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Novelty Book with Divided Pages
Fun with Making Sentences

Create books as an
enjoyable way to teach writing,
parts of a sentence, and sequence.

This activity may be reproduced for classroom use only.
All other rights are reserved. (Copyright 2005 Betsy B. Lee)

Back to School Visits,  Literacy and Making Children's Books,
Lesson Plans,  Index,  or Children's Site: Breezy Bits about Horses

Materials Needed for Each Book

The directions are for one four-page book.

  1. A sheet of 8½ x 11 stationery or wall paper samples for the front cover
  2. A sheet of 8½ x 11 index or cover stock for the back cover
  3. Sheets of 8½ x 11 paper, 20lb recommended. These fold easily but resist tear. Each sheet will have two sentences. Four sheets of paper for an eight sentence book is the recommended maximum for use for most slide bars.
  4. A slide bar from a sliding bar report cover
    (The slide bar makes the book more sturdy. The pages lie flat better without the plastic cover.)
  5. Colored pencils or crayons (optional)
  6. Scissors or a paper cutter.
  7. A ruler or a word processing program.
  8. A scanner for images (optional) This would require additional paper for drawing. Images could be photos or small objects such as in the book, Cuckoo.

Writing

  1. Decide how many divisions are wanted in each sentence.
  2. Select the appropriate layout page which shows the whole four-page book on one 81/2 x 11 sheet of paper. For convenience in printing, the layout links have no return links so use the browser's back button to return to this page. Select and print (portrait letter size) the layout for sentences divided into three sections, four sections, five sections, or six sections.
  3. Demonsrate the use of a layout. See examples.
  4. Ask students for suggestions for each section of the sentences. Write their sentences on the layout using colors as in the examples. Color helps with visual tracking when they begin reading the mixed up sentences picking one box from each row, i. e. all subjects are one color, all clauses are another color, etc. Using a blank layout sheet on an overhead projector can be helpful.
  5. Students can compile books using copies of the layout from the group project or write their own sentences on other layouts. The book will be better organized and funnier if the layout is used.
  6. Follow the directions for putting the book together.

Layout

Write logical sentences
in the layout from top to bottom.
For example, a little boy ate a big apple. 		Read parts of different sentences
to show funny combinations.
For example, a little boy rode a man-eating apple.

Sample Layout #1 (A Four-page Book with Each Sentence in Four Sections)
The instructions are left out of the blank layouts so educators can supply their preferred terms.

Row 1
Who or What
did something?

Page 1

A little boy

Page 2

A little girl

Page 3

A brown dog

Page 4

A big man

Row 2
Action

What was done to something?

Page 1

ate

Page 2

rode

Page 3

chased

Page 4

caught

Row 3
What Kind of Object

Page 1

a big

Page 2

a plastic

Page 3

an orange

Page 4

a man-eating

Row 4
Object of the Action

Page 1

apple.

Page 2

pony.

Page 3

cat.

Page 4

monster.

Sample Layout #2 (A Four-page Book with Each Sentence in Five Sections)
Sometimes it is best to start with the subject then fill in the boxes for when and where
although stories and sentences can stem from ideas about a time and place instead of a character.

Row 1
When and where
did it happen?


Page 1

After lunch
at home,

Page 2

On Saturday morning
at the park,

Page 3

One afternoon
in the front yard,

Page 4

Late at night
in a story book,

Row 2
Who or what
did something?

(Subject)

Page 1

a little boy

Page 2

a little girl

Page 3

a brown dog

Page 4

a big man

Row 3
Action
What was done to something?

(Verb)

Page 1

ate

Page 2

rode

Page 3

chased

Page 4

caught

Row 4
Describe who or what
received the action?

(Adjectives)

Page 1

a big

Page 2

a plastic

Page 3

an orange

Page 4

a man-eating

Row 5
Who or what received the action?

(Direct Object)



Page 1

apple.

Page 2

pony.

Page 3

cat.

Page 4

monster.

Sample Layout #3 (A Four-page Book with Each Sentence in Six Sections)

Row 1
When and where
did it happen?

Page 1

After lunch
at home,

Page 2

On Saturday morning
at the park,

Page 3

One afternoon
in the front yard,

Page 4

Late at night
in a story book,

Row 2
Who or what
did something?

(Subject)

Page 1

a little boy

Page 2

a little girl

Page 3

a brown dog

Page 4

a big man

Row 3
Action
What was done to something?

(Verb)

Page 1

ate

Page 2

rode

Page 3

chased

Page 4

caught

Row 4
Who or what
received the action?

(Direct Object
of the Action)

Page 1

a big apple

Page 2

a plastic pony

Page 3

an orange cat

Page 4

a man-eating monster

Row 5
Then what was done?

(Dependent or Independent Clause)

Page 1

and he smiled

Page 2

so she laughed

Page 3

who ran up a tree

Page 4

which he cooked

Row 6
Then what was said?

(Dialogue)

Page 1

and said,
"I picked a good one from our apple tree."

Page 2

and said,
"I wish it would come to life and we would have more fun."

Page 3

and said,
"You'll never catch me."

Page 4

and said,
"I'd rather eat him than have him eat me."

Return to Writing.

Directions for a Book 11 Inches High and 41/2 Inches Wide

Making a Book with a Computer
Diagrams are below. Go to "create labels." Make the needed number of divisions. The top and bottom margins should be the same. Allow about 1/8 inch or more between sections to make pages easier to turn.

Create only one column of labels.

They should be on the right side near the right edge.

A good margin for the left edge is 5.25 inches.

Allow space for the binding and for folding without hiding text and pictures. Make labels 3 inches wide





  1. type text from the layout and insert scanned images.
  2. Make one page for each sentence.
  3. Print (portrait setting) directly onto the paper without using labels. The label was created just to make it easy to have equally divided sections.
  4. After printing the first sentence, print the second sentence on the back, etc.
  5. Lay folded pages on top of each other rather than inside of each other. Trimming the edge will not be necessary this way.
  6. Cut the front and back covers in half. Paper which folds easily is needed for the front cover. Sturdy paper is needed for the back cover.
  7. On the 11 inch side of the paper which will be covered by the slide bar, measure and mark the needed number of divisions.
  8. Before cutting, color code the sections with small marks in the area which will be covered by the slide bar.
  9. Staple each section onto the back cover.
  10. Tape the front cover to the book then insert into the slide bar.

Making a Book without a Computer
A diagram is below.

  1. Fold each page. A narrow book makes pages easier to turn.
  2. Make one page for each sentence.
  3. On the 11 inch side of the paper, measure and mark the needed number of divisions. The top and bottom margins should be the same. Allow about 1/8 inch or more between sections to make pages easier to turn.
  4. Use a ruler to mark lines for cutting but DO NOT cut until the text and pictures are on the pages.
  5. Lay folded pages on top of each other rather than inside of each other. Trimming the edge will not be necessary this way.
  6. Cut the front and back covers in half. Paper which folds easily is needed for the front cover. Sturdy paper is needed for the back cover.
  7. Staple the sheets inside of the front and back covers and insert into the slide bar.
  8. Transfer text from layout. Add drawings (optional).
  9. Cut along marked lines or remove from the binding and cut with a paper cutter then reassemble using stapling directions from the instructions for making a book with a computer.

Inside of
Front Cover

Sentence Section 1 for page 1

Sentence Section 2 for page 1

Sentence Section 3 for page 1

Sentence Section 4 for page 1

Sentence Section 5 for page 1

Sentence Section 6 for page 1


              Front Cover

slide bar along left edge











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