books for high school book report

Book reports may be a staple of elementary and middle school education, but they are far less frequently assigned in the higher grades. High school ELA teacher Nancy Barile thinks that should change. Students in 6th grade and above can learn a lot when they are challenged to use higher order thinking skills to understand and interpret the literature they read via a good old-fashioned high school book report template. 

To start, Barile recommends that students choose the books they want to write about themselves—with teacher approval, of course. See the book list at the end of this article for engaging young adult titles and book report ideas, including books with thematic elements that are particularly appealing to older readers. 

Writing the Report

To structure the book reports, Barile recommends eight sections of analysis that will “require students to provide evidence of their choices and reasoning, which helps them think more deeply about what they have read.” For each section, students should give examples from the book to back up their analysis. The below book report template can help. 

If your students need to review the elements of fiction before beginning this assignment, Teaching Powerful Writing is a great resource. This collection of personal narratives and writing activities highlights different writing techniques and covers literary elements such as voice, using flashback, and point of view.

Book Report Breakdown

Students should identify the setting of the novel and explain why the setting is important.

• How are the time and place significant to the events of the story?
• How does the setting contribute to the overall meaning of the novel? 

2. CHARACTERIZATION

Beginning with the protagonist and then moving on to the supporting characters, students should discuss the characterizations in their novel. 

• Is the character well-developed, or are they a stock or stereotypical character? 
• Is the character static (unchanging throughout the story) or dynamic (changes by the end of the novel)? 
• What personality traits does the character possess, and how does this affect the outcome of the novel? 
• Do the character's inner thoughts and feelings reflect their outward actions? Explain. 

3. POINT OF VIEW

Students should identify the novel’s point of view and why it is significant.

• What advantages does telling the story in (first person/second person/third person) have? Why?
• Why do you think the author chose this point of view? 

4. CONFLICT

What is the primary conflict in the novel? Is it human vs. human, human vs. nature, human vs. society, or human vs. themselves? Your students should delve into conflict much more deeply than they may have in the past. If their story has more than one major conflict, they should detail the additional conflicts as well.

• Explain the conflict and how the protagonist deals with it. 
• Does the protagonist overcome the conflict? Or do they succumb to it?

Students should identify the theme of the novel and the specific meaning of the book they chose. They should avoid stock themes such as “Don’t judge a book by its cover” and think more critically on their author’s message.

• What was the author’s purpose in writing the book?

What are the symbols in the novel and how are they significant?

• How do the symbols help develop the story and contribute to the overall meaning of the book?

7. FORESHADOWING

Students should identify the foreshadowing in their novel and give examples from the text.

• Did you know what was going to come? Why? 
• Were there any hints as to what might occur? 
• Why do you think the author chose to use or not use foreshadowing? 

Finally, students should evaluate the ending of the book.

• Was the ending justified? (Was the ending viable and believable?) 
• Was it a satisfactory ending that fit the rest of the novel? 
• Was there a catharsis of some kind? Explain.

If your students follow this structure in their book report, it will help them explore each of the elements of fiction in a very specific way. As Barile discovered in her decades of teaching: “Students who explain, interpret, and synthesize what they have read gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of literature.”

Shop great classroom titles for book reports below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store .

How to Write a Book Report

Use the links below to jump directly to any section of this guide:

Book Report Fundamentals

Preparing to write, an overview of the book report format, how to write the main body of a book report, how to write a conclusion to a book report, reading comprehension and book reports, book report resources for teachers .

Book reports remain a key educational assessment tool from elementary school through college. Sitting down to close read and critique texts for their content and form is a lifelong skill, one that benefits all of us well beyond our school years. With the help of this guide, you’ll develop your reading comprehension and note-taking skills. You’ll also find resources to guide you through the process of writing a book report, step-by-step, from choosing a book and reading actively to revising your work. Resources for teachers are also included, from creative assignment ideas to sample rubrics.

Book reports follow general rules for composition, yet are distinct from other types of writing assignments. Central to book reports are plot summaries, analyses of characters and themes, and concluding opinions. This format differs from an argumentative essay or critical research paper, in which impartiality and objectivity is encouraged. Differences also exist between book reports and book reviews, who do not share the same intent and audience. Here, you’ll learn the basics of what a book report is and is not.

What Is a Book Report?

"Book Report" ( ThoughtCo )

This article, written by a professor emeritus of rhetoric and English, describes the defining characteristics of book reports and offers observations on how they are composed.

"Writing a Book Report" (Purdue OWL)

Purdue’s Online Writing Lab outlines the steps in writing a book report, from keeping track of major characters as you read to providing adequate summary material.

"How to Write a Book Report" ( Your Dictionary )

This article provides another helpful guide to writing a book report, offering suggestions on taking notes and writing an outline before drafting. 

"How to Write a Successful Book Report" ( ThoughtCo )

Another post from ThoughtCo., this article highlights the ten steps for book report success. It was written by an academic advisor and college enrollment counselor.

What’s the Difference Between a Book Report and an Essay?

"Differences Between a Book Report & Essay Writing" ( Classroom)

In this article from the education resource Classroom,  you'll learn the differences and similarities between book reports and essay writing.

"Differences Between a Book Report and Essay Writing" (SeattlePi.com)

In this post from a Seattle newspaper's website, memoirist Christopher Cascio highlights how book report and essay writing differ.

"The Difference Between Essays and Reports" (Solent Online Learning)

This PDF from Southampton Solent University includes a chart demonstrating the differences between essays and reports. Though it is geared toward university students, it will help students of all levels understand the differing purposes of reports and analytical essays.

What’s the Difference Between a Book Report and a Book Review?

"How to Write a Book Review and a Book Report" (Concordia Univ.)

The library at Concordia University offers this helpful guide to writing book report and book reviews. It defines differences between the two, then presents components that both forms share.

"Book Reviews" (Univ. of North Carolina)

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s writing guide shows the step-by-step process of writing book reviews, offering a contrast to the composition of book reports.

Active reading and thoughtful preparation before you begin your book report are necessary components of crafting a successful piece of writing. Here, you’ll find tips and resources to help you learn how to select the right book, decide which format is best for your report, and outline your main points.

Selecting and Finding a Book

"30 Best Books for Elementary Readers" (Education.com)

This article from Education.com lists 30 engaging books for students from kindergarten through fifth grade. It was written by Esme Raji Codell, a teacher, author, and children's literature specialist.

"How to Choose a Good Book for a Report (Middle School)" (WikiHow)

This WikiHow article offers suggestions for middle schoolers on how to choose the right book for a report, from getting started early on the search process to making sure you understand the assignment's requirements.

"Best Book-Report Books for Middle Schoolers" (Common Sense Media)

Common Sense Media has compiled this list of 25 of the best books for middle school book reports. For younger students, the article suggests you check out the site's "50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12."

"50 Books to Read in High School" (Lexington Public Library)

The Lexington, Kentucky Public Library has prepared this list to inspire high school students to choose the right book. It includes both classics and more modern favorites.

The Online Computer Library Center's catalogue helps you locate books in libraries near you, having itemized the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries.

Formats of Book Reports

"Format for Writing a Book Report" ( Your Dictionary )

Here, Your Dictionary supplies guidelines for the basic book report format. It describes what you'll want to include in the heading, and what information to include in the introductory paragraph. Be sure to check these guidelines against your teacher's requirements.

"The Good Old Book Report" (Scholastic)

Nancy Barile’s blog post for Scholastic lists the questions students from middle through high school should address in their book reports.

How to Write an Outline

"Writer’s Web: Creating Outlines" (Univ. of Richmond)

The University of Richmond’s Writing Center shows how you can make use of micro and macro outlines to organize your argument.

"Why and How to Create a Useful Outline" (Purdue OWL)

Purdue’s Online Writing Lab demonstrates how outlines can help you organize your report, then teaches you how to create outlines.

"Creating an Outline" (EasyBib)

EasyBib, a website that generates bibliographies, offers sample outlines and tips for creating your own. The article encourages you to think about transitions and grouping your notes.

"How to Write an Outline: 4 Ways to Organize Your Thoughts" (Grammarly)

This blog post from a professional writer explains the advantages of using an outline, and presents different ways to gather your thoughts before writing.

In this section, you’ll find resources that offer an overview of how to write a book report, including first steps in preparing the introduction. A good book report's introduction hooks the reader with strong opening sentences and provides a preview of where the report is going.

"Step-by-Step Outline for a Book Report" ( Classroom )

This article from Classroom furnishes students with a guide to the stages of writing a book report, from writing the rough draft to revising.

"Your Roadmap to a Better Book Report" ( Time4Writing )

Time4Writing offers tips for outlining your book report, and describes all of the information that the introduction, body, and conclusion should include.

"How to Start a Book Report" ( ThoughtCo)

This ThoughtCo. post, another by academic advisor and college enrollment counselor Grace Fleming, demonstrates how to write a pithy introduction to your book report.

"How to Write an Introduction for a Book Report" ( Classroom )

This brief but helpful post from Classroom  details what makes a good book report introduction, down to the level of individual sentences.

The body paragraphs of your book report accomplish several goals: they describe the plot, delve more deeply into the characters and themes that make the book unique, and include quotations and examples from the book. Below are some resources to help you succeed in summarizing and analyzing your chosen text.

Plot Summary and Description

"How Do You Write a Plot Summary?" ( Reference )

This short article presents the goals of writing a plot summary, and suggests a word limit. It emphasizes that you should stick to the main points and avoid including too many specific details, such as what a particular character wears.

"How to Write a Plot for a Book Report" ( The Pen & The Pad )

In this article from a resource website for writers, Patricia Harrelson outlines what information to include in a plot summary for a book report. 

"How to Write a Book Summary" (WikiHow)

Using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as an example, this WikiHow article demonstrates how to write a plot summary one step at a time.

Analyzing Characters and Themes

"How to Write a Character Analysis Book Report" ( The Pen & The Pad )

Kristine Tucker shows how to write a book report focusing on character. You can take her suggestions as they are, or consider  incorporating them into the more traditional book report format.

"How to Write a Character Analysis" (YouTube)

The SixMinuteScholar Channel utilizes analysis of the film  Finding Nemo to show you how to delve deeply into character, prioritizing inference over judgment.

"How to Define Theme" ( The Editor's Blog )

Fiction editor Beth Hill contributes an extended definition of theme. She also provides examples of common themes, such as "life is fragile."

"How to Find the Theme of a Book or Short Story" ( ThoughtCo )

This blog post from ThoughtCo. clarifies the definition of theme in relation to symbolism, plot, and moral. It also offers examples of themes in literature, such as love, death, and good vs. evil.

Selecting and Integrating Quotations

"How to Choose and Use Quotations" (Santa Barbara City College)

This guide from a college writing center will help you choose which quotations to use in your book report, and how to blend quotations with your own words.

"Guidelines for Incorporating Quotes" (Ashford Univ.)

This PDF from Ashford University's Writing Center introduces the ICE method for incorporating quotations: introduce, cite, explain.

"Quote Integration" (YouTube)

This video from The Write Way YouTube channel illustrates how to integrate quotations into writing, and also explains how to cite those quotations.

"Using Literary Quotations" (Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison)

This guide from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Writing Center helps you emphasize your analysis of a quotation, and explains how to incorporate quotations into your text.

Conclusions to any type of paper are notoriously tricky to write. Here, you’ll learn some creative ways to tie up loose ends in your report and express your own opinion of the book you read. This open space for sharing opinions that are not grounded in critical research is an element that often distinguishes book reports from other types of writing.

"How to Write a Conclusion for a Book Report" ( Classroom )

This brief article from the education resource  Classroom illustrates the essential points you should make in a book report conclusion.

"Conclusions" (Univ. of North Carolina)

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Writing Center lays out strategies for writing effective conclusions. Though the article is geared toward analytical essay conclusions, the tips offered here will also help you write a strong book report.

"Ending the Essay: Conclusions" (Harvard College Writing Center)

Pat Bellanca’s article for Harvard University’s Writing Center presents ways to conclude essays, along with tips. Again, these are suggestions for concluding analytical essays that can also be used to tie up a book report's loose ends.

Reading closely and in an engaged manner is the strong foundation upon which all good book reports are built. The resources below will give you a picture of what active reading looks like, and offer strategies to assess and improve your reading comprehension. Further, you’ll learn how to take notes—or “annotate” your text—making it easier to find important information as you write.

How to Be an Active Reader

"Active Reading Strategies: Remember and Analyze What You Read" (Princeton Univ.)

Princeton University’s McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning recommends ten strategies for active reading, and includes sample diagrams.

"Active Reading" (Open Univ.)

The Open University offers these techniques for reading actively alongside video examples. The author emphasizes that you should read for comprehension—not simply to finish the book as quickly as possible.

"7 Active Reading Strategies for Students" ( ThoughtCo )

In this post, Grace Fleming outlines seven methods for active reading. Her suggestions include identifying unfamiliar words and finding the main idea. 

"5 Active Reading Strategies for Textbook Assignments" (YouTube)

Thomas Frank’s seven-minute video demonstrates how you can retain the most important information from long and dense reading material.

Assessing Your Reading Comprehension

"Macmillan Readers Level Test" (MacMillan)

Take this online, interactive test from a publishing company to find out your reading level. You'll be asked a number of questions related to grammar and vocabulary.

"Reading Comprehension Practice Test" (ACCUPLACER)

ACCUPLACER is a placement test from The College Board. This 20-question practice test will help you see what information you retain after reading short passages.

