How to Make a Hanging Book Report

Hanging book reports provide an alternative to traditional book reports. Instead of writing a paper outlining the plot, characters and other elements of the book, students include that information on shapes that hang from a clothes hanger or other device. Hanging book reports may include short paragraphs summarizing the different elements of the book or take a more creative approach, using symbols and pictures to provide an analysis of the book.

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Clothes hanger
• Index cards
• Yarn
• Scissors
• Construction paper or card stock
• Single hole punch

1. Events Ladder

   • 1
     Punch a hole in the top and bottom of 11 index cards.
   • 2
     Tie the index cards together with short pieces of yarn.
   • 3
     Write the title of the book on the first index card.
   • 4
     List the 10 most important events of the story in order from first to last on the remaining index cards, sticking to a single sentence to describe each event.
   • 5
     Decorate each card with a picture or symbol to represent the event.
   • 6
     Tie the yarn at the top of the first index card to a paper clip to make a hook for hanging it on the ceiling.

   Character Report

   • 1
     Trace a gingerbread man cookie cutter onto a piece of card stock or construction paper. Trace enough gingerbread men to represent the major characters in the book.
   • 2
     Cut out the gingerbread men and punch a hole in the top of each one.
   • 3
     Color one side of each gingerbread man to represent a character in the book. Include important facial features and any styles of clothing or accessories mentioned in the story. For example, if a character enjoy music, add a pair of headphones.
   • 4
     Write a basic description of the character on the back of each gingerbread man.
   • 5
     Tie a piece of yarn in the hole of each gingerbread man and attach them to a clothes hanger.

   Book Summary

   • 1
     Cut out shapes from construction paper or card stock to represent the plot, characters, setting, theme, author and personal opinion of a book.
   • 2
     Write what element of the story the shape represents on each side of the shape.
   • 3
     Explain the plot, characters, setting, theme, author and personal opinion of the book on the opposite side of each shape.
   • 4
     Punch a hole in the top of each shape.
   • 5
     Tie a different length of yarn to each shape and attach them to a hanger so that the shapes fall at different levels.