Category: Graphic Novels

Leading from the Library podcast: Graphic Novels & Social Justice

6/3/2025

I had a great conversation with Shannon McClintock Miller on Graphic Novels: Your Secret Weapon for Teaching Social Justice .

It was honor to be a guest on the Leading from the Library podcast and share my experiences from a National Endowment for the Humanities K-12 summer institute at San Diego State University's Center for Comic Studies last July.

While there, I was one of 25 teachers from across the U.S. who learned about graphic novels and comics for kids that focus on social justice issues.

Graphic Novels: Your Secret Weapon For Teaching Social Justice
In the season finale of Leading from the Library, we explore how graphic novels can be powerful tools for teaching social justice. Educator Amy Brownlee shares her experiences from the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute and how she’s integrated diverse, impactful stories into her K–12 curriculum. Learn how graphic novels can build empathy, foster deeper understanding, and transform the classroom. Don’t miss this inspiring close to the season!

I will have the opportunity
to share more on this topic
at the AASL National Convention
in St. Louis in October.

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School Librarians United Podcast

5/26/2025

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I was thrilled to be in conversation with dynamic librarian Amy Hermon for her School Librarians United podcast when I shared my experiences at last summer's K-12 summer institute on Using Comics to Teach Social Justice. Our discussion covered lots of ground, including travel-and-learn opportunities for teachers, NEH programs and how cuts in federal funding canceled many of this year's seminars, and how educators can leverage Comic-Con experiences to impact student learning.

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Exploring Social Justice Through Comics

3/10/2025

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I have a few articles that were accepted for publication on Teen Library Toolbox, a School Library Journal network blog, this spring. The first one was published today! You can read my post "Exploring Social Justice Through Comics" here.

I was excited to have the opportunity to share my knowledge about social justice issues portrayed through graphic novels and comics. In the article, I share some programming ideas and a book list of some of my favorite social justice comics I've read over the past couple of years.

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Wholly Entertaining: Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris

12/12/2024

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I have long been a fan of Mac Barnett's work, especially his picture book Sam and Dave Dig a Hole and his humorous chapter book series Mac B., Kid Spy and The Terrible Two.

When I learned author Mac Barnett and illustrator Shawn Harris would be stopping in Wichita on a tour promoting book three of the First Cat in Space series, I immediately made plans to attend. The event was an hour of pure fun and entertainment.

Barnett and Harris have been friends since they were kids, which is not surprising considering their obvious camaraderie. The event felt less like a presentation and more like they had invited the audience into their private clubhouse to play along as they told stories together. It is obvious that they love what they do, and they are consummate professionals at the art of playing and letting their imaginations run wild.

The result was a session that had kids and adults alike engaged and totally engrossed in the world of First Cat and the rest of the kooky characters.

First Cat got his start during the COVID shut-down when Mac and Shawn streamed weekly "live cartoons" on Instagram. Later, those ideas became a graphic novel that has now grown into a series of three books. Not only has the duo created physical representations of their characters, but also a distinctive voice for each one. Barnett and Harris have recorded full audio narrations of the First Cat books complete with music and sound effects. They performed excerpts of the books live for the audience along with the illustrations projected on a screen.

They brought the whole thing up a notch when Shawn grabbed a guitar, took his place in front of a microphone, and proceeded to lead a sing-along of songs written to complement the story. The First Cat in Space website is a treasure trove of content: you can watch the original "live cartoons," listen to the audio narration while viewing the illustrations, and listen to the songs.

I can't wait to share all this with my students. They are going to love it!

I was thrilled to get an autographed copy of the newest First Cat book for my school library. After the presentation, I waited in line to meet Mac and Shawn and get a photo with them in front of the fun space-themed backdrop. I loved getting to say hello and tell them, "Thank you for creating books the kids love to read."

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Teaching with Comics NEH Institute

9/4/2024

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I had an amazing professional development experience this summer when I spent July 15-28 in San Diego, CA, at the Using Comics to Teach Social Justice institute presented by San Diego State University’s (SDSU) Center for Comic Studies.

Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the program brought together 25 educators from 16 different states, including K-5 classroom teachers, middle school and high school English and social studies teachers, special education teachers, and school librarians.

While in San Diego, I attended lectures and discussion sessions, participated in comic creation and lesson building workshops, and took field trips to the Comic-Con Museum and Little Fish Comic Book Studio.

The institute culminated in participants attending Comic-Con International, the largest comic book and pop culture convention in the world.

At the convention, I was able to attend workshops and panel discussions, meet book creators, interact with industry professionals, and collect free comics and memorabilia to share with students.

Comic-Con celebrates the creative arts: writing, illustrating, performing, costuming, and more. It brings together fans and creatives and provides opportunity for interaction and mentorship.

The convention also offers a variety of panels where educators share how they are harnessing students’ enthusiasm about comics to enhance learning.

The best part of the institute was networking with other teachers at the institute and learning about what’s going on in their schools. One of my favorite experiences was the day all 25 of us shared a lesson we plan to take back and implement with our students. I was blown away by the amazing and creative ideas for teaching through comics and graphic novels.

I was already using a graphic novel in my fifth and sixth-grade literature circle class prior to this workshop, and I look forward to extending comics lessons to more students in the coming year. I also hope to start a graphic novel book club.

Interested in learning about professional development opportunities through the National Endowment for the Humanities? Take a look at their website. Applications open in mid-December for workshops taking place in the summer of 2025.

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Leading from the Library podcast: Graphic Novels & Social Justice

School Librarians United Podcast

Exploring Social Justice Through Comics

Wholly Entertaining: Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris

Teaching with Comics NEH Institute

Amy Brownlee

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