Airplane Adventure by Cari Meister

If you are an elementary teacher, you have probably heard of Capstone Press.  They have published a large number of excellent nonfiction texts in recent years.  You may not know that they have also produced a quite a few graphic novel sets.  Today, I'll be looking at one series in particular, My 1st Graphic Novel.  Cari Meister has written a set of graphic novels about vehicles. Though these are not nonfiction, they provide quite a bit of information about travel within a small text aimed at young readers.  Airplane Adventure shares the experience of two young children traveling to Mexico to visit their grandmother.  Meister expertly weaves together the story of Juan and Anna with the process of going to the airport and flying in an airplane.

Working in a community that is predominately Hispanic, I am so excited anytime I find a book with main characters who share this ethnicity.  Sadly, though our schools are filled with students of many different backgrounds, there are very few books that represent these cultures.  I love the fact that the main characters, Juan and Anna, were traveling to visit their grandmother in Mexico; which is such a common experience for my students--making this a text that my kiddos can easily relate to.  

At the beginning of the book Meister and illustrator Marilyn Janovitz, provide readers with a brief introduction to reading graphic novels.  This could be a very helpful teaching tool for students who are new to this genre.  But, wait that's not all.  Capstone includes a glossary, discussion questions and writing prompts.  Because all this is included, I chose not to include vocabulary or questions this entry.  

I can't wait to use Airplane Adventure and the other graphic novels in the series for my upcoming transportation unit! 

The Boxcar Children; A Graphic Novel by Gertrude Chandler Warner

If you were anything like me as a child, you were thoroughly engrossed by The Boxcar Children.  I still remember the excitement of wondering if Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny could make it on their own.   What child does not delight in the idea of having a little home in the woods-- like playing house, only better! Making a "refrigerator" in a stream, foraging for food in the forest, a hunting for treasures in the dump, and rescuing a stray dog; nursing him back to health.  I know I'm not alone; Gertrude Chandler Warner's story has beautifully enchanted generations of readers.  Now, as a teacher, I have read this tale to my students and each time I have seen the same wonder.

Well, this collection of books has now been adapted into a graphic novel series.  Graphic novels, you may know, are an excellent way to engage the struggling and/or reluctant readers in your classroom or home.  They provide increased opportunities for visualization and may improve comprehension.  And bonus, they are quite appealing to the less engaged reader.  Check out this excellent article from School Library Journal for more info about graphic novels.

Anyway, back to The Boxcar Children!  This newly adapted series by Shannon Eric Denton, illustrated by Mike Dubisch, brings to life our favorite characters and delights a new generation of readers.  Each page relates the very same old story in this relatively new genre.  Consider bringing this graphic novel version into your classroom library or maybe just your personal collection!

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, I work with many ELLs and other students with limited English language development.  I am including vocabulary words/phrases that I choose to frontload for my kindergarten students. Depending on the grade level you teach, your list may differ from mine.

Vocabulary: bakery, a "children's home," haystack, boxcar, brook, a dump, stew, spare, orchard, thrilled

Close Reading Questions:
How do we know the baker and his wife don't really want to help the Aldens? p. 7
Why did the children sleep so long? p. 8
Why did the boxcar make a good place to stay?  p. 12
How do we know the children must have had some money? p. 14
What could Henry do with the hammer and nails?  p. 20
Why do you think Dr. Moore wanted Henry to go to the Free-for-all?  Think about what he just read in the newspaper.  p. 23
I wonder how Dr. Moore knew just where to go.  How could he have known?  p. 25 (after the first frame)
What evidence do we have that Grandfather is rich?  p. 30
Do you think the children will be happy living with Grandfather?  What makes you think so?  p. 31

The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray

I must say, this third book is my favorite graphic novel thus far.  The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray takes the graphic novel to a whole new level.  This story is a twist on the classic Gingerbread Man story.  Check out this promo trailer designed by librarian, children's book editor, and blogger, Carter Higgins.

Laura Murray's incorporation of rhyme appeals to the elementary-aged reader.  Drawing from an activity she did with her own classes, Murray's Gingerbread Man is created by students and is left in the classroom to cool.  But, Gingerbread Man, thinking he has been left behind, journeys through the school in search of the young bakers.  Rather than the traditional repeated line "Run, run as fast as you can.  You can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man." the protagonist proclaims he is trying to catch the class.  This story would be a perfect conclusion to a gingerbread man unit in any primary classroom.  Laura Murray being the teacher that she is, has created an ellaborate unit for teachers.  Check it out!  She has provided oodles of extension activities, suggestions for using the text, and even a recipe if you'd like to make your own gingerbread man.  

Vocabulary: ingredients, complete, announce, "tough cookie," "smart cookie," handrail, spectacular, belong

Close Reading Questions:
From the other stories you have heard about the gingerbread man, what do you think will happen now? p. 7
How could the nurse fix him? p. 12
Where is the gingerbread man?  p. 19
Were we right about our prediction?  p. 21
These pages have a lot of action words or verbs.  Let's list them. p. 24-25
How did the gingerbread man know he was wanted and not forgotten by the class? p. 31
How is the pattern of this story different than The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth? end

Little Mouse Gets Ready by Jeff Smith

For my second blog entry, I chose another Toon Book, Little Mouse Gets Ready.  This book received a Theodor Seuss Geisel honor award for its efforts in reaching the very young readers.  Its a perfect story for my young kindergarteners!  I hope that you will appreciate it's simplicity as much as I did. 

Little Mouse struggles to get dressed but is clearly proud that he can do it himself-- such a relatable topic for little ones.  Each page describes his efforts to dress for a trip to the barn.  Jeff Smith, author of the award-winning graphic novel series, Bone, includes humor and a surprise ending that kids will enjoy.   Much of the text is decodable for students near the end of kindergarten or first grade.  I am positive preschool children would enjoy hearing this story read aloud. 

There are very few words that typical school-age native English speakers would not know.  However, if your classroom is like mine, there are quite a number of English Language Learners or students with very limited language development.  For that reason, I chose to include words and phrases that I believe ELLs would need explicitly explained.

Vocabulary: barn, "oh boy," sir, tag, oats, tricky, sleeve,

Close Reading Comprehension Questions:
How do we know the Little Mouse has dressed himself before? p. 10
What do you think he will put on next? p. 13 (after first frame)
What could his mama mean? p. 25