Reading Home

March 8

Choosing Good Literature
No other aspect of the literature-based reading program is more important that the reading list on which it is based. For many studnets, it is their initiation in to the world or literature -- books whose writing styles, themes, plots, character development, settings, accuracy, and integrity can stir the imagination and emotions of the reader. This list should meet the educational needs of hte students, include a well-balanced selection of many types of literature, and accommodate a range of interest and ability level. No one list should be adoted. It is vital to keep in a living, growing, and changing list so that there is never a definitive list. Also, since each grade level will have students with a wide span of reading levels, there is no such thing as a "second grade book" or a "third grade book."
Library media specialists have a greater knowledge of children's literature than many classroom teachers. They have teacher ceertification and are fully versed in curriculum development and learning theory. Also they generally keep abreast of the most recent titles on the market and can alert faculty to new and promising titles and those that should be avoided in spite of how well they are promoted. This can save a great deal of time, effort, and money in the long run.

Reading Lesson Plan
Story Map
Prereading
Reading
Skill Development
Post-Reading Activities
Literature Extention Activities

Designing Developmentally Appropriate Days: http://wps.ablongman.com/ab_mylabschool_demo_1_UB/0,9736,1641430-,00.html

Fourth Grade books about ethnicity
The Sign of the Beaver
Indian in the Cupboard
Return of the Indian
Journey to Jo'burg
The Hindrend Penny Box
Frederick Douglass Fights for Freedom
Zeely
Freedom Train: the Story of Harriet Tubman
The Night Journey (Jews in Russia)
Today's Special Z.A.P. and Zoe (Greek Americans)
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (Chinese Americans)
Wheel on the School (Netherlands)

Book Report Ideas
Book Report Recipe: http://www.teachersdesk.org/readreport.html
Try this alternative book report, in recipe formula, for a fresh change of pace. All the usual ingredients
for reviewing books are still included.

Better Book Reports: 25 More Ideas!: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson289.shtml

Bingo Card
Use a bingo card system to read a book a quarter. They can select across, down, etc. and read the genres in that row (animal story, historical fiction, etc.) or if they want a challenge they can read the four corners (mystery, biography, etc.).

Biography Clothesline: http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/bios/bios.htm

Book in A ...: http://www.derby.k12.ks.us/dms/BOOK_IN_A.html

Book in a Container: http://www.mrslusk.com/bookina.html

Bookmark: Each student creates a bookmark about their favorite book or a book they have read. On one side is a drawing or picture (clip art or original artwork) that relates to the book and the book's title. On the other side the student writes the book's title, author, and a short (2-3 sentence) summary/recommendation. These bookmarks are punched at the top, placed on a ring, and hung on the bulletin board.

Book Report Alternative: The Elements of Fiction: http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=138

Book Report Recipe: http://www.teachersdesk.org/readreport.html
Try this alternative book report, in recipe formula, for a fresh change of pace. All the usual ingredients
for reviewing books are still included. These cards would make a nice introductory back-to-school exercise and bulletin board display--students can illustrate their cards and report a recipe on a special
book they read over the summer.

Cartoon Strip Book Report: Students make "cartoon strips" for the chapter being read, or a panel for each chapter, highlighting the important parts. To do this, take a sheet of paper and fold into six blocks. It will look just like the Sunday funnies. The class can make a rubric together and to let them know what is expected so that they can add on to their comic strip as you read aloud or they read a book.

CD book project
Students design a CD case for their favorite at-home reading book. The liner notes held the usual, plot, characters, etc. The front can be whatever they want, the back has a list of possible song titles (either real or made up) that would go well with the book. Put them up with Velcro tape with the title, "Heard of a Good Book Lately?"

Internet "shoebox" project
Students in different schools around the world create diorama about their favorite books and mail it. Pictures are taken and put on Internet. OR Dioramas are created and pictures email to one site where they are put on webpage.

The Macbeth Photographic Book Report
Working in groups the students use photographs (4 per act minimum) to "tell" the story of Macbeth (Power Point slide show). Each slide has an accompanying caption that is either a direct quote or paraphrase (properly cited) from the play. In addition, each group writes two paragraphs: a concept/definition paragraph explaining their project and a proposition/support paragraph arguing what grade they deserved (based on the detailed rubric). They can use Photo Shop to edit the photos (most notably for the scene with the three apparitions).

