First Graders Step Into Storybook Worlds With Book Character Day Project

When the end of the school year rolls around and the spotlight turns to the fifth grade play, we pause the weekly drama classes for the other elementary students. But that doesn’t mean the drama stops! First grade teacher Ms. Karima and her co-teacher, Ms. Kim, took the opportunity to create Book Character Day, an imagination-filled project that blended reading, writing, art, and drama.

The goal? To help students deepen their love of stories while reinforcing core elements of literacy—character, setting, and plot—through creative expression and performance.

From Page to Stage: The Project Unfolds

Over several lessons, students followed a thoughtfully designed process to bring their favorite book characters to life:

• Session 1: Students listed three of their favorite books and talked to a partner to help narrow it down to their top pick.

• Session 2: They chose a character from that book and drew themselves as that character, along with a drawing of the book’s cover.

• Session 3: Stepping into the shoes of their character, students answered questions like “What’s your name?”, “Where does your story take place?”, “What was the problem in your story?”, and “What will your next adventure be?” These questions built on Karima and Kim’s previous lessons.

• Session 4: They wrote a summary and illustrated their favorite part of the book, then created a name tag for their costume.

• Session 5: Book Character Day! Students arrived dressed as their chosen character. They took turns speaking in front of the class, explaining who they were and what they loved most about their story. They also completed a recommendation form for a classmate: “Who would you recommend this book to? Why?”

  
  

To cap it all off, the class paraded around the playground in their costumes, joined by the second grade students, who were also in costume that day for a gem jar celebration. It turned into a joyful celebration of reading and creativity!

Opportunities for Learning

Like even the most successful projects, the class had its share of behind-the-scenes challenges. A few students forgot their costumes, leading some parents to dash home and retrieve missing pieces and some students to improvise on the spot. One student, disappointed by a broken costume prop, was comforted by classmates and teachers. These hiccups turned into opportunities to practice empathy, flexibility, and problem solving.

One of the most memorable moments? When a girl dressed as Pete the Cat had her skateboard prop mysteriously broken during recess. Another student, dressed in full detective gear as Nate the Great, was called in to investigate. Staying in character the whole time, he solved the mystery: someone had accidentally stepped on the board while “Pete” climbed the monkey bars. Case closed, thanks to Nate’s sleuthing skills!

Ms. Karima Becomes Gwinna

In a special twist, Ms. Karima let the students vote on which character she should be for Book Character Day. They chose Gwinna, the heroine from the book Gwinna by Barbara Berger, a story she had read to them earlier in the year. “Oh, I LOVED that book!” several children exclaimed. It was a touching full-circle moment when Ms. Karima embodied a character from a reading experience that had clearly left an impression.

Why Projects Like This Matter

This project wasn’t just about costumes and fun (though there were plenty of both). It gave students a sense of ownership over their learning, encouraged them to engage deeply with stories, and offered a platform to express themselves creatively and confidently. 

And of course, the project strengthened bonds among the students as they wrapped up their school year. Students supported one another with applause, encouragement, and curiosity about each other’s books.