“Non-traditional” Book Report Ideas Remember, book reports are due on the DUE DATE. You can always turn it in early Please make sure that you understand the point values BEFORE you begin!
1. Write a paper telling about the title and why it is, or why it is not a good title choice and suggest a better one. You must support your opinion with at least 3 reasons. (90) 2. Make a crossword puzzle using ideas/vocabulary from the book. You will need at least 15 entries. (85) 3. Write a letter to a friend about the book you read. Explain why you liked or did not like the book. (85) 4. Select one character from the book you read who has the qualities of a heroine/hero. List these qualities and provide reasons and evidence of why you think they are heroic. (85) 5. Describe the problem or conflict for the main character in the book. Tell how the conflict was or was not resolved. (85) 6. Create a picture book based on the book depicting the 5 parts of the plot. (90) 7. Think about the events that happened in your novel. Decide which scenes or pictures from the novel a character would want to remember. Then draw several of these "photos" for an album page. (95) 8. Create and Draw a comic book page complete with bubble-style conversations showing an incident or major event in your book. (95) 9. Make a time line of the major events in the book you read. Be sure the divisions on the time line reflect the time period in the plot. Use drawings or magazine cutouts to illustrate events along the timeline. (95) 10. Complete a series of five drawings that show five of the major events in the plot of the book you read (Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution). Write captions and labels for each drawing so that someone who did not read the book can understand the illustrations. (100) 11. Present a drawing/painting/illustration of a particularly vivid section of the novel to the class. Discuss why this particular section had an impact on your reading. Presentation must least a full 2 min. (100) 12. Write a poem that captures the essence of the novel (what the novel is about). (95)
13. Create a diary as if you were the main character of the novel. (95) 14. Choose an interesting character from your book. Consider the character's personality, likes, and dislikes. Decide on a gift for him or her; something he/she would really like to use. Design a greeting card to go along with your gift. In the greeting, explain to your friend from the book why you selected the gift. (100) 15. Prepare a list of 10-15 questions for use in determining if other people have read the book carefully. It must include "thought" questions, "how questions, and "why" questions. (95) 16. Make a test for the book you read. Include 5 true-false, 5 multiple-choice, and 5 short essay questions. After writing the test, provide the answers to your questions. (90) 17. Write a scene that could have happened in the book, but did not. (100) 18. Write a new beginning to the book you read. (100) 19. Write a new ending to the book you read. (100) 20. Write the beginning for a sequel for the book you read. (100) 21. Write a letter to the main character of the book. Write the letter he/she sends back. (95) 22. Write a letter from one character to another character in the book you read. Write a letter the other character would send back. (100) 23. Write a letter to the author of the book you read. Invite him/her to come visit our class. In the letter, include what you liked about the book, as well as the effect the book had on you as a reader. Persuade the author of the potential benefits of his/her visit, then actually email or snail-mail it. (105) 24. Create an old-school style diorama/shoe box scene depicting your favorite scene. It should be SO detailed, that anyone can tell exactly what that scene is about. Leave no room for doubt that you’ve read and understood the scene you’ve chosen (90)
Digital/Electronic Ideas 25. Digital Book Report Also a multimedia presentation, the digital book report is meant to teach an audience about a book. Include photos, videos, and music to show characters, plotlines, settings, author information, and other major elements of the book you read. (95) 26. Video Book Talk . Film yourself reporting on a book you just read. Include a summary of the story, a reaction, an analysis of the writer’s style, information about the author (such as other books published), and additional information about the book (such as book series or movie info). Then make a recommendation to other readers about whether or not they should check it out. (100) 27. Video Book Discussion (GROUP PROJECT) Similar to an individual book talk, the book discussion takes the form of a conversation between two or more readers. While it’s still important to address the issues above in order to inform your audience, the book discussion can also center around controversial parts of the book so that speakers can debate, share their opinions on different parts of the book and provide evidence from the text. Speakers might also provide a rating for the book (a certain number out of a total of five stars, for example). (105) 28. Film a Scene (GROUP PROJECT) Film a scene. If you are reading the same book as one or more others are reading, dramatize a scene from the book. Write a script and have several rehearsals before recording it. In filming, you may have screenplay writers, actors, a director, a cinematographer, and an editor. You may use Microsoft MovieMaker, Apple imovie or any other format that can be viewed in class. You may use a music soundtrack, as well as an opening title and closing credits. It’s completely up to you! (105) *******29. Make a scene grow bigger than life .After reading, select a dynamic scene, colorful setting, or appealing character to illustrate. Design a mural-size depiction of your choice. (Bulletin Board paper would be best). Then paint the scene onto Ms. Riggins’ middle window over the class library. If there is more than one student to complete this choice, all 5th grade students will vote for the best one! (110)
Happy Reading! Ms. Riggins