More Ideas Than You'll Ever Use For Book Reports: http://www.teachnet.com/lesson/langarts/reading/bookrepts1.html

Oral report suggestions
Use a clear and confident speaking voice that is loud enough for the audience to hear you. Know about your book well enough so you are able to maintain good eye content with the audience. Maintain the interest of the audience through appropriate variation of voice and body language. Have an interesting opening referring to the name of the book and the author, then explaining who your book is about. Have an orientation indicating why this person merited a book being written about them, or why they wrote a book about themselves. Have a good clear structure to your presentation: introduction/orientation, main points made clearly and elaborated on (probably in chronological order, referring to the timeline of achievements and highlights), a strong conclusion summarizing the person's achievements. Tell your opinion of the person and their activities. Share your opinion of the book and who you would recommend it to. Use your book and one note card as the only notes or prompts to your presentation. You might consider using a quote from the book to illustrate a key point. If pictures are included in the book, select one or two to share with that class that reveal something special about your subject. Encourage and respect questions from your classmates and effectively answer their questions about the book. Above all, BE PREPARED!

The Pocket Book Report
The students chose items that are representative characters or props from the books they read. These might be "army guys", matchbox cars, Barbie accessories. They chose five items and those items had to fit in some kind of pocket. Some of the pockets might be from old jeans, quilt pieces, saddle bag. As each piece is taken from the "pocket" the student explains the significance and the reason he/she included it in the pack. They make the props that they cannot find.

Questions for book reports:
If you were *a characters name* how might you have reacted to *situations*.
What made *character* react the way he did?
Explore the relationships in the book - what circumstances led to their
development or demise?
Explore the language used in the novel - choose a paragraph and rewrite it using your own words, would your paragraph fit in with the rest of the novel? Why or why not?
Compare two books (the required one, plus one of their choice).
Compare the characters in each book, saying how they are similar and how they are different.
Compare the plot from each book, (similarities and differences again).
Require that specific page numbers be quoted with examples.
Ask them to compare the characters and plots from the required book with stories from TODAY'S newspaper.
Pretend you are a character in this book and write a letter to Dear Abby asking for advice on how to handle the situation that has emerged in the book.

Skinny Book
This is a book that the kids put together. The teacher chooses what goes on each page. They start with a large piece of construction paper folded in half for the cover and 7 blank sheets for the inside. Ideas for each page ranged from character traits for the main character, analyzing a quote, writing about 3 themes from the book, changing the ending, asking the author 3 questions, reading an article/short story/poem that was related to the novel and asking how it fit with the larger work. They also include art work on each page.

Students make cubes using a pattern. Each side of the cube has a picture of fact (or both) about the biographee. Inside the cube is a little clue about the person. For example, apple seeds for Johnny Appleseed. Oral reports are given, but the name of the person was not on the cube. Each cube was given a number and students had a quiz to see how many people they could identify based on the cube and or the clue.

Summation Board
In cooperative learning groups, have each group discuss the book and create a summation board. A summation board is artistically designed by the students and may include computer generated work, hand written work, collage type designs, etc., but the board must reflect their summary of the book. It incorporates active learning and creative thinking.

Wax museum with biographies
Students read the book, prepare a report on the person and then invite parents. They come in character and stay in character for the entire presentation, which is about 45 minutes. Parents and staff members then press a "button" on their hand (round sticker) and they start off ...I am...

