Students can write a letter to a character from another character's point of view. The letter can include things the student wishes the character had said to the other character, or it could be only in the character's frame of reference, talking about things that literary character would know. This activity helps students to understand point of view and to develop empathy with characters.
Organize a reading party and focus on literary characters in a book the class is reading together. During your school's book fair, students dress up as their favorite literary character. If your class is reading "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part II" as a group, for example, instruct students to dress up as literary characters of their choice from the book on a specified day. In addition to dressing up, students can write a one-page bio on their characters. The bios can include such information as their favorite quotes from their characters, their favorite characters' accomplishments, something they wish their characters had done differently, and something their characters would say to another book character.
Put a spin on a BINGO game by creating your own version of Book BINGO cards (SuperTeacherWorksheets.com) and printing them out on 8 1/2-by-11 inch paper. Instructions you can create can include "Read a book about a female character." This may seem easy for the sixth grade girls, but the boys will be challenged. A square can include "Read a book with a fish as a main character. Instruct students to color in or mark off a square once an instruction has been completed. Choose prizes and present them immediately when a student gets BINGO. Offer a class-wide pizza party or extra trip to the school library if the entire class earns BINGO by a specific deadline.
Pass around cookbooks or recipes. Discuss with students words within recipes such as "dash," "sprinkling," "heap," "splash," "pinch," and "cup" as they refer to measurements. Write the name of a well-known literary character on the chalkboard or dry erase marker board such as Wilbur the pig from the children's book "Charlotte's Web." List recipe words analyzing Wilbur's character. You may list Wilbur as having a "heap of radiance" or a "cup of humbleness." Allow students to help you. Pass around recipes and index cards. Instruct students to write a character cookbook analysis on characters of their choosing.