The section in which Géraldine and Hélène make friends is an excellent example of the strengths of the graphic novel format. Break students into small groups and have them analyze the friendship between Hélène and Géraldine, creating an outline of the key moments in the friendship. Be sure they address the following questions: What do Géraldine and Hélène have in common? What do they learn from each other? How does Hélène’s behavior change due to this friendship? How do the illustrations convey the emotions and actions of the characters? What unique insights does the text communicate? How do the illustrations and text work together to provide complexity and deeper meaning? Have each group create a short presentation based on their analysis and present their findings to the class, using illustrations and examples from the book.
