Online resources for my books to help with distance learning

Online learning resources for a selection of my books:

Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman

• curriculum guide (activities/discussion topics)
• eBook options
• TeachingBooks
• buy a physical copy (which supports independent bookstores)

Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman

• curriculum guide (activities/discussion topics)
• eBook options
• TeachingBooks
• buy a physical copy (which supports independent bookstores)

Brave Like My Brother

• eBook
• TeachingBooks
• buy a physical copy (which supports independent bookstores)

The Chupacabra Ate the Candelabra

• eBook options
• TeachingBooks
• buy a physical copy (which supports independent bookstores)

Fairy Spell: How Two Girls Convinced the World That Fairies Are Real

• activities/discussion topics
• eBook
• TeachingBooks
• buy a physical copy (which supports independent bookstores)

Thirty Minutes Over Oregon: A Japanese Pilot's World War II Story

• curriculum guide (activities/discussion topics)
• eBook
• TeachingBooks
• buy a physical copy (which supports independent bookstores)

Whether by stage or screen, I remain committed to helping educators and parents instill in young people a love of reading, writing, and research.

"Thirty Minutes Over Oregon" curriculum guide

Once upon a while ago, I would put together curriculum guides for my books.

Life (surely for all of us) has gotten busier since then, so I haven't yet stolen the time to create a curriculum guide for my last few releases…but luckily for me, with respect to my latest, Thirty Minutes Over Oregon, someone else did. Luckily for you, it's far richer than what I would've produced.

Thirty Minutes Over Oregon curriculum guide (plus more ideas from BookPage)

Thank you again, Mary Ann Cappiello!

Student research challenge: find the oldest house on your street

Teachers tend to love when authors who visit their schools excite students about research. It’s one thing to say research is adventure and quite another to show that…but it’s not always easy for teachers to come up with effective, age-suitable examples.

My school visit presentations emphasize the thrill of primary research, focusing on the detective work I did to write Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman and Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman. This involved everything from tracking down Bill Finger’s son Fred’s 1992 settlement of estate document at a New York surrogate’s court to cold-calling everyone in Florida with the last name “Finger”—not the kind of things most elementary students can or should be doing.

So how to make primary research accessible to young people?

Doing is believing, so I suggest challenging them to determine which house or building on their street is the oldest. It’s localized and limited (well, depending on how long any particular street is), so in most cases, it’s an assignment that young researchers can embrace. A street’s oldest house is not information a Google search will provide, so it will require them to think creatively. How else can they find out the answer?

Teachers, if you put this challenge to your students, please let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear some stories.

1/19/15 addendum: For students who live on too big a street to take on this challenge, here is another: uncover a story about a person (especially a person you do not recognize) in a black-and-white family photo in your house or apartment.

“Vocabulary Cartoon of the Day” curriculum guide

I have written two books called Vocabulary Cartoon of the Day, both for Scholastic; one for grades 2-3, the other for grades 4-6, the latter drawn by me, the former by major mensch Mike Moran. 

Ideas for using these books—and single-panel cartoons in general—in teaching (most adjustable for any grade from 2 up):