"Reading Comprehension" ( English Maven )

The English Maven site has aggregated exercises and tests at various reading levels so you can quiz your reading comprehension skills.

How to Improve Your Reading Comprehension

"5 Tips for Improving Reading Comprehension" ( ThoughtCo )

ThoughtCo. recommends five tips to increase your reading comprehension ability, including reading with tools such as highlighters, and developing new vocabulary.

"How to Improve Reading Comprehension: 8 Expert Tips" (PrepScholar)

This blog post from PrepScholar provides ideas for improving your reading comprehension, from expanding your vocabulary to discussing texts with friends.

CrashCourse video: "Reading Assignments" (YouTube)

This CrashCourse video equips you with tools to read more effectively. It will help you determine how much material you need to read, and what strategies you can use to absorb what you read.

"Improving Reading Comprehension" ( Education Corner )

From a pre-reading survey through post-reading review, Education Corner  walks you through steps to improve reading comprehension.

Methods of In-text Annotation

"The Writing Process: Annotating a Text" (Hunter College)

This article from Hunter College’s Rockowitz Writing Center outlines how to take notes on a text and provides samples of annotation.

"How To Annotate Text While Reading" (YouTube)

This video from the SchoolHabits YouTube channel presents eleven annotation techniques you can use for better reading comprehension.

"5 Ways To Annotate Your Books" ( Book Riot )

This article from the Book Riot  blog highlights five efficient annotation methods that will save you time and protect your books from becoming cluttered with unnecessary markings.

"How Do You Annotate Your Books?" ( Epic Reads )

This post from Epic Reads highlights how different annotation methods work for different people, and showcases classic methods from sticky notes to keeping a reading notebook.

Students at every grade level can benefit from writing book reports, which sharpen critical reading skills. Here, we've aggregated sources to help you plan book report assignments and develop rubrics for written and oral book reports. You’ll also find alternative book report assessment ideas that move beyond the traditional formats.

Teaching Elementary School Students How to Write Book Reports

"Book Reports" ( Unique Teaching Resources )

These reading templates courtesy of Unique Teaching Resources make great visual aids for elementary school students writing their first book reports.

"Elementary Level Book Report Template" ( Teach Beside Me )

This   printable book report template from a teacher-turned-homeschooler is simple, classic, and effective. It asks basic questions, such as "who are the main characters?" and "how did you feel about the main characters?"

"Book Reports" ( ABC Teach )

ABC Teach ’s resource directory includes printables for book reports on various subjects at different grade levels, such as a middle school biography book report form and a "retelling a story" elementary book report template.

"Reading Worksheets" ( Busy Teacher's Cafe )

This page from Busy Teachers’ Cafe contains book report templates alongside reading comprehension and other language arts worksheets.

Teaching Middle School and High School Students How to Write Book Reports

"How to Write a Book Report: Middle and High School Level" ( Fact Monster)

Fact Monster ’s Homework Center discusses each section of a book report, and explains how to evaluate and analyze books based on genre for students in middle and high school.

"Middle School Outline Template for Book Report" (Trinity Catholic School)

This PDF outline template breaks the book report down into manageable sections for seventh and eighth graders by asking for specific information in each paragraph.

"Forms for Writing a Book Report for High School" ( Classroom )

In this article for Classroom,  Elizabeth Thomas describes what content high schoolers should focus on when writing their book reports.

"Forms for Writing a Book Report for High School" ( The Pen & The Pad )

Kori Morgan outlines techniques for adapting the book report assignment to the high school level in this post for The Pen & The Pad .

"High School Book Lists and Report Guidelines" (Highland Hall Waldorf School)

These sample report formats, grading paradigms, and tips are collected by Highland Hall Waldorf School. Attached are book lists by high school grade level.

Sample Rubrics

"Book Review Rubric Editable" (Teachers Pay Teachers)

This free resource from Teachers Pay Teachers allows you to edit your book report rubric to the specifications of your assignment and the grade level you teach.

"Book Review Rubric" (Winton Woods)

This PDF rubric from a city school district includes directions to take the assignment long-term, with follow-up exercises through school quarters.

"Multimedia Book Report Rubric" ( Midlink Magazine )

Perfect for oral book reports, this PDF rubric from North Carolina State University's Midlink Magazine  will help you evaluate your students’ spoken presentations.

Creative Book Report Assignments

"25 Book Report Alternatives" (Scholastic)

This article from the Scholastic website lists creative alternatives to the standard book report for pre-kindergarteners through high schoolers.

"Fresh Ideas for Creative Book Reports" ( Education World )

Education World offers nearly 50 alternative book report ideas in this article, from a book report sandwich to a character trait diagram.

"A Dozen Ways to Make Amazingly Creative Book Reports" ( We Are Teachers )

This post from We Are Teachers puts the spotlight on integrating visual arts into literary study through multimedia book report ideas.

"More Ideas Than You’ll Ever Use for Book Reports" (Teachnet.com)

This list from Teachnet.com includes over 300 ideas for book report assignments, from "interviewing" a character to preparing a travel brochure to the location in which the book is set.

"Fifty Alternatives to the Book Report" (National Council of Teachers of English)

In this PDF resource from the NCTE's  English Journal,  Diana Mitchell offers assignment ideas ranging from character astrology signs to a character alphabet.

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How to Write a Book Report (+ Book Report Example) 

Download for free, specific tips for writing effective book reports..

Write better book reports using the tips, examples, and outlines presented here. This resource covers three types of effective book reports: plot summaries, character analyses, and theme analyses. It also features a specific book report example for students.

How to write a book report (+ book report example) 

Whether you're a student looking to show your comprehension of a novel, or simply a book lover wanting to share your thoughts, writing a book report can be a rewarding experience. This guide, filled with tips, tricks, and a book report example, will help you craft a report that effectively communicates your understanding and analysis of your chosen book.

Looking for a printable resource on book reports? See our Printable Book Report Outlines and Examples

What is a book report? 

Book reports can take on many different forms. Writing a book review helps you practice giving your opinion about different aspects of a book, such as an author's use of description or dialogue.

You can write book reports of any type, from fiction to non-fiction research papers, or essay writing; however, there are a few basic elements you need to include to convey why the book you read was interesting when writing a good book report.

Types of book reports 

Three types of effective book reports are plot summaries, character analyses, and theme analyses. Each type focuses on different aspects of the book and requires a unique approach. These three types of book reports will help you demonstrate your understanding of the book in different ways.

Plot summary

When you are writing a plot summary for your book report you don't want to simply summarize the story. You need to explain what your opinion is of the story and why you feel the plot is so compelling, unrealistic, or sappy. It is the way you analyze the plot that will make this a good report. Make sure that you use plenty of examples from the book to support your opinions.

Try starting the report with a sentence similar to the following:

The plot of I Married a Sea Captain , by Monica Hubbard, is interesting because it gives the reader a realistic sense of what it was like to be the wife of a whaling captain and live on Nantucket during the 19th century.

Character analysis

If you choose to write a character analysis, you can explore the physical and personality traits of different characters and the way their actions affect the plot of the book.

• Explore the way a character dresses and what impression that leaves with the reader.
• What positive characteristics does the character possess?
• Does the character have a "fatal flaw" that gets him/her into trouble frequently?
• Try taking examples of dialogue and analyzing the way a character speaks. Discuss the words he/she chooses and the way his/her words affect other characters.
• Finally, tie all of your observations together by explaining the way the characters make the plot move forward.

In the novel Charlotte's Web , by E. B. White, Templeton the rat may seem like an unnecessary character but his constant quest for food moves the plot forward in many ways.

Theme analyses

Exploring the themes (or big ideas that run throughout the story) in a book can be a great way to write a book report because picking a theme that you care about can make the report easier to write. Try bringing some of your thoughts and feelings as a reader into the report as a way to show the power of a theme. Before you discuss your own thoughts, however, be sure to establish what the theme is and how it appears in the story.

• Explain  exactly  what theme you will be exploring in your book report.
• Use as many examples and quotations from the book as possible to prove that the theme is important to the story.
• Make sure that you talk about each example or quotation you've included. Make a direct connection between the theme and the example from the book.
• After you have established the theme and thoroughly examined the way it affects the book, include a few sentences about the impact the theme had upon you and why it made the book more or less enjoyable to read.

In the novel Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry , by Mildred Taylor, the theme of racial prejudice is a major catalyst in the story.

How to write a book report

1. Thoroughly read the book

Immerse yourself in the book, taking the time to read it in its entirety. As you read, jot down notes on important aspects such as key points, themes, and character developments.

2. Identify the main elements of the book

Scrutinize the book's primary components, including its main themes, characters, setting, and plot. These elements will form the basis of your report.

3. Formulate a thesis statement

Compose a thesis statement that encapsulates your personal perspective about the book. This should be a concise statement that will guide your analysis and give your report a clear focus.

4. Create a detailed outline

Plan the structure of your book report. This outline should include an introduction, body paragraphs each focusing on a different aspect of the book, and a conclusion.

5. Craft the introduction

The introduction should provide basic information such as the book's title and author, and present your thesis statement. It should engage the reader and make them interested in your analysis.

6. Write the body of the report

In the body of your report, discuss in detail the book's main elements that you identified in step 3. Use specific examples from the text to support your analysis and to prove your thesis statement.

7. Write a strong conclusion

Your conclusion should summarize your analysis, reaffirm your thesis, and provide a closing thought or reflection on the overall book.

8. Review and edit your report

After writing, take the time to revise your report for clarity and coherence. Check for and correct any grammar or spelling errors. Ensure that your report clearly communicates your understanding and analysis of the book.

9. Include citations

If you have used direct quotes or specific ideas from the book, make sure to include proper citations . This is crucial in academic writing and helps avoid plagiarism.

10. Proofread

Finally, proofread your work. Look for any missed errors and make sure that the report is the best it can be before submitting it.

Book report example 

Below is a book report example on the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

In  To Kill a Mockingbird , Harper Lee presents a thoughtful exploration of racial prejudice, morality, and the loss of innocence. Set in the small, fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression, the book centers around the Finch family - young Scout, her older brother Jem, and their widowed father, Atticus. Scout's character provides a fresh perspective as she narrates her experiences and observations of the unjust racial prejudice in her town. Her honesty and curiosity, coupled with her father's teachings, allow her to grow from innocence to a more profound understanding of her society's inequalities. The plot revolves around Atticus Finch, a respected lawyer, defending a black man, Tom Robinson, unjustly accused of raping a white woman. As the trial progresses, it becomes clear that Robinson is innocent, and the accusation was a product of racial prejudice. Despite compelling evidence in Robinson's favor, he is convicted, symbolizing the power of bias over truth. The theme of racial prejudice is a significant part of the book. Lee uses the trial and its unjust outcome to critique the racial prejudice prevalent in society. For example, despite Atticus's solid defense, the jury's racial bias leads them to find Robinson guilty. This instance highlights how deeply ingrained prejudice can subvert justice. The book also explores the theme of the loss of innocence. Scout and Jem's experiences with prejudice and injustice lead to their loss of innocence and a better understanding of the world's complexities. For example, Scout's realization of her town's unfair treatment of Robinson demonstrates her loss of innocence and her understanding of societal biases. Overall,  To Kill a Mockingbird  is a compelling exploration of the harsh realities of prejudice and the loss of innocence. Harper Lee's intricate characters and vivid storytelling have made this book a classic.

The above is an excellent book report example for several reasons. First, it provides a clear, concise summary of the plot without giving away the entire story. Second, it analyzes the main characters, their roles, and their impacts on the story. Third, it discusses the major themes of the book - racial prejudice and loss of innocence - and supports these themes with evidence from the text. Finally, it presents a personal perspective on the book's impact and overall message, demonstrating a deep understanding of the book's significance.

Book report checklist

Always  include the following elements in any book report:

• The type of book report you are writing
• The book's title
• The author of the book
• The time when the story takes place
• The location where the story takes place
• The names and a  brief  description of each of the characters you will be discussing
• Many quotations and examples from the book to support your opinions
• A thesis statement
• The point of view of the narrator
• Summary of the book
• The main points or themes discussed in the work of fiction or non-fiction
• The first paragraph (introductory paragraph), body paragraphs, and final paragraph
• The writing styles of the author
• A critical analysis of the fiction or non-fiction book

Don't forget! 

No matter what type of book report you decide to write, ensure it includes basic information about the main characters, and make sure that your writing is clear and expressive so that it’s easy for audiences in middle school, high school, college-level, or any grade level to understand. Also, include examples from the book to support your opinions. Afterward, conduct thorough proofreading to complete the writing process. Book reports may seem disconnected from your other schoolwork, but they help you learn to summarize, compare and contrast, make predictions and connections, and consider different perspectives & skills you'll need throughout your life.

Looking for more writing resources? You can find them in our creative writing center .

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 31 best books to read in high school.

Coursework/GPA

A huge number of books exist out there, ready and waiting for you to read them. Whether you prefer manga or ancient, epic poems, reading is great for all sorts of reasons .

What follows is a list of highly beneficial books to read in high school (or after!). These are remarkable books— books that made history, books that challenge societal perceptions of the world, and books that are quite simply interesting and moving. The books are presented in alphabetical order, and a short description is given for each book, as well an explanation of why it is worth reading.

Why Is Reading Important?

Why should you read these books? Why should you read at all for that matter? Reading is essential to communication, especially in an era of emails and texting. Beyond even that, though, reading has an array of crucial purposes. It will help improve your grades and test scores. You'll learn about other places, other times, and other cultures. You'll encounter issues you can relate to—issues that speak to you and challenge you to think and feel in new ways. You will grow, empathetically and intellectually. Plus, you'll understand more of the references that crop up all the time in pop culture.

