book report for class 3

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Free Book Report Templates: Printables for Grades 3-5 for Fiction or Nonfiction Books

Take a new spin on your book report assignment. 📚😍

The Nocturnals are fun-filled animal adventure books with companion nonfiction for elementary school classrooms. Check out The Nocturnals World , a resource hub with free turnkey printable activities and educator guides, and browse The Nocturnals bookstore!

Building lifelong readers is one of the most important things we can do in our classrooms. The benefits of reading are wide-ranging, from improving vocabulary skills to boosting cognitive development, concentration skills, and curiosity for learning. So, how do we get young learners excited about reading and sharing what they’ve learned? Check out our free book report template printables .

Four different activities are ready to print to help you take a new spin on your next book report assignment for fiction or nonfiction books. Students will love filling in their mini book report one-pagers or making their selections from the choice board to share details about what they read.

Worksheets Included:

My mini book report—fiction and nonfiction.

These book report one-pagers are a great way for students to reflect on their readings as they complete different sections of the worksheet. There’s a version for both fiction and nonfiction.

Book Report Choice Board

Give students choices on how they want to complete their book report assignment. This choice board offers eight fun options, from designing a comic to creating a playlist or writing interview questions, so students can let their creativity guide them.

Designing Water Bottle Stickers

Students are obsessed with stickers. In this unique activity, students will design water bottle stickers that the main character of the book would love to have, along with a short description of their choices.

Give students fun-filled books to choose from

Animal adventure books from The Nocturnals are the perfect way to get your upper elementary students excited about reading. Paired with nonfiction companion texts that explore nocturnal animal facts, this series is great for hi-lo readers. Visit The Nocturnals World for more free printable activities and educator guides.

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Free 3rd Grade Book Report Template

Are you looking for a cool 3rd grade book report template ? If so this is the one for you.

This free homeschool printable is perfect to encourage the kids to read.

Do you have a child who dislikes writing assignments but needs to complete a book report?

This creative book report contains places to draw a new front cover, plus somewhere to draw their favorite character and a picture of the book setting.

Plus all the other elements of a more traditional book report, such as the title, the author, the child’s review of the book, the main character, a brief summary, and how the story ends.

This free book report template is perfect for students in 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade.

**This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and a participant in other affiliate programs, I earn a commission on qualifying purchases.**

Table of Contents

What are the benefits of 3rd grade students writing a book report?

There are several benefits of 3rd grade students writing a book report. Here are some of them:

• Writing a book report requires students to read the book carefully and understand the story. This helps to develop their reading comprehension skills.
• Writing a book report requires students to analyze and evaluate the book they have read. They need to think critically about the story, characters, and themes. This helps to develop their critical thinking skills.
• Writing a book report helps students to improve their writing skills. They learn how to organize their thoughts, write clear sentences and paragraphs, and use proper grammar and punctuation.
• Writing a book report also encourages creativity. Students can add their own creative touches to the report, such as drawing pictures and creating a diorama of the story’s setting.

Book report template 3rd grade

This free printable book report template is free to print but is for personal or classroom use only. Scroll to the bottom of the page to get the pdf file.

This is no boring book report, and the kids are going to love completing it.

This free book report can be used with students in second grade, third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade.

Whether you are a homeschool mom, a teacher, or a librarian, this is a great no preparation download.

Have fun with the my favorite book worksheet too!

The activities in this book report include:

• Rating out of 5 stars
• Main character
• Design a new front cover
• Draw a picture of your favorite character
• Draw a picture of the book setting
• Write a brief summary of the book
• How did the story end?

When the kids have read the book they can complete this fun book report. Fill out the book title and author. Color in how many stars they give the book out of 5.

Name who the main characters were, and then draw a picture of their favorite character and color them in.

Then they need to draw a picture of where the book was set.

Design, draw, and color in a new book cover.

They need to finally write a brief summary of the book, and state how the story ended.

Older students can use our free middle school book report template .

