Mentor Texts for Personal Narratives

Using Graphic Novels as Mentor Texts for Personal Narratives


Personal narrative writing has long been a staple in the middle school English/Language Arts curriculum. What was once, “What did you do over summer break?” has now evolved into more sophisticated and meaningful writing prompts asked of our students at the beginning of each school year.

The more we read, the better writers we become — so students need access to worthwhile mentor texts to help further their writing skills.

Comics Plus has a wide variety of multicultural graphic memoirs and first-person narratives available to students to aid in their knowledge of narrative works. By reading these stories, not only will students see excellent examples of the technical aspects of narrative writing — including structure, grammar, and vocabulary — but they will also get to read about the lives of other people.

Sometimes students will be able to make connections to the authors of the stories because they see themselves in the graphic novels; other times, they will read about people who have led different lives, thus building empathy for others and cultural awareness.

Personal Narratives: Cultural Experiences

Puerto Rico Strong
The beginning of the school year also coincides with National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15), so we have decided to spotlight a very powerful graphic novel, Puerto Rico Strong (Oni Press). It is an anthology of stories and artwork from Puerto Rican comics creators illustrating the resilience of the Puerto Rican people through retellings of historical events to narratives of more current struggles, most notably the recent devastation of Hurricane Maria.

While reading the collection with students, teachers can take advantage of our Personal Narrative Activity for Puerto Rico Strong. Pre-reading activities include doing basic research on Puerto Rico to give students some background knowledge of the island’s history and culture, as well as some questions meant to get them thinking about their own cultural experiences.

After reading about the experiences of the Puerto Rican authors and illustrators, students can use their stories as mentor texts to create their own personal narratives about a significant event from their own lives — either as an essay, or creating their own graphic narrative using our Custom Comic Template. Discussion questions will further deepen students’ understanding of Puerto Rican culture and how specific events can play an important role in their own lives.

Whether reading the collection in its entirety or selecting a few specific stories on which to focus, students will gain a newfound knowledge of the strength of the Puerto Rican community and will derive inspiration for writing their own personal narratives.

Click on the links below to explore each title and find more in our curated Graphic Nonfiction list!

Kids

For those wishing to read a more comprehensive biography of someone’s life, or a contemporary reading, the following titles are great options.
  1. Roller Coaster Grandma: The Amazing Story of Dr. Ruth (Apples & Honey Press)
  1. A Tale as Tall as Jacob: Misadventures With My Brother (Andrews McMeel)

Teens

For those interested in titles centered around historical events, a biography of someone’s life, or a contemporary reading, the following titles are great options.
  1. They Called Us Enemy - Expanded Edition (IDW)
    1. There is also a Spanish-language edition.
  1. Brother: A Story of Autism (Zuiker Press)
  2. The World of Chub Chub Vol #1 (Twisted Comics)
By reading graphic memoirs and first-person narratives as mentor texts, students can get ideas and inspiration from other writers. They can see how the writers have a clear focus, and a beginning, middle, and end to their stories; how they develop their ideas with engaging details.

Most importantly, students can see how the writers use their unique voices when telling their personal stories, helping them find their own voices and share their own stories.

Additional Resources

  2. National Hispanic Heritage Month
  3. Custom Comic Template
  4. They Called Us Enemy: Reading and Teaching Guide
  5. More Teaching & Reading Guides