Below are 31 books to read in high school that will help you prepare for college and beyond.

1984 (George Orwell)

This dystopian novel by George Orwell was written 35 years before the date referenced by the title. In this book, Orwell tells a story that warns readers about the possible consequences of complacency in the face of rising dictators (think Hitler and Stalin) and burgeoning technology ripe for misuse. He describes a world where everything is monitored, right down to citizens’ thoughts, and where any opposition to the ruling class is punishable by extreme measures. The oft-encountered quote, "Big Brother is watching," finds its origin in this novel.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain)

This sequel to Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is much graver in nature than its predecessor. There are still plenty of good antics worthy of a laugh, but it concerns itself largely with a young boy’s attempt to escape severe family dysfunction and the moral implications of his taking an escaped slave as a companion on his adventure down the Mississippi River. Readers should be warned that the " n -word" is used liberally throughout the novel, which tends to be jarring to many a modern ear.

Mark Twain wants you to read his novel(s).

The Awakening (Kate Chopin)

Set in the Creole culture of the late 1800s, this novel by Kate Chopin details one woman’s process of becoming aware of herself. At the time, women were essentially property, and they were expected to act in demure and socially acceptable ways. As the protagonist "awakens" to her emotional and sexual needs, as well as the ultimate truth of her own independence , all sorts of problems ensue. The novel examines the balance between self-respect and selfishness.

The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath)

This autobiographical novel by poet Sylvia Plath explores the deep, dark reality of mental illness. The protagonist, Esther, a stand-in for Plath herself, is a college student exploring her talents, interests, and sexuality as she descends into an unsettling spiral of mental instability. It is essential for students to understand the seriousness of mental illness as it is so earnestly portrayed in this book.

Black Rain (Masuji Ibuse)

Black Rain , by Masuji Ibuse, is about the very immediate, human consequences of the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It follows a small family of survivors, detailing what happened to them during the days of the bombing and what the effects are some years later. The book adopts a gentle, subtle tone, and yet it is not afraid to delve into very explicit and challenging topics related to the bombings.

Bless Me, Ultima (Rudolfo Anaya)

This semi-autobiographical novel by Rudolfo Anaya contains a healthy dose of magical realism and is considered a staple of Chicano literature. It combines Spanish, Mexican, and Native American influences, showing openly the ways in which these forces within the protagonist’s life come into conflict. Young Antonio is growing up in a world that leaves him with more questions than answers: major questions about life and death, good and evil, and so on. These issues seem too big for his six-year-old mind, and yet he grapples with them valiantly through the end of the novel.

Antonio has lots of questions surrounding his faith traditions.

Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)

In Brave New World , Aldous Huxley explores themes similar to those found in Orwell’s 1984 . Huxley wrote this novel earlier than Orwell wrote his, and yet both deal with dystopian concepts. In particular, Huxley balances utopian and dystopian interpretations of a world that is highly controlled, easily manipulated, and extremely dysfunctional, ready to fall apart at any provocation. There are insiders of and outsiders to this world, and each character views and interacts with the society in a different light.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (Dee Brown)

Dee Brown covers a lot of historical ground in this book. In it, Brown describes the history of European Americans as they interact with (and slaughter) the Native Americans who already inhabit what they claim as their country. It’s an infuriating and accurate tale of mistreatments and abuses, as well as the unfortunate decline of a noble people trying to defend their established way of life. It’s essential for students to understand this part of United States history.

The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger)

This bold and controversial novel by J. D. Salinger centers around ideas including adolescent sexuality and relationships. The protagonist is constantly bouncing around from person to person, place to place, activity to activity. Critics were greatly offended by Salinger’s frank discussions of sexual matters and his generally very casual style. This book is an important read in part because of its direct relevance to struggling adolescents and the issues they face.

The Crucible (Arthur Miller)

Arthur Miller wrote this tragic play in the early 1950s. While it is somewhat loosely based on the Salem witch trials of 1692, and while it is likely intended as an allegory to McCarthy’s rooting out of suspected Communists at the time of the play’s writing, the issues it touches on are much more broadly applicable. This is an important dramatic work on how hysteria, cruelty, and ignorant gullibility destroy communities.

Bonus: Studying The Crucible for school and struggling? Check out our The Crucible study guides here !

There are lots of accusations of creepy stuff in The Crucible.

The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank)

Anne Frank’s published diary is different from a typical literary work. It’s a true account of the life of one Jewish girl during the Holocaust, and, while Anne Frank wrote some passages with publication in mind, others she did not. When the book was first published, many passages that her father, Otto Frank, found too long, unflattering, or inappropriate were excluded. Today, the book is available with all material included. Gaining some understanding of this horrific genocide is crucial to students.

Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)

Books are on trial in this astounding work by Ray Bradbury. Set in yet another dystopian future where firemen are employed to burn books and the houses that contain them, Fahrenheit 451 tells the story of a fireman who begins to wonder what books have to offer. This novel is an ode to literacy, and, while it has its tragic moments, it ultimately leaves readers with a message of hope.

Flowers for Algernon (Daniel Keyes)

Daniel Keyes writes a very warm and human form of science fiction in Flowers for Algernon . The novel tells the story of a man considered mentally retarded who is selected for an intelligence-enhancing surgery. The book follows the effects, both positive and negative, that come from the sudden change in his I.Q. This is a moving read for students who wish to understand how intelligence plays into our humanity.

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf (Ntozake Shange)

In For Colored Girls… , Ntozake Shange creates choreopoetry (poetry meant to be performed with movement and dance) that covers important themes of race, gender, abuse, and perseverance. It’s largely a deep and dark poem, but it contains a message of hope. This is an awesome opportunity for readers to get exposure to poetry in a very relevant and theatrical form.

The rainbow contains all sorts of symbolism.

Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)

First off, let’s all be clear: as some will already know, Frankenstein is not a monster. Rather, the very human Victor Frankenstein is responsible for creating what we recognize as the monster from the story; the creature itself is nameless. Mary Shelley wrote this Gothic thriller in the early 1800s, and yet we remain fascinated by this tale of playing God and facing the consequences. It’s an eerie tale with themes that run deep.

The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)

John Steinbeck’s masterful The Grapes of Wrath centers around the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl in American history. It’s a story of hope and despair, moving from one to the other and back again seamlessly throughout the novel. While loaded with biblical allusions, it is not heavy-handed with them, and the writing is often praised as realistic and beautiful.

Great Expectations (Charles Dickens)

Great Expectations , by Charles Dickens, is a staple of English literature. It’s one of his most autobiographical works; it tells the story of a young boy, orphaned and poor, who ultimately experiences a drastic change in his fortunes. In addition, he learns much about love, trust, and relationships in this coming-of-age novel. As the title suggests, the novel also contains discussions of hope, disappointment, and expectations.

The Great Gatbsy (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in The Great Gatsby a novel that in many ways closely reflected his own experience. The decadence of the Jazz Age was, as is revealed in the novel, both enticing for many and revolting for some. The Great Gatsby follows the quest of a wealthy young man to win back the love of his life by extravagant displays of riches and social connections. As the plot builds to its climax, readers, along with Gatsby's simpler, humbler friend and neighbor, are left to ponder the passing of an era in American history.

BONUS: Reading The Great Gatsby for school but finding it hard to keep track of all the characters? We have several study guides that might be able to help, including our guide to all the characters in The Great Gatsby .

The Joy Luck Club (Amy Tan)

Amy Tan’s novel, The Joy Luck Club , deals with intergenerational and intercultural questions. Tan seeks to represent the Chinese-American experience while also representing issues of mother-daughter relationships and the passage of time. The book focuses on four mother and four daughters across four sections of the novel for a total of sixteen stories that come together to complete this total work.

Lord of the Flies (William Golding)

William Golding’s Lord of the Flies speaks to the evil and degenerate potential that lurks within each human. It can be interpreted religiously, politically, psychoanalytically, or any number of other ways, but the basic premise is that a group of schoolboys stranded on an island descend into grotesque savagery. It’s a disturbing story, to be sure, but one that is important to be familiar with in a world where savage instinct too often presents itself today.

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit (J. R. R. Tolkien)

As with any work, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are not everyone’s cup of tea, but they’re hugely rewarding pleasure reading for too many fans to count. Tolkien’s masterpieces are more than just pleasure reading, though; the trilogy covers major themes of the epic struggle between good and evil, the necessity of persevering through immensely difficult ordeals, and how to apply mercy. Tolkien asks major questions about those who are evil versus those who are misguided and what we should do when our paths intertwine with any such individuals. The Hobbit is lighter and more kid-focused, but still addresses important themes.

The Odyssey (Homer)

The Odyssey is an epic poem nearly three thousand years old that’s attributed to the blind poet Homer. It tells the story of a war hero’s ten-year quest to return to his home, wife, and son. He encounters a number of varied setbacks along the way, and the trouble isn’t over when he gets home. The Odyssey deals with human interactions with the gods, bringing up questions of righteousness, wrongdoing, and pride as well as ideas of faithfulness and patience.

Oedipus Rex (Sophocles)

This play by Greek dramatist Sophocles is about a man who inadvertently kills his father and marries his mother. It’s dark subject matter, and nothing good comes of it, as you may well suspect. This another example, as in The Odyssey , of the divine tinkering with human lives and the great sin of pride.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Ken Kesey)

Ken Kesey documents in this work the darkest side of mental health care as it existed in the 1960s. While certainly not all mental health care was like what’s described in the book, nor is it all like that today, audiences of the novel are aghast that any care might even vaguely resemble the horrors discussed. Despite how disturbing the storyline is, it’s important for readers to recognize the vulnerability of this too often overlooked segment of society.

Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice follows a family with five daughters, all unwed, and all, due to English customs of the late 1700s and early 1800s, in need of wedding. Of the five daughters, Elizabeth is the focus of the novel, though the others are discussed aplenty. While marriage is one of the central ideas in the novel, there are plenty of other themes to be picked apart, including ones that touch on pride, prejudice, first impressions, love, misunderstanding, and manipulation. This is, all around, a classic piece of literature, and one with which to be familiar.

Next up: one of my favorites, William Shakespeare.

Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet (William Shakespeare)

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is familiar to most people on some level: two teenagers from feuding families fall in love and ultimately sacrifice their lives to their passion. Of all of Shakespeare’s works, it's a particularly popular one to read in high school for a variety of reasons. For one thing, it deals explicitly with teenaged love, and, for another, it’s a relatively simple plot that’s nonetheless action-packed. It also opens with a shameless series of very witty dirty jokes, and such humor is scattered throughout the rest of the show. Then there’s the thematic material, which includes obedience, fate, and rash decisions, among others.

For those who don’t wish to read about teenagers mooning for each other to the point of suicide, there’s always Hamlet . This story follows a Danish prince whose father has died and whose mother has almost instantly married the father’s brother. When Hamlet discovers, via an appearance of his father’s ghost, that his uncle murdered his father, all sorts of interesting events ensue. There’s madness (real and feigned), murder, suicide, treason, and a lot of waffling over the right course of action.

As an added bonus, those who read Hamlet may wish to read Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead . It follows the events of Hamlet from the perspective of two minor and typically much-maligned characters. It’s also hilarious, if absolutely weird.

Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut)

Slaughterhouse-Five is a fictional account of events in some ways very similar to what the author himself experienced as a prisoner of war in WWII. He writes about the atrocities humans commit upon each other, and he also mixes in a number of other concerns, some heavy, some light, such as death, aliens, and the ability to see other points in time, past or future.

Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston)

The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston has been much criticized over the course of its history, and yet it stands as one of the great classics of American literature. It tells the story of a black woman who is full of zest and passion and who is passed from man to man as she goes through life. With her first husband, she is absolutely miserable; with her second husband, it’s more bearable, for a time; and with her third man, she finds happiness. The trials and tribulations she undergoes with all three make for an interesting examination of what it takes for Janie to free the strong, confident woman within.

(Not an actual representation of Janie. Same approach to life, though.)

Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe)

In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart , readers encounter a complex and beautifully rendered examination of life with the Igbo tribe in Africa, both before and after the white man’s interference. Okonkwo is the protagonist, and he goes through a number of difficulties that put him in the position of making distasteful decisions. Readers are left to wonder whether things are falling apart because that’s simply the way of the world or whether different decisions could have kept them together. The inevitability of change is neatly demonstrated.

To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird deals with elements of racism, courage, sympathy, understanding, and hope. It tells the story of a small town where a black man has been falsely accused of raping a white woman. The daughter of the lawyer defending the accused is the main protagonist, and another aspect of the story is her journey from bemused mockery to gentle understanding with regard to an eccentric man in the town. To Kill a Mockingbird rose to prominence during the Civil Rights Movement and remains as potent today as it ever was.

The Ugly American (Eugene Burdick and William Lederer)

The Ugly American by Burdick and Lederer is a denouncement of the American practice of sending insensitive diplomatic figures into foreign countries. Through a series of vignettes, it demonstrates American inefficiency overseas. It so impressed John F. Kennedy while he was a Democratic senator that he sent a copy to each and every one of his Senate colleagues. It can be an uncomfortable read, but a worthwhile one.

If you can read through these 30-odd books before you graduate high school, you'll be in a good shape, from a literary perspective.

Even if you can't read all of them, picking a few would not be a bad place to start. You might start with those that simply sound the most interesting to you, or you could look for themes in the books that relate to what you're learning in school. If you're studying McCarthyism, for instance, maybe try The Crucible ; if you're studying the Holocaust, maybe try The Diary of a Young Girl .