Creative book report ideas

If you are looking for even more book report suggestions you are going to love these fun activities:

• Turn the book they have read into a comic strip .
• Have students create a movie-style trailer for the book they read. They can use images, sound effects, and their own voice-over to describe the book and encourage others to read it.
• Ask students to choose a character from the book they read and write an interview with them. They can come up with questions and answers based on what they learned about the character from the book.
• Have students create a board game based on the book they read. They can design the game board, create playing pieces, and come up with game rules that relate to the story.
• Have students keep a book journal where they record their thoughts and reactions as they read the book. They can include drawings, quotes, and summaries of each chapter.
• Encourage students to form a book club where they can discuss the book they read with their classmates. Or if you are using this in your homeschool why not join a book club on Outschool?
• Ask students to create a new cover design for the book they read. They can use images, symbols, and colors that represent the story and its themes.
• Have kids create a storyboard that illustrates the plot of the book. They can draw scenes from the story and include captions that describe what’s happening.
• Create a puppet show based on the book they read. They can create puppets and a stage , and act out scenes from the story.
• Have students create a three-dimensional diorama that depicts a scene from the book. They can use materials such as cardboard, paper, and clay to create the diorama.

Check out the best books for 9 year old boys !

Other free book related printables

These are some of the other free book printables we have:

• Book scavenger hunt
• Summer reading challenge printable
• Reading log printable
• Compare and contrast movie and book template
• Roald Dahl bookmarks to color in
• Book review bookmark

Need to print later? Add this to your Pinterest board or share it on Facebook. You’ll have it handy whenever you’re ready to use it!

Download the free printable book report template

To get your free printables for kids , simply add your name and email address to the form below.

Favorite books for elementary students

My son absolutely loves reading and as such has reviewed hundreds of books. These are some of his favorite books that are perfect for third graders:

• Books for 9 year old boys
• Homeschool science books
• Anatomy books for kids
• Geography books for kids
• Homeschool history books
• Shakespeare books for kids
• Philosophy books for kids
• Pirate books for kids
• Roald Dahl books
• President books for kids
• Butterfly books for kids

Last Updated on 16 July 2024 by Clare Brown

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Elementary Assessments

7 Amazing Book Report Ideas For Third-Grade Students

If your goal as a teacher is to get students to analyze and think deeper about the books they read, then a book report project is a great option.

I’ve gathered the best book report ideas for third grade students that meaningfully engage all academic levels of learners, from struggling third graders to gifted students. 

What’s more, these 3rd-grade book report ideas motivate students to put forth their best efforts because the assignments are hands-on and stimulate creativity.

You’ll be able to tap into each child’s learning style. 

Third grade is a great time in a student’s school life, as it’s the time when they begin taking on more complex and challenging literacy texts. 

Book reports can serve the purpose well. Furthermore, they allow for relatively easy differentiation. 

So as you’re planning your literacy block for the next week or two, be sure to include one or more of these book report ideas for 3rd graders into the mix. 

Book Report Ideas For Third Grade

Design a t-shirt book report..

Have your third graders design a digital T-shirt book report. They’ll be able to stretch their creativity while showing what they know.

For this activity, some teachers have students decorate an actual physical T-shirt that they then wear to school (which is a cool idea!).

However, for this lower-prep version, students will write information about their book on a T-shirt graphic organizer that’s printable.

Grab a copy of the T-shirt book report template here .

Tell students what information should be on each part of the T-shirt. 

Ideas include…

• New vocabulary
• Figure language

Once all T-shirts are completed, arrange the T-shirts in a bulletin board display. 

Write a Who Was Series Book Report. 

The Who Was? Series shares incredible stories about significant people in history. These biographical texts serve as wonderful 3rd-grade book report books.

Assign each of your third graders one of these biographies. 

After reading, provide students with a biography graphic organizer to complete. 

You may also want to assign additional graphic organizers that target other literacy skills such as character traits, text features , context clues, drawing conclusions, cause and effect, and questioning . 

