As students head back for the start of school, teachers and administrators have something new on their minds: The Common Core, a set of educational standards that are being rolled out in 45 states. There’s a lot of debate around the Common Core, but nonetheless, it’s the educational trend du jour and will be with us for a while.
Savvy teachers have been using comics and graphic novels in the classroom for a while now, and the folks at Diamond Comics Distributors have come up with a list of comics and graphic novels that tie in to the Common Core. Their list includes a downloadable spreadsheet that gives grade levels and subject tie-ins for each book. Here’s a sampling of what’s available digitally. (Links are for comiXology and Dark Horse Digital, but some of these are available in the Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and iBooks stores as well.)
Pre-K through First Grade
Power Lunch: First Course
Johnny Boo Does Something
Second Grade and Up
The Wonderland Alphabet
Mermin, Book One
Sketch Monsters, vols. 1 and 2
Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken
Third Grade and Up
Age of Reptiles Omnibus
The Mighty Skullboy Army, vols. 1 and 2
Xoc: Journey of a Great White
Discovery Channel’s Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Predators
Mankind: The Story of All of Us, vols. 1 and 2
Fourth Grade and Up
Chimichanga
Scary Godmother
The Last Unicorn
Fifth Grade and Up
Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse
I’m Not a Plastic Bag
Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard
Sixth Grade and Up
The Last Dragon
Two-Fisted Science: Stories About Physicists
Fractured Fables
Seventh Grade and Up
The Adventures of Superhero Girl
Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards
Krishna: A Journey Within
Ninth Grade and Up
Nevsky: Hero of the People
Hatter M: The Looking Glass Wars
Wire Mothers: Harry Harlow and the Science of Love
Tenth Grade and Up
Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes
Green River Killer: A True Detective Story
Capote in Kansas
The Lovely Horrible Stuff: My Book About Money
A former book editor and newspaper reporter, Brigid Alverson started MangaBlog to keep track of her daughters¹ reading habits and now covers comics and graphic novels for Comic Book Resources , School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly Comics World, Robot 6, and MTV Geek. She also edits the Good Comics for Kids blog at School Library Journal. Brigid was a judge for the 2012 Eisner Awards. Send her an email to wordballoons@gmail.com
