With over 400 entries, we are pleased to announce the winners of our Graphic Novel Raffle: Melanie M, Zack D, and Elizabeth D. Winners have been emailed.
Melanie was our grand prize winner and will be receiving 2 Graphic novels straight from Colombia (Toy Story 4 and Coco), 2 Senor Wooly Graphic Novels (La Casa de la Dentista and Me Llamo Victor) as well as an Avengers comic book in Spanish.
If you didn’t win, don’t worry, we have more raffles and giveaways planned for this month, so stay tuned! (INCLUDING AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST)
But for those who are interested in Graphic Novels, you can download a 10 page preview of the Toy Story 4 Graphic Novel (link below)
You can also check out these graphic novels of popular tales on Amazon (although the quantities are limited, so if you are interested, I’d suggest moving fast on the purchase):
- Cenicienta: La Novela Gráfica
- Hansel y Greta
- La Bella y la Bestia
- Rumpelstiltskin
- Caperucita RojaOther illustrated books that I have in my FVR and are super funny and comprehensible:
- Darth Vader y su Princesa
- Darth Vader e hijoThe Fly Guy series and Mo Willem books also feature high-frequency words with accompanying illustrations to aid comprehension.
On this product page, click “leer un fragmento” for a free 10 page preview.
ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN:
Have you used Graphic Novels in your class before? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below! And if you tell us why your students would be interested in reading a graphic novel or the benefits of having it in your FVR library, we will select 1 winner to receive a copy of Wooly’s latest novel “Me Llamo Victor“. (Comment on this post by November 29th 11:59 pm CT)
SpanishPlans.org 
I’ve never used a graphic novel in Spanish class but would love to! I taught Japanese for 20 years before teaching Spanish full time and I know the power of high-interest, visually engaging, topical materials. Many students who had said,”I’m not a reader” eagerly engaged with graphic novels in Japanese (which range from classics like “Botchan” to any currently popular topic.) We also just started using Sr. Wooly’s site this year in my classes and we love his energy!
I have a copy of the Dracula graphic novel from Usborne books and I do not recommend it for most Spanish teacher situations because the language was too inaccessible for my students, even some native speakers. I have used Senor Wooly’s Billy y las Botas and La dentista in my classroom, primarily for Free Voluntary Reading. I had 7 copies, and during reading time they were always taken by students in both Spanish 1 and Spanish 3. Even my heritage speakers gravitated toward La dentista. I also displayed a page or two excerpts from Billy y las Botas as a teaser while we were doing those music videos. The benefits for students is that with the full color visual, they can really get into the story and both weaker students and advanced students can be met at their level because both can access the visual story and then glean the Spanish from it that is at their level.
Hello! I just downloaded the Toy Story sample….I love it! Thank you for the recommendation! I would be honored to add Me llamo Victor to our classroom library!! Graphic novels are beneficial in so many ways, especially to those who haven’t had the most positive reading experiences. The look of them, alone, pulls readers in right from page one and keeps them there through to the end. In addition my Spanish classes, I also teach English 10 to native English speakers. Many of my students struggle and read well below their grade level; the use of graphic novels in English class (used either as a paired texts or replacements for required reads) have not only helped my students gain a basic understanding of vocab and structure, but they’ve also played huge roles in raising their confidence as readers. This is a win-win because many of the students have me for both English and Spanish; it’s hard to get students to read in Spanish class if they despise doing it in English class. Not anymore. 🙂 Graphic novels engage, entertain, and increase students’ overall enjoyment. They get kids excited about reading, and that makes me one happy teacher. I purchased a Sr. Wooly membership; it will be my 1st time using it with students. We start after Thanksgiving break, and I cannot wait! It would be amazing to have Me llamo Victor as an FVR option. Thank you so much for this giveaway and the consideration. Best of luck to everyone and have an awesome holiday! 🙂
Using graphic novels are a great way to support learners, especially novices, with reading. I find that my students can navigate more difficult texts with the visual support
One student just bought a graphic novel from the scholastic book fair, and now students are lining up for a chance to read it. I have not yet used them in my class because the starter kit I boughy to start my classroom library this year doesn’t include them. I can see that they would be hugely popular with students, especially more reluctant readers who find chapter books boring. I am especially interested in “Me llama victor” because it would be much more comprehensible to them. The one that I have now has a lot of advanced vocabulary and structures that I fear will go over the students’ heads, even with pictures. Thanks for the opportunity!
I recently used Craig Klein’s El Pombero with my kids. It was a small group that had signed up as their “something extra”. They could have chosen gym, a study hall, or so many other things… And they chose me. Kids were SO into this book. I think it had a lot to do with the plot, but also I’m sure a large part was due to the images next to each chunk of text. I think my kids would enjoy a Sr. Wooly graphic novel because the artwork will help them understand a lot, and also because they’re big Wooly fans. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
I haven’t used graphic novels yet, but I teach middle school kids and they LOVE graphic novels. They also love Señor Wooly so I’m sure the two combined would rock their world!