Related Content:

11+ Free Book Report Templates

Assemble a Book Report Mobile.

For hands-on, creative book report ideas for third grade students, assign a book report mobile. 

Mobiles consist of a collection of artifacts hanging by strings respectively from a clothes hanger. 

Students will assemble a mobile based on a favorite book. The only materials needed are string, index cards, and a hanger.

First, they will take some notecards, and write information about their book on each one. 

Information ideas for their mobile…

• Story elements (setting, characters, problem, solution)
• Facts and opinions
• Writing a summary 
• Character analysis
• Sketches of significant or favorite scenes
• Compare and contrast

Create a Book Report Movie Poster.

This third grade book report idea is so much fun because it prompts students to view their book from the lens of a movie director. 

To start the process, set the scene for students. Tell them that one of the books that they are currently reading will be turned into a movie.

Their job is to create a promotional movie poster that would entice other students to read their book or to watch the movie version of their book. 

Before having 3rd graders begin this activity, it will be helpful to share with them examples of movie promotional posters from children’s movies.

You can do this using Google images or some other image-based search engine.

Alternatively or additionally, you could also do a movie promotional poster of a read-aloud or favorite book as a whole class so that students observe your thinking and designing process. 

Judy Blume books work well for this.  

Afterward, your third graders will now be ready to create their own movie posters according to their own book.

Fun Book Report Ideas That Teachers Love

Present an Oral Book Report. 

If you want to help students improve their presentation skills, include presentations as one of your book report ideas for third grade.

After reading a book, students will use Google Documents, PowerPoint, or some other presentation app to present their book to the class. 

For support, provide a template for students so that their presentations follow some type of predictable structure and sequence. 

Alternatively, ask that students summarize the most important ideas from the book, share their favorite parts of the book, or report on the story elements. 

Another option (if it’s a nonfiction book) is to have students share 10 facts and 5 opinions about their book.

This book report idea is versatile and can easily be differentiated to meet the needs of all levels of learners. 

Complete a Graphic Organizer.

For easy book report ideas for third graders that are still effective in boosting literacy skills, have students fill out a graphic organizer which will serve as the book report worksheet. 

Think about whatever literacy skill you would like to reinforce with students. 

Examples include cause and effect, main idea, character traits, sequencing, and predicting.

Now choose one (or more) graphic organizer that targets that particular skill.

Students will complete it according to the information from their respective books.

Rewrite the Ending.

Encourage critical thinking by having your third grade students think about how they would rewrite the ending of a book.

This book report idea stretches the imagination and helps students to tap into their predicting skills because their new endings must flow logically according to the beginning and middle of the book.

After drafting the rewrite, students may share their version with a partner or the class. 

Final Thoughts On Book Report Ideas For 3rd Grade

Support students in deepening their knowledge of a book while also assessing how well they understood it by incorporating these book report ideas for third grade.

These 3rd-grade book project ideas are not only fun, but they spark a love of reading in third graders that will positively affect their literacy skills for life. 

How to Write a Book Report (+ Book Report Example) 

Download for free, specific tips for writing effective book reports..

Write better book reports using the tips, examples, and outlines presented here. This resource covers three types of effective book reports: plot summaries, character analyses, and theme analyses. It also features a specific book report example for students.

How to write a book report (+ book report example) 

Whether you're a student looking to show your comprehension of a novel, or simply a book lover wanting to share your thoughts, writing a book report can be a rewarding experience. This guide, filled with tips, tricks, and a book report example, will help you craft a report that effectively communicates your understanding and analysis of your chosen book.

Looking for a printable resource on book reports? See our Printable Book Report Outlines and Examples

What is a book report? 

Book reports can take on many different forms. Writing a book review helps you practice giving your opinion about different aspects of a book, such as an author's use of description or dialogue.

You can write book reports of any type, from fiction to non-fiction research papers, or essay writing; however, there are a few basic elements you need to include to convey why the book you read was interesting when writing a good book report.

