The Voyage of Turtle Rex by Kurt Cyrus. Harcourt, 2011
1. Why did the turtle go back to the beach?
2. Where would a 2-ton, 15-foot turtle fit?
3. Pretend you’re a sea turtle coming out of your egg–show us how you would walk on the sand or swim in the water.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. Dutton, 2010
1. Who was your favorite character in the book and why?
2. How is humor used to deal with difficult issues in this story?
3. There are many unlikely friendships in this book. Discuss an unlikely friendship you have had in your life.
Prime Baby by Gene Luen Yang. First Second / Roaring Brook Press, 2010
Smile by Raina Telgemeier. Graphix, 2010
1. In what ways can you relate to Thaddeus in Prime Baby?
2. How do Raina’s experiences in Smile make her stronger?
3. How does the graphic novel format enhance each story?
This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman.
Houghton Mifflin, 2007
1. What makes apologizing difficult?
2. When is it easier to forgive someone? When is it hard?
3. Has there been a time recently when you’ve had to apologize or forgive someone?
Always Listen to Your Mother by Florence Parry Heide and Roxanne Heide Pierce. Illustrated by Kyle M. Stone. Disney / Hyperion, 2010
1. How are the mothers in the book the same? How are they different?
2. What might happen if Vlapid went to Ernest’s house?
3. What kinds of things are you expected to do at home?
Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers. Amistad / HarperTeen, 2010
1. If you had a friend, like Reese’s friend Toon, who you knew was going to be beaten up, how would you respond?
2. Describe a situation where you overreacted in some way. How could you have handled it differently?
3. Describe ways Reese was “locked down.”
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Little, Brown, 2010
1. How does the author use bridges as a symbol in the story?
2. How would Lenesha define “Family”?
3. How might Lanesha’s experience during Hurricane Katrina have been different if she lived with her uptown family?
Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians by Jarrett T. Krosoczka. Alfred A. Knopf, 2009
1. How do you read a graphic novel differently from a traditional novel that’s all words?
2. Why did the librarians want to take over the world?
3. How do the pictures help tell the story?
City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems. Illustrated by Jon J Muth. Hyperion, 2010
1. What kinds of things can you do in the city? In the country? In both places?
2. What do you think happened to Frog?
3. Who do you think Country Dog will meet next year?
How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills. Schwartz & Wade, 2010
1. What things did Rocket do that helped him learn to read?
2. What’s your favorite letter of the alphabet and why?
3. What do you like to read?
Always in Trouble by Corinne Demas. Illustrated by Noah Z. Jones. Scholastic Press, 2009
1. What kinds of things can you try to do to keep a pet out of trouble?
2. Toby stayed with Miss Katz for a week. What do you think she did to train Toby?
3. Which picture in the book made you laugh the most? Why?
