M i d d l e

Grade
M ania
ACT IVIT Y KIT
N
OVELS FOR READERS in grades 3-6 play such a crucial role in helping
kids bridge from early chapter books to YA. It’s vital to nurture that
love of reading through these critical years to help kids develop ever more
sophisticated language skills and to blossom into life long readers.

Use the materials in this kit to celebrate reading

and encourage your reading maniacs
to stay crazy for books!

www.hmhbooks.com/middlegrademania

Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Activities Middle Grade M ania
Smackdown!
In the spirit of WrestleMania, host a Reading Smackdown! Challenge another class to a reading contest. How
many books can your students read and report on in a month versus the other class? When the month is over,
have each class vote to select one title from all the books reported on, which the entire class will read. Each class
then presents their book through skits, artwork, videos, and the like to an impartial judge—perhaps the school
principal or librarian. The judge, who has already read both books, selects the best presentation as the winner.

Word of Mouth
Create a “This Reader Recommends” display on a bulletin board in your classroom or library. Whenever a student
loves a book, have him/her fill out a recommendation card you can post in a public space to encourage other
kids to give the book a try.

Jacket Gallery
As students finish books, have them create their own cover illustration depicting a particular character or scene.
Be sure to have them include the title and the author’s name within the new cover design. Display the new book
covers on a bulletin board or in a reading corner.

Book Mobile
Have students create a mobile for a favorite book. Use two pencils as the mobile framework—position them
in an X, with one pencil on top of the other, and tape them in place. Wrap a string or piece of yarn around the
intersection of the two pencils with a long length extending from the top, from which to hang the mobile.
Create two-sided illustrations of characters and events and key elements from the story on cardstock and hang
them from the pencil frame. Be sure to include the book’s title and author on one hanging element. Display the
mobiles around the classroom or library.

Opening Lines
Books often begin with provocative, compelling openings to hook the reader from the very first page:
“In the beginning, there was the donut.” —The Center of Everything by Linda Urban
“It had taken me five years, but I’d finally found my way to Zooey Andrews’s heart. Now I was going to
die there.” —Lenny Cyrus, School Virus by Joe Schreiber
“If Evan had known what would be hidden in his shoebox later that day, he might not have minded
decorating it so much.” —The Candy Smash by Jacqueline Davies
Encourage your students to keep a journal of first lines from books to inspire them in their own creative writing
endeavors.

Character Quilt
Pass an 8.5-by-8.5-inch square piece of construction paper to each student. Have each child draw a portrait of a
favorite book character on his/her square using crayons, markers, or paint. Be sure to include the character’s
name and the book title on each square. Arrange the squares in a quilt pattern on a bulletin board or wall.
 This reader recommends . . .
BOOK TITLE

AUTHOR

RECOMMENDED BY GRADE

Plot summary/characters:

What I liked about the book:

Middle Grade M ania

This reader recommends . . .

BOOK TITLE

AUTHOR

RECOMMENDED BY GRADE

Plot summary/characters:

What I liked about the book:

Middle Grade M ania

Illustration © 2013 by M. Sarah Klise from Hollywood, Dead Ahead. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.
Reading Log
Use this handy log sheet to keep track of the books you read. How many books can you read in a month? In a year?
Challenge your friends!

Title Author Date finished

Flower illustrations © 2013 by Cara Llewellyn; face illustration © 2013 by Matt Smith. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.
Middle Grade M ania
 s
D
i
o
t
n
t
’t
h e
j
r
u
e
s t

READ!

This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

Illustration © 2013 by M. Sarah Klise from Hollywood, Dead Ahead. All rights reserved.
—

E
2

D
A
Lv
Bookmarks

Illustrations © 2013 by Cara Llewellyn from The Candy Smash. All rights reserved.

I’m a reading maniac!

