Makayla Harrigan: Blog 6

I took a look at Diamond Bookshelf. At first I was a little confused by the website and was not sure where to start. However, as I further explored it, I found many useful resources. There is information regarding new graphic novels and news dealing with graphic novels. I also found suggestions for why to use graphic novels. There are also many lesson plans that are fairly detailed and there are lesson plans for a range of ages.

I read Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani. Pashmina tells the story of a girl, Priyanka Das, who lives in the United States and whose mother immigrated from India. The Priyanka’s father is not in the picture, but she has an uncle with whom she is very close. Priyanka is very curious about her mother’s home country, but her mother seems very cautious and evasive when Priyanka tries to ask her about India. One day, Priyanka finds a pashmina hidden inside a suitcase which was carefully packed away. When she wraps the pashmina around herself, Priyanka is transported to a magical place where she is able to learn a little about India. At least, a magical and perfect version of India. But what will Priyanka discover when she gets the opportunity to visit her aunt in India?

When reading a graphic novel, I read it very similarly to how you would read a book. I read a graphic novel, going through it one panel at a time. I usually start with the picture and then read the words, if there are any. One this I do differently, it that I will often go back to the top of the page before continuing on, to look back at the pictures. I often feel that I can better understand the pictures that were at the beginning, after gaining more context of the story. I would like to discuss with other how they read graphic novels and why. Trying a new method could lead to opening up more doors to learning and understanding.