• caption multiple choice—Copy various cartoons and cut off the captions. Show students each cartoon and a choice of captions (you can sneak in some dummy captions, too); ask students to determine which caption fits which cartoon. It will be interesting to see if any captions could fit with more than one cartoon. You can also make multiple sets, divide the class into teams, and make it a race.
• vocabulary word multiple choice—Copy various cartoons and blank out the vocabulary words. Show students each cartoon and a choice of vocabulary words (you can sneak in some dummy words, too); ask students to determine which word fits which cartoon. You can also make multiple sets, divide the class into teams, and make it a race.
• vocabulary word fill-in-the-blank—Copy various cartoons and blank out the vocabulary words. Show students each cartoon and ask them to guess (based on context clues) the approximate meaning of the missing word—or maybe even the word itself; in doing so, they will either get it right or learn a new word.
• write a caption around different words—Assign each student a different vocabulary word around which to write/draw a cartoon. Alternate 1: ask them to make note of the next unfamiliar word they encounter while reading and build a cartoon around that. Alternate 2: ask them to close their eyes, open the dictionary, randomly point to a word, and build a cartoon around that.
• write a caption around one vocabulary word—Give the whole class a word around which to write/draw a cartoon. Despite the same starting point, they will produce a notable diversity of ideas.
• caption/art fill-in-the-blank—Copy various cartoons; with some, blank out the caption and with others, blank out the art. Ask students to fill in the blanks, whether it’s a funny caption to go with art or art to go with a funny caption.
• cartoon detective—Show students various cartoons. Ask them to determine which kind of cartoon each one is—one in which all the humor is in the caption or one in which you need both text and art to make it funny?
• find the funny—Show students various cartoons (single-panel or comic strip) and ask them to identify where exactly the caption and/or art gets funny.
• next panel—Ask students to create the next panel for any of my cartoons; add another layer by asking for their panel to incorporate a vocabulary word from another cartoon in the book.
• rewrite my captions—Ask students to come up with alternate, fitting captions for any of my cartoons. You could first show them the caption I used, or you could show them only the art—that way, maybe some will come up with a caption similar to mine!
• cartoon switcheroo—Ask half the students in the class to write a funny caption, half to draw a funny picture. Without notice, collect and randomly redistribute the half-cartoons; ask each student to complete the one they get.
• synonym switchout—Show students a multiple choice of synonyms for the vocabulary words in various cartoons and ask them to eliminate the one that is not a synonym.

Please share any other ideas you have and I may add them here!

“Bill the Boy Wonder” games

Several fun games based on Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman are at the official site (including curriculum guide) for the book (watch out for those many unofficial sites).

Below are two more. For the first one, you need your friends. The second one you can do solo.

Bill Finger game #1: Speed Search

Race your friends! Which of you will be the first to find every item below in Bill the Boy Wonder?

Simply print this page for every competitor to use as a checklist; as you find each item, cross it off:

• a bronze scarab paperweight
• grapes
• a fish
• a wooden human mannequin
• an umbrella
• a Spider-Man mask
• a palette
• the Scarecrow (villain)
• a cane
• the Empire State Building
• a “help wanted” sign
• a quill (feather pen)
• a baseball hat
• the moon 
• BONUS: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (the creators of Superman)

Bill Finger game #2: Find Finger

For most of Bill Finger’s career, his fans did not know he existed. How could this be? His name was not in Batman comic books.

In this game, however, it is—sometimes.

In the jumbles below, can you find the words “Bill Finger” within the words “Batman comic book” with no missing letters?

Examples:
 
BLIABLIERTMANCGOMFICBONOK = Yes!

BEAITGMBANCNOMFICBROLLOK = No. There is a missing “I.”

Your turn! Is “Bill Finger” in any of these “Batman comic books”?

BBAITMLANLCFIOMGICBEOORK

BARTIMBANNICGOEMILLCBOFONK

BRATEMGANNCOIMFICLBOIOBK

BILATMANBLFRCOMIINCBOGEOK

BILFATBIMANNCEOGMICBROOLK 

Scroll down for answers.











Answers:

BBAITMLANLCFIOMGICBEOORK = No. There is a missing “N.”

BARTIMBANNICGOEMILLCBOFONK = Yes!

BRATEMGANNCOIMFICLBOIOBK = No. There is a missing “L.”

BILATMANBLFRCOMIINCBOGEOK = Yes!

BILFATBIMANNCEOGMICBROOLK = Yes!

Batman in the classroom

Embedded within these humbling reactions (most from educators) to Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman are some great suggestions for classroom discussion and lesson plans.

Speaking of which, here is the diverse and creative curriculum guide from my publisher, Charlesbridge.



