graphix

A NewsPrints takeover on Twitter

NewsPrints is the gorgeous debut graphic novel from Ru Xu that follows Blue, an orphan who has disguised herself as a newsboy so she can continue working for the  Bugle, the only paper in town that tells the truth about the war.

The book hits stores next Tuesday, and in honor of its impending release, @GraphixBooks (our graphic novel imprint) hosted a Twitter takeover: Each hour on Saturday, @GraphixBooks tweeted a new panel from NewsPrints to give readers a sneak peek of Blue meeting a mysterious boy named Crow! 

We've rounded up all of the panels here, but be sure to also check out #NewsPrintsTakeover to see more conversation!

 

Join in Teach Graphix Week!

Graphic novels are being used in classrooms to motivate young readers in new, unique and accessible ways! That’s why we are excited to team up with Skype in the Classroom to celebrate graphic novels for #TeachGRAPHIXWeek!  

From January 23-27, #TeachGRAPHIXWeek will offer literacy tools for teachers and librarians to bring these books alive in the classroom — including a LIVE broadcast, Skype calls with Scholastic authors, a Twitter chat, classroom teaching guides and a chance to win a Graphix library!

Here’s how you can participate:

1) Sign up for a Skype call with Scholastic’s Graphix authors

Graphix authors & illustrators can come into your classroom via Skype. There are sessions available throughout the week, but make your request early as sessions fill up fast! Sign up here.

2) Register for a LIVE BROADCAST on January 23 with Greg Grunberg and Lucas Turnbloom

Join Scholastic, Skype and classes around the world for a live Skype broadcast event Monday, January 23 at 1 PM EDT with Greg Grunberg and Lucas Turnbloom, creators of the Dream Jumper series. Classrooms are invited to submit questions in advance and during the broadcast on Twitter using #TeachGRAPHIXLive

Learn more here!

3) Join the live Twitter chat with Amulet author Kazu Kibuishi on January 25

Join bestselling Amulet series author, Kazu Kibuishi, for a live Twitter chat, Wednesday, January 25, at 1 PM EDT. Join by tweeting your questions @SkypeClassroom and using #TeachGRAPHIXChat

4) Enter our contest for a chance to win a Graphix library for your class (US Schools Only)

Get your students excited for #TeachGRAPHIXWeek by entering our contest! They can create their very own graphic novel page answering the question, “Why Do You Love Graphic Novels?” using words and pictures to express themselves. Ten (10) winners will receive two sets of Graphix Classroom Libraries.Winners will be announced February 16, 2017. 

Teachers:  Check out our Guide to Using Graphic Novels with Kids & Teens as well as the Stacks site where your students can create their own online printable comic books based on the graphic novel series!

Also, join Skype in the Classroom’s Literacy Campaign and celebrate reading and writing with your classroom by inviting an author to talk to your students over Skype or participate in one of the fun literacy activities.

Parents: Why not ask your school to get involved with Skype in the Classroom so your kids can experience the world live from their classrooms?

"Dream Jumper" and the Rise of Graphic Novels

Graphic novels are having a moment. Inspired by the rise of this popular genre, we asked Greg Grunberg, actor and author of the recently released Dream Jumper, to share the story of his inspiration. Illustrator Lucas Turnbloom also discusses his role in the book and his artistic process. Finally, David Saylor, the founder and editorial director of Scholastic's Graphix imprint, joins us with an exciting announcement: a new Graphix contest, where aspiring graphic novelists can get published.

A GHOSTS takeover on Twitter

This week, it's all about ghosts.

Raina Telgemeier's Ghosts hits stores on Tuesday, and in honor of its release, @GraphixBooks (our graphic novel imprint) hosted a #GhostsTakeover on Twitter. Fach hour on Saturday, @GraphixBooks tweeted out a panel from the book that, collectively, comprised a special excerpt.

We've rounded up all the content right here. Plus, see more at #GhostsTakeover. Enjoy!

