Librarians are embracing comics because of their potential to increase children's reading skills, and the TC Comic Book Project is a prime example of how the funnies can truly engage students.  Dr. Michael Bitz, founder of the Project, leads a 10-city, after school project that gives 30,000 students in grades K-12 a chance to address real-world issues by creating their own comic books.  Some of these are eventually professionally published.

"Kids are writing about very real topics," said Bitz, including AIDS and the plight of Tibet. The Comic Book Project began in 2001 at an after school program in Queens, NY and has produced three published student collections. "It's become sort of a national movement," he said. "It's really been fantastic."

The article, entitled "Teachers are Getting Graphic," appeared in the May 3 edition of USA Today.

Published Wednesday, May. 11, 2005