January 31st, 2010
This week Raina Telgemeier, who will be a guest at the Kids Read Comics Convention in June, releases her new book, Smile. It tells the true story of her childhood run-in with a piece of pavement, and the dental drama that followed. But this tale of how she knocked out her two front teeth, and how she got her smile back, is about way more than orthodontics. It’s about life as it’s really lived by an 11-year-old girl — dealing with family, facing the ups and downs of middle school, talking to boys, and more. Raina remembers what that life felt like, and she conveys it in a well-paced and delightfully drawn memoir that’s both humorous and heartfelt. To get a flavor of the book, check out this YouTube trailer.
Smile is a must for public libraries and school libraries. And if you want to own your very own copy, be sure to check your local comics shop or bookstore. Or join us in Dearborn in June and get your autographed copy directly from Raina.
–Dan Mishkin
Posted in Guests, News, Reviews | No Comments »
December 22nd, 2009
A major goal of the Kids Read Comics movement is to let kids and teens — as well as parents, teachers and librarians — know about the great comics for young readers that are available now. When you buy these comics, you’re not only getting terrific entertainment…you’re also encouraging the creation of more comics like them. So the KRC team is keeping on top of what’s new in order to spread the word and grow the world of kids’ comics.
First up: DC Comics is releasing the trade paperback collection of Supergirl Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade, by Landry Q. Walker and Eric Jones. Reworking the story of Superman’s teenaged cousin from Krypton, Walker and Jones breathe new life and wit into the tale of her arrival on Earth and what may be the most daunting challenge of all: making new friends and finding her place in a new school. This Supergirl feels like a true-to-life middle schooler as she figures out how to use her superpowers and how to successfully ride the emotional rollercoaster of teen friendship. Drawn in a broad and expressive cartooning style, this fast-paced story stays grounded in real feeling even in moments of slapstick. Lots of fun!
Ask for Supergirl Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade at your local comic shop or bookstore, or suggest that your public library or school library purchase a copy. We always urge you to support local retailers and libraries, but if you need an alternative, the book is also available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
–Dan Mishkin
Posted in Reviews | 1 Comment »
November 17th, 2009
If you’re one of the hundreds of kids, teens, moms, dads and teachers we spoke to at the Miami Book Fair’s street fair over the weekend of November 13-15, welcome to our site. Currently, most of the information here is about our Kids Read Comics Convention, held annually in the Detroit area. But we’ll soon be expanding and adding to the information that was in our Miami brochure: tips for parents, teachers, librarians and retailers; an annotated list of recommended reading; links to webcomics sites; and more. Keep checking back!
Posted in News | No Comments »
November 17th, 2009
Kids Read Comics organizers Jerzy Drozd and Dan Mishkin have just returned from the exciting Miami Book Fair. Our good friend Alex Simmons — organizer of New York City’s annual Kids Comic Con — invited us to take part in workshops, demonstrations and discussions as part of the Book Fair’s Friday-through-Sunday street fair. We were thrilled to work alongside such talented folks as Dawud Anyabwile, Anne Sibley O’Brien, Jerry Craft, Mark Mariano, Ed Briant and others. And the kids who came to our booth and showed up for our events were endlessly enthusiastic. It’s just tremendous to see kids drawing, to hear about the stories they want to tell, and to turn them on to the wide world of comics.
Check out our photo album from the street fair here.
Posted in News | 1 Comment »
September 24th, 2009
Following the success of our first Kids Read Comics Convention in Chelsea, planning for our second show is well underway. With the event scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, June 12-13 at the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn, we’re looking forward to operating a bigger show in a larger venue closer to the Detroit urban center.
The plan is to have more guests, more attendees, more panels, workshops and professional development sessions, and — if you can believe it — even more fun! Our artists alley will be open for two full days, giving kids and teens, dads and moms, teachers and librarians, and artists and writers a whole lot more opportunity to share the love of comics.
Mark your calendar and plan to join us at KRC 2010 in Dearborn! And check back here for updates.
Posted in News | 1 Comment »
June 21st, 2009
A teen volunteer for Kids Read Comics took some video of the convention on Saturday, and made this music video highlighting her favorite moments. Thanks, Kessly!
Chelsea’s First Comic Convention
Tags: Music Video, teens, volunteers
Posted in News | 1 Comment »
June 16th, 2009
Our love of comics for kids and teens didn’t end with last weekend’s outstanding Kids Read Comics Convention. We’re going to keep spreading the good word about comics for younger readers any way we can (as long as it’s legal).
So we wanted to call your attention to an article about our webcomics friends at Kidjutsu.com that can be found in this week’s Publishers Weekly Comics Week. Read all about it here, or just head to the Kidjutsu site to start reading.
Posted in News | No Comments »
June 15th, 2009
L to R: Jerzy Drozd, Dan Merritt, Edith Burney, and Dan Mishkin
The first Kids Read Comics convention is over, but we have more updates to share!
In the third installment of the Kids Read Comics podcast, we present a recording of one of our many panel discussions held over the weekend. “The Future of Comics” panel was held on Friday, June 12, at 5 p.m., and features a discussion with the organizers of the convention, comics writer Dan Mishkin, Green Brain Comics co-owner Dan Merritt, teen librarian Edith Burney, and cartoonist Jerzy Drozd. We talk about where comics have been, where we think they are going, and how the Kids Read Comics convention is our answer to the future challenges that face the comics industry.
Subscribe to the podcast!
003 - "The Future of Comics" Panel:
Play Now |
Play in Popup |
Download
Posted in Podcast | 1 Comment »
June 14th, 2009
…But extremely happy with how the first Kids Read Comics Convention turned out! Many, many thanks to all the guests who populated Artists’ Alley, ran workshops and participated on panels…to the volunteers who kept on top of so many tasks that had to be done to keep us running…to the Chelsea District Library and Friends of the Library, and the River Gallery…to the publishers who donated tons of comics and books for us to hand out for free…and most especially to the kids and teens and moms and dads who participated in the big event!
And it doesn’t end here! Keep coming back to the website for pictures, audio and video from the convention, and — once we’ve had a chance to catch our breaths and get a little rest — news on the next steps in the Kids Read Comics campaign!
Posted in News | 3 Comments »
June 12th, 2009
Our first ever Kids Read Comics Convention starts this afternoon and continues through Saturday evening. Lots and lots of guests, activities, free comics, and all around fun! We hope you can join us!
Posted in News | No Comments »