 

New contest! Are you the next Graphix author-artist?

We are thrilled to share the news that Scholastic has announced a contest to find undiscovered talent to debut on its acclaimed Graphix imprint for children and teen readers!

Graphix focuses on creator-driven books that bring exceptional art, rich content, and strong storytelling to realistic fiction, memoir, fantasy, and more.

We're seeking submissions from debut comic artists who are U.S. residents, 18 years or older, and who are unpublished and are not currently under contract to publish a book with another publisher. Up to five winners will be chosen! The full contest rules and submission requirements, including information about what the Graphix editorial team looks for in manuscript proposals, can be found at the contest’s dedicated website.

Do you think you have what it takes to be the next Graphix author-artist?  


Good luck to all who are submitting entries!

Scholastic at San Diego Comic Con

Here at OOM we’re so excited about San Diego Comic Con! The convention takes place from Thursday, July 21 to Sunday, July 24, and features comics and all aspects of the popular arts, including hands-on workshops, film screenings, panels, autographing sessions and more. Many Scholastic authors and illustrators will be at this year’s show. Check out the schedule below to add them to your SDCC plans!

Thursday, July 21:

Panel: We Need Diverse Comics

  • Panel time: 3:00pm-4:00pm
  • Location: Convention Center, Room 9
  • Scholastic Author: Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts)
  • Description of Panel: Nidhi Chanani (Pashmina), Ben Hatke (Mighty Jack), Nilah Magruder (M.F.K.), Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts), and Ron Wimberly (Prince of Cats) discuss the current state of diversity in the comics industry; what’s changed over the past decade, and what changes still need to happen.

Panel: Make Your Own Story

  • Panel time: 3:30pm-4:30pm
  • Location: Convention Center, Room 24ABC
  • Scholastic Author: Jenni L. Holm (Sunny Side Up)
  • Description: Make Your Own Story—Kids! Join authors Jeffrey Brown (Lucy and Andy Neanderthal), John Patrick Green (Hippopotamister), Eddie Pittman (Red’s Planet), and Judd Winick (Hilo) in an interactive storytelling hour -- where you tell the story, and these authors draw it.  Bring your most creative storytelling hats!

 

Friday, July 22:

Author Autographing Session

  • Ru Xu (NewsPrints) /Raina Telgemeier(Ghosts) signing
  • Signing time: 11am-12:00pm
  • Autographing Area 21

Panel: CBC Programming: Events and Community Relationships for Comics and Librarians

  • Panel Time: 11:00am-12:00pm   
  • Location: Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Public Library
  • Scholastic Participants: Lizette Serrano
  • Description:  How can librarians work together with their communities to share the love of comics?  With events like Children’s Book Week, Free Comic Book Day, Banned Book Week, and librarian-run programs, book clubs, and mini-conventions, you can spread the love of comics to your patrons.  Publishers talk about their experience working with libraries on these programs and more.

Panel: You Can be the Next Scholastic Graphix Artist

  • Panel time: 12:30pm-1:30pm
  • Location: Convention Center, Room: 24ABC
  • Scholastic Authors/Editors: Jeff Smith (BONE), Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts), Ru Xu (Newsprints), David Saylor, Cassandra Pelham, and Adam Rau
  • Moderator: Brigid Alverson, Good Comics for Kids
  • Description: Find out how to get published by Scholastic, the #1 graphic novel publisher for children! What does it take to be published by Scholastic’s Graphix imprint? Join Graphix editors David Saylor, Cassandra Pelham, and Adam Rau alongside authors Jeff Smith, Raina Telgemeier, and Ru Xu to find out how. And stay tuned for a special announcement!

