Book Projects for Winter Break (Choose one.)

Timeline (option #1)

The Project

Use words and pictures to make a timeline of the important events in your book.

The Details

• Include at least 10 important events from your book.
• Each event should include a title that explains the event and a picture. Pictures may be drawn or printed.
• Timeline should include dates if they are known.
• Include the title and author of your books above your timeline.

Tips for Success

• As you read your book, keep a list of ideas for important events to include on your timeline.
• Your timeline will be long. You may need to use butcher paper or tape several sheets of construction paper together.
• Use a ruler or yardstick to make your timeline straight.
• To keep your project neat, you may want to create each entry on a separate piece of paper and then glue them to the correct places on your timeline.

As an alternative, you may adapt this timeline project to a slideshow using your Google account.

Collage Book Project (option #2)

The Project

Create a collage using pictures that represent important parts of your book.

The Details

• Use a large piece of poster board for your collage
• Make sure the title and author of your book are displayed prominently on your collage.
• Include at least 15 pictures. You can use pictures that you cut from magazines, printout from the internet, or draw yourself.
• On a separate piece of paper, write a descriptive title for each picture that you included and a sentence or two about why it was important to the book. For example, if you read one of the Harry Potter books, you could include a picture of a lightning bolt and write about why Harry has that mark on his forehead.

Tips for Success

• As you read your book, keep a list of important characters, events, and objects to use in your collage.
• Remember that in a collage, pictures overlap a bit on the edges.
• Be sure to glue the edges and corners down carefully to make your collage look neat.

Graphic Novel Book Project (option #3)

The Project

Choose the three most important chapters from your book and present them as a graphic novel (comic strip style).

The Details

• Present your graphic chapters in book format with a front cover, several pages and a back cover.
• The front cover should include the title of the book and chapters, name of the author, and a large picture of an important scene.
• The pages should tell the story in frames with pictures, captions and thought and speech bubbles.
• The back cover should include an About the Author paragraph about you (not the author of the book).

Tips for Success

• Try to choose chapters that will not be too hard to draw, with several different scenes and characters.
• Remember to choose important chapters.
• Plan your graphic novel out ahead of time. Decide what will go in each frame and on each page before you begin to draw and write.
• Consider using a computer to make the comic frames. You could make a chart for the frames or use the shapes tool.
• You do not have to include all the dialogue in the chapter – just enough to tell the story.
• Be sure you accurately reflect the settings and characters. If the author says the main character has curly hair, draw her that way.

Scrapbook Project (option #4)

The Project

Pretend you are the main character of your book. Make a scrapbook with items and pictures that are important to your life and to the story.

The Details

• Make your book at least five pages long. Include at least 20 items and/or pictures.
• For each item or picture, include a caption explaining what it is and why it is important.
• Decorate the front cover. Be sure to include the name of the main character.

Tips for Success

• As you read the book, keep a list of ideas for things to include in your scrapbook. For example, if you read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, you might include: A picture of your family, the Golden Ticket, a Wonka Bar Wrapper, a picture of an Oompa Loompa, a list with the names of the other children who got to go on the tour etc.
• One way to organize your scrapbook is to do a page for each chapter.
• You can get pictures from magazines and the internet or you can draw them, or take pictures and print them out.

All of these projects were taken from Americanacademyk8.

Extra Credit:  Post a review paragraph of your book on kidblog.