Types of book reports 

Three types of effective book reports are plot summaries, character analyses, and theme analyses. Each type focuses on different aspects of the book and requires a unique approach. These three types of book reports will help you demonstrate your understanding of the book in different ways.

Plot summary

When you are writing a plot summary for your book report you don't want to simply summarize the story. You need to explain what your opinion is of the story and why you feel the plot is so compelling, unrealistic, or sappy. It is the way you analyze the plot that will make this a good report. Make sure that you use plenty of examples from the book to support your opinions.

Try starting the report with a sentence similar to the following:

The plot of I Married a Sea Captain , by Monica Hubbard, is interesting because it gives the reader a realistic sense of what it was like to be the wife of a whaling captain and live on Nantucket during the 19th century.

Character analysis

If you choose to write a character analysis, you can explore the physical and personality traits of different characters and the way their actions affect the plot of the book.

• Explore the way a character dresses and what impression that leaves with the reader.
• What positive characteristics does the character possess?
• Does the character have a "fatal flaw" that gets him/her into trouble frequently?
• Try taking examples of dialogue and analyzing the way a character speaks. Discuss the words he/she chooses and the way his/her words affect other characters.
• Finally, tie all of your observations together by explaining the way the characters make the plot move forward.

In the novel Charlotte's Web , by E. B. White, Templeton the rat may seem like an unnecessary character but his constant quest for food moves the plot forward in many ways.

Theme analyses

Exploring the themes (or big ideas that run throughout the story) in a book can be a great way to write a book report because picking a theme that you care about can make the report easier to write. Try bringing some of your thoughts and feelings as a reader into the report as a way to show the power of a theme. Before you discuss your own thoughts, however, be sure to establish what the theme is and how it appears in the story.

• Explain  exactly  what theme you will be exploring in your book report.
• Use as many examples and quotations from the book as possible to prove that the theme is important to the story.
• Make sure that you talk about each example or quotation you've included. Make a direct connection between the theme and the example from the book.
• After you have established the theme and thoroughly examined the way it affects the book, include a few sentences about the impact the theme had upon you and why it made the book more or less enjoyable to read.

In the novel Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry , by Mildred Taylor, the theme of racial prejudice is a major catalyst in the story.

How to write a book report

1. Thoroughly read the book

Immerse yourself in the book, taking the time to read it in its entirety. As you read, jot down notes on important aspects such as key points, themes, and character developments.

2. Identify the main elements of the book

Scrutinize the book's primary components, including its main themes, characters, setting, and plot. These elements will form the basis of your report.

3. Formulate a thesis statement

Compose a thesis statement that encapsulates your personal perspective about the book. This should be a concise statement that will guide your analysis and give your report a clear focus.

4. Create a detailed outline

Plan the structure of your book report. This outline should include an introduction, body paragraphs each focusing on a different aspect of the book, and a conclusion.

5. Craft the introduction

The introduction should provide basic information such as the book's title and author, and present your thesis statement. It should engage the reader and make them interested in your analysis.

6. Write the body of the report

In the body of your report, discuss in detail the book's main elements that you identified in step 3. Use specific examples from the text to support your analysis and to prove your thesis statement.

7. Write a strong conclusion

Your conclusion should summarize your analysis, reaffirm your thesis, and provide a closing thought or reflection on the overall book.

8. Review and edit your report

After writing, take the time to revise your report for clarity and coherence. Check for and correct any grammar or spelling errors. Ensure that your report clearly communicates your understanding and analysis of the book.

9. Include citations

If you have used direct quotes or specific ideas from the book, make sure to include proper citations . This is crucial in academic writing and helps avoid plagiarism.

10. Proofread

Finally, proofread your work. Look for any missed errors and make sure that the report is the best it can be before submitting it.

