Does the mere mention of the phrase “book report” bring groans of dread from your students?
Visions of endless writing and tedious presentations feel overwhelming to some students. But reading an awesome book and telling others all about it can be one of the great pleasures in life! Book reports don’t need to be dull. Actually, they can be a ton of fun, and with the right project, students will love the entire process of creating and sharing meaningful book projects.
Here are 4 easy to assign and complete book report ideas that will be sure to get your students excited about their next assignment.
CHARACTER DAY
Have students dress up as the main character of their book. Then, have each student take a turn standing in front of the class and telling their character’s story in first person point of view.
REPORT POSTER
Give students a large piece of poster paper or chart paper. Posters must identify main characters, setting, title, problem, and solution. Display finished posters on classroom or hallway walls.
BOOK JACKET
Show your students several examples of book jackets. Point out the front with the title and illustration, the spine and its information, and the back with the book summary. Also show the 2 inside flaps with information about the author and a smaller summary. Provide them each with a larger piece of paper and have them design a jacket for the book they have just read.
DIARY ENTRIES
Have students create a diary with at least 10 entries, writing from the main character’s point of view. I like to assign this project at the beginning of the book, and have students write a diary entry for the events of each chapter of the book.
As long as you keep it fun and engaging, your students will be excited to invest their time in their projects! Be sure to clearly outline the expectations before your students begin. I like to write their questions on chart paper in one color, and my answers in another color. This way students can refer back to the poster when they "forget" expectations.
I would love to expand my go to book reports. Please comment below with your tried and true book reports.
See you next week,
