13. Comics Squad: Recess! edited by Jennifer and Matthew Holm & Jarrett Krosoczka

 

13. Comics Squad: Recess! edited by Jennifer and Matthew Holm & Jarrett Krosoczka

Comics Squad: Recess!: Holm, Jennifer L., Holm, Matthew, Krosoczka, Jarrett J., Santat, Dan, Telgemeier, Raina: 9780385370035: Amazon.com: Books

Holm, J., Holm, M., Krosoczka, J., (eds). (2014). Comics Squad: Recess! NY: Random House.

This graphic-novel anthology is a tribute to classic Sunday comics. It includes eight stories about every kid’s favorite subject—RECESS!  First is The Super-Secret Ninja Club, by Gene Luen Yang. Next is Book ‘Em Dog Man!  by Dav Pilkey.  Then there is Betty and the Perilous Pizza Day, by Jarrett J. Krosoczka.   Next is The Magic Acorn, by Ursula Vernon, Babymouse: The Quest for Recess, by Jennifer Holm & Matthew Holm, Jiminy Sprinkles in “Freeze Tag”, by Eric Wight and 300 Words by Dan Santat.  Finally, The Rainy Day Monitor, by Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman. These are fun, silly stories with lots of artwork and not as many words, good for older struggling readers.

Graphic novels can be used to catch the interest of students in any classroom.  They tell a story- and contain a plot, characters, a setting, theme, etc. just like traditional  books.  Literary devices like figurative language and symbolism are in many graphic novels.  The way the story is arranged along with the illustrations can make concepts like foreshadowing, symbolism, and flashbacks easier for students to see and understand.  I teach Special Education.  I will recommend the Comics Squad series, along with other graphic novels to my students, especially my older students.  Older students that are struggling readers are discouraged from reading because the books at their reading levels usually have covers for much younger readers. They do not want their classmates to think they are reading a “baby book.” 

I found this website done by my professor, Dr. Teri S. Lesesne, Department of Library Science at Sam Houston State University that tells about the genre of graphic novels and how to use them in the classroom.

https://www.perma-bound.com/static/TPR/000458083.pdf


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