THE BUSINESS OF FREELANCE COMIC BOOK PUBLISHING
Gamal Hennessy
Age/Interest Level: 18+
Overview: This title will help you understand the life of a professional comic book creator. Comic book attorney, author, and business consultant Gamal Hennessy taps into more than twenty years of experience in the industry to help you establish and build your career by explaining:
What value you can offer the comic book industry and what the industry will offer you in return.
How to identify and connect with potential clients.
What you can be paid, how to get paid, and how to avoid working without payment. H
How to work with your client and other freelancers to create great comic books
Verdict: Public and academic libraries need this for their reference shelves: You always have more curious and budding creators in your midst than you know! Also a must for cartooning, comics, and art school classrooms and curriculum. Hennessy’s advice is essential for anyone who wants to make it in this ever-evolving industry.
Books You Need
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Books You Need ☆
Notable Titles for Your Shelves
A VISIT TO MOSCOW
Anna Olswanger | Yevgenia Nayberg | Rabbi Rafael Grossman
Age/Interest Level: Middle Grade and Up
Overview: In 1965, an American rabbi travels to the Soviet Union to investigate reports of persecution of the Jewish community. The Soviet government welcomes him as a guest—but provides a strict schedule he and the rest of his group of rabbis must follow. One afternoon, the rabbi slips away. With an address in hand and almost no knowledge of the Russian language, he embarks on a secret journey that will change his life forever. Inspired by the true experience of Rabbi Rafael Grossman, A Visit to Moscow, an Eisner-nominated graphic novel, captures the formidable perseverance and strength of the Jewish people during an overlooked era when a different type of Holocaust, a spiritual Holocaust, was happening in the USSR.
Verdict: Verdict: There is a lack of quality titles on the subject of Soviet Jewry, and even fewer that are all-ages appropriate, easily digestible, and thought provoking. This owned voices perspective is a must for all library shelves. Additionally, author Anna Olswanger available for free virtual book discussions, A Visit to Moscow has a free educational guide available for download here.
THE WHIZ KIDS FROM DARPA: BOOK ONE
Ramon Gil
Age/Interest Level: Middle school/12+
Overview: The Whiz Kids from DARPA follows a motley crew of science minded adults in children’s bodies (it’s a long story, as they say), on a series of mostly humorous adventures. Each chapter features a new dilemma which the crew “Kids” overcome using teamwork and science. Each of these is followed up with a brief explanation of the science behind the solution, and a link to the whiz kids website where readers can learn more.
A few key elements set Whiz Kids apart from other illustrated STEM content. One standout is the way each situation represents real world problems, such as ground freezing and wildfires, and presents scientific solutions that are unique and probably haven’t been studied by readers of this target age. The book also tackles complex social issues, like gender dysphoria, not only with realism and dignity for the characters, but also with definitions and further resources. As author Ramon Gil states in the introduction, this book is about sparking scientific curiosity in young people, in a format they will naturally gravitate towards.
Verdict: Middle grade students will love learning about all the most fascinating science, from aliens, animal urination, cancer treatments, and more-along with fun characters and quickly resolved situations. The additional resources make this a must for library leisure reading and classroom science lessons. Buy a class set.
Questions about a book or author?
emoni@creatorsassemble.org