunt by Kim Watson and Bernie Cavender
• Jenny Reen and the Jack Muh Lantern by Irene Smalls, Jon Lockard Irene Smalls-Hector illustrated by Keinyo White 
• Sweets And Treats by Toni Trent Parker illustrated by Earl Anderson
• Halloween Monster by Catherine Stock                                                                                                                                                                              

Evaluating Multicultural Children's Literature

A friend of mine called me to ask me for a list of good multicultural children books because she picked up a few books from the library that she was not pleased with. She also wanted me to read the books to see what I thought about them. This got me to thinkin’ that I should create a list to help parents and teachers evaluate multicultural books. Below is a handout with a list of questions to ask yourself as you evaluate books for your child(ren).  Click the link below to see the hand-out. Email me at childrenkissedbythesun@gmail.com if you would like a PDF of this handout. I also created a list of some of my favorite multicultural books. Happy reading! Sunkisses-Candid

Here is a list of a few of my favorite multicultural children's books

• One Afternoon Orchard by Yumi Heo 
• I Love My Hair! by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley Illustrated by E. B. Lewis 
• Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding by Lenore Look Illustrated by Yumi Heo 
• What Can You Do With a Paleta? Carmen Tafolla Illustrated by Magaly Morales 
• Shin-chi's Canoe by Nicola I Campbell. Illustrated by Kim LaFave 
• Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis 
• Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
• ellington was not a street by Ntozake Shange Illustrated by Kadir Nelson 
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie  
• Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier 
• Monster by Walter Dean Myers Illustrated by Christopher Myers 
• American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang 
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor 
• Crossing Bok Chitto by Tim Tingle
• Dragonwings by Laurence Yep
• Little Red Riding Hood by Jerry Pinkney
• Back Home by Gloria Jean Pinkney and Jerry Pinkney
• Allison by Allen Say
• Yuki and the One Thousand Carriers by Gloria Whelan illustrated by Yan Nacimbene