Bookworm Buzz

This past weekend, my son and one of his friends were working on a project for their Pre AP US History class. They had to either write a poem, or a song, from the point of view of a colonist during the American Revolution.They desperately wanted to find an “old school rap tune,” that they could rewrite, as they had already chosen their name; The Liberty Boyz, Colonists With Attitude (CWA), which had been approved by their teacher.  As they were searching for just the right tune, The Beastie Boys, (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party) came to mind and I suggested that they listen to the song. Within minutes, they were rewriting the lyrics, fighting for their right “to be free,” rapping about taxation without representation and other key points that led to the American Revolution.  As they were gleefully typing away their new number one hit, I recalled one of my favorite graphic novel series from Graphic Library, called Graphic History, published by Capstone.  There are so many great titles in this series that have a high interest level, are based on historical events and people, and are written for 3rd and 4th graders.  The Boston Tea Party, by Matt Doeden is one book that students love to read.  The page layout is easy for students to follow and the art adds to the overall appeal of the novel. Each book contains fact pages, a glossary, and other resources for students to explore in order to enhance their understanding of the topic, or if they are interested in learning more about a topic.  These graphic novels are frequently borrowed from the library and are popular with students.  They are a great way to get students reading the history genre in a format that is friendly and interesting.  Make sure you check out these books. Are you humming the Beastie Boys in your head?  I thought so. :)