Panel: CBC Programming: Kids Comics in 2026—What Publishers Project for the Future

  • Panel time: 1:00pm-2:00pm
  • Location: Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Public Library
  • Scholastic Author: Ed Masessa (Wandmaker)
  • Moderator: Candice Mack (senior librarian, LA Public Library)

Panel: CBC Programming: How Comics Get Created

  • Panel time: 2:00pm-3:00pm
  • Location: Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Public Library
  • Scholastic Author: Ru Xu (NewsPrints)
  • Moderator: Jack Baur, Berkeley Public Library
  • Description: How do comics get made?  If you have a library comics club or any aspiring young creators, it’s useful to have an understanding of the comics creative process to help them on your way!  In this program, authors explain their process, demystifying comics creation for librarians. Other authors featured on panel: Nathan Hale, Stuart Moore, Gene Luen Yang.

Panel: Behind the Curtain: Creating Heroes in all Formats

  • Panel Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm
  • Location: Convention Center, Room: 25ABC
  • Scholastic Authors: Kate Beaton (King Baby), Greg Grunberg (Dream Jumper), Dustin Nguyen (DC Comics Secret Hero Society), Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts), Lucas Turnbloom(Dream Jumper), Mike Wu (The Oodlethunks)
  • Description:  From secret hero societies to mystery-solving kids, graphic novels prove a picture’s worth a thousand words. Join artists Kate Beaton, Raina Telgemeier, Dustin Nyugen, Derek Fridolfs, Mike Wu, Greg Grunberg and Lucas Turnbloom as they discuss the creation of their new work.  

Author Autographing Session

  • Signing time: 5:30pm-6:30pm
  • Location: Autographing Area 20
  • Scholastic Authors: Kate Beaton (King Baby), Greg Grunberg (Dream Jumper), Dustin Nguyen (DC Comics Secret Hero Society), Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts), Lucas Turnbloom(Dream Jumper), Mike Wu (The Oodlethunks)

 

Saturday, July 23:

Panel: Spotlight on Kate Beaton

  • Panel time: 10:30am-11:30am
  • Location: Room 5AB
  • Scholastic Author: Kate Beaton (King Baby)
  • Description: Kate Beaton is the cartoonist behind 2015's New York Times bestseller Step Aside, Pops, as well as the wildly popular website Hark! A Vagrant. Beaton has taken the world by storm with her incisive, carefully researched, and often hilarious takes on history, literature, and pop culture. Hillary Chute (editor of Outside the Box: Interviews with Contemporary Cartoonists and Disaster Drawn: Visual Witness, Comics and Documentary Form) will lead a conversation with Beaton.

Author Autographing Session

  • Signing time: 11:45am-12:45 pm
  • Location: Autograhing Area 21
  • Scholastic Authors: Kate Beaton(King Baby)

Author Autographing Session

  • Signing time: 1:00pm-2:00pm
  • Location: Autographing Area 21
  • Scholastic Authors: Raina Telegemeier(Ghosts)

Author Autographing Session

  • Signing time: 2:00pm-3:00pm
  • Location: Kernel Booth #135
  • Scholastic Authors: Matthew J. Kirby(An Assassin’s Creed Series: Last Descendants)

 

Sunday, July 24:

  • Panel: Calling All Kids—The Great Draw-Off!
  • Panel time: 10:00am-11:00am
  • Location: Convention Center, Room 20CDE
  • Scholastic Authors: Jenni Holm (Sunny Side Up), Lucas Turnbloom (Dream Jumper)
  • Description: A panel of bestselling kids' comics creators engage in a live draw-off with audience participation. Perfect for kids of all ages! Featuring comic greats Jeffrey Brown (Jedi Academy), Nathan Hale (Hazardous Tales), Dana Simpson (Phoebe and Her Unicorn),Lucas Turnbloom (Dream Jumpers), and Judd Winnick (Hilo). This interactive experience will by moderated by sibling duo Jennifer and Matthew Holm(Babymouse, Sunny Side Up), with color commentary and sound effects by Tom Racine(Tall Tale Radio podcast).

Panel: Knock,Knock. Bestselling Kid's Book Authors Bring the Funny!

