Choosing a Book Activities for Kids

These classroom activities are designed to complement the Choosing a Book topic on BrainPOP Jr.

Book Swap
Have your students bring in old books and trade with each other. Students can browse the books and test to see if it interests them and is the appropriate reading level. Lead students through a Picture Walk and have student volunteers explain why or why not the book interests them. Help students quietly read aloud a page and count difficult words for the Five Finger Test. You can break up students into pairs and have them retell a page from the book to each other.

Cover to Cover

Have students make their own book jackets for their favorite books. Show students how to make book covers using paper bags and then have them decorate the front. Remind them to add the title and the author’s name. Then have students write a book summary on the back. Explain that summaries tell the big events of a story without giving away too much. If necessary, go through sample book summaries together. Collect the books on one bookshelf so students can share their book jackets.

Reading Campaign

Start a reading campaign at your school. Have your students create posters and pamphlets to pass out to students, teachers, and staff at the school. The handouts should explain the importance of reading and tips on how to find books. Students can design posters that teach how to use the Five Finger Test. If possible, organize a local writer to come to your class or school and have a reading or book-signing as part of your Reading Campaign.

Genre Baskets

Have students learn categorizing skills by sorting classroom library books into different shelves or baskets according to genre. Students can decorate index cards to make labels for each genre, which can then be laminated and affixed.