Comic book lists for secondary education

The Marc Sleen Foundation aims to make contemporary comics accessible, even in the classroom. Ten comic books that teachers in secondary education can use in class—that was the goal of the reading jury, which consisted of teachers, education specialists, and comic experts. Each selected comic title is also accompanied by a lesson plan that can be downloaded for free. “This finally provides teachers with a practical tool to use comics in the classroom.”

The initiative by the Marc Sleen Foundation, supported by the Flemish comic organization Stripgids, responds to the growing demand from teachers for such a comic reading list. “The enthusiasm for using comics in the classroom is significant, but the knowledge on how to use them was lacking. This initiative gives them the opportunity to start using the books right away.”

The reading jury selected ten titles from a shortlist of recent Dutch-language comics: five for under-sixteen readers and five for over-sixteen readers. The five comics chosen by the jury for the under-16 category:

1. Vis (Will Kranendonk en Irene Schiphorst)
2. Araya (Christina De Witte)
3. Het Lot van Brugge (Kristof Berte, Frodo De Decker)
4. Voorwendsels en verhalen (Bernard Tant)
5. Boerke 11: Natuurlijk! (Pieter De Poortere)

For the 16+ category, the following albums were selected:

1. Zondag (Olivier Schrauwen)
2. Scheisseimer (Koenraad Tinel)
3. De bondgenoten (Brecht Evens)
4. Vreemde Vogels boven Eben-Emael (Mario Boon)
5. Uitweg (B. Carrot)

Two lists that are incredibly diverse and encompass all genres of visual storytelling, from classic comics to graphic novels, while also addressing various themes such as socially relevant issues and history. For each comic, a lesson plan has been or will be created, allowing teachers to immediately use the comics in the classroom. The lesson plans are available for free download at stripgids.org.

The classics are not forgotten either. Each jury member was given the opportunity to add a classic to the reading list. This list, a highly unique one with its own motivations, can also be found on the Stripgids website. “The goal is for this initiative to have a follow-up, in one form or another. Comics are a medium that can be easily used in the classroom and encompass much more than just beautifully drawn pictures.”