  • Panel time: 11:00am-12:00pm
  • Location: Convention Center, Room 25ABC
  • Authors: Greg Grunberg (Dream Jumper), Lucas Turnbloom, (Dream Jumper)
  • Description: Knock knock jokes. Fart noises. The word “butt.” Hilarious books for kids succeed at making everyone laugh, including grownups who haven’t quite grown up. Join bestselling children’s book authors Nathan Hale (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series), Dan Santat (Are We There Yet?), Ed Masessa (Wandmaker), Greg Grunberg and Lucas Turnbloom (Dream Jumper), and Brandon T. Snider (Peter Powers and His Not-So-Super Powers), as they discuss their personal formulas for creating funny books…and getting paid for it! Leave the milk at home, as there are no guarantees it won't come shooting out of your nose while watching this panel.

Panel: Creating Diverse Worlds and Cultures (Tag: #WNDB)

  • Location: Convention Center, Room 28DE
  • Panel Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm
  • Scholastic Authors: Michael Spradlin (The Enemy Above), Ru Xu (NewsPrints)
  • Description: A lot of science fiction fantasy takes place in worlds inspired by Western and European cultures. How can writers break that trend and create fully-developed, unique cultures for their stories? Join moderator Michael Spradlin and authors Stacey Lee (Outrun the Moon), Indra Das (The Devourers), Damian Duffy and John Jennings (Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation), Elizabeth Briggs (Future Shock), and Ru Xu (NewsPrints) to talk about how they developed inclusive futures (and presents and pasts).

Panel: How (and Why) Kids Started Reading Comics Again

  • Panel time: 12:00pm-1:00pm
  • Location: Convention Center, Room 25ABC
  • Scholastic Author: Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts)
  • Description: How (and why) did comics and graphic novels for kids go from a sliver of the market to dominating the sales charts? And what's next for the category? New York Timesbestselling cartoonist Raina Telgemeier (Drama, Sisters) and children's librarian Eva Volin are joined by comic industry insiders Gina Gagliano (marketing manager, First Second Books), Adam Staffaroni (senior editor, ROAR Comics), and Sarah Gaydos(editor, IDW) to discuss their theories. Moderated by Josh Elder (executive director, Reading With Pictures).

Author Autographing Session

  • Signing time: 12:30pm-1:30pm
  • Location: Autographing Area 09
  • Scholastic Authors: Greg Grunberg (Dream Jumper), Lucas Turnbloom, (Dream Jumper)

Author Autographing Session

  • Autographing time: 1:00pm-2:00pm
  • Location: Kernel Booth #135
  • Scholastic Authors:  Matthew J. Kirby (An Assassin’s Creed Series: Last Descendent)

Panel: YA? Why Not? The Importance of Teen and Young Adult Comics

  • Location: Convention Center, Room: 24ABC
  • Panel Time: 1:00pm-2:00pm
  • Scholastic Author: Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts)
  • Description:  Once the fastest growing genres in literature, YA books have grown beyond babysitting and first loves. BOOM! Studios senior editor Sierra Hahn and creators Hope Larson (Goldie Vance,Compass South), Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Drama), Cecil Castellucci(Shade, The Changing Girl, Moving Target: Princess Leia) and Brenden Fletcher (Gotham Academy) discuss the significance of these emerging categories of comics and what they mean for modern literacy.

Panel: Assassin’s Creed Last Descendants Author Matthew J. Kirby

  • Location:  Convention Center, Room: 23ABC
  • Panel time: 2:30pm-3:30pm
  • Scholastic Author: Matthew J. Kirby (An Assassin’s Creed Series: Last Descendents)
  • Description: Attention, young adult readers and gamers! Aymar Azaizia (head of content), Andrien Gbinigie (community manager), and Matthew J. Kirby, author of the new young adult series Last Descendants discuss bringing the game to life on the page. Assassin's Creed cosplayers will win contest prizes!

