let's hear it for COMICS and GRAPHIX!

 As schools shift into high gear, teachers are actively evaluating the readers in their rooms. That's not only who CAN read what, but WHO each reader is, WHAT they like to read, and HOW they view themselves as readers. 

The above statement describes authentic assessment. Yes, there will be countless minutes and hours spent in formal testing and other arbitrary listings of "levels", but those are  far less significant or accurate than an experienced teacher will determine by observation, attention, and questioning. It is more important to identify where readers are going and ways to get there than to report if they are "behind" or "above" expectations. 

The above rant is brought to you by an educator who resisted excess standardized testing to the last minute of my classroom responsibilities. Finding the right book for every child, supporting each reader in their personal journey to literacy was a mission, and I'm still on it!

I've shared comments on comics and graphic stories in prior posts, with examples HERE, HERE, and HERE. These formats are variations on picture-books, although they are not shelved or marketed as traditional picture books. In fact, comics and graphic materials require a different subset of reading skills, but these involve and support all the skills and habits that an engaged reader needs to enjoy and succeed with  any material. (To read more thoughts on this, click the links I shared above). 

Macmillan, 2015

Someone who understood the powerful lure of comics was Charles Schultz, a creative talent who ranks among the very few universally beloved icons in a league with Dolly Parton. BORN TO DRAW COMICS: THE STORY OF CHARLES SCHULTZ and the Creation of PEANUTS is written by Ginger Wadsworth and illustrated by Craig Orback. In fact, Schultz began  doodling, drawing, imitating the "funny papers" that were part of his family life at his earliest age.

(Click on "Charles Schultz" above for a closer look at the details of his life with photo archives and more!)

This vibrant, comic-similar picture book opens with framed spreads and encircled text to hint at the media Charles embraced throughout his life. From his earliest moments, when he was dubbed with his lifelong nickname Sparky, readers will connect with the boy who laughed and drew from early on. His dog, SPIKE, a white and black beagle, gained Schultz his first publishing credit. Spike's ability to consume nearly anything and have no ill effects inspired Sparky to submit a drawing and text to RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT. It appeared in the newspaper nationwide!

This is a full birth-to-death biography of a famous figure, presented in a picture book with documentation and further details in back matter. It is a wonderful read, involving the depth and span of his life and influence. It's a celebration of  the effectiveness of picture book format to convey a long and complex life of influence while celebrating the power and validity of the comic format of literature. 

As such, this title is an effective read-aloud or read-share with kids of any age, but especially for older readers who have defined themselves (or been labeled) as "not a reader". Worse yet, as someone who CAN read but doesn't like reading. It not only invites them to see colorful and complex material presented in picture books and graphic forms as valid "reading" choices. It may help teachers and caregivers recognize that reading materials in these formats IS REALLY READING, not discouraging it as unimportant or childish. It also celebrates the child-Charles who recognized early in life what he loved doing, and he was encouraged to pursue it. Over time. Despite sad losses. While doing other work to get by. But never giving up. 

This is not a new release, but one that is as timeless as PEANUTS and Charles Schultz. 

GATHER GRATEFUL, a Graceful Approach to Fall and Gratitude

 Do you live where leaves fall at this time of year? Where the change of seasons is unmistakable  not only for its shifts in weather but also for the altered patterns of birds and other animals in habitats near by? If you do, this new picture book will resonate in your bones, in your heart, in your family. If you reside in one of those climates that sustains one season all year long, this is a valuable way to share the FALL/seasonal change that your young ones might not have experienced but will readily imagine as you read together.

GATHER GRATEFUL is written by Megan Litwin and illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey. 

CANDLEWICK PRESS, 2025

Written in rhymed text, the limited lines on each page launch visual storytelling of the many signals and rhythms of fall.

Colors change, temperatures drop. It's time to GATHER. Sweeping double page illustrations in shades of orange/brown and blue contrast with a crisp white background. The tones and shadows of those browns and blues, occasionally accented with black, allow readers to note birds and bears, crusty trunks and flittering leaves, all while recognizing the changes necessary with Fall's arrival.

Nesting, migrating, harvesting and hibernating unfold as "gather" expands to include huddles and cuddles and visits and vistas. Even as the latter pages reveal the various joys of gathering of humans with friends and loved ones, shifts in perspective circle back to the outdoor critters whose seasonal changes have thickened their fur coats, feathered their burrows, and beckoned them to the glow of warmth from windows and campfires. 

This could be described as a lovely lyrical list of Fall activities, and that would be true. But it is written and illustrated so that each posture and frame, each tone and tender expression invites readers to FEEL the characters and their neighbors in nature. This could also be called a Thanksgiving book, but that word is never used. Instead the word GATHER is a celebration of community, of family, of flocks, and of friends. It is anchored to a season, but not to a particular day or time or culture or era. In fact, the universally recognizable joy conveyed is something to be grateful for all year long.

BACK TO SCHOOL with BATS!

