In Gear | Rotary in Southern New Zealand In Gear - Issue 3 | Page 31

KAPOW! SHAZAM!
HOLY POPPING PAGES, BATMAN!
Just what are the great folk at Invercargill
Next Rotary Generation up to now? often appeal to readers who find other material too
challenging or uninteresting.
They’re throwing their efforts behind boosting young
southerners’ literacy by joining legions of literary-loving
superheroes from around the globe to stage Free
Comic Book Day. “Comics can help readers develop their skills so they
can comprehend more difficult texts. They can also
boost readers’ ability to learn information and engage
in subjects they might otherwise find dull – like history
and science.”
Invercargill NRG president Leon Hartnett says his team
has joined forces with the Invercargill Public Library to
bring the initiative, which is staged around the globe
on May 6 – the first Saturday in the month – to District
9980. Sponsored by Invercargill firm Mee and Henry Law,
Free Comic Day kicks off at 10am at the Invercargill
Public Library, and NRG is encouraging families to make
a day of it.
Internationally, around 6 million comics are gifted each
year through Free Comic Book Day.
“Why? Because reading is so important,” Leon says.
“Basically, Free Comic Book Day is an awesome
opportunity to promote reading for pleasure and
encourage readers to use their local library.”
While researching the initiative, Leon and the NRG team
discovered, for many reluctant young readers, comics
and graphic novels provide
a much-needed, and fun,
pathway to reading.
“Lots of people,
particularly early readers
who are struggling to
improve their skills, can
benefit from the visual
format comics offer.”
Studies, he says, show
the picture-driven books
Everyone who attends will be gifted a free comic book –
but those who put in a little extra effort can boost their
collection even further, Leon says.
“Come dressed as your favourite book character or
bring a tin of food for the Invercargill Food Bank, and
you’ll receive another comic completely free.”
And, the subject matter doesn’t stop at superheroes,
he says. The team’s carefully sourced a collection of
graphic novels and comics covering an eclectic array
of fiction and non-fiction
topics – everything from
zombies and war, to ethics
and history.
Free Comic Day
Where: Invercargill Public Library
When: May 6
Time: 10am – 3pm
Dress up as your favourite character,
and bring the whole family!
“It’s set to be a very
colourful event – as well as
gifting piles of free comics,
we’ve planned loads of
entertaining activities and
competitions, so it’s going to
be lots of fun for the whole
family,” Leon says.
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