Responding to what you read is an important literacy skill. Reading about other peopleâs experiences and perspectives helps kids learn about the world. And although students donât need to dive deeply into every single book they read, occasionally digging into characters, settings, and themes can help them learn to look beyond the prose. Here are 42 creative book report ideas designed to make reading more meaningful for kids.
1. Concrete Poem
This clever activity is basically a âshape poemâ made from words, phrases and whole sentences found in whatever the student is reading. The words are laid out to create an image that represents something from the story. For example, if a student is reading a fairy tale about a princess, they may create a found poem using words from the story in the shape of a castle.
Learn more: How to Write Concrete Poems (Examples and Templates)
2. Graphic Novel
Challenge your students to reimagine something theyâre readingâa scene, a chapter, or a whole bookâas a graphic novel. Provide a task list for the assignment. For instance, six scenes from the story, three characters, setting details, etc. And, of course, detailed illustrations.
Learn more: Free Comic Strip Printable Templates
3. BookSnaps
BookSnaps are digital, visual representations of a readerâs reflection and insight to a book or other text. Students simply take a photo or screen shot of a page or passage, then add annotations, comments, illustrations or other reactions. They are a great way to share personal connections and spark discussion.
4. Journal Entry
Ask your students to place themselves in the shoes of one of their bookâs characters and write a first-person diary entry from their perspective. Ask them to choose a critical moment in the story with plenty of interaction and emotion to talk about.
Learn more: Benefits of Journaling for Students
5. Pizza Box Book Report
If youâre looking for creative book report ideas that use upcycled materials, try this one using a pizza box. It works well for both nonfiction and fiction book reports. On the inside of the top lid, students draw their bookâs cover. On the bottom, they draw a circle and divide it into pizza slices. On each wedge, they tell a part of the story.
6. Book Jacket
Challenge your students to think like a book illustrator and create a new, different book jacket for the text theyâre reading. Make sure the jacket has an enticing front cover and a summary inside the front fold. On the back fold provide a short biography of the author and on the back cover a few book reviews.
7. Rewrite the Ending
Challenge students to come up with an alternate ending to the book they are reading. Write a summary of the story up to the point of the new ending, then take the story in a different direction.
8. Fictional Yearbook Entries
Have your students create a yearbook entry based on the characters and setting in their book. What do the characters look like? Cut out magazine pictures to serve as their school pictures. What kind of superlative might they get? Best-looking? Class clown? What clubs would they belong to or lead? What awards have they won? This fun assignment is a great opportunity for your students dug deep into the charactersâ personas.
Learn more: Clever Yearbook Ideas
9. Book Tasting
How fun is this? Instead of a food tasting (or wine tasting for us adults) students can put on a book tasting. Set a lovely table, prepare the main dish (a book report from each student) and have students circulate and sample.
Learn more: Expand Your Readersâ Palettes with a Book tasting.
10. Water Bottle Sticker
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.
Learn more: Free Book Report Templates
11. Sandwich Book Report
Yum! Youâll notice a lot of creative book report ideas revolve around food. In this oldie but goodie, different colored paper cut into appropriately sized shapes represent parts of a sandwich. For instance, tan for the bread, pink for ham, green for lettuce, red for tomato, etc. On each part of the sandwich, students will write about a different element of the bookâcharacters, setting, conflict, etc.
12. Alphabet Book
Have your students create their own alphabet book based on the book they read. Write After they find a word to represent each letter, have them write one sentence that explains where the word fits in.
Learn more: Best Alphabet Books for Kids of All Ages
13. Peekaboo Book Report
Using cardboard lap books (or small science report boards), students display details about their bookâs main characters, plot, setting, conflict, resolution, etc. Then, they add a head and arms created from card stock and attach them to the board from behind to make it look like the main character is peeking over this book report.
14. Act the Part
Have students dress up as their favorite character from the book and present an oral book report. If their favorite character is not the main character, retell the story from their point of view.
15. T-shirt Book Report
Another fun and creative idea: Create a wearable book report using Sharpie pens and acrylic paint on a plain white t-shirt. Include all the pertinent book report elements and add colorful illustrations. Have all your students wear their t-shirt book reports on the same day and give them time to share with each other.
16. Bookmark
Have students create a custom illustrated bookmark that includes drawings and words from either their favorite chapter or the entire book.
17. Rays of Sunshine Book Report
This is great for biography research projects. Students cut out a photocopied image of their subject and glue it in the middle. Then, they draw lines from the image to the edges of the paper, like rays of sunshine, and fill in each section with information about the person. As a book report template, the center image could be a copy of the book cover, and each section would expand on key information such as character names, theme(s), conflict, resolution, etc.
18. Reading Lists for Characters
Ask your students to think about a character in their book. What kinds of books might that character like to read? Take them to the library to choose five books the character might have on their to-be-read list. Have them list the books and explain what each book might mean to the character. Post the to-be-read lists for others to see and choose fromâthereâs nothing like trying out a book characterâs style when developing your own identity.
Learn more: 2025 Summer Reading List for Kids and Teens
19. Character To-Do List
This fun activity is an off-the-beaten-path way to dive deep into character analysis. Get inside the head of the main character in a book and create a to-do list that they might write. Use actual information from the text, but also make inferences into what that character may wish to accomplish.
