Free Comic Book Day 2020

TODAY is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY


Except, of course it isn't.

The event has been postponed until later this Summer.
Will comic book stores still be here?

I don't know. Some will probably have to close. Maybe
to open up again, maybe not. They are usually crowded little
places on the margins or great big places full of everything
pop culture. I hope they will find a way to survive.

Comics remain a great way for visually oriented kids
to connect with stories, and the comic books themselves 
are not in quarantine.

Here's a link to some comics especially created for the younger/younger at heart set.

The Power Rangers have never gone away, and here comes the pink ranger to save the day!
Personally, Power Ranger popularity baffles me, but the art looks good, if busy. You be the judge.




DC offers up more girl power with a perplexing title about 
a school competition:


Um, okay.


Sonic and Once Upon a Space-Time (featured at the top of this post) seem the sunniest titles of the bunch, and perhaps the ones with the most appeal to boys.

Once Upon a Space-Time is
an entry from the creators of Jedi Academy.

Rounding out the group is Disney Villains with a story featuring Ursula - so if your favorite reader with autism is a Disney fan,
they've got you covered.

For more about these titles and others, here's the link to the original article again.

Remember there's probably a comic book, maybe old, 
maybe new, with whatever tv show, cartoon, or movie you or 
your favorite reader enjoys. 

This may be a good time
to reach out to that local comic book store and see if they're 
delivering.

Happy Reading! 
We are #togetherapart
SpectrumMom

Tommysaurus Rex

What if a T - Rex followed your son home?

Would you let him keep it as a pet?

That's the premise of this comic book (sorry, graphic

novel) by Doug TenNapel.

The language and situations are fairly realistic and 

mature (once you accept that a living T-Rex survived

millennia buried in a cave and is dog like except for

the eating cows business).

The dinosaur's giant bodily functions come off big in

the book. Very enjoyable for younger readers, but

you'll have to decide if you want them to read the 

words p--- and c--- and enjoy the graphic pictures

of same.

The family relationships are to the far side of ideal.

The dad complains about his boy's dog right before

a vehicle kills it, and the parents are delighted to 

dump their grieving son with his grampa for the

whole summer. Another boy is a bully (he makes Ely

eat dog p---) because his father has abandoned the

family. Other adults also behave selfishly.

Only the Grampa is wise and kindly, but he's also

manipulative and prevaricates a lot. Also, you have to

question his sanity. Sure, the kid would be upset if he 

couldn't keep the T-Rex. But those people who just lost

their house to the dinosaur look pretty upset too .  .  .

If your kid likes dinosaurs, or you're looking for a well-

illustrated story for reading ages 6 - 12, I still recommend the book. It's a comic book (I mean graphic novel) after all, 

with a silly premise. The somewhat realistic portrayal of adult motivations are likely meant to amuse the adults.  

The treatment of bullies may be of special interest to readers

with autism and may open discussions for all readers (Why do 

you think Randy says mean things? Is Randy happy or unhappy?

Why? Do you think the other kids should tease Randy about his

dad?).

Readers who like color pictures and few words per page will

rejoice.

-Spectrum Mom

"You can't expect a creature to just eat all of your problems away."

Tommysaurus Rex

Doug TenNapel

with color by Katherine Garner

Graphix, A division of Scholastic

2013

140pp

The Secret of the Stone Frog

Toon Books has a plan to make readers out of your kids.
Give them wonderful comic books written for young readers.
The Secret of the Stone Frog by David Nytra skews
a little older than Benny and Penny, Nina, or the other
fun Toon books. Stone Frog is Toon's first graphic novel.
Nytra creates a fantastic universe for kids to explore along
with his sibling protagonists. Buildings come to life, and
strange fishy characters roam the streets, while giant bees
take the words right out of your mouth.
When I read it with my twelve year old, he found it very easy to understand
and express the emotions of the characters. The drawings of the children
are simple and make them easy to connect with, while the backgrounds
and other characters are strange. The strangeness of the adult world 
perhaps - or even that of the neurotypicals.
Toon takes its educational mission seriously. Here is 
a link to the lesson plan for the book and here's the reading level: 
LEXILE LEVEL: GN 220
GUIDED READING LEVEL: K

This is my boy's review of The Secret of the Stone Frog:

The stone frog was the only one who knew the way home.

The two children were named Alan and Leah.

There were a few mean guys.
[That was unprompted. Then I asked him to write what he thought
about it and why]

I thought it was fine, because books that sound great are fine. 

It sounded great.  And I mean ALL of it. When we read it together.

One of Nytra's giant bees

For more fun and to order Toon books, check out their website

Hail, King Arthur! Long live the King!

Okay, okay, I love this comic series
(graphic novel?) way more than my son does. 
But the books have all the components to
make them a hit, and my son just loved
pulling the sword out of the anvil on the stone 
at a King Arthur display a few years back.
He really liked saying, "Hail King Arthur!"
Anyway, here's why I think the books good 
choices for kids with autism
1 Huge picture support-the comic shows what
happens.
2  Clear dialogue-the kids speak like
real kids, and the adults get to the point 
too.
3  Clear story-the knights need to win,
(dodgeball, a robot duel)
the horde wants to defeat them.
4  Identifiable with hero-Artie King,
the new kid at Camelot Middle School.
Nothing special about him, except he's
the only one who can open his locker.
5 Nice vocabulary - not too easy or hard.
6 Rhyming Shakespearean metred 
lunch ladies. 
7 Knights is a series.

I mentioned last post that a series is good,
your kid can walk in and request more.
Magic Treehouse, Lighthouse Family,
Geronimo Stilton - all are series that
you may want to give a go - check
the archive for more on them.
But even if your kid isn't demanding 
more, familiarity may help reading. 
Knights is not yet a fave for my
boy, but he mostly gets it and is
willing to read it with me (he's 
Artie, natch).


Hail Cammuso! Long live
Artie King!


-Spectrum Mom