Graphic Novel # 3 - Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel

Mary's Thoughts:

This book grabbed my attention when I noticed that many of my second and third graders were choosing this as one of their independent reading selections. I just had to add it to my Reluctant Reader list so I could see what all the fuss was about!

Nick Bruel has written a series of books about a bad kitty that gets into all kinds of trouble. Bad Kitty's pet owner is the narrator of the books and "Uncle Murray" provides side notes with related science facts about cats.

Happy Birthday Bad Kitty takes place on the day of Bad Kitty's first birthday. All Kitty's friends come to visit, each bringing a present. Bad Kitty is disappointed with the presents, disappointed with the food and disappointed with the whole day. That is until the surprise ending! Kitty has an extra special visitor that makes it a great birthday after all!

Although some of the jokes are difficult for young students to comprehend, my students understand enough of the text to love the  stories and find them humorous. I notice that students don't seem to mind the challenge and they persevere happily through to the end of the story. Because of the enthusiasm these Bad Kitty books generate, this series gets five out of five stars in my book!


Pixie's Thoughts:

Bow-wow wowzer! I am so glad to see some pets as main characters in this book! I notice Puppy had an interesting part in the story, when he almost got made into a pinata by the kitties. I think my favorite character was Strange Kitty. He wasn't like most kitties, because he was very well read, just like I am growing to be! He and the mouse had a unique friendship. I give this entertaining book five out of five paws!





Classroom Application:

• I can envision the teacher and students co-writing a reader's theater script based upon this book. The number of characters, each with their unique personalities, would allow for the participation of several readers. 
• Using "Uncle Murray's Fun Facts" as a model, students can write their own fun facts about an animal of their choice. They could start by asking several questions about the animals and then research the facts  before writing it into a fun facts page. Alternately, one student could write questions to exchange with another student who would then answer the partner's questions and write them into fun facts pages.