A do-it-yourself comic book just for guys
 

Your Life in Comics
100 Things for Guys to Write and Draw
by Bill Zimmerman

What’s more fun than reading comics? Making your own!

In most books you don’t have a say about what happens. Your Life in Comics isn’t like that. It’s an interactive comic book where you can tell stories from your own life. There are cartoons where you get to decide what happens to other characters. Fill in the talk and thought balloons to show what people say and think—their fate is in your hands! Other fun freestyle activities let you doodle or write about cool stuff in your life.

If you already have a copy of the book, print off the comic strip activities below. Just click on the pages you want to print and there you go! Keep scrolling down, and you’ll find a list of websites with great games, fast facts, and more cartooning activities. Plus, for teachers, there is a free downloadable teacher’s guide with lesson planning ideas for using the book to build and reinforce literacy skills.

Happy cartooning!

Comic Strips from Your Life in Comics

Websites from Your Life in Comics

This website is operated by Bill Zimmerman, the author of Your Life in Comics. At the site, you can make online comics by putting together characters, props, and words of your choosing.
www.makebeliefscomix.com

Are you interested in space? Visit the website of NASA for updates on the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, Mars orbiter, and other projects helping us learn more about the universe.
www.nasa.gov  

Check out this website for facts on all of the countries in the United Nations. There is also information on some of our world’s biggest challenges and what you can do to help.
www.un.org/pubs/cyberschoolbus  

Are you interested in creating a blog? These free hosting sites take you through step-by-step directions for creating your own place on the Web. Just be sure it’s okay with parents.
www.wordpress.com
www.blogger.com
www.blogsome.com  

Visit this site for all kinds of interesting science facts. Like this one: When a dolphin or whale sleeps, half of its brain shuts down while the other half is active. Why? Because these water mammals must rise to the surface of the ocean to breathe. Going completely unconscious would put them at risk of dying.
www.sciencenewsforkids.org  

Want to brush up on your knowledge of famous figures from history? Learn about heroes and tyrants from the near and distant past at this site.
www.historyforkids.org  

Ever wish you had a superhero physique? It’s no sweat at the website of Marvel Comics, where you can morph yourself into a lean, mean, evil-fighting machine.
www.marvel.com/create_your_own_superhero

Do you have some big goals in life? Sometimes to accomplish them, it can help to get assistance along the way. The Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America connect teens with adult mentors.
www.bgca.org
www.bbbs.org  

Visit National Geographic Kids for interesting facts on our planet and past civilizations. With information on science, history, space, animals, and other topics, the site is sure to take you to new worlds.
www.kids.nationalgeographic.com  

Are you really into codes? Go online and check out the Cryptoclub to create all different kinds of codes. Programs can help you break down codes. There are also jokes and games that let you put your code-cracking skills into action.
www.cryptoclub.math.uic.edu  

Heroes are everywhere. The My Hero Project has stories of people from all over the world who have accomplished extraordinary things. Visit this site to learn more about famous and everyday heroes who are changing the world one person at a time.
www.myhero.com  

Do you have a lot of interest in gadgets? Visit How Stuff Works for the secrets behind how computers, machines, and all kinds of other things function.
www.howstuffworks.com  

This site has the lowdown on six-word memoirs, a national project in which teens sum up their lives in half a dozen words. Log on to give it a try.
www.smithteens.com  

The Mentoring Center is an organization that connects teens with adults who can share knowledge about different careers or interest areas. Visit the website to learn more information.
www.mentor.org  

Do you have a hard time finding books that are right for you? A lot of guys have this problem. That’s why one famous author, Jon Scieszka, created this website. Log on for great reading recommendations and links to the sites of your favorite authors.
www.guysread.com  

If it’s okay with adults at home, join an online community. These virtual worlds allow you to create your own character and environments—not to mention hang out with your friends.
www.clubpenguin.com
www.whyville.net
www.nick.com/club  

If you had an idea for an invention that would change the world, what could you do? One option: Visit the BKFK website, a place where you can find inventing tips and enter inventions in contests. There are also profiles of other young people and their innovations to get you inspired.
www.bkfk.com  

Have questions about food, fitness, friendship, life? Visit the BAM! site for fun games and interesting information about all kinds of stuff that matters. There’s also expert advice on topics like puberty and getting along with others.
www.bam.gov  

Are you interested in expanding your repertoire of skateboard moves? This site provides the science behind skateboarding tricks and how you can perform them.
www.exploratorium.edu/skateboarding  

Who ever said learning about nutrition had to be boring? Nutrition Explorations has games and activities about eating well and feeling good. There are also contests and links to more fun.
www.nutritionexplorations.org/kids  

About the Author

Bill Zimmerman has written more than a dozen books used by families, children, and schools. As an editor at Newsday, one of the nation’s largest newspapers, he created a special section for young people on current events and other issues that has twice been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

Build your own comic strip at Bill’s website www.makebeliefscomix.com. Bill’s site was selected as a Great Website for Kids by the American Library Association.

Also by Bill Zimmerman:

100 Things Guys Need to Know

Boys need and want advice on all kinds of issues, for all kinds of problems, questions, and concerns. Positive, practical, and affirming, 100 Things is just what boys need in a world of mixed messages on what it means to be male.
For ages 9–13...$13.95