Make silent movies in honor of storybook character day. After each child has selected a character, tell them pick their favorite part of the book to recreate. The child will be the star of the movie and has no need to memorize lines to recite in front of the class. Using props, he can pretend to be the character that he is dressed as. He will try to entice others to want to read the book from which the character originated. Ask an adult to record each child's mini movie.
Children will be dressed as a variety of characters, but you can create common ground by reading a short story as a group. Pick a story that lends itself to cooking and kids can enjoy characters, a plot and snacks. Books like "The Gingerbread Man," "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," "Jamberry," "In My Mama's Kitchen" and "Green Eggs and Ham" are short, character driven tales. The stories also feature at least one food that could be made in class as part of storybook character day. After reading, make no-bake cookies or pudding as a group.
Kids can write fan fiction about the character that they are dressed up as. The stories should take their favorite characters on new journeys. Encourage the children to plot out the stories and use descriptive words to show readers what is happening. For example, Little Red Riding Hood could save the wolf from the hunter or the girls in the Baby Sitter's Club could get stranded with the kids they babysit in a snowstorm that prevents adults from reaching them.
Circle the desks and create a chain story. Have one person start the story and talk for one minute before the person sitting to her left picks up the tale. The story continues to grow as each author adds to the story. Explain the need for the story to reach a high point when it is halfway around the circle and the importance of drawing the story to a conclusion as it nears the final storytellers. Be sure to make an audio recording of the story so it can be easily recreated as a remembrance of the fun that can be found in oral storytelling.