Encore: Reading with Pictures

University of Illinois Assistant Professor Carol Tilley has always felt strongly that kids need comics. And she’s not the only one. This hour on Focus, we’ll listen back to a conversation with Tilley about how comics played a huge role in her childhood and why she thinks it’s so upsetting that they are less widely available and more expensive than they once were. Award-winning graphic novelist and nationally syndicated cartoonist Josh Elder also joins us. He’s creating a new series of graphic textbooks for elementary and middle school teachers. We’ll talk with him and Tilley about what sets comics apart and why they’re useful in the classroom.

Do you love comics? Have you ever learned anything from them? Maybe you oppose the idea of teaching comic books… Tell us your story!