Provides strategies for using comics and graphic novels to teach close reading and critical thinking, and highlights examples to work with textual evidence, literature adaptations, tough topics, symbolism and culture, sequencing, essay writing, and social-emotional learning. Features lesson plans with activities, discussion questions, and connections to Common Core standards. Includes color photographs.

My journey into teaching with comics -- Defense of comics -- Resources -- How to read comics -- Comics as artifact -- Some quick and easy comics lessons for any classroom -- Sequencing and personal interpretation -- Symbolism and culture -- Tough topics -- Wordless comics -- Using comics to teach essay writing -- Bringing creators into your classroom, being human, social media, and the emotional impact of comics -- Literature adaptions -- Fairy tales and folk tales as artifact -- Civil rights -- Making comics -- Refugees and immigration -- Social-emotional learning and graphic memoirs -- Think outside the comic -- Final thoughts.