20. Collage
Create a collage using pictures and words that represent different parts of the book. Use old magazines or print pictures from the Internet. Glue the pictures onto a piece of poster board and add text. Display student collages around the classroom and do a gallery walk.
21. Book Reports in a Bag
Looking for book report ideas that really encourage creative thinking? With book reports in a bag, students read a book and write a summary. Then, they decorate a paper grocery bag with a scene from the book, place five items that represent something from the book inside the bag, and present the bag to the class.
22. Timeline
Create a timeline using a long roll of butcher paper, a poster board, or index cards taped together. For each event on the timeline, write a brief description of what happens. Add pictures, clip art, word art, and symbols to make the timeline more lively and colorful.
23. File Folder Book Report
Also called a lap book, this easy-to-make book report hits on all the major elements of a book study and gives students a chance to show what they know in a colorful way. Open a manilla file folder flat, then fold each side into the center fold so that it looks like a French door. On each of the outside flaps and all of the inside area, have students create different boxes of information such as author, genre, setting, theme, etc. Students can use colored paper, markers and crayons to make their report
24. Map It
Create a colorfully illustration map of the bookâs setting and label all the important locations. This is an especially fun activity for tracking the action in mystery books.
Learn more: Map Skills Worksheets
25. Triorama Book Report
Who doesnât love a multidimensional book report? A triorama is a three-dimensional triangular diorama, but you can also try an accordion-folded book report, a quadrama, or an info-sphere.
26. Character Cards
Create trading cards (like baseball cards) for characters from the book. On the front side, draw an illustration of the character. On the back side, make a list of their character traits and include a quote or two. Give students time to share their cards with classmates or present them to the whole class.
27. Book Report Mobile
This creative project is easy to make with a wire clothes hanger, strings, and paper. Cover the body of the hanger with a paper illustration of the book cover. Then, fill out cards with key elements of the book like characters, setting, summary and attach them to the bottom wire of the hanger with string.
28. Top Ten Fact Sheet
Have students create a list of 10 facts that they learned from reading the book. Have them write the facts in complete sentences, and be sure that each fact is something that they didnât know before they read the book.
29. Create a Sequel
Have you ever finished a great book and wished the story would go on? Or wondered what happened to the characters ten or twenty years later? This fun book report idea challenges students to take up where the author left off and follow up on the action and characters on their next adventure.
30. Be a Character Therapist
Many book plots revolve around a characterâs fear and the work it takes to overcome that fear. Ask students to make like a therapist and identify a characterâs fears. Have them find 2 or 3 scenes that illustrate how this fear exists. Then have them write about ways the character overcame the fear (or didnât) in the story. What might the character have done differently?
31. Charm Bracelet Book Report
What a âcharmingâ way to write a book report! Have students trace their hand and forearm onto a piece of stiff paper and then cut it out and decorate. Next, add a strip of paper around the wrist as a bracelet. Finally, create âcharmsâ that capture a character, an event in the plot, setting or other detail to dangle from the bracelet.
34. Letter to the Author
Have kids write a letter to the author of the book. Tell them three things you really liked about the story. Ask three questions about the plot, characters, or anything else youâre curious about.
Learn more: Writing Paper Templates
35. Poems
Write a poem or song lyrics about the book. Be sure to include main themes, characters and events that tell the story.
Learn more: Poetry Worksheet Bundle
36. Board games
This is a great project to help your students develop deeper insight into what theyâre reading. Check out our roundup of best board games below and challenge students to adapt one to create an interactive book report using one of our free printable games boards.
Learn more: Best Board Games and Printable Game Boards
37. Foldables
Create a brochure advertising the book you are reading. Begin by folding an 8Ă11 piece of paper lengthwise. Illustrate all four panels with enticing information about the book to demonstrate understanding. Have students set up a library of the brochures for classmates to browse through on their next book hunt.
Learn more: Writing Center Ideas We Love
38. Book-Themed Recipes
Food sometimes tells a story of its own- defining time, region and history. Find or create a recipe related to the bookâs setting, time period, or events, and explain its connection to the story.
39. Comic Strips
If youâre looking for creative book report ideas for students who like graphic novels, try comic strip book reports. Include an illustrated cover with the title and author. The pages of the book should retell the story using dialogue and descriptions of the setting and characters. Of course, no comic book would be complete without copious illustrations and thought bubbles.
Learn more: Free Printable Comic Strip Templates
40. Movie vs. Book
If the book your students have read has been made into a movie, have them write a report about how the versions are alike and different. If the book has not been made into a movie, have them write a report telling how they would make it into a movie, using specific details from the book.
41. Wanted Poster
Make an old timey Wanted poster for one of the bookâs main characters. Indicate whether they are wanted dead or alive. Include an illustration of the character and a description of what the character is âwantedâ for (with examples) as well a detailed account of where the character was last seen.
42. Wheaties Box Book Report
Recycle a cereal box and create a book report to look like a classic Wheaties box that featured sports heroes. Include a main image on the front side of the box. Decorate the sides of the box with information about the bookâs characters, setting, plot, summary, etc.
