Teachers love to assign book reports. Did you ever wonder why? Sure, you could think of it as a cruel attempt to force you to read. But it might be a little more than that!
Your teacher's goal is to broaden your understanding of the world and society. That is what good books do!
What Is Included in a Book Report?
Book report content will vary according to grade level. Middle grade-level book reports will provide the basic details about a book, a summary of the plot, and some comments regarding the student's opinions and impressions.
As students mature and advance, the book reports should include a little more.
As students enter high school and higher grades, they will start to explain and explore the messages that are contained in books--messages about life and its important experiences. Students will begin to share their own opinions about these messages (themes) contained in books.
High school-level papers should include publication information as well as brief statements about the book's angle, the genre, the theme, and a hint about the writer's feelings in the introduction.
First Paragraph Example: Middle School Level:
The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, is a book about a young man growing up during the Civil War. Henry Fleming is the main character of the book. As Henry watches and experiences the tragic events of the war, he grows up and changes his attitudes about life.
First Paragraph Example: High School Level:
Can you identify one experience that changed your entire view of the world around you? Henry Fleming, the main character in The Red Badge of Courage, begins his life-changing adventure as a naive young man, eager to experience the glory of war. He soon faces the truth about life, war, and his own self-identity on the battlefield, however. The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, is a coming of age novel, published by D. Appleton and Company in 1895, about thirty years after the Civil War ended. In this book, the...