Objective 4
To consider ways of facilitating supportive and engaging experiences with texts with the ultimate goal of shaping positive reader identities.
Engagement Ideas
Who Should Read These Books?
WHY?
Sara Varon
Robot Dreams
This book would be perfect for students who are beginning to read graphic novels and for students who are striving readers. Striving readers need to be introduced to literature that has a 'curb appeal' i.e. books that 'appear' to be for experienced readers. Therefore, Robot Dreams is a perfect book to begin forming the connection between comprehension and literature for striving readers.
Robot dreams is not restricted to children that are younger-- it is perfect for striving readers.
Even though this book is a wordless graphic novel, there are different layers that can be explored throughout this novel.
Aaron Blabey
The Bad Guys Episode 1
This book is for younger striving readers that may be struggling with identity. These students may often go against what they are 'told' to do in the classroom. The bad guys in this series go against who they are supposed to be to find out who they want to be! This book is fits the definition of role reversal and has a few instances of the Spanish language.
This book would also be more appropriate for kids who are able to build on their comprehension of a singular text.
Kwame Alexander
The Crossover Graphic Nove
This graphic novel redifines what students and adults think of as 'poetry'. Kwame has turned his verse novel into a graphic novel, while keeping all of the verse novel text. This book would be perfect for striving readers who are interested in sports. Moreover, this book would be especially good for students who don't like poetry-- this book does not SEEM like poetry.. but it is!
Students will fall in love with Kwame's usage of onomatopeias and the social emotional topics. Moreover, this book is filled with elements that can build on students schemas, especially students that are in the black community. This book is appropriate for older striving reader students because it is text heavy and the graphics are very detailed and a HUGE part of this graphic novel.
Dave Pilkey
Dogman
I recommend this book for all students but specifically for younger students who may not be behaviorally motivated in the classroom. This book is filled with artifacts that 'diss' on school culture.. what student wouldn't love that? This book serves as a creat mentor text for learning to write comics and graphic novels. Moreover, this book values and normalizes the revision and editing process of writing; something all striving readers need to see.
One of my favorite affordances of this book is how relatable it is to students. he font makes the book look like it was actually authored by an 8-year-old.
Jason Walz
The Last Pick
This book would be perfect for striving readers who like to be 'independent'. The strong female lead in this book acts as the 'caretaker' of her brother, which is something that many students may have to do. This book is also for students who enjoy the fantasy genre that is filled with danger, monsters, fighting, and more. On that note-- this book is more geared for an older elementary audience.
Also- this book would be perfect for striving readers that may struggle with anxiety or have ASD. One of the main character has internal struggles that students may identity and relate with.
Ben Hatke
Zita the Spacegirl
I recommend this book for younger girls who are beginning to read comics. This book would be perfect for younger striving readers (3rd- 6th grade) who need to see a strong female lead. Zita the Spacegirl is an empowering story that helps to rewrthe strerotype: 'females can't be heros'. This book also offers a strong sense of reader identity.
Faith Erin Hicks
The Nameless City
This text is perfect for older striving readers that are ready to take on more text features and build comprehension. Unlike Last Pick, there is more text in this book which requires more focus to the text, but students would still be able to use the graphic illustrations to help build comprehension.
This book is also great for students that are into Anime! The culture, graphics, and text elements are similar to that used in anime, so students who enjoy anime can build on their background knowledge.The graphics are extremely detailed in this graphic novel, similar to the last pic; but it is more text heavy.
Recommended age: 4th- Upper Middle