Written by Mariko Tamaki Art and cover by Steve Rolston "Auspicious . . . an unusually strong graphic novel - rich in visuals and observations." - Publishers Weekly on Tamaki's Skim A borrowed diary, a double life and identity issues fuel a teenager's quest to find herself before she cracks and commits social suicide. Watch Emi go from dull, suburban babysitter to eclectic urban art star compliments of one crazy summer! Retailers: See this month's order form for a special ordering incentive on this title. Advance-solicited; on sale October 1 - 5.25" x 8" - 176 pg, FC, B&W, $9.99 US

In America, comics and comic books have often been associated with adolescent male fantasy--muscle-bound superheroes and scantily clad women. Nonetheless, comics have also been read and enjoyed by girls. While there have been many strong representations of women throughout their history, the comics of today have evolved and matured, becoming a potent medium in which to explore the female experience, particularly that of girlhood and adolescence. In Girls and Their Comics: Finding a Female Voice in Comic Book Narrative, Jacqueline Danziger-Russell contends that comics have a unique place in the representation of female characters. She discusses the overall history of the comic book, paying special attention to girls' comics, showing how such works relate to a female point of view. While examining the concept of visual literacy, Danziger-Russell asserts that comics are an excellent space in which the marginalized voices of girls may be expressed. This volume also includes a chapter on manga (Japanese comics), which explains the genesis of girls' comics in Japan and their popularity with girls in the United States. Including interviews with librarians, comic creators, and girls who read comics and manga, Girls and Their Comics is an important examination of the growing interest in comic books among young females and will appeal to a wide audience, including literary theorists, teachers, librarians, popular culture and women's studies scholars, and comic book historians.

21 Journeys is one of Cloudscape's most ambitious books, a full-colour, Shuster nominated, 250-page anthology centered around the theme of travel. The book features artists such as Steve Rolston, famed artist of Ghost Projekt, independent comics veteran Colin Upton, alternative poet Ray Hsu and Israeli-American cartoonist Miriam Libicki. These stories take the reader to all points of the globe, from wartime Germany to modern Uganda, from the tip of the Matterhorn to deep beneath the Gulf Stream, from the other side of the world to just down the street. You meet students, soldiers, and scientists; businessmen, teachers, and priests; people from every imaginable profession, each following their own path.

A beautiful and offbeat novel from Mariko Tamaki, co-creator of the bestselling Printz Honor and Caldecott Honor Book This One Summer. Montgomery Sole is a square peg in a small town, forced to go to a school full of jocks and girls who don't even know what irony is. It would all be impossible if it weren't for her best friends, Thomas and Naoki. The three are also the only members of Jefferson High's Mystery Club, dedicated to exploring the weird and unexplained, from ESP and astrology to super powers and mysterious objects. Then there's the Eye of Know, the possibly powerful crystal amulet Monty bought online. Will it help her predict the future or fight back against the ignorant jerks who make fun of Thomas for being gay or Monty for having lesbian moms? Maybe the Eye is here just in time, because the newest resident of their small town is scarier than mothmen, poltergeists, or, you know, gym. Thoughtful, funny, and painfully honest, Montgomery Sole is someone you'll want to laugh and cry with over a big cup of frozen yogurt with extra toppings.

To say that graphic novels, comics, and other forms of sequential art have become a major part of popular culture and academia would be a vast understatement. Now an established component of library and archive collections across the globe, graphic novels are proving to be one of the last kinds of print publications actually gaining in popularity. Full of practical advice and innovative ideas for librarians, educators, and archivists, this book provides a wide-reaching look at how graphic novels and comics can be used to their full advantage in educational settings. Topics include the historically tenuous relationship between comics and librarians; the aesthetic value of sequential art; the use of graphic novels in library outreach services; collection evaluations for both American and Canadian libraries; cataloging tips and tricks; and the swiftly growing realm of webcomics.

The New Paper Trails is a lively and provocative collection of 24 short-short stories suitable for upper primary and lower secondary students of English. These lesson-sized stories from Australian and international authors cover a range of themes, styles and genres, and introduce students to writing techniques and the skills of critical literacy. This new edition of the original anthology includes a completely new set of stories, activities and exercises, along a bold and engaging design and illustrations. It features work from well-known authors such as Garth Nix, Angela Carter and Carmel Bird, and alongside authors just starting their literary careers.