Book report example 

Below is a book report example on the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

In  To Kill a Mockingbird , Harper Lee presents a thoughtful exploration of racial prejudice, morality, and the loss of innocence. Set in the small, fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression, the book centers around the Finch family - young Scout, her older brother Jem, and their widowed father, Atticus. Scout's character provides a fresh perspective as she narrates her experiences and observations of the unjust racial prejudice in her town. Her honesty and curiosity, coupled with her father's teachings, allow her to grow from innocence to a more profound understanding of her society's inequalities. The plot revolves around Atticus Finch, a respected lawyer, defending a black man, Tom Robinson, unjustly accused of raping a white woman. As the trial progresses, it becomes clear that Robinson is innocent, and the accusation was a product of racial prejudice. Despite compelling evidence in Robinson's favor, he is convicted, symbolizing the power of bias over truth. The theme of racial prejudice is a significant part of the book. Lee uses the trial and its unjust outcome to critique the racial prejudice prevalent in society. For example, despite Atticus's solid defense, the jury's racial bias leads them to find Robinson guilty. This instance highlights how deeply ingrained prejudice can subvert justice. The book also explores the theme of the loss of innocence. Scout and Jem's experiences with prejudice and injustice lead to their loss of innocence and a better understanding of the world's complexities. For example, Scout's realization of her town's unfair treatment of Robinson demonstrates her loss of innocence and her understanding of societal biases. Overall,  To Kill a Mockingbird  is a compelling exploration of the harsh realities of prejudice and the loss of innocence. Harper Lee's intricate characters and vivid storytelling have made this book a classic.

The above is an excellent book report example for several reasons. First, it provides a clear, concise summary of the plot without giving away the entire story. Second, it analyzes the main characters, their roles, and their impacts on the story. Third, it discusses the major themes of the book - racial prejudice and loss of innocence - and supports these themes with evidence from the text. Finally, it presents a personal perspective on the book's impact and overall message, demonstrating a deep understanding of the book's significance.

Book report checklist

Always  include the following elements in any book report:

• The type of book report you are writing
• The book's title
• The author of the book
• The time when the story takes place
• The location where the story takes place
• The names and a  brief  description of each of the characters you will be discussing
• Many quotations and examples from the book to support your opinions
• A thesis statement
• The point of view of the narrator
• Summary of the book
• The main points or themes discussed in the work of fiction or non-fiction
• The first paragraph (introductory paragraph), body paragraphs, and final paragraph
• The writing styles of the author
• A critical analysis of the fiction or non-fiction book

Don't forget! 

No matter what type of book report you decide to write, ensure it includes basic information about the main characters, and make sure that your writing is clear and expressive so that it’s easy for audiences in middle school, high school, college-level, or any grade level to understand. Also, include examples from the book to support your opinions. Afterward, conduct thorough proofreading to complete the writing process. Book reports may seem disconnected from your other schoolwork, but they help you learn to summarize, compare and contrast, make predictions and connections, and consider different perspectives & skills you'll need throughout your life.

Looking for more writing resources? You can find them in our creative writing center .

Featured Middle School Resources

Related Resources

How to Write a Book Report (+ a FREE Step-by-Step Printable for Your Kids)

Just so you know, this post contains affiliate links. That means if you use them to make a purchase, I may earn a commission. You can read my full affiliate disclosure  HERE .

We read a lot of books (homeschool moms, can you relate?). Right now, we are reading the Harry Potter series together as a family, and as my kids have grown, it’s been fun to see them become more interested in reading for fun. As part of our homeschooling this year, we have been learning how to write a book report, which has been a great way for me to evaluate how well my kids are understanding what they read.

My son is in 3rd grade this year and recently had a book report as one of his assignments in English. While there were a couple of steps given to him, he struggled with the process and actually putting the book report together. So I decided to create a step-by-step book report printable to help him learn how to write a book report.

I hope these printables will be a big help to your kids, too! They will walk your kids through the steps of organizing their book report, writing a draft, revising and proofreading, and writing a final copy. Plus, I’ve included a rubric for you that you can use to give helpful feedback if you’d like.

Not only will this template help your kids learn how to write a book report, but they will be fun to add to your homeschool portfolio and look back on in the future.