Book Report Alternatives
Ad Campaign- Your job is to design an ad campaign to promote your book. Think of ideas for a cover, inside jacket, poster, window banner and display cartoon. Sketch your ideas or put them together to form a window display. Some of you may want to present your ideas in the form of a
60-second TV or radio commercial.
Adding- Add a chapter or incident to the story. You may include new characters, new incidents or new settings.
Advertising- You work in the advertising department of a publisher. Your job is to create an advertising display for the book. This display will be set up in bookstores across the country. For your display, consider using author photos, posters, dioramas, or cardboard display cases. Aging Character- Pretend you are the major character at age sixty, tell about your life as a young person and as an adult.
Alien Encounter- Pretend you have landed on another planet and you are going to convince them the book you just read is a good one to read. How would you do it? Remember they cannot speak the English language.
Author- Write a letter to the author about certain aspects of the book you did not like. Site the book to back up what you say. Offer suggestions for improvement.
Author Comparison- Compare this book to another written by the same author.
Author Research- Find out about the author; present a brief biography of him and tell about his book. What else has he written?
Balloon- Blow up a balloon and decorate the sides of it so it tells about the book you read.
Book Designer- You are a book designer, and the publisher wants to come out with a new edition of the book. Design a new cover or book jacket, and illustrate the first page of each chapter.
Box Design- Design a box (it can be square or 3-D). Put something about the book on all sides of it. Cartoon Strip- Draw a cartoon strip of the most important events in the story.
Character Construction- Use a 2-liter plastic bottle for the body (partially filled with sand or pebbles to stay upright), a plastic foam ball for the head and poster board for the feet and clothes. Explain why
you choose this character to design. Use lines from the book to back up your character.
Character Conversation- Choose two characters from the story and write about a conversation they might have.
Characters Meet- create a scene in which the main characters from TWO novels meet.
Chinese Restaurant- You are out with the main characters from your book at a Chinese restaurant. On this particular night, the fortune cookies are amazingly appropriate. Describe each character and tell what his/her fortune cookie said and why it is fitting. Do not forget to include yourself! Clay Characters- make clay figures that go along with your book. Collage- Use old magazines as a source for pictures which represent some event of part of your book. Make a collage to show and explain your choices to the group.
Compare/Contrast- Compare and contrast yourself with the main character of the book.
Crossword Puzzle- Select 20 difficult words from the book and look up their synonyms in a dictionary or thesaurus. Using these synonyms as well as facts about the plot and characters, design a crossword puzzle.
Draw- Draw a mural depicting the major scenes from the book.
Descriptive Words- Find as many descriptive words as you can in one chapter that are used for people or a place. Be sure to specify which.
Desert Island- Imagine you are stranded on a deserted island with an important character from your book. Which one would you choose and why?
Detective Game- Make a detective game about the book you read. Give clues. You may use page numbers, etc.
Diary- Pretend you are the main character and write several diary pages
describing an important event in the book.
Diorama- Make a diorama of an important happening in the book.
Ending- Make up a new ending for the book.
Epilogue- Write an epilogue to the story.
Felt Board Characters- Make a set of felt board characters and tell part of the book with them. Highlight- For each chapter, pick a highlight or point that you felt made that chapter exciting. Illustrate each highlight.
Historical Background- Present the historical background for this novel.
Hundred Year Test- Explain why you think this book will or will not be read a hundred years from now. Support your opinion by stating specific events from the story.
Greeting Card- Design an original greeting card(s) that your character could send to a friend/foe/relative or someone else in the book.
Illustrations- Draw your own set of illustrations for the book.
Interior Decorator- Design a new home for the main characters in your book.
Limerick- Write a limerick about your book.
Lost and Found- Make up a lost and found as for a person or object in your book.
Main Character- Describe the main character in 150 words.
Main Character Design- Use butcher paper and make a life-size picture of the main character of your book.
Map- Make an illustrated map showing a character's travels or the area encompassed by your book. Mobile- Design and build a mobile that conveys scenes, characters, or events from the book. Monologue- Prepare a monologue from the story. Memorize it and present it to the class.
Movie Script- Write a movie script for one of the scenes in your book. Act it out in front of the class with the help of other students.
Photos- Take photos which reflect your understanding of the novel.
Pictures- Bring in pictures, drawings, posters or objects that represent some aspect of the novel. Poem- Make up a poem about your book.
Problem- Describe the problem or conflict existing for the main character in the book. Tell how the conflict was or was not resolved.
Pulitzer Prize- Pretend you are one of the judges for the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, an annual award honoring excellence in writing. Decide whether you would nominate the book you have just read for such an award. Then write a letter to the author explaining why you have accepted or rejected his book to compete for such high honors.
Puppet- Create a puppet to represent your favorite character in the story.
Puzzle- Make a put-together puzzle. Make it in the shape of a main object or character of the book. When put together it has on it the name of the book and the author.
Questions- Write 10 question which could be used to test other students understanding of the story. Make sure to include a list of answers.
Roll Story- Make a roll (like those you see on a cash register) and use words and pictures to tell about your book. It will be told as they unroll this.
Scrapbook- Make a scrapbook about the book.
Seed Mosaic- Make a seed mosaic to illustrate part of the book.
Setting- Research the geography of the setting of the novel.
Shoebox Picture Scene- Make a shoebox picture scene.
Song- Write a ballad or song about the characters and events in your story. Set the words to the music of a popular song and sing it in class.
Stamp- Design a stamp that could be the crest or symbol to represent either the book or the main character.
Television commercial- Make a television commercial about your book. Act out the commercial for the class.
TV Talk Show- Interview a character for a TV talk show, creating questions and answers consistent with the novel.
Timeline- Make a timeline of what happens during the book.
Title- Using the title of the book, write a phrase about the book for each letter.
Travel Poster- Make a travel poster inviting tourists to visit the setting of the book.
Turning Point- Pick out what you felt was the "turning point" in the book. Write about the incidents that led the reader to that point.
Word Power- Make a list of new, unusual or interesting words or phrases found in your book.

References
Yesner, B. L. & Murray, M. M. (1993) Developing Literature-Based Reading Programs: A How-To-Do-It Manual for School and Public Libraries. Neal-Schuman Publishers: New York.

This site began in March 1998 by Janet Luch.
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