Book reports require students to read a novel or non-fiction book, conceptualize the most important ideas, and then synthesize them in written format. According to Rafe Esquith, author and classroom teacher, there are eight literary elements that should be included in a successful book report. They are: protagonist, antagonist, setting, conflict, plot, climax, denouement, and theme. If you cover these eight elements and follow the steps below, you will succeed in writing your book report.
Instructions
1. Read the book 2-3 weeks ahead of the due date. Do not try to rush through the book a few days before the report is due. It will only add to your stress level and lower the quality of your final product.
2. Write your introduction. In this first paragraph, briefly explain the main idea of your book. Include the title, author and the genre of the book. Is it fiction, non-fiction, biography? Use a hook, or an exciting statement, to begin your paper. Examples of hooks are quotes, questions, or dialogue.
3. Identify the protagonist, antagonist, conflict and setting. Many books have a main character who is good (the protagonist), fighting against an obstacle. The obstacle can be a person, emotion, or place, and is labeled as the antagonist. The conflict is identified as the protagonist v. the antagonist. The setting is defined as where and when the book takes place. Each literary element will be a paragraph of your paper. When you finish step 2, you will have written four paragraphs.
4. Identify the plot, climax, and denouement. The plot summary may be the longest part of your paper. In your plot summary, explain the entire book from beginning to end. Don't spend too much time on insignificant details; spend more time on the main events. Your plot summary may be three or four paragraphs. The climax of the book is when the conflict begins to be resolved, and most often, the climax is toward the end of the story. The denouement is the falling action, or how the story ends after the climax. Your climax and denouement should be separate paragraphs.
5. Identify the theme. In the last section of your paper, identify any major themes that run through the book. Themes are abstract ideas or lessons the book teaches. Examples of themes are trust, friendship, love, or betrayal.
At the end of the theme paragraph, you may write a few sentences explaining why you read this particular book and whether or not you enjoyed it.
6. Proofread. Read your paper out loud and fix any errors you see. Check for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical tense mistakes. Then, give your paper to a friend or parent to proofread. Often, writers do not catch their own mistakes.
Tags: your paper, climax denouement, plot summary, protagonist antagonist, antagonist conflict, antagonist setting