Independent Reading Book Project Guidelines

Due the last Friday of each month

From your independent reading book, you will need to do a creative project that somehow relates to what you read. 

Pick a project that you would enjoy doing and something that you know you will be able to easily relate to your reading of the book.

Book Project Guidelines

No matter what project you choose, the final project needs to be something that somehow contains these elements:

•The title and author of the book that you read.

•Somehow represents and explains the events and characters.

•It is creative and appealing to the eye—it is colorful, neat, organized, and obvious time,     effort, and thinking went into the creation of it.

•Your writing should have NO grammar or spelling errors and be quality work.

· You may not choose the same Book Project option twice – you must complete a different activity each time.

· If you want to complete a Book Project Activity not listed below, please confirm your activity with Ms. Julin in advance.

 Examples of Book Project Activities

1. Interview: 

Interview a character from your book. Write at least 10 questions that will give the character the opportunity to discuss his/her thoughts and feelings about his/her role in the story.  Then pretend you are the character and answer the questions.  Questions must be thoughtful and should not be factual.  One to two pages long.

2. Letter to movie producer:

 Imagine that you are the author of the book you have just read.  Suddenly the book becomes a best seller.  Write a letter to a movie producer trying to get that person interested in making your book into a movie.  Explain in detail why the story, characters, and setting would make a good film.  You may only use books that have not already been made into movies.  NOTE:  Limit the amount of summary in your letter – think analysis. One page or more.

 3. Song Writing:

Write and perform an original song that tells the story of the book. You should be prepared to sing or recite the song lyrics. Include a paragraph explaining how the song fits with the theme of the book.

4. Travel Brochure:

Prepare a 3-fold travel brochure advertising the setting of your book using pictures that you have found or drawn.  This brochure should persuade people to visit the setting of your book.  Somewhere in your brochure you must include a detailed description of the setting of your book.  Your brochure should have information on the front and back and there should not be any blank panels on it. It should be at least 11 by 18 inches before folding.

5. A New Ending! 

Now you can choose what happens to the characters in your book by writing a new ending or an epilogue.  Please include a short one-paragraph summary of your book (including the real ending) at the beginning of your writing. At least 2 pages long. 

6. Timeline: 

Make an illustrated timeline showing the important events of the story from the beginning of the book to the end.  Each event on the timeline should have a picture and a 1-2 sentence caption explaining what the event is.  On the back of your timeline draw a map showing the locations where the events on your timeline took place. Remember, timelines are always in chronological order. (10-20 main events should be described on your timeline)

7. Newspaper: 

Create a newspaper for your book.  Summarize the plot in one article; cover the weather in another, do a feature story on one of the more interesting characters in another.  Include ads that would be pertinent to the story.  Remember to format your newspaper so that it looks like a newspaper. At least 4 pages.

8. Videotape Book Report. Create a "commercial" for a book:

Videotape yourself presenting a 2-3 minute "commercial” for the book read. In the first 30 seconds of the commercial, tell what is good about the book. The next 2 minutes read a favorite passage from the book -- a passage that might motivate others to want to read the book.

9. Poster: 

Make a poster advertising your book so someone else will want to read it.  

Posters must be: 

· The size of a full size sheet of construction paper or poster board

· Posters should not have blank space (use the whole sheet of paper)

· Illustrated with a scene or scenes from the book

· The title and author must be on the poster

· In your writing describe why someone should read your book.  Be creative!

10. Comic Book: 

Make your book into a comic.  Your comic should tell the story of your book, so don’t leave out any important events.  Don’t forget to design a cover for your comic book, and remember comic books have captions (or thought bubbles, etc.) so the characters can talk. At least 4 pages.

11.TV Segment:

Read the same book as one of your friends. The two of you make a video or do a live  performance of MASTERPIECE BOOK REVIEW, a program that reviews books and interviews authors. (You can even have audience participation!)

12. Now You’re Cooking!

Locate a recipe for a food dish that plays a role in the book or one that represents the setting, plot, character, or theme of the book. Write a paragraph explaining how the dish relates to the book read. Share a sample of the food with the class and be prepared to explain why this dish relates to the story.

13. Trading Spaces:

Would you want to trade places with a character in the book? Write a 5-paragraph essay explaining the reasons why. Be specific.

14. Word collage:

Write the title of the book in the center of a sheet of paper. Then look through magazines for words, phrases, sentences, and pictures that illustrate or tell something about your book. As you look, think in terms of the theme, setting, plot line, as well as characters. Work to get fifty such words, phrases, sentences, or pictures so the entire sheet of paper will be covered. The visual impact of the collage should tell a potential reader a lot about the book. Then on a separate sheet of paper, explain some of the items you included on the collage and how they represent your book.

15. Scrapbook:

Pick a character or person from the book you read. Think about all the kinds of mementos you would put in a scrapbook if you had one. Then create a scrapbook for your character/person, cutting out pictures from magazines or drawing the mementos he or she would have in a scrapbook. Include a written explanation about your scrapbook, telling what you included in it, why, and how it relates to the book. Use reasons, explanations, and examples in your writing.

16. Photos or magazine pictures:

Pick a character or person from the book you read. Find several photos or magazine pictures that would have special significance to your character/person. Mount them on a sheet of paper (the goal is to cover the entire sheet of paper) and write a detailed explanation of why they would be important to your character/person. In your writing include reasons, explanations, and specific examples from the book to support your thinking.

17. Photo album:

Think about the events that happened in your book. Decide which scenes or pictures from the book a character/person would want to remember. Then draw several of these “photos” for an album page and write about which pictures the character/person would want in his or her album. Write about the pictures being sure to tell why those pictures would be important to the character. Use reasons, explanations, and examples in your writing.

18. A character alphabet:

Choose a character/person from the book you read. Write who that character/person is and describe what he/she did in the book. Then create sentences (more than just one) based on the alphabet scheme that demonstrate your knowledge of the character/person. Several letters of the alphabet should be multiple sentences long. For example:

C is for the CAMERA Tom gave Maggie so she could begin to

look at the world in new ways.