Why We Br oke Up

by Dani el Handl er




I Never Li ked You
by Chest er Br own




Di ar y of a Mosqui -
t o Abat ement Man
by John Por cel l i no

Blankets
by Craig Thompson
Readers Guide
A b o u t t h e B o o k
Blankets is autobiographical coming of
age novel that spans several decades of
Wisconsin winters. In the cold stillness of
his illustrations, Craig Thompson is able
to evoke the raw and deeply honest
emotions of a boy coming to terms with
the reality that not everything is perfect.

He wrestles with moments of uncertainty
with religion, love and family. When
reading this book, you cannot help but
feel your heart go out to him as he strug-
gles to learn who he is.

Writer
and Illus-
trator,
Blankest
was a way for Thompson to come out to
his parents about his agnostic views on
religion. If you need to know more about
him just read Blankets. It is far more
intimate and interesting than this blurb.

Other works: Good-bye, Chunky Rice
(1999), Carnet de Voyage (2004), Habibi
(2011), Space Dumplings (2014)
Minicomics: Bible Doodles (2000),
Doot Doot Garden (2001)
His Official Blog: dootdootgarden.com
590CRL Tilley Zaray Buenrostro April 14th 2014
Further Reading
#1 Time Magazines 2003 Best Comic List and #8 to list of Best Comics of the Decade
list and Three Harvey Awards for Best Artist, Best Graphic Album of Original Work, and
Best Cartoonist; and Two Eisner Awards for Best Graphic Album and Best Writer/Artist
Awards:
A b o u t t h e A u t h o r
When Craig and Phil are little they go on
many imaginary adventures together
instead of going to bed. Draw or write
out an imaginary scenario that you had
as a kid. Or if you cant remember one,
make one up.

It must seem strange in this electronic
age reading about how Craig spends a
majority of his relationship with Raina
writing letters and sending little memen-
tos back and forth. Instead of sending a
text, write a postcard to someone im-
portant in your life and mail it.

Blankets is filled with everyday events.
Try taking an everyday activity and draw-
ing up a storyboard of the event. Then
do it again, except this time have some-
thing unexpected happen. How does it
play out?
Blankets
by Craig Thompson
Readers Guide
D i s c u s s i o n Q u e s t i o n s
Was this your first graphic novel? How was
it? Or if it wasnt, how did it compare to
others youve read?
Craig uses drawing as a way of escapism.
Think about your life and the lives of those
around you. What other sorts of cooping
mechanisms do people use?
Some of Thompsons illustrations can be
abstract, giving the narrative a surreal
atmosphere. How did that make you feel?
How did it affect your reading of the novel?
How did you feel about Craigs progression
at the end of the novel in regards to his
religious beliefs? Was there enough growth
and change to warrant this decision?
Regardless of religious denominations,
have you ever questioned what you be-
lieved in? How did you cope with that?
Craig and Phil recall a memory at the end
of the book and use the power of a shared
experience to validate that event. Was
there ever a time that you believed some-
thing happened simply because someone
else was with you?
PAGE 2
590CRL Tilley Zaray Buenrostro April 14th 2014
Extension Activities