Why Should You Use Book Reports in Your Homeschool?

Writing a book report or using an organizer to respond to what they have read is a great way to help your kids with their reading comprehension . It’s also fun to see their unique writing styles come to light and learn what they think about the books they have read.

Plus, I have found that incorporating book reports into our homeschool is a fun way for my kids to practice their writing skills because they get to write about a book they have loved. My son doesn’t necessarily love to write, so making the writing topic interesting is really important in our current season.

They also will obviously get to practice their handwriting, and you can include an oral presentation component if you’d like to as well!

Teach Your Kids How to Write a Book Report

A book report is just what it sounds like – a detailed report your kids will write after reading a book. In the report, they will give a summary of the book and share some of the important plot points, as well as share their opinion of the book.

When my son first attempted to do his book report from his English assignment, he struggled with what to write, and how to pull it all together in one cohesive report. I wanted to really lay out the process for him, to break it down into manageable steps .

If your child is new to writing book reports, I would recommend doing the first one together . Choose a book you have been reading aloud as a family (or a new one to read together), so you can then walk through the template and process with them.

If you are reading the book together, model how to take notes of important characters and plot points as you read . These notes will be great to reference later when writing the report.

Once you are finished reading and taking notes, grab your book report template and work through the process of putting together the report ( this printable makes it so easy! ).

My Book Report Template for Kids

There are many options out there with ideas for creative and different styles of book reports (I love these ideas from We Are Teachers), but if you are looking for a simple way for your elementary-aged student to organize their thoughts into a basic book report, these are for you.

The pages include:

• 2 Book Report Planning Pages where your kids will organize their thoughts about the main characters, important plot events, and what they learned and liked about the book. They will also have space to draw out their favorite scene from the story.
• First Draft Pages where they will write a rough draft. These sheets also include checklists that will walk them through the revision and proofreading process.
• My Book Report Pages where your kids will write their final copy of their book report.
• Book Report Rubric which is a sheet you can use to offer comments and suggestions on their work, if desired.
• Reading Log page that your kids can use to keep track of what they are reading (great for your homeschool record keeping as well!)

Using a template like this will help your kids organize their thoughts in the planning pages, so it’s easier for them to put the final review together. They will see all of the important parts that need to go into their book reports, which will help them learn how to write effective reviews and recommendations.

Printable Book Report Template

I’d love for this book report template to be a blessing to you and your family as well! Grab it below when you join my subscriber list – I love to send out freebies, homeschool tips, inspiration and more as I go through my own homeschooling journey.

Grab your FREE Book Report Printables!

Subscribe to my list and join thousands of other homeschool mamas looking for homeschool help, inspiration, and fun.

Thank you for subscribing!

Please check your email for your Book Report Printables.

And if you love all of those, take a peek at my shop where I share some other helpful printables I’ve created for your home and homeschool.

Drop a comment below and let me know – what are some of your kid’s favorite books they have read, or what are they reading now?

Related Posts

• Free Printable Game to Help Teach Your Kids Contractions
• A Fun Way to Make Reading Exciting for Your Kids
• Why Visual Perceptual Skills are Important for Your Kids

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Raise the Bar Reading

A Reading Teacher's Blog

Teaching Book Report Writing: Book Report Ideas and Formats (Grades 3-5)

Writing a response to literature, or a book report, is an essential part of connecting reading and writing for upper elementary students. It allows them to reflect on what they have read and dig deep into important fiction skills. These can include:

• Identifying author’s purpose
• Writing a fiction summary
• Selecting key events
• Finding themes
• Analyzing characters
• Comparing characters
• Tracking character changes
• Analyzing author’s craft
• Likes/Dislikes
• Writing a recommendation
• Reflecting on what they have learned from the story
• Making connections (text to self, text to text, text to world)

Book report writing also encourages students to articulate their opinions thoughtfully, using text evidence to back them up.

Book reports are so versatile, so there are tons of ways to keep them fun and fresh for your students.   