“Eye-opening and quietly tragic … if you asked me what’s one of my favorite [nonfiction picture books] of the past decade, I’d instantly endorse Boys of Steel, Marc Tyler Nobleman’s insightful and engaging account of Superman’s creation. Well, now the multi-talented author/journalist/cartoonist is back with Bill the Boy Wonder, a more-than-worthy follow-up … this new book boasts even more astounding feats of research and also features gorgeous art by Ty Templeton. Quite simply, Bill the Boy Wonder makes perfect summer reading for kids who are into pop culture. Actually, it’s a great read for anyone who’s ever seen the phrase ‘created by Bob Kane’ even if they’re not huge Batman fans; that’s because it’s not just a compelling biography of comics creator Bill Finger but a highly accessible and informative text about comics and comics history generally.”
—Connect the Pop on School Library Journal

Selected comments from The Picnic Basket:

“I love nonfiction biographies and this book is one of the best! Nobleman is a skilled writer … It will be the rare reader who closes the book without being wowed. Nobleman's Author's Note allows the reader to glimpse his research process and it reads like a darn good mystery. What a tribute! What a story! What a book! 5 out of 5 stars”

“The story was so interesting that I couldn’t stop without reading the whole book and I would think students would feel the same way. … This book would be great for classroom discussions. Themes would include writing, struggling, comics, superheroes, design, plots, teamwork, standing up for yourself, friendships, and investigation. There were opportunities to learn new vocabulary throughout the story. 5 out of 5 stars”

“I was delighted when I read this book and immediately gave it to one of my 4th grade students to read. The book is a great opening to talking about civil rights and prejudice and even self-esteem. I would recommend the book to guidance counselors, teachers, and that student who sits doodling at his desk while working. … Excellent use of vocabulary—hightailed, scrawled, potential, intimidating… 5 out of 5 stars”

“I really enjoyed this book and look forward to sharing it with my 6th graders. I will use this book to open my biography unit. It will lead to many discussions about giving credit where credit is due … I really liked how the story was illustrated. It is a book worth sharing. This is a 5 in my basket.”

“Absolutely outstanding in all respects! Definitely can be used in the classroom to introduce biographies. Sure bet to get the attention of the most reluctant reader. Definitely a 5++++++!”

“What a beautiful book! I read it in one sitting. The prose is beautifully written, the pictures are lovely, and the underlying themes of justice and redemption are compelling. I am donating this book to our middle school library and plan to recommend it to the New Mexico Battle of the Books committee as a terrific nonfiction choice. This is a must-have book for every elementary and middle school library that will be gobbled up by avid and reluctant readers alike. 5 out of 5 stars”

“This book is simply amazing. To think I'd actually be glued to a book about the creator—sorry, co-creator—of Batman! I found the story to be completely captivating. I think this book would grab the attention of children and really teach them something along the way. It offers endless opportunities for lessons. Nobleman is a very skilled writer and certainly knows how to find obscure stories and make them completely fascinating. This book deserves nothing less than a 5.”

“This falls nothing short of an exemplar model of juvenile literature. The potential for critical discourse around this book are endless. By the end of the author's note a tear of sadness at the unfairness of it all fell from my eye… And then I started at the beginning again, admiring the cover and reading it from top to bottom. The story has so many cool parallels in the illustrations to support comprehension and add appeal … Nobleman demonstrates that writers need to be curious, determined, and willing to chase what they don't know … That you shouldn't just write about what you know, rather it is most important to have a really good question and go after the unknown … uncover a legacy that was so close to slipping away forever. I can only imagine how much Milton would have loved this book. The next day I asked one of my 5th grade students who loves superheroes … to read it. Almost 40 minutes later he came to me and replied, ‘Milton Finger deserves credit.’ His four words were powerful and insightful. Reading this book changed him a little bit, gave him something he didn't have before, the same way I felt. 5 out of 5 stars”

“Great book with many uses for YA readers. Thanks for a great read. (I had this book and had to share. Too good not to pass along.)”

“I felt privileged to share this book with my students and uncover this special secret with them. I read this biography to my second graders in two sessions. They were mesmerized. How could this happen, they wondered. How can I find out more, etc. The activity guide and discussion questions were a great resource, but I easily fit some of the themes of this book into my current curriculum/lessons that very day! … My students were highly motivated when I connected these lessons to Bill the Boy Wonder. 5 out of 5 stars”

“Fascinating … It is also a lesson on character. Using this book, you can investigate with your students the big idea of fairness … If your students do group projects, this would be a great introduction to how you should collaborate and make sure proper credit is given. This book is also an excellent example of why we need to study history. New information is constantly being unearthed … Bill the Boy Wonder would be a terrific source for a biography project for a reluctant reader. You will want to preserve the cover of this book as many hands will be reaching for it.”

