BOOK REPORTS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT!

Burn those old written book report forms and try some of these ideas for sparking children’s interest in reading!

Play Dough

Give children a handful of play dough and ask them to mold something from the story. Tell classmates how what they made relates to their story.
                        Hat

Challenge children to make a hat to represent their book.  Have a parade and let children discuss their books.

Bookmark

Put out the scrap box, scissors, and markers and let them create a bookmark that represents their book.

Pantomime

Children get to pantomime a character or event.

Song, Rap, or Poem

Let children make up an original song, rap, or poem about their book.

*This would be fun to do with a partner or group who read the same book.

Advertisement 

Each child stands and has a minute to “sell” their classmates on a book. Older children could write their advertisements.

Illustrate

Let children draw or paint pictures about their books.

Puppet 

Puppets can be made from lunch sacks, paper plates, sticks, or socks.
                                 
Quilt

Give each child an 8” square and ask them to illustrate their story. Punch holes in the corners and tie together with yarn.

Chain 

Each child writes their book title on a strip of construction paper.  Staple together to make a “story chain.”

Dress Up 

Children dress up like their favorite character and tell about their book from that character’s point of view.

*Hint!  One teacher said they did this at her school instead of Halloween costumes.

T-shirt

Bring in old white T-Shirts and decorate with fabric markers.

Email 

Write an email or letter to a character.
*Write a letter to the author.

Sequel 

Invite children to write a sequel to their story.

Ending

How would you change the ending of your story?

Cartoon

Make cartoons of events in a story.
                         
Graph

Make a class graph of favorite books or authors.

Sandwich Board

Cut a file folder in half. Write the title, author, and illustrator on one side. Illustrate on the other half. Punch holes and tie on string so children can wear them and have a parade.
                                                                    
Mural

Several children work in a group to create a mural of a book.