Professor Manuela Costantino is one prof who's teaching it in her English Lit course at UBC this summer. And she's not alone. The book is on reading lists in over 100 colleges in the U.S. and is on the approved curriculum for elementary schools in France.

But when Costantino explains the book's success to her students, it's with a sense of incredulity. "She's touring the U.S. reading in public libraries," she says, eyebrows raised, disbelief in her voice. "It's just a comic book."

Labels: comics in school, international