 

 

Graphic Novels, Education, and 24 Hr. Comic Book Day

The graphic novel is no longer just a format suitable to learn about. It is also starting to be used as a tool to educate. –Jesse Karp, “The Case for Graphic Novels in Education” American Libraries

True comic:

I can’t explain why I didn’t make photocopies of her ‘response comics’... As you can tell, I mourn their loss (to humanity) constantly, but it’s not because she’s famous now! As a senior in college I thought to myself – she captured the essence of the reading: check plus. After teaching adolescents, I now realize that what she captured is the essence of what’s going on in the American classroom!

No one had to convince me comics + education = a win, as you can see from my T.A. style. Years later, while teaching in high school, a colleague and I formed a comic book club to engage the high school boys in document based reasoning for – you guessed it! – DBQs on the standardized tests. Of course, we didn’t tell the students this this was our purpose; but we did state it on the form we turned in to the Out of School Time director when we registered the club. Luckily, in the past decade academics have done research studies that validate comics-based lesson plans and curriculum (see below), and true believers have developed resources to facilitate teaching with comics, such as A Guide to Using Graphic Novels with Children and Teens (from the folks here at Graphix).

For students who flourish with this format, there is a much cooler incentive now than acing DBQs; in September the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards announced a new category for Editorial Cartoons. Three students will be able to win $1000 each!

I never made those photocopies, but, inspired by the simplicity and wit of Badly Drawn Girl, I have embraced the stick figure format and used it over the years to process my teaching experience. The first time I did this was during 24 Hour Comic Book Day in the fall of 2009. My comic book club students and I sat in with 7000BC for this annual global event, which takes place the first weekend of October (this weekend!). In 2009, I got to seven pages about being a NYC Teaching Fellow, having spent 2-3 hours meticulously drawing bricks with a ruler (the students warned me I was moving too slowly, but I didn’t listen). In 2010 I was able to get to 24 pages with my Robot Alien Space Comic; this is my best work to date, but there is no dialogue (it's my Shaun Tan). Finally, in 2011 I did it: 24 pages – with dialogue – in 24 hours. The story is awful, but that year was a win overall; I made a complete comic book!

This weekend thousands of creative people will squeeze months of work into one day.

Here are some resources that will convince you to squeeze comics into at least one lesson plan, if not one whole semester!

  • Boennan-Cornell, W. (2015). Using Historical Graphic Novels in High School History Classes: Potential for Contextualization, Sourcing, and Corroborating. History Teacher, 48(2), 209–224.
  • Chase, M., Son, E. H., & Steiner, S. (2014). Sequencing and Graphic Novels With Primary-Grade Students. Reading Teacher, 67(6), 435–443.
  • Dallacqua, A. K., Kersten, S., & Rhoades, M. (2015). Using Shaun Tan’s work to foster multiliteracies in 21st-Century classrooms. The Reading Teacher, (2), 207.
  • Gavigan, K. (2012). Sequentially SmART--Using Graphic Novels across the K-12 Curriculum. Teacher Librarian, 39(5), 20.
  • Jennings, K. A., Rule, A. C., Zanden, V., & M, S. (2014). Fifth Graders’ Enjoyment, Interest, and Comprehension of Graphic Novels Compared to Heavily-Illustrated and Traditional Novels. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 6(2), 257–274.
  • Karp, J. (2012). Graphic novels in your school library. Chicago: American Library Association.
  • Karp, J. (2011). The Power of Words and Pictures: Graphic Novels in Education. American Libraries42(7/8), 33-35.
  • Mathews, S. A. . (2014). Reading without Words: Using The Arrival to Teach Visual Literacy with English Language Learners. Clearing House, 87(2), 64–68.
  • Monnin, K. (2013). Aligning Graphic Novels to the Common Core Standards. Knowledge Quest, 41(3), 50–56.
  • Rhoades, M., Dallacqua, A., Kersten, S., Merry, J., & Miller, M. C. (2015). The Pen(cil) is Mightier Than the (S)Word? Telling Sophisticated Silent Stories Using Shaun Tan’s Wordless Graphic Novel, The Arrival. Studies in Art Education, 56(4), 307–326.