(And a comment under this: “Not just for kids!”)

—NC (North Carolina) Teacher Stuff (and Nonfiction Monday)

“Compelling writing, fantastic art. … In a household where we celebrate the creativity of Jim Henson and Walt Disney and others remembered for their contributions to childhood (and adulthood), this book and Bill Finger will have a special place.”
—epinions user

“Very interesting, even to a pretty reluctant comic reader!”
—Good Reads user

“Perfect for the reluctant reader, Bill the Boy Wonder is a classic story of the underdog. … The book has the potential to empower readers of all ages to take pride in—and ownership of—their work.”
—Young People’s Pavilion on Yahoo! (by Michael Strickland, who writes for The Reading Teacher, the journal of the International Reading Association)

“Whether you're a fan of comics in general or Batman in particular, you owe it to yourself to get this book … fascinating.”
—Books YA Love

Discussion questions for grades 2-6:

• What do you think would have happened if Bob Kane had showed his Batman design, not Bill’s, to the comic book company in 1939?  
• Bill graduated from high school before the first scene in the book, so why do you think the title is Bill the BOY Wonder?
• Describe a project or activity you’ve done with a partner. How did you decide who would do what?
• Do you think what happened between Bill and Bob was fair—why or why not?

Discussion questions for grades 4 and up, after reading Author's Note:

• How do think Bill felt at the end of his life? What about Bob?
• If you were trying to find someone you didn’t know the way the author looked for Bill’s family and friends, how would you start?
• Why it is significant that the author discovered Bill’s granddaughter?
• Why do you think it was important to the author to write this book?
  

Activities:

• Ask half the students to create the name for a character (it doesn’t have to be a superhero). Pair each of them with a student from the other half, who must then design the look of the character based only on the first student’s name.
• Write a story involving an oversized prop.
• Keep a “gimmick book” like Bill did and refer to it throughout the year to inspire story ideas. 
• Write a short play dramatizing a scene from Bill the Boy Wonder and perform it for other students. If you upload it to YouTube, e-mail me immediately!
• Research what non-Batman-related characters Bill also co-created, but without using Wikipedia. 
• Research the history of another fictional character to see if there were any disputes over creation and/or ownership.

"Boys of Steel" curriculum guide

Please come back tomorrow for the continuation of the massive "Super '70s and '80s" series, running most days between now and 10/12/11! And for today, a post of "regularly scheduled content":

When I was in elementary school, the real-life origin of Superman was not on the test. Or in the textbooks.

Today, of course, it still isn't.

But that doesn't mean my nonfiction picture book Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman is not relevant to curriculum.

 
The events of the illustrated portion of the book take place between roughly 1930 and 1940. The text-only, three-page afterword takes the reader through the rest of the lives of writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster.

Their story spans almost the entire century (both born in 1914, both died in the 1990s), but perhaps the most fertile way to incorporate the book into curriculum is via the Great Depression and World War II.

Here are review excerpts that mention one or both of these periods:

Fuse #8, a School Library Journal blog: "Nobleman even manages to draw ties to Superman's rise alongside WWII. Here was America in a strange war and 'People wanted a hero they knew would always come home. Jerry and Joe gave them that—the world’s first superhero.' The amount of research necessary for a book of this scope would have to be hefty and I was pleased to see a small list of Selected Sources available on the publication page."

Playback STL (St. Louis): "The story takes place during the Great Depression, yet just as easily speaks to the children of our own era. Author Marc Nobleman does not condescend to his young readers, nor does he shirk from mentioning the economic straits of the 1930s and the menace of World War II. Astute adults will draw parallels to modern events and hopefully both discern and reiterate an important underlying message: Bad times are coming, hard times are already here, and you know what? You can still make your dreams happen."

Firefox News: "Boys of Steel, a 70th anniversary celebration of Superman's debut, is...written by Marc Nobleman, a comics historian of sorts with a gift for dramatizing the creative process. [It] deftly sketch[es] the pop cultural context for comics' Golden Age; vividly bringing to life an entire era—socially and politically—and showing how it was reflected in the escapist entertainment of the day."