Below are 8 book report ideas for different formats: 

1. BACKPACK BOOK REPORT:

Backpack Book Reports are an engaging, hands-on twist on a classic book report! They are very easy to prep and make a great bulletin board display when completed. Each page focuses on an important element of book reports. These include: 

• Describe the Setting
• Analyze a Character
• Compare Character Perspectives
• The Author’s Craft
• Back Up Opinions
• Time to Reflect

2. BOOK REPORT TAB BOOKS:

These tab books really bring novels to life! Students re-create the cover of their novel on the front of their book report. Then, each of the 10 tabs represent an important fiction reading response skill.  The tabs include:

• Book Basics
• Character Analysis
• Compare & Contrast Characters
• Author’s Craft

They also come in full page option to maximize student writing space, or half page size to maximize wall space for a display.  

3. BOOK REPORT LAP BOOK:

These lap books are great in that you can have students 1.) completely design their own lap books, or 2.) provide them with more structured directions.  

• Lap Book Free-Writes: The teacher tells students what fiction elements they are responsible for reporting on, but does not tell them exactly how to present them. The teacher provides students tools like paper, envelopes, scissors, etc. and students can present the information however they would like.

• Structured Lab Book: With this option, the teacher can set clear expectations and provide a model for how to present each fiction element on their lap books.  

4. DIGITAL BOOK REPORT:

A digital book report is a great option for a few reasons. First, it rids the teacher of paperwork. Next, students can access their book report from anywhere with no chance of misplacing their work. Lastly, many students thrive in using a digital tool for writing. It allows them to type and move around ideas freely without worrying about needing to handwrite drafts over and over.  

5. BOOK REPORT TEMPLATES:

These book report templates are the same as the digital book report above, just in a printable PDF format. Students can fill in each template and staple them together with the included cover page. These are versatile in that if there’s a skill you haven’t yet covered, you can easily leave that page out until later into the school year and it won’t affect the finished book report product.

6. CEREAL BOX BOOK REPORT IDEAS:

Cereal boxes are a popular 3D way to have students present their book report since they are easily accessible for any student to get their hands on. Students cover their boxes with paper to create drawing and writing space.  

The front of the box is transformed into a type of cereal that is fitting for the novel they read.  For example, a student reporting on Carl Hiaasen’s “Hoot” might name their box “Hoot Loops”. Then, the back and sides of their box are filled with information on the book. 

Similar to the lap book options described above, it is up to the teacher in how much structure they want to provide in this activity. Students can follow a model of how to present each element of fiction, or come up with their own ways to present each element on their box. 

7. ONE PAGER:

Not every single book report we assign needs to take up tons of class time. A one-page book report option is an essential resource as it can be used as a quick, zero prep assessment tool. Although short, this type of report can still have students dig deep into reading comprehension.  

On the one pager that is pictured, students still use many important fiction skills. These include genre, setting, theme, characters, plot (key events from the beginning, middle and end), overall opinion, recommendation, what they learned, and their rating.  

8. PARAGRAPH WRITING WITH GUIDELINES:

If you are looking for a way to provide a lot of structure and clear expectations, you can give students a book report writing rubric for what their reports need to include from the very start. Students can also use graphic organizers that break down necessary points to include according to their rubric. Using a graphic organizer for prewriting is a great support for students in organizing their ideas before jumping into their drafts.    

No matter what book report format you go with, it is important that students know and understand what is expected of their writing content. Displaying a Book Report Bulletin Board is such a helpful way to provide students with steps to writing a book report as well as terms they will come across in their templates.

If you are looking for book report ideas for your students, check out the resources below:

• Book Report Tab Book
• Backpack Book Report
• Book Report Bulletin Board
• Book Reports Bundle

Looking for more fiction reading response ideas that focuses on one skill at a time? Check out this blog post: Engaging and Meaningful Fiction Reading Response for Elementary Students

Engaging and Meaningful Fiction Reader Response for Elementary Students

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