Take advantage of the fact that children learn best by interacting with their peers and divide the class into book club teams. Ask each group to choose their own title, and give the students the opportunity to set their own pace when reading the books. In class, the students discuss the books within their teams where they can express their likes and dislikes for certain scenes or protagonists, and compare stories to their own lives. Alternatively, arrange for a peer tutoring program were enthusiastic readers are paired up with less motivated students to provide support, encouragement and feedback.
Online or computer games are media closer to the heart of many students than books, and you can use these technical resources as a tool to engage children with literary works. Many children's book publishers, and several authors, offer games on their websites where children can explore literature, involve themselves in adventures or get inspired to read or write. Games can include guiding a protagonist through mazes, fighting against antagonists or visiting locations mentioned in the books.
Get your students interested in reading by introducing multimedia projects based on literary works. Choose a variety of titles with topics that might have at least some appeal to the students, including hero stories and fairy stories. Ask the students to make a comic strip from the storyline. Alternatively, give each of the students some lines from a book to rehearse, and record the readings to prepare an audio book to which the class can add sound effects. Another multimedia project can involve making a movie based on a book, and launching the result on the school's homepage.
Take the students out of their regular environment and give them the excitement of going on a field trip with regards to books. Attend events that concern books and children's book authors. Take your students to readings in book shops in the local area, or join forces with other elementary schools to book a writer for a private reading. Visit theater performances based on children books, or go to exhibitions displaying illustrations from literary works. Alternatively, show a children's movie, which can include "Bridge to Terabithia" or "Ramona and Beezus," to highlight how books can be the inspiration for more.