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Chris Grabenstein is releasing a new graphic novel version of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library – and it’s fantabulous! It has all the awesome lessons of the original while maintaining the fun and being true to the storyline.
So, as you know how much I love Lemoncello, I immediately started thinking about all the ways that it could be used to make learning fun – which it is, by definition. Fun, I mean. It’s a Lemoncello!
So here are a few ideas that I think would work for a traditional classroom, independent book clubs, or homeschools.
This version would be great to share with students who may not be ready to read the full novel version. This would make it possible for a whole class to study the same story while making it more accessible to a variety of learners. The same could be true for students for whom English is not their first language.
Students could also read both versions and compare them. They could study the unique elements of a graphic novel and debate how that competes with the depth of language and inference a traditional novel provides. You could even throw in the movie for good measure and compare all the genres. What are the pros and cons of each? For whom? (Those exceptional students who have have seen the play – just think of the options!) –> Need resources to introduce the elements of graphic novels to your students? Check out this scavenger hunt lesson!
Advanced students could put the graphic novelist on trial. Did he do a Grabenstein-worthy job in this transformation? Or graphic novels themselves – are they ‘literature?’
Or go at this same idea a different way. Split the class into different groups. Have some research Chris Grabenstein and the elements of middle-grade novels. Have some research Douglas Holgate and the elements of graphic novels. Set up an ‘interview’ between Grabenstein and Holgate, with students from each group portraying each artist, and let them create questions for the other. Not quite like a debate, but a discussion about the different traits. They would need to know both the literary elements of each style and have a feel for each man’s character and style. I think that could be really fun! Maybe a third group from the classroom could be the press or audience who interviews them.
You could even host a book club-style event in which different groups of students partake of one of the genres each, and then a celebration is held where they formally discuss the issues and compare the genres. There could even be balloons – and maybe birthday cake!
So there you go – some crazy fun ideas to celebrate the release of Chris Grabenstein’s new graphic novel version of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. Tell me – how will you use or enjoy this book?
Ready to jump into the fun? Go back to this original version! Included with this bundle are party decorations, recipes, and games; an escape room; and elements to help you compare the book to the movie.
