Book Bingo for use in Grades 4-8

1. Make a Bingo grid.

2. Think about the students, the curriculum, social and emotional themes, and age-appropriate
topics.
3. Fill the grid with genres or interesting categories:
• fiction
• non-fiction
• biography
• auto-biography
• science fiction
• Caldecott winners
• Newbery winners
• historical fiction
• humor
• science
• sports
• mystery
• graphic novel
• magazines
• newspapers
• how-to books (cook book, craft, art, do-it-yourself, etc.)
• books about Indigenous people or by an indigenous author
• poetry
• books about the curriculum (animals, takes place in Rome or India or during the Renaissance,
author is from/story takes place in a designated state,
• a recommended book
• a book that is part of a series
• current events
• a particular author, or an author from a certain country or time period
• free choice

4. Students keep track of the books they read under each category in a section of their notebook:
For example, Books about Indigenous people: Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O’Dell
5. Assign a challenge: “By this time, you will have one row or column filled.” “By this time, you will
have a blackout!.”
6. Make a large class Bingo to keep track of how many different genres are being read.

Note: This activity was inspired by a fifth grader who moaned, “I don’t have anything to read.” He
loved to read but rarely read anything except science fiction. The Bingo game allowed him to
challenge himself to enjoy other genres essential for reaching a blackout. Since then, we have made
all kinds of Bingos according to the grade level. Be inventive with the Categories: book that made you
cry/laugh; book that has more than 300 pages; book with a main character your age, etc.

Contributor: Anna Rainville