Using Babymouse in the Classroom

Next on our list of Popular Series in the Classroom, I turn your attention to another graphic novel title. If Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants series has a female counterpart, I can think of no better candidate than Babymouse. As often as I see Captain Underpants in the hands of boys, I see the ubiquitous pink and black Babymouse covers in the hands of girls (of course, many girls read Pilkey's books and many boys read Babymouse).


Both series have done wonders for the popularity of graphic novels for children. Graphic novels work well to motivate readers, including struggling readers, because of their clever dialogue and interesting illustrations. Babymouse is a small heroine who has some big adventures, becoming everything from a cupcake tycoon to a rock star.


Again, like most books in this blog series, most of your students are likely already familiar with Babymouse. You won't have to do much to sell them on the idea of reading the series (although, if your students happen to NOT know Babymouse, feel free to introduce them!). But you may be looking for a way to use their love of the books in classroom activities. Luckily, we have a few resources for that very purpose:

• Have your Babymouse fans try their hand at writing dialogue in these printable graphic novel pictures. Challenge them to come up with their very own stories and illustrations based on the series.
• Here is the official educator's guide to the series, which has useful discussion questions, vocabulary words and other ideas.
• Check out this video interview with the authors, brother and sister team Jennifer and Matthew Holm. Also, visit the official site to let students design their own posters and cartoons.

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