Table of Contents

1 Introduction: “Comics Are the Language of the Future” The educative potential of comics The relationship between children’s literature and children’s comics Features of this book 2 Historical Overview The parallel development of children’s literature and children’s comics The anti-comics crusade The influencers: Archie and Peanuts The second golden age of children’s literature From manga to mainstream 3 Social and Cultural Impact Diversity and intersectionality Fan culture and author/reader interactions Censorship and age designations 4 Critical Uses Thematic concerns of children’s literature Formal concerns particular to the comics medium Case study: closure and layout Case study: repetition and braiding Case study: wordless comics and hybrid formats Case study: image/text relationships Case study: focalization and point of view Case study: line style and color Case study: manga Bringing it all together: writing about comics 5 Key Texts Adaptation Historical Nonfiction Informational Texts Memoir Fairy Tales Fantasy Mystery Glossary Resources Index

Promotional Information

From Peanuts and Archie Comics to children’s Manga and young adult graphic novels, this is a complete critical guide to the history, key texts and contexts of comics for children and young adults.

About the Author

Gwen Athene Tarbox is Professor of English at Western Michigan University, USA. Her book The Clubwomen's Daughters: Collectivist Impulses in Progressive-era Girls' Fiction (2001) was named a CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title, and she is co-editor, with Dr. Michelle Ann Abate, of Graphic Novels for Children and Young Adults: A Collection of Critical Essays (2017).

Reviews

While this book is an essential read for teachers and teacher educators who hope to incorporate comics into their curricula and to expand their definitions of literacy and literature, it is even more important for its unwavering commitment to diverse texts. Tarbox brings an invaluable perspective forward, and her critical approach challenges educators and scholars of children’s and young adult literature to rethink the texts we see as valuable.
*Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society*