Our 5th Annual Free Comic Book Day in the Library

Comic Relief

As the school year winds down and I reflect on my successes and failures, my mind settles on the most recent library collaboration: Free Comic Book Day. No other event in my high school library attracts as much attention as this yearly one. Students and teachers; security guards and custodians–everyone is excited to see the library filled with comics.

A First Edition Collab

I started the event four years ago with my colleague, a special education English teacher and comic book aficionado. The first step was approaching the owner of a local comic book store. He was happy to help, and sold us the leftover comics from the national Free Comic Book Day for 25¢ apiece. Each year, he sends us the list of available titles and we put together an order, which we pick up as the event approaches. We’ve been able to reuse the wall decorations, tablecloths, and photo props we purchased for our kickoff event. Then, every spring, we add a few new gadgets and signs. We send out a school wide staff email with information and related resources, and post the details on our Canvas pages.

Does Whatever a Teacher Can

Based on our observations, we tweak the event each year. Last May we saw that the Spiderman comics were in high demand so we doubled our order this year. Students who had late lunch periods were able to grab one, unlike last year when these titles were gone by mid morning. After noticing how many students participated in our comic contest, we added another graphic novel prize and selected two winners instead of one. Attention to details makes all the difference. We’re constantly in conversation about how to elevate our next event.

Thought Bubbles of Distraction

In my eight years as a high school librarian, I’ve had a front row seat to the decline in reading motivation. There were always students who lacked the desire to read. Teens often expressed frustration with the demands of their schoolwork. In recent years, though, the issue has escalated. There are too many shiny distractions–social media apps; video games; AI shortcuts–that hijack students’ attention. For independent reading projects in my school, students are required to choose a book each quarter. I’ve noticed the past few years that a larger number of students are gravitating toward graphic novels and manga. I’ve consistently added valuable titles to my collection. Memoirs, biographies, fiction. . .every imaginable genre is represented in this engaging graphic format.

Panel Perfect

Though many believe comics and graphic novels are a cop out and give students an easier way to satisfy reading mandates, they fail to recognize the benefits. Comics and graphic novels count! Reading books written in this distinct style helps students exercise specific areas of their brains. According to an article by the Northwestern Center for Talent Development, while reading graphic novels, “students use text and images to make inferences and synthesize information, both of which are abstract and challenging skills for readers” (Morrison). The sooner we take away the stigma of comics and graphic novels as childish choices, the better. If teenagers are encouraged to embrace these books, they’ll thrive as readers, and have fun while doing it.