These stories are immensely powerful. Some are newer, having instantly won their place in the pantheon of classics, while others have proven themselves by withstanding the test of time.

Readers will find that they resonate with some books more than others, and that's fine; the point is that all of these books have important messages to communicate, and I encourage readers to be open to finding out what those messages are.

Open a book, and you'll find all sorts of messages! Usually not in bottles, though.

What's Next?

A lot of these books may be read or referenced in AP English Lit classes. Check out our guide to AP Literature for tips on preparing for the exam. If you're not sure whether to take AP English Language or AP English Literature, allow us to provide you with some thoughts on the topic .

While we're on the topic of literature, why don't you take a moment to read some recommendations on which English classes you should take during your high school career?

Are you both a reader and interested in becoming a doctor ? Then you should definitely take a look at our list of books to read as a pre-med student .

And as a reminder, if you decide to read The Great Gatsby or The Crucible , you can check out our analyses of each to help you along the way!

Vero is a firsthand expert at standardized testing and the college application process. Though neither parent had graduated high school, and test prep was out of the question, she scored in the 99th percentile on both the SAT and ACT, taking each test only once. She attended Dartmouth, graduating as salutatorian of 2013. She later worked as a professional tutor. She has a great passion for the arts, especially theater.

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31 Student-Approved Books to Read for High School

September 21, 2020 //  by  Lindsay Ann //   3 Comments

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Are you looking for must-have books to read for high school students? Read on, teacher friend!

If you are like me, you know the value of independent reading in your high school English classroom. 

But if you are also like me, you may struggle at times to match reluctant readers to books they will enjoy. 

I’ve spent a lot of time reading young adult books, talking to the LRC ladies at my school, and browsing the interwebs in search of books to add to my mental list of book recommendations for students. 

In this post, I’ll share my favorite books to recommend to student readers that have “hooked” students in my own classroom or that I am eager to try next year.

Sci-Fi / Fantasy Book Recommendations

If it seems like a lot of YA books are sci fi and/or fantasy, you are right. There is a growing pool of great books that students love reading. And this is my personal favorite category, so it comes first!

Delirium is a part of a trilogy along with subsequent books Pandemonium and Requiem . Dystopia, forbidden love, resistance, rebellion. Teen readers eat these up!

Unwind Series

What if your parents could sign up to “unwind” you, a.k.a. human organ and tissue donation, without your consent? Follow the story of three teenagers who escape from their own unwinding and discover America’s dirty little secret while making the reader think about what it means to be human and philosophical questions of morality, power, and control.

Scythe Series

Fast forward into the future, where the world has managed to totally get rid of problems such as hunger and sickness. Sounds ideal, right? Well, not if scythes roam the world as a form of population control. Follow the story of two apprentice scythes who must be trained in the art of death. 

This book is engrossing as it explores the spread of false memory syndrome and its impact on the main characters and, possibly, time itself. 

If your high school students like this book, then there are two more to round out the triad. In this story, teens who come from different backgrounds are chosen to compete for the opportunity to travel through space to Nyxia. If chosen, they could make life better not only for themselves, but also for their loved ones back home, but will they have to sacrifice themselves in the process? 

What would you do for water? California’s drought is out of control, and the main character, after losing her parents, must protect her brother and make tough choices. This is a book I’ve added to my personal reading list so that I can recommend to students.

Graphic Memoir Recommendations

Graphic novels are quick and accessible for reluctant readers, so I had to include a few of my favorites to this list of books to read for high school students. What all of these books have in common is that they are so much more than comic books. They tell true stories with meaningful artwork that help students grapple with serious topics such as racism and addiction.

The first in a graphic novel trilogy, March tells the true story of John Lewis set against the backdrop of Jim Crow and the Civil War. A must-read for any student! 

They Called Us Enemy

This memoir takes us behind the barbed wire of the Japanese internment camp during WW2 where George Takei found spent years of his childhood. This book will make students think about racism and American identity.

Jarrett’s mother is an addict, his father is gone, and he lives with his grandparents. He uses his art as a creative outlet and tries to be “normal,” but will later find out the truth about his family. 

When Stars Are Scattered

Somali refugee brothers Omar and Hassan have spent most of their lives in a Kenyan refugee camp. One of the brothers gets the opportunity to pursue an education, but must leave the other brother behind.

Romance Recommendations

Well, every high school book list has to have at least a couple of romance titles, I suppose…

Everything, Everything

This book is one that has both an interesting concept and engaging writing. The main character is allergic to everything and lives in her house, closed off from the outside world. That is, until she meets the boy next door…

The Beginning of Everything

Ezra thought he had his life all figured out, until his girlfriend cheated on him, he broke his leg, and he fell in love with the new girl.

The Sun is Also a Star

This is a sweet love story between an about-to-be-deported girl and a boy who is Yale-bound and does everything right. This book will make students fall in love with the characters and think about topics such as family, love, and immigration

Written in Verse

It would not be hyperbole to say that these books are stunning. I’m not usually a fan of books in verse, but these ones had me at hello and should definitely be a part of your list o’ books to read for high school students.

With the Fire on High

If you ever read The Poet X (also a book my students love), this next work by the same author will have your students cheering on the main character, a teen mother, and her cooking dreams.

House Arrest

It’s easy to get inside the main character’s head as he grapples with choices, both good and bad and somewhere in-between. Despite its serious subject matter, this book will have you laughing and entertained.

A Long Way Down

This book explores teen gun violence and has collected a lot of accolades, but the best award it receives every year is the handful of my students who sit gued to its pages, not saying a word, because they couldn’t wait to read it during reading time.

Realistic Fiction

If a student tells me that he or she “hates to read,” one of these titles usually does the trick. A lot of these titles explore personal identity, making the main characters relatable for students.

Neanderthal Opens Door to the Universe

Your students will enjoy following the protagonist, a decidedly large and unpopular high school student, as he teams up with the school quarterback in his mission to make the school a better place. With lots of twists and turns, including a surprise at the end, students will think about identity and friendship. Add it to your list of books to read for high school teenage boys! 

Kiera is the smart girl in school who creates an online community of Black gamers in her role-playing game by the name of Slay. Unfortunately, her identity and online space come under attack, and she must try to protect her secret identity. 

Mary, the protagonist, “allegedly” killed a white baby. After serving time and ending up in a group home, Mary inevitably has to confront her past, revealing who she really is in the process.

Orbiting Jupiter

After getting everything taken from him, including his infant daughter, and serving time in juvenile detention, Joseph ends up at a foster home, meeting Jack who will do anything to help him find his daughter.

The Other Side

Life is all a matter of perspective, and it takes a girl named Alice to help Toby see the good in himself despite his past.

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

This historical fiction story is set against a historical backdrop as musician, Frankie Presto, goes on a journey that will tug at your heartstrings and remind you a bit of the story of Forrest Gump.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Julia is not perfect, and she feels pressure to be something that she is not. This book explores what it is like to grow up in an immigrant family, stuck between two worlds. 

In this book, Sadie tries her whole life to protect her younger sister from harm, but is unsuccessful. After Mattie dies, Sadie is on a mission to find out why and how. This book is told in multiple perspectives and involves hard-hitting topics, but I’ve had students who couldn’t put it down.

I love Fredrik Backman, the way he writes character-driven novels, the way he makes small town life come alive for the reader. Beartown has nothing going for it except hockey team dreams, but this story is less about sports and more about the stories of the people in this town.

This book is laugh out loud funny, a bit off-color and irreverent, and one that never fails to engage teen boys. If I am out of luck and a student just can’t find any book to like, this is my go-to.

Last but not least, nonfiction memoir had to make the book list. The first title below transformed my most reluctant reader last year into a boy who carried this title around in his backpack because he found it so engaging.

Laughing at My Nightmare

Shane Burkaw deals it straight in this honest (and funny) memoir, helping readers to see the realities of living with a disability and that he’s just another guy like everyone else. The book starts out with a forest of pube-y leg hair which usually gets students’ attention.

Every Falling S tar

Sungju pulls back the curtain on street life in North Korea, including his fight to survive and later escape. Students will no doubt think about the freedoms they may take for granted. 

The Running Dream

When the main character, a runner, loses her leg in a car accident, she thinks she’ll never run again…she is wrong! This title makes it onto the list of books to read for high school because it is an inspirational story that also highlights the importance of friendship.

All These Wonders

This little collection of Moth stories focus on taking risks, acting with courage, and facing the unknown. I’m purchasing this book for students who may have trouble sustaining momentum through a longer text. 

What Made Maddy Run

This was an option for literature circles in my classes, and the interest was so high that I chose to form two groups in one of my classes. This book explores the incredible pressure put upon college athletes that, combined with depression, led to Maddy’s suicide.

Hey, if you loved this post, I want to be sure you’ve had the chance to grab a FREE copy of my guide to streamlined grading . I know how hard it is to do all the things as an English teacher, so I’m over the moon to be able to share with you some of my best strategies for reducing the grading overwhelm.  Click on the link above or the image below to get started!

About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 19 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.

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Reader Interactions

June 12, 2022 at 2:46 pm

This list is great, but The Running Dream is fiction.

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High School Book Report: Template, Format, & Tips

• 📒 The Basics
• 🔰 Book Report Format
• 📑 Book Report Template
• ✍️ Writing Tips
• 📖 Book Report Examples

🔗 References

How can a teacher check if students have read the book? They ask to write a book report. The assignment is an extended summary of the book. However, high school book reports are usually more complicated. They require you to evaluate the piece of writing, reflect on it, or answer some questions.

📒 High School Book Report: The Key Features

• A high school book report is a standard high school assignment. Unfortunately, it is not a real-world writing task because you will never write anything similar outside your school.
• There are three types of writing, depending on the book genre: nonfiction, biography, and fiction book reports.
• It is a combination of facts and your feelings about them.
• It is NOT a research paper , as it deals with one book individually, not a specific genre or author’s legacy. Neither should you dig into the author’s personality or lifeline.
• It is NOT a book review, as it does not compare the writing with other books. Moreover, you are not supposed to recommend it expressly to other people.
• It is NOT a critical essay because its purpose is not to evaluate but to report the key features (although you may include some evaluation).

🔰 High School Book Report Format

If you write a high school book report on a work of fiction, choose one of the following summarizing strategies:

• In an action summary , list the most critical events in their sequence. This approach is the simplest. You can choose the events that you consider the most important.
• To write a story pyramid , use the central plotline elements as a plan: exposition, rising action, climax, and falling action. You will require some knowledge of these literary elements.

To accelerate the writing of this section, you can use our Summarizer Tool . It will condense any lengthy text into a summary in a couple of seconds.

Theme and Character Analysis

A theme of a fictional book is its central topic or message . To know if you understood the theme correctly, check if it fits into one or two words: love, freedom, betrayal, social stereotypes, etc. A book can have several themes, but one is usually central. Highlight it, also mentioning the secondary themes.

A character analysis focuses on the principal traits of the main characters. Get the clues from what they say and do to other protagonists.

Tone & Setting

The tone of a book is the author’s feelings about something. Is it sarcastic, depressive, or optimistic? Try not to mix it with the mood, which means the book’s atmosphere.

To differentiate, here is the rule.

The tone equals how the author feels about the events. The mood equals how the reader feels about the same.

Time and place setting are the easiest things to define if you were attentive while reading the book. When did the events happen (a year or historical period), and where did they occur? Note that sometimes the time and setting can be fictional, i.e., not existing in reality.

Author & Publication Date

Specify the author’s full name and the book’s first publication date here. You can add the first publisher’s name.

The best strategy in this section is to select the quotes supporting the central theme you specified above. They will explain and illustrate the author’s key message. If you need to add some indirect quotes to your text, you might want to use our paraphrase generator .

📑 High School Book Report Template

To illustrate the slightly tricky format described above, we have prepared a high school book report template in PDF format. Feel free to download it and use it as a reference.

✍️ Book Report Writing Tips

📖 High School Book Report Examples

Below you’ll find the links to a number of high school book report examples.

• “Comfort Women” by Nora Keller
• “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• “Black Like Me”: book by John Griffin
• “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• “Careless Lovers” by Edward Ravenscroft
• “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway
• The Crucible by Arthur Miller
• “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright
• “The Making of a Quagmire” by David Halberstam
• “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens
• “The Tale of Kieu” by Nguyen Du
• Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis”
• ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ by Jonathan Swift
• “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles
• “A Rose for Emily” Short Story by William Faulkner
• The Play “Hamlet” by Shakespeare
• “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath
• “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver

We hope that with the help of this article, your book report will take much less time. If you have already written the text and would like to listen to how it sounds, use our Text-to-Speech tool . It is always easier to “hear” your mistakes being read by another person.

❓ High School Book Report: FAQ

How to write a nonfiction book report.

• Skip secondary details and irrelevant information.
• Write all the book’s ideas in your own words.
• Do not repeat yourself.
• Structure your report according to the chronological order or the order of importance.
• What would the author like you to remember after reading the book? It is exactly what you should include in the book report.

How to Write a Book Report on a Biography?

• Are you supposed to focus on the protagonist’s character traits or their life story? Choose either option, depending on the assignment.
• Divide the life of the protagonist into periods.
• Characterize each period and mention the critical events.
• Explain how the biography explains the actual person’s worldview and accurately depicts the past.

How to Write a Book Report Without Reading the Book?

