Guidelines on Book Reports

TAREA DE INGLÉS

Guidelines on Book Reports.

Writing about the works of others is one of the best ways to expand your literary horizons. A book report/review is a description and an evaluation of a book that you have read. Book reports/reviews are so helpful because they inform future readers about books they may be interested in reading. Often, a book review will influence other readers by telling them a little bit about what the story is about, as well as if it is worth reading or not! The most important thing to remember is that book reviews DO NOT give away the ending! If it is a good book, the reader will not want to spend time reading it if he/she already knows the ending. Book reports are also ways in which teachers can asses if a student read and understood a book.

Some tips on how to write each part of your book report/review.

1. Introductory Paragraph/Introduction.
This paragraph should include the title of the book and name of the author. It will also describe the setting and quickly summarize what the book is about. Don't get too detailed here. It's just the introduction. Write at least 3-4 sentences about the plot. What was the story about? Who were the main characters? What did the main characters do in the story? Did the main characters run into any problems? Did the main characters have any adventures?

2.Body Paragraphs.

2a.Brief Summary: This is where the real content enters the picture. By reading this part of your book report (five to seven paragraphs for the summary), your teacher will be able to determine whether you read the book and understood the story. The first thing to do is describe the conflict. Common conflicts include man vs. man, man vs. nature and man vs. himself. Your book may present a different kind of conflict. Describe it in detail. The remaining body paragraphs should summarize the plot and describe how it relates to the conflict. Begin with the rising action, the part of the story where events build. Then describe the climax, where the story reaches its most dramatic or interesting point. The third paragraph should describe the falling action, when the conflict or problem is resolved. A summary should be brief, complete, objective, in the writer's (you) own words, and accurate.
2b.Characters: Start by describing the main characters of the story. You should write a physical and an emotional description of those you consider main characters. Who was your favorite character? Why? Remember that stating that a character took part in the book from beginning to end does not explain why he/she is important!
2c.Setting of the story: Where does the story take place? Does the setting influence the way that the characters act? How? Remember to include all the details given in the book about how a place looks and feels. When writing about the setting you should not describe every place mentioned in the book, only those which are important. These will be the ones in which most of the action takes place. Remember to always justify your choices.

3.The Conclusion, your opinion/recommendation.

This is an appropriate place to state your personal opinion of the book. What did you think of it? Describe its strengths and weaknesses. Would you recommend it to others? Why or why not? Remember, you can use examples from the book to back up comments. Did you like the book? What was your favorite part of the book? Do you have a least favorite part of the book? If you could change something in the book, what would it be? (If you wish you could change the ending, remember not to tell the ending to the story you read!) Would you recommend this book to another person? What type of person would like this book?

4.Bibliography.

A bibliography is a list of the sources you used to get information for your report. It is included at the end of your report, on the last page (or last few pages).
You will find it easier to prepare your final bibliography if you keep track of each book, encyclopedia, or article you use as you are reading and taking notes. Start a preliminary, or draft, bibliography by listing on a separate sheet of paper all your sources. Note down the full title, author, place of publication, publisher, and date of publication for each source.
Also, every time a fact gets recorded on a note card, its source should be noted in the top right corner. (Notice that, The World Book, Volume 2, page 21, can be shortened to: WB, 2, p.133.) When you are finished writing your paper, you can use the information on your note cards to double-check your bibliography.
When assembling a final bibliography, list your sources (texts, articles, interviews, and so on) in alphabetical order by authors' last names. Sources that don't have authors (encyclopedias, movies) should be alphabetized by title. There are different formats for bibliographies, so be sure to use the one your teacher prefers.
Summarizing: Parts of a book report.
a.-Cover. (Full heading, title, group members)
b.-Index.
c.-Introduction (who, what, when and where)
d.-Brief summary. (Plot, conflicts, climax, resolution)
e.-Main Characters - Most important character - Why?
f.- Setting of the story.
g.-Conclusion (personal opinion/review )
h.-Bibliography.
Prepared by Ma Antonieta Brito. English Dept. 2003.