M ania Middle Grade

I’m a reading maniac!
Illustrations © 2013 by Matt Smith from Lenny Cyrus, School Virus. All rights reserved.
 Middle Grade
Name: ________________________________________

Starry Sky
Ruby Pepperdine loves stargazing from the rooftop of Pepperdine Motors, snug in the circle
of her grandmother Gigi’s hug. Ruby and her friends Lucy and Nero contemplate the stars
one warm summer night and create their own constellation. Look at the star map below and
create your own constellation by connecting stars however you like. What will you name
your constellation?

The
Center of
Everything
BY
Linda Urban

This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

 Middle Grade
Name: ________________________________________

You in Two (Words, That Is)

Someone is creating personalized valentine candy hearts for every student in room 4-O. The
hearts have two-word descriptions that really capture the talents or personalities of the re-
cipients. Make a list of your classmates, teammates, or friends and create your own two-word
descriptive phrases for each person. (Always be nice!)

The Candy
Smash
BY
Jacqueline
Davies

Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Cara Llewellyn. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.
 Middle Grade
Name: ________________________________________

Cryptogram
Thirteen-year-old Lenny Cyrus is a total genius. He can memorize an entire college textbook
in an hour or less. But he’s a little less savvy when it comes to girls. His crush, Zooey Andrews,
doesn’t seem to like him. Lenny’s best friend, Harlan, has a particular way of identifying
Lenny when Lenny goes on an amazing adventure to literally change Zooey’s mind. Can you
solve the cryptogram to discover Harlan’s clue that it’s Lenny who is trying to contact him?

A B C D E F G H I J K L M Lenny Cyrus,
10 2 School Virus
BY
Joe
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Schreiber
8 6

S E B E
8 24 2 10 18 1 22 21 2 21

E T
5 2 15 1 6 24

S E E
8 4 1 2 22 4 2

Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Matt Smith. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.
 Middle Grade
Name: ________________________________________

Movie Poster
Film producer Moe Block Busters wants to make a movie based on the 43 Old Cemetery Road
story! Lured by the lights of Tinseltown, Ignatius B. Grumply, Olive C. Spence, and Seymour
Hope pack their suitcases and head west, where they meet the ancient but still glamorous
Ivana Oscar. But Hollywood is filled with crooks, so Seymour decides to direct his own version
of 43 Old Cemetery Road. Can you design a movie poster depicting the four stars?

MAJORITY RULES ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS Hollywood,

43 Old Cemetery Road Dead

Ahead
BY
Kate Klise
ILLUSTRATED BY
M. Sarah Klise

Starring
IVANA OSCAR
IGNATIUS B. GRUMPLY
OLIVE C. SPENCE­
SEYMOUR HOPE
GG
R AT E D
GHOST OR GRANNY
GUIDANCE SUGGESTED

Illustrations copyright © 2013 by M. Sarah Klise. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.
 Middle
Grade MORE GREAT READS!
M ania
The Year of the Baby 
by Andrea Cheng
illustrated by Patrice Barton
978-0-547-91067-3 • $15.99

Parched 
by Melanie Crowder
978-0-547-97651-8 • $15.99

The Ugly One 

by Leanne Statland Ellis
978-0-547-97590-0 • $16.99

The Lightning Dreamer 

by Margarita Engle
978-0-547-80743-0 • $16.99

Thrice Upon a Marigold 

by Jean Ferris
978-0-547-73846-8 • $16.99

The Vine Basket 

by Josanne La Valley
978-0-547-84801-3 • $16.99

The Watcher in the Shadows 

by Chris Moriarty
978-0-547-46632-3 • $16.99

Okay for Now 

by Gary D. Schmidt
978-0-544-02280-5 • $6.99 pbk
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST

Escape from the Pipe Men! 

by Mary G. Thompson
978-0-547-85905-7 • $16.99

Frogged 
by Vivian Vande Velde
978-0-547-94215-5 • $16.99

Available wherever fine books are sold.

www.hmhbooks.com/middlegrademania