Imagine reading a book to your class with your students perched at the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating every word and roaring with laughter at each punch line. The story is so compelling that when you finish reading it, even your striving writers are inspired to create their own. This isn’t an impossible fantasy — it’s the magic of Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants. 

Luckily, there are several fun ways to use an illustrated book series like Captain Underpants — or graphic novels such as  Dog Man, Cat Kid Comic Club, and more — in your classroom.

Conquering Teacher Trepidation

Veteran teacher Meghan Everette was initially reluctant to introduce Captain Underpants to her elementary school students, but she was thrilled when she finally did. Books that rely on illustrations do more than just captivate striving readers. They also help develop important reading and critical-thinking skills and can even inspire students’ own creative writing. 

Everette was particularly moved by Dav Pilkey’s motivation to write the Captain Underpants series. Pilkey’s goal was to “encourage kids to be creative without worrying about being perfect,” so they would feel free to create stories just for fun, even if they don’t have impeccable spelling or flawless drawing skills. Everette quickly realized that the Captain Underpants series was the perfect introduction to a whole new style of writing for her students.

Reading and Learning Together

Once Everette began reading the first book in the Captain Underpants series with her class, her students were completely mesmerized and looked forward to reading a few new chapters every afternoon. 

When you read Captain Underpants to your own class, discuss what you read together after each reading session. Make a list of character traits and ask students to predict what will happen next. Compare the elements of this novel featuring comic-style illustrations to a regular chapter book. How do the pictures, sound effects, and other visual elements help tell the story?

(Use this helpful graphic novel discussion guide to get the most out of reading graphic novels with your class!)

Writing Comic-Style Biographies

In the Captain Underpants series, protagonists George and Harold love to write their own comic stories — and your students will, too! To start, have your students read Pilkey’s four-page comic biography, where they will discover how the sometimes-troublemaker became a celebrated author. 

After reading the biography, ask your students to identify five events in their own lives that were important to them and put them in chronological order. Then, using Pilkey’s model as a guide, have your students create their own mini biographies in comic book-style form. Even striving writers and artists will be able to create and share biographies that make them feel proud.

In Everette’s experience, “introducing students to new characters...and a fun new way to express themselves was rewarding for the kids and me. I saw imaginations ignite and confidence levels soar as students set pencil to paper.”

Author Study

Holding an author study is another great way to get students engaged in books. Divide your classroom into small groups and give each group a different Dav Pilkey book to read and assess. Use the Dav Pilkey Author Study Collection to lead this exercise. Next, have each group present the book and encourage them to compare and contrast their findings. Not only will this spark great conversations, but also foster teamwork.

Shop more books by Dav Pilkey below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store.