Comic books aren't just about superheros and villains. And they're certainly not just for boys. Comic books and graphic novels are spread across many different genres, including comedy, drama, sci‑fi and fantasy, and there is bound to be something to suit all tastes, ages and reading levels.For a long time comic books got a pretty bad press. They were the forbidden distraction that schoolchildren slipped inside the pages of real books. One of the best and most obvious benefits of comic books is that they can be more fun and easier to read than regular books. This can be extremely appealing to young children who would otherwise have little interest in reading traditional forms of books. Many children who think they hate reading respond particularly well to comic books that are based on movies or television shows they enjoy, such as Spider-Man and Fantastic Four.Comic books don't intimidate struggling readers with an overwhelming page of text. They usually offer short and easy-to-read sentences, alongside other visual and text cues (e.g. character sighs, door slams etc.) for context. They're also helpful for children with learning difficulties; children with autism can learn a lot about identifying emotions through the images in a comic book. Children with dyslexia, who may find it frustrating to finish a page in a traditional book, often feel a sense of accomplishment when they complete a page in a comic book.Therefore, they give struggling readers confidence for context. They're also helpful for children with learning difficulties; children with autism can learn a lot about identifying emotions through the images in a comic book.Inference refers to figuring out something based on evidence and reasoning. It's an important component of successful comprehension and a valuable life skill for all young children to develop. Comic books can increase inference in young children by encouraging them to “read between the lines” and infer meaning from the images. Children who read comics often need to infer what is not written by the narrator, which is a complex reading strategy.Comic books that explore or touch on historical events, classic tales, wildlife, nature, positive relationships and more can provide a valuable supplement to other areas of learning. For example, if your child is learning about the ancient Egyptians, a comic book story set in ancient Egypt may use pictures to explain important period details, such as clothing, food, rituals, farming. By taking in a combination of words and illustrations, many children obtain the big picture easier than they would from using textbooks alone.On your first visit, create a new account (inputting your Dublin City library card number) and complete registration for the RBdigital comics option. You should use the same email address as for other RBdigital products. Sign up here with your library card and to enjoy a range of excellent graphic novels. If you have registered for RBdigital magazines you can use your RBdigital account details to instantly access Comics.
This blog is brought to you by Transition Year student, Aisling, on work experience in Pearse Street Library, and it's about her five favourite books ever. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is my favourite book series at the moment. Five of the six books books have been published so far. The Miss Peregrine’s series is perfect for those who prefer the slightly ‘cryptic’ side of fantasy with chilling photographs throughout. Even as a fan, be aware that the first book can be a bit slow as you only meet the peculiar children halfway through. The Conference of the Birds, released January 14th of this year, means that you will have to wait a very long while for the conclusion.Next we have a classic comic series that always has a special place in my heart, The Adventures of Tintin - (Volume 3). Tintin comics by Hergé are a classic. It features a reporter thrown into the craziest of situations. His trusted dog Snowy, and a sailor trying to quit alcohol, make up the unlikely trio along with a whole bunch of other zany characters. Tintin travels all over the world to solve cases.Carry On, and its sequel, Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell. Carry On asks the simple question, “what if the Chosen One absolutely sucked at their job”, then instantly delivered. Based on the ‘fiction within fiction’ story in Rowell’s other novel Fangirl, Carry On tells the story of Simon Snow and his time among fantastical wizards trying to avoid fighting the ‘Big Bad’ the entire time. Oh, did I mention his boyfriend is a vampire? Yeah, it’s a pretty cool novel, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who feels dissatisfied with the ending of Harry Potter.Comet in Moominland, or pretty much any other story in Tove Jansson’s Moomin series, is a surefire way to increase your dosage of serotonin. My source is this perfect cover. This particular installment is the second novel Jansson wrote for the Moomins and friends. The book debuts of my favourite character in the franchise - Snufkin!He’s the little fellow in red on the cover. The main plot of this story is that a comet is coming to destroy the valley the Moomins call home, and they’re off to try and stop it! It’s probably one of the more serious issues in the series.For my final novel, we’re going back to the classics with my favourite book, The Maze Runner by James Dashner.Despite similiar books like The Hunger Games or Divergent, The Maze Runner is the only one of the post apocalyptic Young Adult novels that stuck with me. I have read all five and each time I wanted more of this strange universe and the characters. I wanted to learn more about what made Cranks the way they are. This book is also half the reason I picked up a lot of strange slang. My favourite will always be the original novel, though, as it’s about a boy named after Thomas Edison who woke up in a box and ended up surrounded by a maze with a bunch of other boys for company, trying to survive.
Welcome to the sixth entry in our blog series 'Lost in the Stacks' - recommendations by Dublin City Libraries staff exploring overlooked gems and helping you find your next read!Our entry today comes from Marc and is an eclectic mix of some of his current comic faves, including horror-infused fairytales, university adventures and a spy thriller!Pick and Mix ComicsOnce upon a time, there was horror in children’s tales. However, the continuing 'Disney-fication' and homogenisation of fairy stories mean that children are spared such spinechilling scenes as the agonising death of Red Riding Hood’s Granny and the execution of the Big Bad Wolf at the hands of the Woodcutter.Thankfully, Neil Gaiman is busy teaming up with the world’s greatest illustrators to reinject gore, terror, and bloody murder into our best loved folklore. If you missed his reboot of the fairy tale world with Chris Riddell, The Sleeper And The Spindle, then you simply must catch up with it.In Snow, Glass, Apples, Gaiman teams up with Colleen Doran, whose stunning, stylised art is dedicated to the revolutionary stained glass luminary, Harry Clarke. In this retelling, Snow White is a vampire, and her stepmother lives every day in fear as those around her succumb to the insatiable hunger of the ravenous child. Fans of the macabre will revel in the creepy, gothic atmosphere, and dripping gore.From the ridiculous to the sublime, Giant Days is possibly my favourite ongoing comic series. It’s definitely my favourite book about three girls going to the University of Sheffield. 10 volumes in and the travails of Esther, Daisy, and Susan are no less engrossing and charming. Writer John Allison had previous success with Bad Machinery but his characters have truly come to life in collaboration with artist Max Sarin.If you want to start at the beginning of the series, then look here and skip to the next section because *spoilers ahead* In this latest episode, Daisy and Esther visit a jobs fair for graduates, Susan and her no-longer-secret boyfriend face the first challenges of living together, and Ed Gemmell is in rehabilitation after confessing his love to Esther and/or breaking both his ankles. *end spoilers* Through it all, they show us how to be good friends and better people. What more could you ask for?I stumbled upon The Prague Coup when the Central Library comic book club was looking into French comics. After the USA and Japan, France has the biggest comic book industry in the world. Among the translated gems we found were the Death Of Stalin, Louis Undercover (which turned out to be French-Canadian), and Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Bouncer, which we’ll be reading next month. The Prague Coup turned up completely unexpectedly and immediately piqued my interest.Graham Greene is the main character. It’s ostensibly a true story and tells of his time in post-war Vienna, researching what would become The Third Man; one of the great films of the age. Told from the perspective of Greene’s lover and fellow spy, it’s a tale of mistrust, backstabbing and all the assorted jollities one expects from the Cambridge Spies.
