As the mother of two little boys, I have written about my need for a tutor in Super Heroes 101. I do believe I may have found something that will help my need to learn more about the characters that my boys love, but also keep my oldest reading.
While at the library with TechyDad one rainy Saturday, the boys were looking at the chapter book section together. At this point, we had just gotten NHL reading the A to Z Mysteries and he realized that chapter books were not as scary as he thought they were. Suddenly, they noticed some Batman and Superman Series from Capstone Publishers. Yes, there they were pulling my son under their spell. He asked to take one home to try. That book was finished rather quickly. On our next trip to the library, he picked up these three Super DC Heroes Superman books.
As a reading teacher, I have learned that I will rarely turn my nose up at any book that a child will read. Thankfully, these days there are a lot more books out there for reluctant readers, especially on topics that boys will be attracted to. These books range from 3-4 grade reading level and have an M in Guided Reading Level.
NHL seems to really like these books. He will sit and devour them and then after tell us all about them. As a parent, I like that they keep his interest and are giving him more than a simple story. How do they do that? Well, let’s look inside one of the Superman books. Yes, they have pictures within, but they are also filled with dialogue among the characters, show paragraph formation, and more for early reader/writers.
Saturday night, NHL finished one of the books. TechyDad opened up the book and that is when the two of us realized how much more was inside. At the end of each book, there is a summary from Clark Kent on Daily Planet letter head. Within this, he summaries who the arch nemesis of the book is and highlights and explains crucial parts. 
Then, there is a biography page. This is perfect for people like me who are still learning about all of the people. On the opposite side is a glossary of terms. Check out the vocabulary, not too shabby for a chapter book. The teacher in me was impressed and happy that children were being challenged while reading these books.
Then, I heard TechyDad asking NHL questions. You guessed it, there were some discussion questions at the end of the book. Not only did they make NHL think about what he read, but called on prior knowledge to make connections. Each built on things and really made the reader explain why they answered one way or another. In addition to this, there were some fantastic writing prompts. One asked you to write your favorite part of the book from a different character’s perspective.
What you may also notice is that the last page points you to a website for the kids. The publishers have a spot where you can go and catch up with characters from all of their different series, including the DC Super Heroes. Thanks to this, I now know there are 16 in the Superman series and can reference the characters and things with NHL in a safe, child friendly setting.
My lesson learned, I will not judge a book by it’s cover again. Just because it looks a bit comic book like, it can still pack an educational punch.
What have you read recently? Please be sure to link up to your Book Posts, and/or leave a comment below. Include something you read on your own, with a child or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.
