Book Reports
Book Report Schedule 2010-2011
Book reports will be due monthly, beginning in October. Each of the six reports will be on books of different genres (types). We will discuss each genre prior to assignment. You may wish to look for books early in the school year so as to avoid rushing to find a book in the specified genre at the last minute. Late reports lose 10% or one letter grade for each day they are late.
Detailed instructions for a standard written report are attached and will be discussed in detail in class. The report styles will differ each month. Specifics will be discussed in class at least two weeks prior to the due date.
All books used for reports should be at grade level and at least 100 pages long. Shorter books must be approved by me. Students must select a book they have not read previously.
1. October 28, Thursday: any type of Fiction
2. December 2, Thursday: Biography or Autobiography
3. January 6, Thursday: Historical Fiction (fictional tale set in a real historical setting)
4. February 3, Thursday: Nonfiction (true science, history, Bible, etc.—no biography/autobiography)
5. March 3, Thursday: Fantasy/Science Fiction/Fairy Tale/Mystery
*Please save and post this schedule for your child!
How to Write a Standard Book Report 2010/11
Book reports are a way to show how well you understood a book and to tell what you think about it. These reports can be completed in 1-2 pages. Our reports will include three sections. These reports should be written by the student to the best of their ability. Follow this outline as you write your report.
I. Introduction (one paragraph)
Things you must include in the introduction:
· The title (underlined) and author of the book.
· Why you chose this specific book.
· What kind of story it is (adventure, mystery, fantasy/make believe, animal, nonfiction)?
· This introduction should be written in paragraph form, not as a list.
II. Body (two to four paragraphs)
In this section, you want to tell about the main parts (elements) of your book: setting, characters, plot, and theme. This should be done in a few detailed paragraphs. You may choose to write a short paragraph about each of the four elements or you may combine setting and characters into one paragraph and plot and theme into a second paragraph. In order to get full credit on your report you must include all four of these elements.
The Setting is the time and place of the story. Tell about the setting of your book. Where and when does it take place? Is it set a long time ago or now? Does it take place in another country or in an imaginary place? How much time passes in the story—a day? a year? a lifetime? Books may not always be specific in describing the setting. Just find as much information as you can.
The Characters are who the story is about. The main character is called the protagonist. The “bad guy” is called the antagonist. Tell the reader of your report about the characters in your book. Who are the other important characters? Do they help or hinder the protagonist? Do not just write a list, naming the characters. Choose the most important characters and write some details about them. What do they look like? What do they act like? What type of characters are they?
The Plot is what happens in the book. It is the action involving the characters. The plot can usually be divided into a beginning, a middle, and an end. In a paragraph or two, you should summarize the story. How does the story begin? What happens in the middle of the story? How does the story end? (Sometimes you want to avoid telling the ending or giving away the secrets of the story.) *Be careful not to retell the whole story in detail—you want room in your report to write about other things. Instead, just say enough about the story so that the rest of your report will make sense (summarize).
The Theme is the main idea of the story. It usually is a lesson learned or a moral. It is not usually stated in black and white in the book. Some examples of a theme might be the importance of friendship or how being courageous in a difficult situation helps a character. A story may have several themes, so there is no one “right answer.” Tell what you think the theme is and why you believe this is so. Do not confuse the theme with the plot!
III. Review/Conclusion (one paragraph)
Once you have summarized the book, you can tell what you think about it. You can write about whatever opinions you have. Some questions you may choose to answer are:
· Did you like the story? Why or why not?
· What was the best part of the book? Why?
· How did the story make you feel? Did you feel different things at different points in the story?
· Would you recommend it to friends?
· Would you read other books by this author?
· What new things did you learn from this book?
· Write a final sentence or two to sum up your report. Give your overall opinion of the book and the most important thing you want other people to know about it.
Source note: Infoplease.com