• You’ll have to read the book’s beginning and end to get the central message.
• Flip through the pages in search of some quotes evidencing the idea.
• Keep your tone general, but include some specific details.
• Use a summarizing tool.
• Request academic assistance.

What are the 5 Parts of a Book Report?

Any book report should comprise:

• theme and character analysis;
• tone, time, and setting;
• author’s full name and publication date;
• best quotes.

Some assignments will require you to make a deeper analysis of the text, but this is a compulsory minimum.

• Book reports | Purdue Online Writing Lab
• How to write a book review and a book report · Help & how-to
• How to Write a Book Report: Lesson for Kids – Study.com
• Book Reviews – UNC Writing Center
• Foolproof Guide to Writing a Book Review
• What is a Book Review? – Definition & Examples – Study.com

How to Organize a Literature Review [in 30 Minutes or Less]: Outline & Tips

Writing an effective research proposal sample in 3 steps.

• TemplateLab

Book Report Templates

30 book report templates & reading worksheets.

Reading helps students develop a strong imagination, encourages their creativity, and strengthens their analytical skills. Teachers assign a lot of book reports to ensure that students read lots of books, especially at that critical early age when they are still trying to master the written word. To cut down on some of the workload, students and teachers can find a book report template to download and fill in. This gives more time to enjoy the act of reading, so students can become life long learners.

Table of Contents

• 1 Book Report Templates
• 2.1 Why Provide A Book Report Form
• 2.2 Sections Of A Simple Book Report
• 2.3 Sections Of A Multi-Page Report
• 3 Sample Book Reports
• 4 Difference Between The Book Report Types
• 5.1 What To Do Once You’ve Written The Report
• 6 Book Report Examples
• 7 Tips for Teachers
• 8 Tips for Students

What Is A Book Report

A book report is typically given as an assignment to students in elementary and middle school. Students fill out a form answering basic questions about the book they were assigned to read. Turning in the report serves as proof to the teacher that the student read the book and, hopefully, got something out of it.

These reports may ask students to detail what the book was about, the names of the main characters, what the theme of the book is, and where the events are set. Some reports may ask specific questions about events or characters to ensure that the students read the book all the way through. The report can also help students understand the book better by asking them to think about its meaning and the plot.

Reading Worksheets

Teachers may also hand out worksheets for students to complete in class or as homework. These are usually limited to the earlier grades when students are still learning to read. Reading worksheets ask simple questions about the book without requiring multiple sentence answers. These questions may ask students to name a favorite character, or mention the main conflict in a few words.

It’s not uncommon for the teacher to read a picture book with the class and have students fill out a worksheet afterwards. If the classroom has a bookshelf, there may also be a ‘Reading Time’ when students pick out a book to read. When they finish, the students fill out the worksheet and submit it to their teacher.

Why Provide A Book Report Form

Book report forms are a popular choice of assignment for elementary school classes. These forms make it simple for students to complete the report by filling out the worksheet. These sheets can be generic with standard questions, or teachers may create a unique sheet with questions specific to each different book that is assigned.

These forms also help introduce students to the idea of a book report format and show them what kind of information may be expected on longer, multi-page reports that they are expected to complete in the higher grades. A form is also easier to grade , especially for teachers who have a large classroom and more assignments to go over than usual.

Sections Of A Simple Book Report

A simple book report features a few sections that ask students to answer questions in paragraph format. These each ask students to detail a different element of the book. All book report forms will ask for the title, author name, and the illustrator’s name, if it is a picture book. The other elements on a simple form include:

• Setting – This is where the book’s events took place, i.e. New York.
• Characters – A list of who the main characters are and their names.
• Plot – A basic overview of the major events in the book.
• Your impressions – Whether you like the book or not, and why.

A simple form may also just ask the students to describe the beginning, middle, and end events of the book in three questions. Students may also be expected to identify the climax, which is the most intense point of the book where the main character’s problems are resolved or made worse. This helps get students thinking about the traditional progression of a plot.

Sections Of A Multi-Page Report

Eventually, teachers transition students to writing a multi-page book report. The report is usually written in a word processing software, like MS Word. Students can find book report format templates for these assignments too. These longer reports are written out in paragraph form. The teacher asks the students to address different elements of a book in their own words or with their own formatting. A simple way to organize these reports is to divide them into three basic sections, the introduction, main body, and conclusion. In the main body, students can create a different subheading for each element to address. For instance,

• Introduction – The first paragraph; includes book title, author, genre, and why you chose the book.
• Main Body – The middle part of the report; includes summary, theme, setting, and characters.
• Conclusion – A short summary of the book report and opinion of the book.

Sample Book Reports

Difference Between The Book Report Types

The short book report form is handed out by the teacher and can be completed in one night like a homework assignment. A multi-page report is created by the student and may take more than one night to finish.

Short templates are available in lots of fun book report ideas suitable for young children. They have questions with a few lines to hand write the answers in a few short sentences. Some templates may include activities to make them more interesting to students, such as having them draw out a scene from the book or re-write the ending.

Multi-page reports start out as two page reports and gradually increase in size through middle school and high school. Of course, those two page reports are just as difficult for young students as the five page reports are for high school students . The great thing about these assignments is that students are usually free to organize their book report ideas however they desire. They can create bold sub-headers for the main body of the report. Students can write about the theme, characters, and setting separately. Or they can leave out the headers and devote their report to a specific element, such as the book theme. This allows students to weave information about characters and setting into the report where they are most relevant to the theme. The former works well for short chapter books, and the latter is better for books that may feature multiple themes.

Ideas for Different Kinds of Book Reports

There is more than one way to complete a book report. Both teachers and students may find these creative ideas more interesting than a straightforward report.

Write a review of the book. Create the report in the form of a newspaper or blog review. Summarize the book without giving away the plot or the ending. Talk about what made you like it or, if you hated it. Feel free to give the book a thumbs up or down rating at the end.

Do a diary. Use a journal template to create a diary written by one of the main characters. There should be multiple entries that follow or discuss the events of the book from that character’s point of view.

Interview one of the characters. Create an imaginary interview with one of the characters in the book. Ask them questions about where they come from, why the character did something important to the plot, and what the character thinks about the outcome of the events in the book.

Write a newspaper article. Create an imaginary newspaper article detailing one of the major events in the book, such as a theft or an important discovery. Make sure to answer the who, what, where, when, and why of these events in your article.

What To Do Once You’ve Written The Report

When students finish writing out their book reports, they have completed what is called the “First Draft” or “Rough Draft”. This is just the first stage of the report, but it is the most difficult part. Finishing up that report in the following steps is a lot easier.

Read and mark the report. Read through the book report from beginning to end to get a feel for it overall. Get a brightly colored pen to mark any spelling or punctuation errors you find in the report. Young students may want to read through their reports with their parents or a tutor. Sometimes, teachers actually make students submit a rough draft of their reports for points before the final report is due. The teacher reviews the draft, makes edits, and suggestions for changing the report before final submission.

Make edits to the report. Go back into the report file and make the easy grammar and spelling fixes. Take a look at your teacher’s suggestions or the ideas you wrote down for things to change in the report. Create a plan to make those additions or changes. Make the changes to the report. Don’t forget to save your file as a separate document. For instance, save your rough draft as, Report1.doc, and this updated version as, Report2.doc.

Review the report. Print out a fresh copy of the report. Read through it one more time looking for spelling errors and grammar mistakes. Keep an eye out for spots where the text doesn’t make sense. This can sometimes happen when you add new content to a report. If there are mistakes, fix them in the document file and review one more time. Your final draft is ready to print out when you can no longer find any mistakes.

Book Report Examples

Tips for Teachers

Book reports are a big part of the curriculum. That doesn’t mean they have to be a lot of work for the students or the teacher. Make assigning these reports less of a hassle with these tips.

• Assign one book for the entire class to read. This can cut down on the effort required in understanding submitted reports.
• Pick out a short book report template to use. There is no need to use valuable time in creating one from scratch.
• Print out more copies of the form than are needed. Some students may lose theirs and need an extra form.
• Make reminder announcements when a due date approaches. Remind students at least twice before a book report due date.
• Keep the word count requirement low. Teachers also have to spend more time reviewing longer reports.
• Consider creative alternatives to some written reports. When your curriculum includes a lot of book reports, give students the option of turning in a drawing, diorama, or another project as a break.

Tips for Students

Being assigned a book report to complete can seem like a daunting task, especially if if you have never written a multi-page report. Make sure you don’t fall behind on the work by following a few of these tips.

• Make up a reading schedule to complete the book well in advance of the report being due. Use a calendar to remind yourself.
• Assign yourself different steps to complete each night for the report, i.e. make an outline, write 200 words, or revising
• Ask the teacher for help with ideas if you can’t figure out how to get started.
• Look for examples of completed reports to see how they are structured.

Book reports vary in their length and complexity. Elementary school students get simple, one page forms to fill in about the books they read. Those in middle school and high school usually have to write multiple page reports. Nearly all reports require students to talk about the plot, theme, characters, and how they liked the book. Both students and teachers can find a lot of templates to use. Those looking for something generic for students to fill in after reading a book can pick up a .pdf or .jpg form. Those who want more control over the look and wording of the template should download a .doc file.

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20 Indispensable High School Reads

We asked our community which works of literature were must-reads for high schoolers. Here are your top picks.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The final cut of our list of indispensable high school reads—culled from reader comments—is dominated by perennials like George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye . The five most popular entries were all published within 15 years of each other, and none were published later than Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960. Only three of the works on the list could be considered recent, appearing within the last 20 years: Stephen Chbosky’s epistolary novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999); Marjane Satrapi’s graphic memoir Persepolis , about growing up during the Iranian Revolution (2000–03); and Cormac McCarthy’s brutal, dark novel The Road (2006).

The specter of World War II, with its themes of totalitarianism, social fragmentation, mass surveillance, and the decline of individual freedom, looms over many of the novels. Dystopian novels form a major category: Orwell’s Animal Farm , William Golding’s allegory The Lord of the Flies , Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World , Kurt Vonnegut’s absurdist comedy Slaughterhouse-Five , Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale , and McCarthy’s The Road join Nineteen Eighty-Four here. Thinking back on my days as a high school English teacher, it feels like I missed an opportunity to teach dystopia as a theme. There’s a wealth of material to draw from—and it’s both high quality and accessible to a broad range of high school readers.

A recurring pedagogical issue emerged as teachers joined the conversation: How should educators balance challenging books—works by Shakespeare, for example—with the students’ desire for choice? How can teachers ensure rich, shared learning opportunities without putting their students off reading forever? These aren’t idle concerns. If your goal is to nurture a lifelong love of reading, a dogmatic reliance on the classics appears to be catastrophic.

You can read some devastating student feedback about choice-less classrooms in the Edutopia post “ Start a Reading Revolution .” And as literacy educator Kelly Gallagher, the author of Readicide , recently tweeted : “For the 3rd year in a row, 90%+ of my seniors have admitted they have fake read their way to the 12th grade. Schools must change!” I asked a similar question of my freshmen English classes many years ago, and got the same dispiriting response. Almost none of my incoming freshmen had finished a book in the previous three years. For an approach to balancing student choice with curated texts, read Brian Sztabnik’s recent Edutopia post “ Igniting a Passion for Reading .”

The List of Indispensable Books

1. To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee’s seminal coming-of-age story set in the fictional southern town of Maycomb, Alabama. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: racial injustice, moral and spiritual growth, courage and integrity, innocence and experience.

2. Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell’s vision of a totalitarian future, not long after the Atomic Wars have reduced the geopolitical map to three superstates: Eurasia, Oceania, and Eastasia. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: totalitarianism and state power, surveillance, individual freedom, the nature of truth, the power of propaganda.

3. Lord of the Flies William Golding’s tale of child castaways who establish a violent social order on a deserted island. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: civilization and governance, social and moral order, savagery and primitivism, cruelty, leadership, injustice.

4. Animal Farm George Orwell’s allegory tracing the formation of Soviet Russia. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: totalitarianism and state power, individual freedom, the mutability of historical truth, the power of propaganda, the cult of personality.

5. Catcher in the Rye The reclusive J.D. Salinger’s most popular novel, told through the eyes of the notoriously irreverent teenager Holden Caulfield. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: unreliable narrators, individuality and identity, social alienation and rebellion, social mores and rules.

6. The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck’s Depression-era classic, which follows the travels of impoverished Dust Bowl refugees as they flee westward to California. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: wealth and poverty, injustice, social and political policy and governance, biblical themes such as judgment and redemption.

7. Invisible Man Ralph Ellison’s meditation on the effects of race, told from the perspective of an African American narrator rendered invisible by his skin color. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: race and racial injustice, identity, ideology and belief systems.

8. The Alchemist Paulo Coelho’s tale of a Spanish shepherd who hopes to find his destiny on a journey to Egypt. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: adventure and courage, hope, destiny.

9. Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut’s dark, absurdist comedy centered on the devastating firebombing of Dresden, Germany, during World War II. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: nonlinear narratives, unreliable narrators, existentialism and absurdism, the true nature of warfare.

10. The Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel depicting the rise, in the United States, of a theocratic government dedicated to the oppression of women. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: totalitarianism, patriarchy and misogyny, surveillance, politics and governance, gender roles.

11. The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald’s lyrical, Jazz Age novel about the idealist James Gatsby—and the nature of the American Dream. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: the Jazz Age, the American Dream, wealth and class, idealism.

12. The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison’s story of Pecola Breedlove, a young, often-abused African American girl who dreams of having blue eyes—a tangible sign of acceptance in a world dominated by white conceptions of beauty and belonging. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: identity, race and racial injustice, the effects of abuse, beauty and ugliness, insanity.

13. Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck’s story of an unlikely—and tragically fated—friendship between two men of remarkably different intellectual abilities. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: friendship and loyalty, character, cruelty and mercy.

14. Macbeth Shakespeare’s portrait of an ambitious Scottish warrior who wants to be king—and is goaded to murder to achieve his goal. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: the nature of evil, power and ambition, insanity, chaos and disorder.

15. Brave New World Aldous Huxley’s slim novel envisioning a future “utopia” with perverse qualities—as the human race succumbs to overdoses of pleasure, amusement, and hedonism. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: genetic manipulation, state power, drug use, individualism and society.

16. The Road Cormac McCarthy’s bleak novel about a boy and his father seeking safety in a post-apocalyptic world. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: good and evil, death, apocalypse, cruelty, hope and hopelessness.

17. Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston’s heavily vernacular novel depicting the life of Janie Crawford, an African American woman in the Jim Crow South at the turn of the 20th century. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: gender roles, race and racial injustice, the effects of abuse, the representation of American dialects, the nature of love.

18. The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky’s epistolary, coming-of-age novel about an introverted, emotionally scarred high school freshman named Charlie. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: introverts and extroverts, teen romance, alcohol and drug use, the effects of abuse.

19. Persepolis Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel, an autobiography that describes growing up in Tehran, Iran, during the era of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: graphic novels, Iranian culture, politics and religion, war.

20. Night Elie Wiesel’s spare memoir-novel based on his experiences in concentration camps during the Holocaust. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: good and evil, the Holocaust, faith and faithlessness, the Jewish experience.

Please feel free to suggest more indispensable high school reads—we’d love to add to the list. After all, more choice can only assist teachers engaged in the essential, never-ending work of helping students master literacy. And let us know if we should start lists for elementary and middle school too . . . The author of this article is the chief content officer at Edutopia. You can follow him on Twitter @smerrill777 .

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How To Write a Good Book Report in Seven Steps

Are you having trouble writing your book report? Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to give you seven easy steps that’ll help you write the perfect book report.

Quick Summary on How To Write a Book Report

• As you read the book, highlight and take notes.
• Reread the instructions of the assignment.
• Organize your notes and create an outline.
• Write a compelling introduction.
• Include quotations, examples, and supporting evidence in the body paragraphs.
• Encapsulate the main point of your text in the conclusion.
• Edit and proofread.

What Is a Book Report?

A book report is an essay in which students explain and support their thoughts and views on a story, novel, or any other literary work.

There are several different types of book reports. Regardless of which type you’re writing, teachers and professors usually assign book reports as a way to ensure that their students have thoroughly understood the book. Below, we’ll go over how to write a good book report in seven easy steps.

How To Write a Book Report

1. as you read the book, highlight and take notes..

The first step of writing a good book report is to read the book, of course. However, it’s important to highlight and takes notes while reading it. Highlight anything that stands out to you or that evokes certain emotions. Write notes on patterns, themes, and characters. If you’re writing a book report on a nonfiction book, write notes on the major points of the book and what you think about them.

2. Revisit and reread the instructions of the assignment.

Once you’re done reading and taking notes, reread the instructions of the assignment. Find what it is you’re supposed to write about. Is it a character analysis? A plot summary? An exploration of themes and patterns, or something else? It’s also essential to follow the formatting guidelines, so make sure to use the correct font and spacing. If you have any questions, reach out to your teacher or professor.

3. Organize your notes and create an outline.

Gather your notes and arrange them into categories. Once you’ve completed this, write an outline and organize the categories to become the paragraphs of your book report. Jot down bullet points on what each paragraph will include and what part of the book can support it. As you start writing the book report, remain flexible. You don’t have to follow the outline exactly. You may realize that a few edits create a better flow.

4. Write a compelling introduction.

The introduction should be informative and catchy. You may want to start with a quote, climactic scene, or an unusual observation you had while reading the book. Towards the end of the introduction, you should write a one or two-sentence summary about the book, and then the last sentence should explain what exactly you’ll be writing about in the rest of the report.

Book Report Elements

Keep in mind that all book reports should contain:

• The name and author of the book.
• A thesis statement.
• If you're writing about a fiction book, mention the setting, time period, and characters.
• If you’re writing about a nonfiction book, mention the author’s main point in writing the book.
• Evidence to support your arguments.

5. Include quotations, examples, and supporting evidence in the body paragraphs.

The body paragraphs are where you can include quotations, examples, and supporting evidence that bring your book report together.

For example, let’s say you’re writing a character analysis. You believe that the character that everyone sees as the protagonist is actually the antagonist. You should write why you believe that and include specific scenarios that help prove your point.

Or if you’re writing about a non-fiction book, you could use the body paragraphs to write about why you agree or disagree with the author. Similarly, you’d have to use examples and evidence to support your argument.

It’s a good idea to start off with your most compelling, evidence-backed point. Leave the weakest arguments for the middle, and end with another strong point. Lastly, whether you’re writing about fiction or non-fiction, commenting on writing style and tone is recommended (especially if it’s explicitly requested in the instructions).

6. Encapsulate the main point of your text in the conclusion.

The conclusion is just as important as the introduction, so make sure to set aside enough time to write one (students tend to rush through this part). Use the concluding paragraph to pull all your arguments together. Reiterate again what the main point was about, and then briefly summarize the main idea of your book report.

7. Edit and proofread.

Now that you’ve completed the first draft of your book report, it’s time to reread and make edits if needed. Are there any paragraphs you can move around that’ll improve the rhythm of your writing? Do you have enough evidence to back up your claims? Is your introduction captivating and descriptive?

While you’re rereading the book report, you should also be looking for typos and spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. If you want an extra set of eyes to look for all types of errors, you should use LanguageTool as your spelling and grammar checker. Not only will this advanced editor correct mistakes, but it supports more than twenty languages—meaning your book report will be perfect regardless of which language you’re writing it in.

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High School - How to Make A Book Report That Will Earn You An "A"

• Ashley Hansen
• Categories : Help with writing assignments paragraphs, essays, outlines & more
• Tags : Homework help & study guides

How to Make A Book Report

Follow these eight easy steps and you’ll be well on your way to acing your class book report.

• Read with Purpose
• Pre-writing
• Introduction
• Character Analysis
• Plot Summary

Step 1: Read With Purpose

Step 2: Pre-Writing

Before you begin writing, create a plan of what will be included in your paper. You can do this in the form of an outline, or by just jotting down the first sentence for each paragraph you intend to write. If you know the structure of your paper beforehand, it will be much easier to read because each paragraph will have a cohesive thought process that leads into the following paragraph. Don’t spend too much time on this step - it should be just 10 or 20 minutes of brainstorming that should come fairly easy if you refer back to the notes you made while reading.

Step 3: Title Page

Don’t forget to add a title page to your report. In the center of the page, write your name, the name of the book, and the class for which you are writing. You may also want to include a heading on the first page of your report that includes this same information. *Note: If your teacher wants you to use a specific writing style, such as MLA , make sure you look up the specific guidelines before creating your title page and header.

Step 4: Introduction

Next up in how to make a book report - the introduction. High school book reports are easy once you’ve done the pre-writing and preparation. Your introduction will be the easiest part of your paper to write. The first paragraph of your paper should include the basic facts about the book. This includes the title, author, date published and a short summary of the setting and plot. You should also include the genre of the book and whether it is fiction or non-fiction.

Step 5: Character Analysis

For works of fiction, you should write a short breakdown of each character. Give the first and last name of the major characters of the book, followed by a short description of each. Writing a high school book report requires more than just the information about where characters are from and who they are related to. It’s important to include a few key personality traits or other facts that affect each character. For example, “James is naive and very generous, and some of the other characters take advantage of him” or “Julia is shy in comparison to her sisters, so she often goes unnoticed at social gatherings; she spends most of her time alone.” Each of these sentences describes how their personality affects their relationships with other characters in the book. This is also an excellent time to include some quotations from those characters who demonstrate their personality. For non-fiction, use this section to introduce the writer and how they are related to the book’s topic.

Step 6: Plot Summary

Writing a high school book report includes the book’s major events. Once the characters have been introduced, move on to a description of the plot. Refer to your notes in naming important events, and remember to note when the climax of the story takes place. Longer books often have a few subplot lines going on throughout the story; only mention these when necessary, or if your teacher expects a very long and detailed report. For non-fiction, the plot summary is where you can describe the story or argument made by the author. Instead of focusing on events, you’ll focus on main themes and statements made in the book.

Step 7: Analysis

Writing a high school book report requires analysis. You may need to analyze the key themes in the book. One important part of any fiction work is symbolism. If a certain object or scene occurs repeatedly throughout the book, you should take note as you’ll want to describe this in the analysis. Whether it’s blood, keys, rainy weather or apples, you should explain the significance of the symbol to the story and give examples of when it appears. Historical significance can also be a great topic for analysis. For example, if the book was written during or takes place in World War II, explore how it reflects the main fears or expectations of people living at that time. Note that you can approach historical significance in more than one way. A book may have been written in 1980, but it could take place in 1900. You can choose to explore either or both of these facts. For examples of analysis, check out these Brighthub novel guides .

Step 8: Conclusion

Your book report should end with a concise summary of the story the key elements that played a part in it. One helpful hint for the conclusion section is to use the end of the story as a way to end your report. By making a statement about the way the story closes, it will also help to “close” your paper.

Use These Tips!

By using these tips, you’ll know how to make a book report that impresses your teacher and increases your chance for earning a better grade. The key here is to take the time to read carefully and thoughtfully - it will save you loads of time in the end. Image by Gerhard Gellinger from Pixabay

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12 Creative Book Report Projects Your Students Will Love

Whether you’re teaching a whole-class novel, or finishing a round of independent reading or literature circles, post-reading assessments are always more engaging when they’re more than just a test or essay.

Below, you’ll discover a dozen fun book report ideas for your middle or high school ELA students, curated by a team of experienced English teachers.

Choose your favorite projects to offer to students as options on a book report project choice board.

Create a Board Game

When I gave “create a board game about the book you read” as a book report option for my students, I was pleasantly surprised at the results! Quite a few students excitedly chose this option and created some really fun-looking games centered on their books. 

This is a great project choice if you’re looking for something that students can’t create by just Googling the book.

Here are some tips and suggestions for assigning a board game book report:

• Give clear parameters and requirements to keep students on track, such as requiring game elements to represent certain literary elements of the book they read.
• Provide suggestions for game components and materials – encourage students to consider the game play and elements of their favorite board games and to use materials they already have at home to create them.
• For a whole-class novel study, consider allowing students to work in teams to create the novel-based board games, then setting aside a class period for students to play each others’ games and see who wins!

If you’re looking to save time… clear directions handouts, lots of suggestions, and a handy grading rubric for a board game post-reading assessment are all included in this resource . Take a look! 

For more independent reading response ideas, check out this post with ideas for fun post-reading projects.

Create a Journey Box

Engaging students in authentic conversations about books is a passion for Carolyn of Middle School Café .  In traditional oral book reports, students simply get up in front of the class and read a summary of the book they read.  Carolyn found this method of oral book reports painful for both her and her students.

Wanting to find a way to help her students talk about their book and keep her class engaged, Carolyn began incorporating Journey Box Book Reports.  A journey box is a shoebox (or bag) that contains artifacts from the story that help the reader share important events from the story. 

Students predetermine what events of the story are most important to share, then they create an artifact to share with the class or small group as they explain the plot.  As an example, Carolyn had a student who read The Diary of Anne Frank.   He created a small 3D tree that he displayed on the desk as he shared about how Anne looked out the window and dreamed of her former life.  It’s a small piece of the story that helps the student explain the plot point and gives the audience something visual to look at and stay engaged. 

Journey Box Book Reports have been successful for Carolyn in both her middle school and high school classrooms.  She does suggest, if using Journey Boxes in older grades, to have students share their stories in small groups.  

Create a Literary Food Truck

If there’s one thing kids love, it’s food – especially high schoolers – and with this in mind, one of Simply Ana P’s favorite ways to recap a class novel or an independent reading unit is with Literary Food Trucks. This is definitely not a new idea, but it’s one that will have you coming back for seconds 🙂 

Ana first tried this project at the end of The Odyssey , where students were able to decide which book(s) they wanted to make the focus of their trucks. The main requirement was that every single choice made had to be intentional and clearly relevant. With this in mind, students could start the planning process. 

You can make the truck’s requirements as simple or as detailed as you prefer, but Ana recommends having students plan: 

• Truck name, design, and branding colors
• Menu design and items (5 items minimum)
• Employee uniforms
• Merch 

Ana includes a writing component by having her students defend all of their selections in the form of a proposal. This is later used in their presentations, and the better (more intentional) their proposal is, the more likely they will win the class vote. This proposal can be anywhere from a few paragraphs to a few pages, depending on what writing goals you have for them, and should definitely include text evidence. 

Part of the beauty of this type of project is that it can be done digital or paper-based. Ana likes to walk her students through a Canva tutorial, where there are even menu templates that students can use so they don’t feel overwhelmed starting from scratch. Or, for more creative students, they can create their trucks on chart paper, poster board, or even 3D dioramas.  After students finish making their food trucks, it’s always fun to take a day for the in-class Food Festival, where students are invited to bring in items from their menus or simply some type of snacks. Some students get super hype about this day and even make/wear aprons or themed employee uniforms. Students are able to walk around, visiting each of their trucks, and casting their votes for Best Food, Most Relevant, and Most Detailed. Have fun and bon appetit !

