The long days of summer offer excellent opportunities for engaging in reading. From graphic novel creating to bolstering literacy skills across subjects, these resources can support reading all summer long. Find more resources for summer learning at PBS LearningMedia. Create a free account to save resources and create interactive learning experiences for students.
Graphic Novels with Thien Pham | Videos | Grades 6-12
Thien Pham is an Oakland artist and educator. His book, Sumo, is a graphic novel about an aspiring Sumo wrestler. It’s a quiet and meaningful story, written and illustrated by Pham, who is one of the most dedicated comic artists in the Bay Area. Pham shows how to draw a four-panel comic and demonstrates ideas for character development.
Meet a Comic Book Artist | Videos and Lesson Plan | Grades 5-8
Meet writer and comic book artist Phil Jimenez, who has worked for DC and Marvel Comics. Jimenez describes his early inspiration, gives tips for good storytelling, and discusses the unique way comics approach sequential narrative. Use the student assignment handout to review Jimenez’s advice, and an assignment on making a visual story about an “everyday adventure,” and the teacher handout for reflection prompts and discussion questions about visual storytelling that focus on Common Core State Standards for Writing: Text Types and Purposes, for students in grades 6, 7, and 8.
Rosemary Wells | Videos and Booklist | Grades 2-7
Rosemary Wells is the author and illustrator of delightful books for youngsters. In this interview, Wells talks about creating books for children and their adult readers that will stand up to being read over and over again. Watch the interview, view the interview transcript, read a short biography on Rosemary Wells, or see a selected list of her children’s books.
Brian Selznick | Videos and Booklist | Grades 4-7
Brian Selznick feels that his illustrations are more authentic when he immerses himself in his subject matter. For the picture book “Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride”, Selznick spent six months in Washington, DC conducting research at libraries and museums. For his Caldecott-Honor-winning illustrations in “The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins”, he traveled to London to sketch, photograph, and climb inside the famous dinosaur replicas. For his best-selling 533-page illustrated novel, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret”, Selznick watched old French films, interviewed experts, and traveled to Paris three times. That book won the 2008 Caldecott Medal for it’s groundbreaking “cinematic” illustrations. Learn about his research methods, how he ended up as a children’s illustrator, and his childhood inspirations in this series of Meet the Author videos.