Several months ago, I attended the opening event for a new children's literacy  campaign at the Burbank Library in California. The campaign is called Marvel Comics Close-Up, aimed at using comic books to encourage kids to read. Disney and Marvel donated 210,000 books to libraries and schools across the country. Stars from Disney XD participated. They read Spider-Man comic books to 70 kids from Boys & Girls Clubs in southern California. The stars included Drake Bell (Ultimate Spider-Man), Dylan Riley Snyder (Kickin' It), Olivia Holt (Kickin' It) and Cole Jenson (Crash & Bernstein). Drake Bell said that the Marvel reading campaign is aimed at kids who are bored with books, believing comic books are the answer for kids who say they'd rather play video games. "Comic books really get you into the story," he told TFK(Time For Kids). "They are not just words or pictures on a page." Dylan Riley Snyder knows from his experiences that comic books have the power to inspire kids' imagination. His mom was a teacher and she used comic books to interest students who thought they weren't interested in reading. Dylan attended these classes. He would read the comic books and draw the characters along with the students. "It was a great way for these kids to start to enjoy reading," Dylan said. "That's how I got interested in reading too. Now I can share my love for comic books with others through the Marvel Comics Close-Up program." David Levine is the Vice President of Disney XD Worldwide. He said great stories and great characters, like Spider-Man and The Avengers, were key to making reading fun. "Reading can encourage you to explore new things and take you to all sorts of exciting places," he told TFK. Who stressed the benefit of reading?
Drake Bell. Dylan Riley Snyder. Olivia Holt. David Levine.