I love using authentic texts to supplement our basal, so I almost always use novel studies where most small groups are reading different books that relate to our current unit of study. It’s important to have accountability and meaningful engagement with the novels though. This is where novel projects come in!

Before we dive in, if you’re looking for book suggestions to use with these projects, here’s a list of must-read upper elementary novels and tips for choosing the perfect novels for your class.

Free Novel Projects

Character Novel Project: Dive deep into character traits, character conflict, and character change with this novel project.

ABC Novel Project: This one is great if you’re short on time! Students must show their understanding of the novel by using evidence from the text to support their choices. Students will need to show their understanding of characters, themes, literary elements, etc.

Timeline Novel Project: Students will put key events from the novel in sequential order and explain the significance of each one. This one is easy to differentiate by providing students with some (or all) of the key events needed.

Amazon Listing Cumulative Novel Project: Turn your students into critics by having them write a catchy book review. I often end the school year with this one because it’s such a comprehension project!

Reading Skills Foldable Cumulative Novel Project: This is another option for an end of the year novel project because it requires students to show their understanding of the intricacies of the book, as well as the key reading skills we worked on all year long.

More Comprehension Ideas

If you’re looking for more ways to help your students think about their reading, these independent reading response anchor charts are a staple in our classroom. For a more hands-on approach, these free open ended comprehension cards are great too!

Free Book Suggestion Guide

Looking for more book tips? You can use these book lists as a resource for yourself or share them with your students’ families. I always print them out and have them ready to go for important nights like parent-teacher conferences, back to school night, and open house.