Superheroes and Heroines have arrived to save your child from quarantine boredom.

Campuses are closed, and parents are becoming math and science teachers, many while working from home or looking for work.

A new report from Qustodio, a marketing group that focuses on education activities, found a 105% leap in digital homeschooling and a 65% increase in online communications in the U.S., Italy, Spain, U.K. and France.

There is a lot of pressure on parents to both teach their children and work full-time from home.

Tracy Edmunds, a professional curriculum consultant, recommends first and foremost for parents to “relax.”

“You are not expected to be a teacher,” she said at the The Fresno Bee’s Ed Lab live-chat.

“You have this opportunity for them to learn what they want to learn and what they’re interested in,” Edmunds said.

Edmunds created a list of free educational resources for all age ranges. Kids can do virtual field trips with National Geographic and even work on STEM projects with MIT.

Edmunds is also known for including graphic novels in her curriculum’s as a way to help children learn and practice literacy.

“With graphic novels you are using two parts of the brain,” Edmunds said. The pictures and text work together to help the reader create meaning. She said graphic novels are also great tools for English learners since the text is supported by an image and allows the reader to further engage with the work vs “just a giant block of text.”

“It’s great for getting the brain working and for literacy,” she said.

Graphic novel and book companies have also stepped in offering free “online book camps.”

Companies like Random House books, D.C. Comics, and Scholastic are offering resources and educational guides.

Here is a quick list of some book camps to help keep your child busy during this time of quarantine.

D.C. Ink.

On March 25, D.C. comics launched an online book camp, D.C. Kids. Parents can follow D.C. Kids’ social channels (Twitter and Instagram) to download kid-friendly, superhero-themed activities and previews of past and upcoming D.C. middle-grade graphic novels to enjoy at home.

Comic authors and artists will also be participating in live video streams on D.C.’s social media channels, @dccomicskids Twitter and @dckids Instagram Monday through Friday, at 10 a.m. Pacific.

“I am lucky that I get to write about superheroes, but when a crisis like this hits, everything gets put into perspective. Suddenly you’re more keenly aware of all the real-life heroes - healthcare professionals, scientists, grocery store workers, everyone working on the front lines,” said Minh Le, the author of Green Lantern: Legacy.

“Many authors and illustrators I know are looking for some way to contribute. We know how critical it is for people to be social distancing right now. But this can be challenging, especially for young children,” he said. “I’m excited to be part of an initiative like D.C. Kids Camp because if we can make staying home a little easier by providing engaging activities for kids and families to do together, hopefully, that makes a difference.”

With DC Kids Camp, kids can learn how to draw their favorite D.C. Super Heroes, create their comics.

Including how-to-videos like draw-along with Agnes Garbowska (D.C. Super Hero Girls), origami tutorials with Gene Luen Yang (Superman Smashes the Klan), make-your-own Green Lantern ring demonstrations with Minh Lê (Green Lantern: Legacy), and “many more captivating activities!”

Parents can download daily activity sheets, coloring pages, blank comic book pages, middle-grade graphic novel previews across D.C. Kids social channels. Parents can also receive D.C. Kids Camp content directly in their inboxes on Mondays and Fridays by signing up for the D.C. Family newsletter.

If this inspires kids to do more grade-level reading, D.C. Ink has some recommended graphic novels.

Young Adult (for readers 13+)

▪ Shadow of the Batgirl -Sarah Kuhn, Nicole Goux

▪ The Oracle Code – Marieke Nijkamp, Manuel Preitano

▪ Gotham High (on sale 4/7) – Melissa de la Cruz, Thomas Pitilli

▪ Wonder Woman: Warbringer – Graphic novel adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s prose novel

▪ Teen Titans: Raven – Kami Garcia, Gabriel Picolo

▪ Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass – Mariko Tamaki, Steve Pugh

▪ Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale – Lauren Myracle, Isaac Goodhart

Middle Grade (For readers 8-12); see below for a few options (each cover hyperlinks to product page)

▪ Black Canary Ignite- Meg Cabot

▪ Diana Princess of the Amazons- Shannon Hale

▪ Zatanna and the House of Secrets- Matthew Cody

▪ Green Lantern Legacy- Minh Lê

Random House Graphic Novels and Books

Random Houses School Teachers and Librarians put together guides to help parents and students find grade-appropriate reads.

Random House recently released an entire graphic novel imprint in the fall of 2019.

Scholastic

It has been two-weeks since Scholastic launched its free online classes and resources for kids. The website has grade-appropriate content for grades PreK-9.

In a recently reported story by CNN, the senior vice president and editor-in-chief of Scholastic Classroom Magazines explained why this resource was valuable, given the current circumstances.

“As more and more teachers, students, and families around the world are affected by the coronavirus, our priority is to support them in the best way we know how -- by providing them with rich stories and meaningful projects that will keep kids academically active,” Lauren Tarshis, senior vice president, and editor-in-chief of Scholastic Classroom Magazines said.

Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics announced that through April 30 its digital website will be offering free digital versions of their comics and graphic novels.

Popular titles include:

▪ Umbrella Academy

▪ The Witchfinder

▪ Stranger Things

▪ American Gods

Young readers can check out:

▪ Disney’s Frozen

▪ Disney’s The Little Mermaid

▪ The Incredibles

▪ Itty Bitty Mask

▪ and literary classics such as Treasure Island and Moby Dick

Local Resources

Local schools are offering different online resources for students.

Fresno Unified has launched the exercise your brain campaign. The online service offers grade-appropriate games to help kids study while at home.

Clovis Unified principals are taking to social media to produce the morning announcements and to share encouraging words. Check out the websites and apps of every district school to see what individual communities are doing to stay connected with students.

The Fresno Library has a catalog of e-books and newspapers readers can download.

If you are interested in having a paper copy graphic novel delivered, comic shop locator can help you find your nearest local comic book shop. Many shops are offering curbside pick up or shipping.

The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab on our website.

This story was originally published April 7, 2020 at 2:06 PM.