Book Report Instructions

Use these instructions to complete your book report.  These are the same as what is provided on the bookmark, but a little more specific.  I will make new bookmarks for the next marking period, but for now please follow the instructions posted here.

Remember: Use headings for each section (as I did below) and write at least one paragraph per heading!  Make sure to begin the paper with the publication information: title, author, city published, publisher, and year published.

Novels/Biographies/Plays (anything with a storyline):
Characters
     Describe the personalities and relationships between each of the main characters.
Setting(s)
     When and where does the story take place?  How does the setting impact the story?  In other words, why do you think the author chose to set the story in that time and place instead of somewhere else?
Problem(s)
     What is the main problem the character is dealing with?
Resolution
     How is the problem solved?  Or, how does the main character learn to deal with the problem?
Theme
     What is the universal theme or lesson learned?  That means, what can you learn about life in general from this book?  This should be general enough to apply to anyone.  Support your answer with three specific examples from the book.
Reflection
     What is your opinion of the book?  Provide three specific examples from the book to support your answer.

A note about details: Do not repeat details!  You must provide specific examples from the beginning, middle, and end of the book in order to get full credit.  The more variation you have in your details, the higher your grade will be.


Non-Fiction (anything without a storyline)/Poetry:
Subject
     What is the subject of this book?  Is this subject important for people to know about, and why?  Is this book interesting or not, and why?
Purpose
     What are readers supposed to learn about life by reading this book?  Who do you think the intended audience (that means, the people who would benefit most from reading the book) is for this book?  Why?
Chapters
     Write a one-sentence summary of each chapter.
Structure
     How did the author organize this book (chronologically, by topic, etc.)?  Why do you think the author organized it this way?
Features
     Which features are included (e.g., index, table of contents, photographs and captions, maps, diagrams, glossary, bibliography, etc.)?  Provide one example of each feature and explain how it helped you understand the book.
Reflection
     What is your opinion of the book?  Provide three specific examples from the book to support your answer.

A note about details: Do not repeat details!  You must provide specific examples from the beginning, middle, and end of the book in order to get full credit.  The more variation you have in your details, the higher your grade will be.