Create a Mood Board

It can be hard to come up with creative post-reading assessments for your students when they’re done with a full class novel, literature circles, or a choice reading unit. In an attempt to combine 21 st century skills with literary analysis, Samantha from Samantha in Secondary decided to try something a little different. Enter: The Mood Board.

A mood board combines images to elicit a feeling from a viewer much like a writer does with words. The possibilities for using a mood board with your class are endless. Students can create a mood board for an overall book, a character, an event, a theme, a poem, etc. Then, have your students carefully curate a board that is aesthetically pleasing and considers color, space, and design in the execution. As students explain why they’ve made the choices they have, the upper-level thinking comes naturally.

Canva is an excellent tool to use to create your mood boards. Having students interact with software they may be unfamiliar with is a meaningful learning experience in and of itself. If you want to learn more about how to use mood boards in your own classroom, click here to read Samantha’s blog post about it or check out the resource she created that includes done-for-you student instructions, examples, and a rubric here .

Create a New App

How would a character’s life change if there was just the perfect app to solve their conflict??

This is the question Krista from @whimsyandrigor poses to her students as they finish a novel and begin to reflect on the character’s journey. Students begin by discussing all of the details surrounding the protagonist and what they experienced. In small groups and in whole-class discussions, students discuss the conflicts, both internal and external, and then brainstorm all of the realistic and not-so-realistic ways the character could have addressed their problems.

Once students have generated a healthy list of ideas, Krista tells them they get to become an app developer and they must create an app that would greatly benefit a character from their reading.

The requirements are:

• The app cannot already exist.
• The app can be totally unrealistic/not probable.
• The app developer must be able to explain how its features would benefit the character.
• The developer must also create an icon for the App Store.

Here is a print-and-go handout students use to get designing. 

Here are some example apps students could create: to help Will from Jason Reynolds’s Long Way Down , maybe an app that predicts his future would help him decide what to do once he steps off the elevator. Or maybe Romeo from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet would have benefited from a life-detection app that would accurately determine whether or not someone was actually dead.

When students sette on the conflict they want to address and the app that would help, they write a Spill the TEA paragraph, as explained by Krista in this YouTube video .  Using this paragraph organization strategy, students will introduce their app, use evidence to explain how it is necessary for the character, and explain how the app would have benefited or changed the protagonist’s journey.

Now they get to be a graphic designer as they design the app’s icon. Students may want to peruse the actual App Store to get ideas about how an icon is designed, what elements must be present, and how to create something that is eye-catching.

If space allows, Krista encourages you to display the icons and Spill the TEA paragraphs in the hallway for other students to see the in-depth critical thinking and character analysis your students did after finishing a novel. 

Who says technology is only a distraction for our students?! This activity proves technology can help students dive deep into a text and its characters!

Write a Vignette

Lesa from SmithTeaches9to12 often focuses on character-based activities for novel studies including a character profile activity , character conversations through text messages , or the writing of a good vignette. 

Vignettes can be a great way to assess students’ literary analysis skills and understanding of the text. Students write a short piece of about 500 words that is descriptive of a particular moment in time focusing on one of the book’s characters. These moments could be placing the character in a new setting, writing about a particular moment in the story that was less developed, or even extending to a moment beyond the book’s conclusion. Lesa provides students with some mentor texts, including “My Name” by Sandra Cisneros in The House on Mango Street or “The Prisoner Van” by Charles Dickens in Sketches by Boz or even one from a novel being read in class. Review the stories for structure, language choice, sentence structure, use of figurative language, and so on. This helps to co-create the criteria for the assignment. Then students write their own vignette. Build in some peer review as an accountability piece and voila!

Create a Character Collage

It’s safe to say that most English teachers have a bin of cut-up magazines somewhere in their classrooms. While these tattered copies of People and Us Weekly have definitely seen better days, they live on in the many collage creations of our students.

Katie from Mochas and Markbooks loves to use collages as visual representations of comprehension. After reading a novel or short story, creating a character collage to show how a character has evolved from beginning to end requires students to use higher order thinking skills to analyze, synthesize and demonstrate their understanding of characterization by dividing their page in half and choosing words and images to represent the character at the start and conclusion of the story on each side.

The results will show the depth of your students’ interpretation of character as well as their ability to use critical and creative thinking skills to represent their knowledge.

Other ways to use this idea instead of showing character evolution are to show two different sides to a character, for example, who they are with different people in their lives. 

If you are looking for other ways to incorporate collage and magazines into your post-reading assessments, check out this blog post for more ideas!

Design Shoe Charms

Crocs are not Olivia ’s shoe of choice, but when she noticed her students bedazzling their plastic footwear with shoe charms, it was a learning opportunity she just couldn’t pass up. Here’s how to make it work in your classroom:

First, have your students choose a character from the book they have finished reading. Then encourage them to find quotes from the book that reveal the character’s interests, values, or personality. Once they have found their quotes (she has her students find 4), tell them to design and color shoe charms that represent those interests, values, or personality traits. This helps students with inferencing, textual evidence, and even symbolism!

When your students have finished making their shoe charms, they can either tape the charms to their shoes for a fabulous, foot-themed fashion show, or they can glue them to a picture of a Croc for quirky classroom décor. Check out this Instagram post to see the charms Olivia’s students came up with!

Create a Movie Poster

When was the last time you went to the movies? Did you notice the posters along the way? If yes then you have walked down the movie studio promotional lane. Like trailers, studios create movie posters to grab the attention of movie-goers before they even enter the theater. Yes, you may have already purchased your movie ticket, but those posters were created for the future. After you finish watching Sonic 2 , what movie will you see next? You probably already pointed to that poster on the way into the theater and said, “That looks like it is going to be good. I want to see that!”   As a post reading idea, Sharena from The Humble Bird Teacher has her students create movie posters based on the text read in class. This allows her to complete a formative assessment on what the students learned from the text. Before having her class create a movie poster, she shows them examples of posters from different genres such as drama, action, family-friendly, and comedy. Then she hands out a piece of construction paper and goes over the basic requirements. On the movie poster, the students are required to have their actors names or image (characters), the title of the movie, a visual (setting or symbol from the story), and a tagline, and a short two to three sentence summary of the movie. Once her students are finished with the assignment, she displays them outside the classroom, so the students can have their own movie studio promotional lane.  If you are looking for more after reading ideas, click here .

Try Novel Engineering

Whether you’ve been hoping to collaborate with another department, or just really want to try something new, Novel Engineering is an amazing way to get students thinking outside of the box ! Staci from Donut Lovin’ Teacher has found that Novel Engineering requires students to actively comprehend and interact with a novel and get creative about how to help improve the lives of characters! Basically, students work to create a product that will help solve a character’s problem. Here’s how it works…

Before reading : Choose a narrative text where the character faces tangible conflicts. Model and practice the design process in small ways. Try using picture books like Mucha! Muncha! Mucha! in order for students to see and practice what they’ll be doing with a text at grade-level.

While reading : Emphasize the conflicts characters face and give students time to brainstorm possible products that would help solve said problem. Make sure students record evidence from the text so they can later justify the need for the product they design.

After reading : Give students time to draft, craft, and improve their designs that will help solve a problem faced by a character. You can give students options where they draw their creation, make their creation, or even plan a digital app like this, depending on time and resources. Whatever you choose, students will be sure to be pushed to use some skills they may not always practice in an ELA classroom!

Staci has some FREE Novel Engineering Digital Planning Pages or you can read more about her experience with novel engineering on the Donut Lovin’ Teacher blog .

Create a Tik Tok Video

How many times have you passed a group of students filming a TikTok in a hallway? Have you had students ask to film in your class once they finish assignments? You are not alone. Students love TikTok and Yaddy from Yaddy’s Room has figured out how to get students using TikTok for academic purposes!

Yaddy likes to challenge students to create TikTok videos that track a character’s development, encapsulates the main theme of the story, or that exemplifies a key conflict. These easy, low stress videos are great at getting even reluctant students to participate.

To incorporate TikTok videos as a means of assessing students after a novel or story, try the following steps:

1)      Get students to brainstorm which part of the novel they would like to use for their video.

2)      Ask students to start combing TikTok for an audio that fits with the portion of the text they chose

3)      Ask them to plan out how they will realize their vision

4)      Rehearse and film!

5)      Bonus: ask students to upload their videos to Google Drive and share the link with you so that you can make QR codes to post around your classroom!

Want to get started using TikTok videos for book reports? Check on Yaddy’s free planning sheet here !

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Homeschooling Teen

How to Write a High School Book Report Outline

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By Lori Wade

Writing a book report for high school students can at times be a difficult task, whereby they are expected to write a critical analysis of a book they have just read. It is an exercise for evaluating the book you’ve just read to show your understanding. In the early days in school, elementary students are given easy to comprehend books to read and guided in writing reports. By the time the students are in high school, they are expected be to write book reports on their own.

Each tutor has their own instructions and preferences when they are guiding students to read and write reports. There is no universal format when it comes to reading, understanding and interpreting what and how students read. Although that is the case, the following guidelines should help you get a footing in the effort of writing a crisp book report.

How to Write a Book Report

You need first to read the book and understand the content well before you can write a good book report for it. If the choice of the book is yours, you should consider selecting a book that you’ll have fun reading. When reading, always have a pen and paper by your side to write down page numbers, chapters, and topics, and take short notes about interesting passages.

Every report that you write in high school must have a title page. Format your title page according to the requirements that your teacher asks you to write in, like MLA. Write your name and title of the book and your class.

Introduction

In this section, you will provide basic information about the book and a synopsis of what the report will be about. You will include the following information in this section:

• Title of the book which must be underlined and the name of the author
• Publication Information such as the publisher, year of publication, and number of pages
• Genre of the book
• A brief introduction to the book and the report, typically a 1 to 2 sentence paragraph.

Here, you will work on two sections. The first is an exploration of what is contained in the book and the second part is your opinion and insight into the book and its success rate.

When you are working on a book report, you will be required to follow the different guideline for fiction and nonfiction books. Although they will be structured differently from each other – you will start from a common point where you discuss the author’s purpose and themes in the book and then break away to tackle each genre independently.

Fiction/Imaginative

For fiction and other creative and imaginative books, start by providing a brief account of the setting, the perspective and the characters in the book like the protagonist and antagonist and the major characters as well. You will also discuss the mood or tone of the book.

Write a brief summary of the plot where you will include the major events and the order in which they occur in the book. You should discuss the climax and the resolution of the book and some literary strategies such as foreshadowing. This is applicable to reports but is different in book reviews, whereby you should be on the lookout not to give away details pertaining the plot or the ending of the book.

Nonfiction/Factual

For reality writing, give an overall overview of the topic, main points, and arguments that come out in the book. Provide the thesis and the major conclusions of the book. You are not supposed to summarize all the chapters in the book or every perspective, just explore the main ones and those that are significant to the book, or interesting to you.

Analysis and Evaluation

This is the section in which you analyze and critique the book. In this section, you can write your opinions and bring out your insight into the book and present your arguments, but you will be required to provide explanations and evidence from the book to support your view. Try to balance your opinions not showing a clear inclination towards one side.

When writing this section, the body of the report, the following aspects should be lingering in your head:

• Your general response to the book; exciting, dull or moving
• The writing style the author used; powerful, efficient, complicated, or beautiful
• For a nonfiction book, assess the qualifications author on the subject written. Are you in agreement with the arguments and conclusions of the author?
• Was the objective of the writer achieved?
• Can you recommend the book to other readers? If so, Why? If not, Why not?
• What are the strong points and weak points in the book?

The Conclusion

When concluding your report, briefly pull your thoughts together by summing up the impact the book had on you while reading. You may state the impression that the book gave you, or you may place emphasis on what you want the reader to know about the book. It’s in the conclusion that you’re actually free to include your own views and attitudes.

A good way of writing the conclusion of your report is by looking at the conclusion of the book and borrowing from it. Fuse it with your own thoughts and be aware that other readers might differ from your perspectives.

Revising, Editing, and Submitting

When you finish writing your book report, you are ready to enter this stage. Follow the guidelines of proofreading any written material. Read over your report correcting common mistakes and enriching the details of your report. Read out aloud to yourself and to a friend and ask for feedback. Give it to a senior student or your parent. As you revise the report, ensure that you’ve adhered to the guidelines of the book quoting and that you’ve written the book titles and names in the correct formatting style that you’re writing in.

Ensure that you finish your report on time so as to spare some more for revising and editing before you submit your final report and you’ll be assured of a good score. You can present a rough draft to your teacher before the final submission date for their opinion on whether you are writing in the proper context or where you need to modify and improve on.

Extra Practice

Take extra lessons online offering writing coaching and practice the skills you learn. This way you will improve your basic writing skills which will ensure you can tackle any writing assignment including book reports and reviews. Read other book reviews online and have a grip on how reports and reviews are professionally presented.

Writing book reports can be fun especially for the books that you find interesting to read. You will find all not assignments are of books fun to read. With enough practicing and several assignments successfully completed, you will tackle even the hardest and most annoying books. Remember to always start with the high school book report outline .

High school book reports are a good way of preparing for the more intensive and involving college report writing. Please let us know if there is any tip that we didn’t discuss in the article, which has helped you write grade A+ reports, and we shall include it.

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The Best Book-Report Books for Middle Schoolers

No need to dread a book report! When kids find titles that are engaging, interesting, and thought-provoking, they're hooked. If it's fiction, students can dissect plot, theme, and characters. If it's nonfiction, they can plunge into a subject that fascinates them or learn a lot about something they've never heard of before. Here's a list of surefire selections for students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. For even more ideas, check out 50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12 .

