2019 marks the Centennial Children’s Book Week, beginning today April 27th and Running through May 5. This year’s theme – Read Now. Read Forever. – draws into focus the past, present, and crucial future of children’s literature. Celebrations can be found at bookstores, libraries, and schools around the country, but if you want to search, check out this interactive map of events. And if you want to plan your own activities at your store, with your family, or in your class, check out this vast array of free resources available to use this week!
Comics Create Literacy Now and Forever
From Children’s Book Week’s comes a brand new activity kit designed around comics and graphic novels! Seven comic/graphic novel creators contributed to the kit including, Jed Alexander, Morgan Clement, Gale Galligan, Kazu Kibuishi, Yehudi Mercado, Chad Sell, and Judd Winick! They even have blank comic pages that can be downloaded to create fun activities. Check out the description from their website of the activity kit below:
Comics and graphic novels combine words and drawings in a unique way. In this kit, seven stellar creators call you to the world of comics and to create your own! In fact, they need your help.
Each activity in this kit is a comic story, started, but not finished by these geniuses. You complete the comics with your illustrations and your words. Blank panels follow each activity, so you can continue with their characters, or make up ones of your own.
At the end of the kit, you can draw from a comics script. And there’s space to make a comic, from start to finish! Just base it around the Children’s Book Week slogan, Read Now ● Read Forever.
We’d love to see your comics online! Please use #BookWeek100 to share them with us.
CBLDF also has a multitude of educational resources to bring comics into the classroom. Check out Using Graphic Novels in Education to find common core requirements, in-depth analysis, and more for some of the most engaging, important comics for any age group. Get useful information for teaching titles like Squish and Babymouse for elementary school age, Drama and Lumberjanes for middle school, This One Summer and National Book Award-winning March Trilogy for older students, and more!
Share Your Love of Reading
Children’s Book Week has a whole host of shareable images, and developed media kits that anyone can utilize for free. There are also loads of printable resources like posters, bookmarks, activity pages and more. Keep your eyes peeled as they reveal different artists’ portions of their collaborative poster, featuring work from best-selling comics creator Raina Telgemeier, and 11 other talented artists!
