Shark in the Library!

Title: Shark in the Library! 
Author: Cari Meister  
Illustrator: Remy Simard 
Publisher: Capstone Publishers 
Publication Date: September, 2010 
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Graphic Novel 
GoodReads Summary:  Noah is thrilled when the week's library theme is sea creatures. But when Noah can't find the stuffed shark, he is disappointed. Noah knows there is a shark in the library, and he is going to find it!
What I Think: This simple graphic novel is a great introduction to graphic novels in general and students visiting the library at school. At the beginning of this book, there is a guide for how to read graphic novels, outlining which direction to read the pictures. I'm a huge fan of graphic novels so it's exciting to see graphic novels for young readers. This book would make a great read aloud in the library because it talks about visiting the library and doing research in the library. It can also introduce graphic novels and teachers or librarians could show students where they can find the graphic novels in the library. The artwork is bright and cute and I can see how students would enjoy this as an entry into graphic novels.
     After reading this book, students could be asked to develop some kind of visual representation of how to use the library or appropriate library behavior. I have seen science teachers ask students to make posters to show the safety rules in the classrooms. Students could make something similar for the library and add in a paragraph that outlines why they need to be quiet or why they need to return books on time, etc. Letting students get creative about what they produce gives them freedom to develop something unique for the library and also gives them the opportunity to take ownership in what happens in the library.
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 2 
Read Alone: Grades Pre-K - 2 
Read With:  Balloon Toons books like Adopt a Glurb by Elise Gravel
Snatch of Text: See inside the book. 
Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Personal Narrative, Expository 
Writing Prompts: Write about one of your visits to the library, maybe your first first or your most recent visit. Create a visual piece that teaches other students about the library; how to use the library or how to behave in the library.
Topics Covered: Exploration, Discovery, Learning 

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