Our Fantastic Box Reports

I'll be honest -- the girls don't love book reports. I feel they are a good way to gauge reading comprehension and foster writing skills. But, they aren't convinced that book reports are necessary. So, when I announced that it was time to do their monthly book report, I was audience to moaning and groaning and rolling eyes. 

But, my plan was a change up our book report this month and see their creativity instead of spreading graphite on paper. As soon as I announced that our book report would be in the form of a box report, both girls seemed pleased. I gave them one week to complete a report on the book they had just finished reading in our Drawn into the Heart of Reading unit. Here they are!!

Emily read The Indian in the Cupboard, by Lynne Reid Banks. Here is the Indian (on the right) kneeling over the Cowboy just after he shot him with an arrow. Ok, ok, the Indian is not really kneeling because Lego men can't kneel, but he is supposed to be kneeling. I love some of the details that Emily included. The carpeted her shoebox with remnants of carpet that we had in the basement. She created a bow and arrow out of a toothpick and twine and made clothes for the miniature characters to wear.

Megan read an excellent story called StoneFox by John Reynolds Gardiner. It was about a little boy who enters a dogsled race to save his grandfather's potato farm. I could not recommend this book enough. Here, Megan depicts the little boy as he is racing past his grandfather's house. His grandfather is looking out the window. I was impressed with the sled that Megan made on her own out of toothpicks, small wood pieces and twine.