#Graphix10 announcement! Introducing DREAM JUMPER

Last night Scholastic celebrated the 10th anniversary of Graphix, our graphic novel imprint, at San Diego Comic Con...and made a big announcement!

Guests received a special print to have signed by the many creators in attendance like Jeff Smith, Doug TenNapel, and James Burks, and everyone had fun taking photos in a special Graphix-themed photo booth. And the big news: actor Greg Grunberg (Alias, Felicity) and cartoonist Lucas Turnbloom have teamed up to create a new graphic novel series called Dream Jumper, coming in 2016! The first book will even include a forward from Greg’s childhood friend and frequent collaborator J.J. Abrams.
 
For those of us who can’t wait for 2016 to get our comics fix, we just need to wait until August 25 when Craig Thompson, the acclaimed creator of Blankets, releases his first graphic novel for kids, Space Dumplins; and Sunny Side Up, a new graphic novel from Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (the sister-brother team behind Babymouse), will also be released! Plus, Goosebumps Graphix is back with Slappy’s Tales of Horror, a rereleased collection of full-color illustrated stories by R.L. Stine, which includes a new story illustrated by Dave Roman. It’s shaping up to be a really exciting fall for Graphix!
 
And tonight the Comic Con fun continues at the Eisner Awards, named after famed comics creator Will Eisner. The awards are often referred to as the Oscars of the comics industry and are presented during SDCC. This year’s ballot includes The Dumbest Idea Ever by Jimmy Gownley, nominated for Best Publication for Teens, and Raina Telgemeier, who is nominated in the Best Writer/Artist category for Sisters. We’ll be in the audience cheering on these two creators and the other nominees!
 
In the meantime, you can always follow what Graphix is up to on Twitter and Tumblr where you’ll find behind the scenes info, announcements, and much more!

 

- Sheila Marie Everett
 

It's National Smile Day!

OOMers, did you know that it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile? Or that smiling even when you’re upset has a chance of increasing your mood drastically? The lesson learned? You should always smile!

Today on OOM we are celebrating National Smile Day with critically-acclaimed author Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novel—Smile. Smile is a New York Times bestseller, the winner of the Will Eisner Awardfor Best Publication for Teens, and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor winner.

This humorous autobiographical story follows Raina, who just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts, she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there’s still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly. This coming-of-age story is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever been in middle school, and especially those who have ever had a bit of their own dental drama.

Raina is currently on tour celebrating her newest release, the #1 New York Times bestseller, Sisters. Sisters tells the story of her antagonistic relationship with her younger sister that unfolds during the course of a road trip from their home in San Francisco to a family reunion in Colorado. Here are the confirmed events in the U.S. to date—check to see if she’ll be coming to a city near you! And if you can’t see Raina in person, be sure to check out her website and on Twitter

Raina's Tour Dates:

October 3, 2014—Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA

October 4-6, 2014—MICE, Boston, MA

October 6, 2014—Wellesley Booksmith, Wellesley, MA

October 8, 2014—The Strand, NYC, NY

October 9, 2014—McNally Jackson, NYC, NY 

October 11, 2014—Sheboygan Children's Book Festival, Sheboygan, WI

October 18, 2014—Vegas Valley Book Fest, Las  Vegas, NV

October 22, 2014—Books Inc., San Francisco, CA 

October 24, 2014—Towne Center Books, Pleasanton, CA 

October 25, 2014—The Reading Bug, San Carlos, CA 

October 27,2014—Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville, IL 

October 29, 2014—Delaware County District Library, Delaware, OH

October 30, 2014—Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH

November 20-23, 2014—Miami Book Fair, Miami, FL

November 23-25, 2014—NCTE,Washington, DC

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