For The Love of Lists — POW! May 3 is Free Comic Book Day!

***UPDATED BELOW***

Tomorrow, Saturday May 3, is Free Comic Book Day and my kid will be beating down the door of her favorite spot, Thank You Comics, trying to get her hands on some newness. Though she has no concept of money, or saving (despite our best parenting efforts), she always manages to find just enough pocket change to keep her bookshelves well stocked.

We've never made it to one of these events (held the first Saturday of May), so I don't know what to expect. According to the official event site, Thank You will be handing out designated "Kid Friendly" comics. You can find participating shops using a Store Locator on the FCB Day Home Page.

If your neighborhood store is only handing out the racy/violent/dark stuff, you can always scan the shelves for these cool kids' titles*. They won't be free, but they'll be worth shelling out the cash.

*My suggestions are based solely on the number of times my own kid has read and re-read these titles. (Most of these are appropriate for, say, a mature 2nd Grader and range from either twee/girly to unisex.)

The "Hilda" Series by Luke Pearson.

The "Zita the Spacegirl" Series by Ben Hatke.

The "Amulet" Series by Kazu Kibuishi.

The "Bone" Series by Jeff Smith, and its "Quest for the Spark" spin-off.

Ugly Doll and Mameshiba manga.

And last, but not least, my kid's guilty pleasure...The MLP "Friendship Is Magic" comics.

Lately, my kid's been sniffing around the "Adventure Time" comics. We'll see what she picks up tomorrow.

Can you recommend any other kids' comic titles? You know the kind that's so good, they wanna curl up into a little ball of reading rapture until you force them to eat/bathe/sleep.

***UPDATE***
If you're in a book-perusing mood, don't forget May 3 is also California Book Store Day! Find out what's going on at our favorites, Vroman's and Skylight Books.

This Weekend — A $5 Ticket Takes Kids Around The World

"Papa Cloudy" by Akiko McQuerrey.

The annual REDCAT International Children's Film Festival heads into its second week, with screenings all day tomorrow and Sunday. My daughter and I checked out a screening last weekend and were glad we did…parking nightmare notwithstanding (street parking was nonexistent, due to an event being held at nearby Grand Park, Disney Concert Hall parking is $9 cash, up front, and the lot leads you on a labyrinthine quest as you attempt to find the REDCAT lobby entrance).

Each screening is comprised of about six to 10 kid-centric shorts culled from all over the world. They range from animation, to stop-motion, to live action. Some are in English, some are subtitled and a few are wordless. 

In previous years, we've checked out the younger kid fare — cute creatures embarking on silly adventures, or modern-day takes on age-old fables. This year, we opted for a more "big kid" selection. The assortment of shorts in the "Dare to Dream" screening was designated for ages 10 and up. We watched docs about the rigorous daily schedule of a working-class Indian student, a boy in The Netherlands who's bullied for being a ballroom dancer and a selfless Taiwanese boy who's devoted to rescuing and nurturing his country's neglected dogs and cats. There were also two charming animated pieces, courtesy of NPR's StoryCorps, via The Rauch Brothers. Perhaps the most gut-wrenching of all the stories we watched was a bittersweet feature about a gang of homeless kids in Mozambique who are desperate to have a little bit of fun, just for a day. It was the kind of authentic global flavor kids don't typically get from the big screen. For the $5 admission price, I was able to give my kid (and myself) quite a bit of food for thought. 

As the festival continues, there are options for preschoolers, 8+/9+, as well as, All Ages screenings. You and your kids can check out films from Korea, Belgium, Brazil and beyond. It's totally possible to make a day of it, checking out multiple screenings. There's a gourmet snack bar and plenty of seating in the lobby for waiting in between shows. Or, you can take your snacks to the Concert Hall rooftop garden and munch amidst the iconic building's curves and angles. 

Tickets are available online, but theater seating is pretty ample (kids can opt for pillows on the floor) and I was able to buy tix right from the box office without any fuss. 

REDCAT is located on the bottom level of the Roy and Edna Disney Concert Hall

631 W. 2nd St.

Downtown Los Angeles

213.237.2800

Bonus...

Here are a few me-approved, kid-friendly eateries nearby:

Lemonade (walkable)

Grand Central Market (walkable)

Chego (a short drive)

Pie Hole (a short drive)

Guisados (a short-ish drive)