Create Book Awards
Ask your class to brainstorm a list describing the characteristics of quality children's literature. Following a discussion of the processes of awarding the Caldecott and Newbery Awards, your students could create personal book-award criteria and apply those criteria to recognize their favorite books.

Book Recommendations
Establish classroom procedures for recommending favorite books to fellow readers. This may take the form of recommended-book lists, booktalks, a monthly newsletter of "good reads," or book invitations.

Survey of Reading Habits
Have your students conduct an investigation into the reading habits of fellow classmates and/or school and community leaders. Have students ask such questions as:

1. Where is your favorite place to read?
2. What time of day do you enjoy reading for pleasure?
3. What types of things do you like to read?
4. How does reading contribute to your learning? -or- How does reading contribute to your work?

What Makes a Classic a Classic?
Students might investigate the qualities of children's books that are enduring favorites. They could survey local bookshops to identify books with older copyright dates that have undergone a series of reprints. Obtain copies of these books from a local library and hold a class discussion focusing on the qualities that have ensured the continued popularity of these books. What makes a children's book a "classic"?

Books Reflect Their Time
Gather a collection of classic children's books and a collection of the current year's "Children's Choice" (International Reading Association and Children's Book Council). Ask students to select a classic book and a current book to compare how the books reflect aspects of the time period in which they were written. If possible, ask them to select books that present similar themes, settings, or characters. You will probably want to model this type of analysis for your students. A recording sheet for this activity is provided: Recording Sheet (20.0K) .