I haven’t had the chance to use a graphic novel yet, but the couple I have in my FVR library are usually the first to go, and are the ones really worth buying multiples. I would love to be able to phase out some of the children’s books that help fill out my library with some graphic novels that are really designed to be comprehensible to my beginning students. Last year the kids who were dedicated to the graphic novels shared their enjoyment and pride with their friends, so there’s a much higher demand this year.
I have used picture books but never graphic novels. This is my first year teaching upper grades and I’m thinking graphic novels might be a good addition to my mostly elementary-focused library. High interest and easily accessible are always a winning combo!
I’ve used small (self-created) comics & I’ve even had my students create their own… but we’ve never studied a graphic novel. I have a few students in particular in mind that would LOVE to shake things up with a graphic novel. Thanks for sharing!
I meet him at @actfl #ACTFL19 saw his workshop on Beyond the Play Button, got a lot of ideas on how to use the videos and songs.
Graphic novels are always a top choice in my FVR library. The students love the support with the pictures being so engaging and making the text comprehensible. The graphic novels are always the first to be taken out of the library making others wait with excitement for their turn. Definitely a good problem to have.
I came from elementary bilingual to teach 8th grade Spanish for the first time. How exciting to have literature that appeals to my middle schoolers in Spanish!!
HI Bea,
Congratulations, you are our winner! Please contact us to claim your prize.
I have not used a graphic novel yet. I have offered them during FVR but I don’t know how they fit in our culturally lead units in Spanish four and five. However they are great supplementary reading materials
I would love for a few of my reluctant readers to be able to read this graphic novel! They are OBSESSED with señor Wooly, but I cannot afford to purchase the graphic novel for them. This would be a fantastic way to get my students exposed and reading about something they’re passionate about.
I am looking forward to using a graphic novel for the first time in January. I have Billy y las Botas. My students have enjoyed making their own comic strips with storyboard that and on paper. I have Spanish 1 and 2. I’d love to introduce MLV to S2, they loved the video stories
I am looking forward to using a graphic novel for the first time in January. I have Billy y las Botas. My students have enjoyed making their own comic strips with storyboard that and on paper. I have Spanish 1 and 2. I’d love to introduce MLV to S2, they loved the video stories
My Spanish 1 students like the graphic novels. They think they are somehow “getting away with” something because of the pictures. I know better!
I keep copies of Señor Wooly graphic novels on my classroom shelf. I also have a history class in that room with students that are one grade level younger than my Spanish I class. The history students have noticed the eye catching covers of the books and asked if they could look through them too.
The pictures in the graphic novels combined with the glossary in the back gives them enough information to follow the story. I’ve seem this build anticipation and excitement for what they will be learning when they take their first Spanish class the following year.
My kids would love it because they love the Señor W. We are a small rural school and this is my second year at the school and slowly building my FVR collection. I’m amazed at the success my kids are having with CI/Wooly and FVR books…and I am loving it too!
I would love to be able to add Me Llamo Victor to my FVR library! I have a couple of older graphic novels (Don Quijote, Caperucita Roja), but my students are huge Wooly fans and would love to read about Victor!!
I have been interested in CI for a couple of years, and now have a curriculum director who is encouraging the transition. I just met Señor Wooly at actfl and will be using his songs etc. as we move to a CI classroom. I am more excited about being a teacher now than I have been in
Years!!!
I need to build a library though, so any help would be most appreciated!
I have a couple of graphic novels that students have read. They go over well with students who are not confident with the novels with more words and less pictures. I would love to have Me llamo Victor in my FVR library!
Oh how I would love to begin my Spanish graphic novel collection with <>. I have used the song for years and my students always love it. Thank you for creating such a variety of resources to help reach all students. 🙂
We have Billy y Las Botas, but alas, no Me Llamo Victor. The students love the graphic novels because they don’t feel overwhelmed and yell out, “But it’s all in Spanish! I can’t read it!” Being 7th and 8th graders in Spanish 1, students love the stories, the pictures, and the support to easily comprehend the story. The picture books and the graphic novels are always the books that students choose during FVR and there never seem to be enough for everyone. The best part is being able to give visuals with language and added bonus with Reader’s Theater and TPR activities if doing a whole-class read. I would absolutely love to add this book for my students (and me!)
I would love to learn to use graphic novels in my classes! I have some, and it’s so exciting to see the kids open the box and look at the pages and get so excited to read them, I just have to learn how to harness that excitement (for both of us). I watch my 3rd grader devour graphic novels, he gets so into them, which just reinforces what a great learning tool they are. And of course, I “need” Victor desperately because I have to know how he got the way he is!!
Thank you to everyone who commented and participated in this raffle. We randomly selected a winner (the 13th post), which was Bea T, who will receive a copy of the Me Llamo Victor graphic novel!