Book Report

Book Cover
Make sure to include an attractive, original design, the title and the author’s name

The Literary Element of Theme
Theme is:
The central, underlying, and controlling idea or insight of a
work of literature
The idea the writer wishes to convey about the subject –
the writer’s view of the world or a revelation about human
nature
Identifying Theme
1. Complete the PLOT worksheet
Conflict: a struggle between opposing forces
Types of Conflict:
Person vs. Person - external struggle between two or more
individuals.
Person vs. Themselves - Internal struggle concerning
emotion and decision.
Person vs. Nature - external struggle between person and
element of nature or environment.
2. Identify the SUBJECT of the work.
What is the book about?
3. Identify the insight or truth that was learned about the subject.
How did the protagonist change?
What lesson did the protagonist learn from the resolution or the
conflict?
4. Highlight one of the common themes in literature you think
describes your book:

1. The Individual in Nature
a. Nature is at war with each of us and proves our vulnerability.
b. People are out of place in Nature and need technology to
survive.
c. People are destroying nature and themselves with
uncontrolled technology.
2. The Individual in Society
a. Society and a person's inner nature are always at war.
b. Social influences determine a person's final destiny.
c. Social influences can only complete inclinations formed by
Nature.
d. A person's identity is determined by place in society.
e. In spite of the pressure to be among people, and individual is
essentially alone and frightened.
3. An individual's Relation to the gods.
a. The god(s) are benevolent and will reward human beings for
overcoming evil and temptation.
b. The gods mock the individual and torture him or her for
presuming to be great.
c. The gods are jealous of and constantly thwarts human
aspiration to power and knowledge.
d. The gods are indifferent toward human beings and let them
run their undetermined course.
e. There are no gods in whom people can place their faith or
yearning for meaning in the universe.
4. Human Relations
a. Marriage is a perpetual comedy bound to fail.
b. Marriage is a relationship in which each partner is supported
and enabled to grow.
c. An old man marrying a young woman is destined to be a
cuckold.
d. Parents should not sacrifice all for a better life for their
children.
e. There are few friends who will make extreme sacrifices.

5. Growth and Initiation
a. A boy and a girl must go through a special trial or series of
trials before maturing.
b. Manhood or womanhood is often established by an abrupt,
random crisis, sometimes at an unusually early age.
c. Aspects of childhood are retained in all of us, sometimes
hindering growth, sometimes providing the only joy in later life.
d. A person grows only in so far as he or she must face a crisis
of confidence or identity.
6. Time
a. Enjoy life now, for the present moment, because we all die
too soon.
b. By the time we understand life, there is too little left to live.
7. Death
a. Death is part of living, giving life its final meaning.
b. Death is the ultimate absurd joke on life.
c. There is no death, only a different plane or mode of life
without physical decay.
d. Without love, death often appears to be the only alternative
to life.
8. Alienation
a. An individual is isolated from fellow human beings and
foolishly tries to bridge the gaps.
b. Through alienation comes self-knowledge.
c. Modern culture is defective because it doesn't provide group
ties which in primitive cultures makes alienation virtually
impossible.

Collage
Write the main theme of your book here:
Create a collage on this page that comments on the main THEME in the book:

Synopsis Handout
Step 1: Write down your novel’s title, category, setting, protagonist,
and conflict:
Step 2: Write down one colorful detail that makes any one of the
above elements unusual:
Step 3: Identify a way in which your story has any one of the
following:
Credibility (This could happen to any of us)
Inherent conflict (This is a world of conflicting forces)
Originality (A reversal of the expected, a new angle on an old
subject, or familiar story elements combined in unfamiliar ways)
Gut Emotional Appeal (I would hate it if that happened to me)
Write it here:
Step 4: Write down these five words: love, heart, dream, journey,
fortune, destiny

Step 5: You will be given ten minutes only for step 5. Write a one
paragraph synopsis (summary) for your book using the material you
wrote down in steps 1-3. In your last sentence, use one of the words
you wrote down in step four. Write it here:
Step 6: Reread your synopsis. Now, shorten it to one hundred
words. Rewrite it here:

Personal Taste
If _________________________ was living today, what kind of…
…clothes would he/she wear?
Examples Evidence From Text
…books would he/she read?
Examples Evidence From Text
…music would he/she listen to? How would he/she listen to it (record
player, radio, mp3 player)?
Examples Evidence From Text
…movies would he/she go see?
Examples Evidence From Text

Interview
Prepare answers for the following questions for your character’s
interview:
What is your full name?
Answer Evidence from the Text
What do you do each day (work, school, home, etc)?
Answer Evidence from the Text
Where do you live?
Answer Evidence from the Text
What has been the most important event in your life so far? When
did it happen?
Answer Evidence from the Text

Who do you love or hate? Why?
Answer Evidence from the Text

Letter
Pretend you are the protagonist. Write a friendly one page letter to another
character in your book. Use your Personal Taste and Interview handouts for
inspiration.

Reflection
Write about your experiences creating your book report. What was your favorite
assignment? Why? What was your least favorite? Why? What would you have
done differently? What do you think you did very well? How was this similar or
different from book reports you have done in the past?