Kirkus: "Nobleman retraces Superman's role in World War II and beyond..."

School Library Journal: "The afterword fills in more of the details, including...how their Jewish background affected Superman during World War II..."

Read That Again: "...it does address the misery of the Great Depression..."

Good Reads member Nomi: "I appreciated how the author and illustrator team of this book placed the creation of this superhero in the context of the Great Depression and WWI, a time when Americans needed to believe in heroes."

Epinions: "The authors point out...that...the Great Depression itself...primed the pump for the particular kind of hero that Superman became."

WIRED GeekDad blog: "My seven-year-old son read the whole thing in about fifteen minutes, pronounced it 'great,' and then read it again the next day (entirely voluntarily)."

Here are sites that encourage bringing superheroes, comics, and/or picture books in the classroom:

Reading With Pictures—Josh Elder

Comics in the Classroom—Scott Tingley

Graphic Classroom—Chris Wilson

Teach With Picture Books—Keith Schoch

I've been in touch with all of these sites; if you contact any of them, tell them I sent you.

Here are ways to use Boys of Steel in the classroom, courtesy of others:

ReadWriteThing.org has posted a lesson plan intriguingly called "Is Superman Really All That Super?" (The answer is simple: come on. But still worth exploring.)

An Ohio teacher shared with me the lesson plan based on the book that he created, and he gave me permission to share it. Would you like me to email it to you?
 
Here are ways to use Boys of Steel in the classroom, courtesy of me:

• Explain the difference between "hero" and "superhero" and between an everyday person and a hero.
• Explain whether or not the Boys of Steel (Jerry and Joe) were heroes.
• Explain if you think Superman would've been as popular if he debuted at another time (i.e. not on the fence between the Great Depression and World War II).
• Joe drew Superman based on Jerry's verbally described concept. Teachers: Ask half the students in the class to create a superhero by description only (meaning explaining who the hero is and what he can do, not what he looks like) and pair them up with the other half to draw those heroes based on the descriptions. (In other words, divide the whole class into writer-artist pairs.)
• In WWII, the U.S. government sent Superman comic books to American soldiers overseas. Explain why you think the government did this and what you think the soldiers thought of it.

For older elementary:

• Jerry and Joe did not want to create a story in which Superman quickly ended WWII. Explain why you think they felt that way.
• Pick three superheroes (besides Superman). Find out when each was introduced. Speculate why each hero came out when s/he did. Do you think any are a product uniquely of their times or could they have been created anytime?
• Read the author's note in Boys of Steel. Explain what if anything you think Jerry and Joe could have done differently to help themselves.
• It's been observed that superheroes have increased appeal during periods of real-world strife. Explain why you think this happens.
• Superman is said to represent "truth, justice, and the American way." Explain what you think that means. Do you think "American way" has the same meaning now as it did when Superman debuted in 1938?

See also: Superman in the classroom.

Vanishing acts for the classroom

Vanished: True Stories of the Missing is most appropriate for grades 4 and up. It can have a place in curriculum!

(Currently, the title is available exclusively through Scholastic: simply call 800-724-6527, push prompt 3, then prompt 1, and order item #514472 with a credit card.)

Teachers and librarians, here are some easy classroom/library activities related to the book. Your students can...

• ...write a possible "next chapter" for any of the people in the book who weren't heard from again. Solve the mystery!
• ...research another missing person (besides Amelia Earhart). You may want to research this yourself first and offer students a pre-screened choice of individuals; otherwise they may stumble across a case that involves aspects of human behavior you don't want to expose them to (and which I didn't include in Vanished).
• ...create a handbook on how to search for missing people. They can each write one or the class can create one together with each student writing or illustrating a separate section. Students can interview a police officer or detective!
• ...build a missing persons web site (real or on paper) to disseminate information and receive tips. The established site missingkids.com already does this and does it well, but perhaps your students will have new ideas!
• ...create a "Have you seen...?" poster for any of the people in the book, including vital info taken from the story.

Chime in with more ideas!

12/15/11 update: Scholastic produced a Reading Group Guide with some great ideas and questions.