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!