Riot Headline Book Riot’s 2025 Read Harder Challenge

Comics for All

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Karina and Matthew talk about the booming graphic novel market, state book awards centering comics, and go-to resources for librarians and educators in support of reading comics. Joining is special guest Jen Wang, co-founder and organizer of the annual Comics Arts Los Angeles festival, and cartoonist of Stargazing and The Prince and the Dressmaker.

This episode is sponsored by our Book Riot Blind Dates with Books contest, Remarkables by Margaret Peterson Haddix and HarperCollins Children’s Books, and by Starscape, the proud publisher of Freeing Finch by Ginny Rorby.

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RELEVANT LINKS:

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) Librarian and Educator Tools

The Eisner Awards

The Texas Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List (Grades 6-8)

Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading Lists (Grades K-2, Grades 3-5)

BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW:

Younger Readers:

The Dam Keeper by Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi

Tiger vs. Nightmare by Emily Tetri

Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths by Graham Annable

Time Trout (Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy series, Book 3) by Doug Savage

Hilda and the Mountain King by Luke Pearson

Lucky Stars (Mr. Wolf’s Class #3) by Aron Nels Steinke

Middle Grade:

New Kid by Jerry Craft

This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews

Go with the Flow by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann (out 1/14/20, First Second)

The Crossover Graphic Novel by Kwame Alexander, art by Dawud Anyabwile

Best Friends by Shannon Hale (follow up to Real Friends), illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Field Trip (Sanity and Tallulah book 2) by Molly Brooks

Let us know what books or topics you’ve been sharing this week, or if you have a suggestion or book recommendation for an upcoming episode. Find us on email (kidlitthesedays@bookriot.com), Twitter (@KarinaYanGlaser and @MatthewWinner), or Instagram (@KarinaIsReadingAndWriting and @MatthewCWinner).