A Jewel of a Book

1. Students read a book of their choice. Take notes about the most important characters, key settings, plot and themes, and major events using Crayola® Erasable Colored Pencils or Crayola Color Sticks.
2. To make a charm bracelet book report, have students trace hands and wrists on construction paper. Cut it out with Crayola Scissors.
3. Using construction paper, ribbon, or other craft items to make a charm bracelet.
4. Draw and cut out as many construction paper charms as needed to tell about the book. Using Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils, Color Sticks, Crayons, or Markers, write words and draw pictures on both sides of each charm to report on the book.
5. Punch holes in charms and the bracelet. Tie short ribbons through holes to attach charms. Attach the bracelet to the paper wrist with a glue stick.
6. Print the name of the book and its author on the palm of the hand. Decorate the hand with nail polish, rings, or other ideas.

LA: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

LA: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.

LA: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

MATH: Know relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units including km, m, cm; kg, g; lb, oz; l, ml; hr, min, sec.

MATH: Compose two-dimensional shapes or three-dimensional shapes.

VA: Know the differences between materials, techniques, and processes.

VA: Use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories.

VA: Know how the differences among visual characteristics and purposes of art in order to convey ideas.

Instead of a bracelet, have students create a necklace, necessitating an additional, larger "charm" for the title and author of the book. The back of this "charm" should reveal, in summary format, student research into the professional and/or personal life of the author and the writing of this particular book.

Students can add an additional charm that would reveal their personal (or group) re-write of the ending of the book, thus altering the final outcome.

Today, many people wear multiple bracelets on the same arm. Encourage students to think of a personal read that they have experienced which includes characters that are similar to the assigned read. Have those students create a second bracelet with the same charms. Additional charms will be included for the title and author of the second book (no second hand/wrist), similarities between characters, and/or a compare/contrast charm that illustrates how the similar characters' actions elicited different outcomes.

Prior to creating student bracelets, children can consult a resource on jewelry making. This can be in the form of a parent/community member that is well-known for their jewelry making craft or a text. Examples of books could include: Clothing and Jewelry: Discovering World Cultures by Fiona MacDonald; The Art of Native American Turquoise Jewelry by Ann Stalcup.