book reports 3rd grade

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 .

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.