What an intriguing idea "The Comic Book Curriculum: Using Comics to Enhance Learning and Life" shows teachers how to use these ever-popular stories to enliven any classroom. The book does not suggest replacing classic works with comics. What it does offer is ideas and techniques for using comics to generate interest in a topic and for transferring that enthusiasm to more-traditional classroom lessons.

The first section of the book introduces superheroes and the sometimes-surprising depth and thoughtfulness of comics. For example, it shows how the X-Men can be used to illuminate the...