Children's and Young Adult Comics

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).

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.

• 1 Introduction: “Comics Are the Language of the Future”The educative potential of comicsThe relationship between children’s literature and children’s comicsFeatures of this book2 Historical OverviewThe parallel development of children’s literature and children’s comicsThe anti-comics crusadeThe influencers: Archie and PeanutsThe second golden age of children’s literatureFrom manga to mainstream3 Social and Cultural ImpactDiversity and intersectionalityFan culture and author/reader interactionsCensorship and age designations4 Critical UsesThematic concerns of children’s literatureFormal concerns particular to the comics mediumCase study: closure and layoutCase study: repetition and braidingCase study: wordless comics and hybrid formatsCase study: image/text relationshipsCase study: focalization and point of viewCase study: line style and colorCase study: mangaBringing it all together: writing about comics5 Key TextsAdaptation Historical NonfictionInformational TextsMemoirFairy Tales FantasyMysteryGlossaryResourcesIndex