Behind the Book: Bitsy & Boozle Tell a Story
Explore story structure with narrator-in-training Bitsy and her grumpy wizard protagonist, Boozle, in this entertaining, educational chapter book graphic novel brought to you by cartooning experts Sara Goetter and Natalie Riess.
Once upon a time there was a narrator named Bitsy, and all she wanted to do was tell a story. Thankfully, she had just the right protagonist to help her with that—Boozle, a grumpy old wizard without a lot to say. Join them both on the adventure of a lifetime as they make the journey up Story Mountain, discovering the magic of storytelling along the way.
With a handy glossary chock-full of educational terminology at the end, readers will fall in love with storytelling and be excited to tell their own by the end of this delightful tale.
How to Teach Creative Writing with Bitsy & Boozle
During my years as a teacher, creative writing was one of my favorite things to teach. My students and I participated in National Novel Writing Month each year, spending the month of October building our characters and story structure, the month of November crafting our novels, and the month of December editing and publishing before an Author Party right before winter break.
Regardless of how or when you teach creative writing, Bitsy & Boozle Tell a Story is a great resource to get your students excited and prepared to tell stories of their own.
The graphic novel goes through all of the important parts of a story: point of view, characters and motivation, story structure and conflict, and finding your own unique voice as an author. Reading the entire novel at the beginning of a writing unit is a wonderful way to introduce vocabulary (with the help of the glossary) and hook your students into the unit.
Then, as they go through the writing process, revisit certain sections using a projector or smart board to review concepts and get inspiration. Students will love writing alongside Bitsy and getting to their own "happily ever after".
About the Creators
Sara Goetter and Natalie Riess are a comic-making duo from Pennsylvania. They currently live in Texas with their cat, Tilly. Their other titles include Dungeon Critters and The Bawk-ness Monster.