 In case you missed all the seemingly surprised reactions on media sources today, SEPTEMBER has returned. With it comes BACK-TO -SCHOOL stories. My own classroom experiences were in states that insisted on waiting until AFTER Labor Day to resume, and states in which mid-August sounded just about right for plunking sweaty kids into seats. 

So, arbitrarily, I'm using SEPTEMBER First to offer a throwback repeat of one of my favorite books for little ones. I reviewed it five years ago and love it just as much today as I did then.

From the archives of prior posts:

BRI-I-I-I-N-NG!!! School Bells Ringing Soon

 There's no denying that "Back to School" will have an ientirely different ring to it than it did in September, 2020, or in the years prior, for that matter. Even so, there are some universal aspects to it that are undeniable, and that includes the need for some outstanding back-to-school picture books to share in the early days. That's because behind the many faces (no matter how many or how few, whether masked or not) sharing the experience of a new class, there will just that many different emotional and individual attitudes about the experience. The one thing each kiddo shares with the others is that their feelings are mixed. 

Recognizing this, I particularly appreciate back-to-school books that bring "all the feels" to the surface and allow us to experience them together. There are actually some great back-to-school read-aloud chapter books, but nothing beats the power of picture books in providing a complete, compact, and compelling moment of connection. I'll share two titles in this post, and tag on some come-along titles for each. 

Clarion Books, June, 2021

LITTLE BAT IN NIGHT SCHOOLstars a subtle but irresistible little regular among the many delightful bats in a series of "Bat" titles created by writer/illustrator BRIAN LIES. I've been a fan of LIES (rhymes with "cheese"), since I first encountered the picture book he illustrated by I. C. Springman, MORE. (That's your first bonus, and I hope you'll click to read my original review of that amazing book, but please read on about these school books first.)

Sorry, Little Bat, that I paused to make that connection. You've dealt with waiting for the spotlight through many books in the past, but you never lost that cheerful and curious personality of yours, or the  little yellow floaties that you sport in each appearance. And now you finally get to be the star of the story when you go to NIGHT SCHOOL! where else, when else, would a bat go to learn about the big wide world? And Little Bat was thoroughly prepared and pumped for this adventure, as the cover suggests. Even with Mama Bat at his side, the size and population of nocturnal animals in his new class casts a shadow across his brow. 

Mr.s C., the Raccoon teacher, extends a warm welcome, and Little Bat recognizes nighttime critters before he spots his target- other bats! In this parallel-to-kid-world, those bats are already friends and are not exactly welcoming to Little Bat. He turns to his cubby to unload supplies, where he meets little Ophelia Possum, who is also a tad timid, and is loaded with mistaken assumptions about bats. 

In page after detailed page, the two tentative friends ("I'll go if you will.") bolster each other through that first night of songs, art, math, snacks, and incredibly funny-punny scenes. In each, there is a steady tug of who is better at what, who is friends with whom, and how each lands in an assumed pecking order. Ophelia and Little Bat offer their thinking and energy to the rest in a building challenge and, as dawn approaches, they are weaving the ties that will make them into a class. When Mrs. C. closes the night with a read aloud that has them all begging for more, her reassurance that they'll all be back together the next night sounds like good news, agreeing that they'll all be coming back.

The magic of that transformation from individuals, friend packs, bold and timid kids into the foundation of yearlong family is undeniable, and Lies captures the process in these pages brilliantly. Just as undeniable is the magical quality of the art/illustration, encouraging close inspection of details, attention to all layers on each page with appreciation for the nuanced effects of "humanizing" the natural traits of each critter while generating smiles of recognition. Do not miss the fun of Little Bat's  "thumbs up" or the perfectly scaled school supplies and environment in relation to each animal. I could go on,  but I won't. 

Sad News About CYBILS AWARDS

This final week in August is when the ANNUAL CYBILS AWARDS usually posted that nominations were opening for all categories. I'm saddened to report that my long-time service with the literacy leaders and book-boosters at CYBILS has ended. That's because the dedicated  VOLUNTEER board and organizers had to make a heartbreaking choice to pull the plug on their annual award program. 

This began as, and continued as, a book-bloggers' award. Their mission to encourage only the best in all books for youth championed award-deserving titles in every genre and for every reader under twenty. 

I found CYBILS while reading posts about nominees, exploring their lists, and anxiously awaiting word of the finalists and winners in each category, even in types of books I rarely read. 

Then, I worked up my nerve and volunteered to serve on an award panel. I was accepted. Across the years I took part in reading and evaluating picture books, nonfiction works for all ages, poetry, and early books (board books, chapter books, and beginning readers). I even served as a committee chair. During those annual evaluations I worked with incredible individuals and those amazing folks behind the scenes who organized and sustained an extremely complex process. And they did so with patience, grace, and enthusiasm.

I'll be forever grateful for these experiences, for the exposure to so many outstanding books and their creators, and to the CYBILS group for originating and sustaining the program for so many years. For now, the website continues in operation and includes book lists from the past. I highly recommend this as a source for great titles for readers of any and every interest. 

Take a look here: https://www.cybils.com/

Thank you, CYBILS Board and longtime volunteers. You made a difference in so many lives.