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

Inspiring wartime journal reveals teen's inner life.

The Apothecary, Book 1

Cold War kids use magic to save world in brilliant novel.

Everything Sad Is Untrue: (A True Story)

Young refugee's story is told in memories, myths, fables.

Goodbye Stranger

Bittersweet, lovely story of friendship and social media.

Genesis Begins Again

Teen learns to love herself in uplifting tale of misfits.

Hold on tight for an intense tale of survival.

A Long Walk to Water

Touching take on Lost Boys of Sudan, based on true story.

One Crazy Summer

A gem, with strong girl characters, '60s black history.

Poverty, being unhoused explored in hopeful tale.

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights

Little-known disaster gets overdue, in-depth treatment.

The Red Badge of Courage

Compelling Civil War novel questions morality of battle.

Uglies: Uglies Quartet, Book 1

Thoughtful sci-fi about the price of beauty.

Interned girl, Native boy find common ground in moving tale.

All-American Muslim Girl

Captivating coming-of-age tale explores identity, racism.

American Ace

Moving, fast-paced novel-in-verse; great for teen boys.

Bomb: The Race to Build -- and Steal -- the World's Most Dangerous Weapon

Complex, suspenseful story of developing The Bomb.

The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club

Thrilling true story of teenagers who stood up to the Nazis.

Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings

Poignant memoir-in-verse recalls Cuban American's childhood.

Long Way Down

Gripping, unnerving story of teen boy contemplating revenge.

My Name Is Not Easy

Fascinating story of Alaskan kids growing up in the 1960s.

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• How to Raise a Reader
• Help Your Kids Find Books with Diverse Characters
• How Comics Helped My Kid Love Reading

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Great Books High School 9–12

The Great Books High School program combines high-quality literature, student-centered discussion, and activities that support reading comprehension, critical thinking, speaking and listening, and writing. We provide outstanding classroom materials and inspiring professional development. We help students get the most out of reading and interacting with their teachers and classmates, while providing instruction and support in Shared Inquiry, a method of learning that gives teachers the approach they need to help their students succeed.

For more than 50 years, schools that integrate Great Books materials and our inquiry-based approach to learning into their curriculum have been helping their students become independent readers and thinkers while enhancing the instructional skills of their teachers.

• Balancing literary and informational texts
• Building knowledge in the disciplines
• Providing a staircase of text complexity
• Requiring text-based answers
• Focusing on evidence in writing
• Expanding vocabulary

“How do we challenge students to get to their very best selves and their biggest potential? In that, you have to be able to think critically. You have to be able to write well. You have to be able to articulate your thoughts. You have to collaborate with others—we think Great Books enhances all of these abilities for us.”

Debra Ciochina Director of Teaching and Learning-Secondary Duneland School Corporation Chesterton, IN

The Shared Inquiry Method of Learning

Shared Inquiry is an active and collaborative search for answers to questions of meaning about a text. It is a research-supported method of learning that promotes deeper thinking through reading, discussion, and writing. Shared Inquiry enables teachers to work with students in an exciting intellectual partnership through a range of interpretive activities that stimulate students’ thinking. The Shared Inquiry approach develops students’ reading comprehension, critical thinking, and communication skills in the context of thinking about genuine problems of meaning raised by a rich work of literature.

Teachers who learn Shared Inquiry:

Rooted in the Socratic method, Shared Inquiry is distinct in its focus on high-quality texts and the participation of a trained leader who helps participants arrive at their own well-reasoned interpretations of the text. There are a variety of ways to implement Great Books programs, but Shared Inquiry always involves close reading, questions, collaboration, and reflective thinking.

• Meet key learning standards through inquiry-based, collaborative approach
• Engage all students in higher-level reading, thinking, and discussion
• Integrate critical thinking and social-emotional learning into the curriculum to provide essential skills students need to be college and career ready
• Prepare students to thoughtfully consider different points of view, listening to others and responding appropriately

“Discussions are a great way for students to get to know each other and listen to each other’s thoughts and ideas. Great Books Shared Inquiry helps me hit the essentials every time—close reading, well-reasoned writing, and formal discussion.”

Marc-Paul Johnsen English Teacher La Academia at Denver Inner City Parish Denver, CO

“As a curriculum director, I work with teachers to use the Shared Inquiry process to provide the most rich and rigorous literacy program possible so that all students, regardless of neighborhood or social-economic background, have the ability to genuinely be ‘college and career ready’ through the interaction of authentic literature and development of true critical thinking.”

Natalie Flores Curriculum Director BSNBCS Brooklyn, NY

Students who learn Shared Inquiry:

• Use reading comprehension strategies purposefully
• Develop their own opinions and claims about a text
• Support ideas with textual evidence, and weigh evidence for divergent ideas
• Go beyond initial responses to think deeper about issues
• Develop social and emotional intelligence through respectful dialogue and collaboration
• Create a collaborative classroom community with support from their peers and teachers

Great Books Program Features

In Great Books programs, students’ critical thinking develops through careful reading, attentive listening, thoughtful speaking, and purposeful writing.

Critical Thinking

Students explore problems of meaning by:

Generating ideas Giving evidence Responding to each other

• Read aloud fluently
• Annotate a text
• Interpret word meaning
• Recall facts and cite details
• Generate ideas about meaning
• Infer, evaluate, and revise ideas
• Find evidence to support ideas
• Routinely write notes and questions
• Organize, develop, and support ideas
• Edit and revise writing with peer review
• Use different writing forms for different purposes

Speaking and Listening

• Share questions
• Express and clarify ideas
• Explain and support ideas
• Listen and respond to others’ opinions
• Recall ideas and evidence heard in discussion

Research-Based Learning with Fiction and Nonfiction

Trained Over

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Schools Have Used Our Materials/Training

Great Books has over 50 years of experience imparting key principles and practices of inquiry-based teaching. Our method, known as Shared Inquiry, has been used in thousands of classrooms across the country and around the world. Our programs are currently in use in countries worldwide, including Australia, Bermuda, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. No other organization or company has more history or expertise at making inquiry-based teaching and learning succeed than Great Books.

Great Books inquiry-based programs have been recognized as effective by the US Department of Education, and independent research has shown that regular, sustained used of Shared Inquiry improves reading comprehension, writing, and critical thinking for students from a wide range of demographic backgrounds and achievement levels.

High-Quality Literature

The Great Books High School program features outstanding literature by award-winning authors. Stories are selected for their engaging, vivid writing and for their ability to support multiple interpretations and thought-provoking discussions, as well as for their diversity of settings, themes, genres, and writing styles.

William Faulkner, author of “Barn Burning”

Standards and Alignments

Great Books programs combine classroom materials and an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning to provide the essential elements students need to meet and surpass the goals of Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

Great Books programs help teachers develop the competencies and skills outlined in the Danielson Framework for Teaching, adopted by school districts as a road map of professional practice designed to guide, support, and evaluate teachers. Great Books programs promote the most effective teaching practices outlined in the Danielson Framework.

As your school implements the NAGC recommendations for gifted education, Great Books materials and professional development can help you meet the classroom practices and teacher learning components described in the NAGC’s six programming standards. The table below highlights the student outcomes and evidence-based practices met by Great Books programs.

Our training and follow-up consultation services focus on Shared Inquiry as a method—and on the shift the teacher makes to become the model of an active learner who is leading, facilitating, and enhancing the learning of others through questioning and gradual release of responsibility to the students. This emphasis on teacher development and growth and on student-centered learning harmonizes with both Danielson’s Framework for Teaching and Marzano’s Teacher Evaluation Model, specifically in the areas of questioning and discussion strategies, the teacher’s role in Shared Inquiry, and content and preparation in a student-driven learning environment.

Customize Your Approach

Our materials help your students develop the critical thinking, close-reading, and analytical skills they need to be college and career ready. Our questioning and discussion techniques help teachers become better discussion leaders.

If your teachers and students are not sure how to integrate inquiry-based teaching and learning into their daily routines, we can help you identify the key problem areas for your students and teachers. No matter what curriculum, literacy program, or textbook you’re using, we’ll work with you to develop a customized approach that integrates our products and/or professional learning into your classroom routines. Please contact us to schedule a time when we can meet and start developing the approach that works best for you.

Five Alternatives to Book Reports Your Students Will Love

Book reports and summaries are a thing of the past. Engage your middle and high school students with five book report alternatives that will leave them asking for more and, most importantly, building vital reading and analysis skills along the way.

1. Assign one pagers at the end of a novel.

One pagers are engaging, allow for creativity, and lead to higher level thinking and analysis. Assigning a one pager is easy and works for any novel. Follow these simple guidelines:

Make it standards based: choose a standard to focus on, and design the content of the one pager around that standard. For example, these directions help students to master standard RL3:

Grade the learning, not the art. While I require my students to fill the blank space of their one pagers, I make it clear that students are not graded on their artistic ability. Then, I give suggestions for filling the blank space that do not require artistic ability: magazine cutouts, color, or filling blank space with powerful words and quotes.

Share models and a rubric with students so expectations are clear.

2. Make paper airplanes.

Paper airplanes are not just for kids to toss around when the teacher is not looking. They can also provide a fun alternative to book reports. Here’s how:

Instruct students to fold a paper airplane.

On the outside of the plane, instruct students to draw the plane’s windows with the protagonists on one side and the antagonists on the other. Instruct students to label each character and give a brief description of each.

On the inside of the plane, instruct students to write an analysis of the characters. How did the characters change throughout the novel? How were the characters impacted by (the plot, the setting, the conflict, etc. )? How do the characters affect each other?

Require students to back up their analysis with text based evidence, just like they would in a more traditional essay.

On the day airplanes are due, instruct students to fly their planes to a classmate (you might want to model a proper flight vs. an aggressive flight!). Students read their classmate's analysis, then share one fact they learned about the characters with the rest of the class. Allow students to make several "flights" so students can hear a wide range of perspectives.

If you want to save time on making a paper airplane book report assignment, you can grab my Best Ever Reading Response project set here , which includes four other projects plus Paper Airplane Book Report instructions, a rubric, and an airplane template that makes implementing this project easy!

3. Make it a book talk.

Book talks are the perfect interactive alternative to a traditional book report. Book talks give students an authentic audience, motivation to succeed, and require higher level thinking that can help push students to be more analytical in response to their reading.

Book talks can be implemented in several ways:

Students can prepare their book talks ahead of time, then sign up for times to present their book talks to the class. Require students to bring their book on the day they give their talk. The great side effect of book talks is that kids in the audience get interested in new books!

Students can complete book talks speed dating style. Ask students to complete this form:

Line up chairs in the classroom so students are facing each other with half of the class on one side and half on the other. Set a timer for five minutes and instruct students to give their book talks to and listen to the book talk of the person sitting across from them. When the timer is finished, instruct students on one side to shift one seat to the right. The student on one end will move to the beginning of the row so each student has a new partner. Reset the five minute timer and repeat the book talks. When the timer is up, the same row shifts to the right again. Repeat as many times as you see fit.

Do FlipGrid Book talks. Students can use FlipGrid to record their book talk using laptop cameras, their phones, or iPads. This is a great way to save class time (you can show selected book talks or the book talks of students who volunteer--watch the rest for grading outside of class). It's also a great alternative for students who are not comfortable getting in front of the class for their book talks.

4. Create book trailers using iMovie.

Want instant engagement? Offer book trailers as a culminating book project. iMovie makes it SO easy. Students can use phones or iPads to create a professional looking book trailer.

To create a book trailer, students must first choose a design template from iMovie:

Next, students will complete a storyboard for their book trailer. To create storyboards, students will need images and videos that connect to their novels.

For the best storyboards, instruct students to follow these simple steps:

Choose a focus for your book trailer. Entice your audience to read your novel by hinting at major themes that readers will take away. Highlight characters and conflicts that viewers will be able to connect with.

Next, examine the titles of the story board. Brainstorm titles that will help to tell the story of your novel with a focus on themes, relatable characters, and conflict.

Last, brainstorm a list of images and videos you will need to capture. The images and videos will show for a certain number of seconds indicated by iMovie. Be sure to limit your videos to indicated seconds.

Begin taking pictures and videos!

Put it all together. Write your title and subtitles. Insert pictures and images, and choose audio.

Preview your book trailer and revise as needed, adding or changing pictures and video and editing grammar.

After students finish their book trailers, have a viewing party complete with books and popcorn. Beware: students will want to read more books after viewing their classmates' trailers!

5. Create professional looking book covers using Canva.

If you haven't used Canva in the classroom--go, right now! Canva is an amazing design tool that allows teachers and students (or the average Joe) to design anything from posters to greeting cards. They also have the option of creating book covers!

To create book covers in Canva, visit the Canva website linked here . Create an account if you don't already have one. Click on Templates and do a search for Book Covers. Choose one of the free options (there are LOTS of great free options--there is no need to purchase templates or images). Start editing!

In order for your students to create a book cover on Canva, they will need to create a Canva account using their email. Make sure this works for your district (check FERPA requirements for using outside apps--in my school, I share the website with admin before using anything with my students).

Recommendations for implementing a standards-based book cover project:

Master standard RL 2: Student's book cover must reflect the theme of the novel. The back of the cover must include an objective summary of the text.

Master standard RL 3: Student's book cover must reflect the interaction of at least two different elements of the novel. For example, the cover might show how characters are affected by the setting or by a major event (with no spoilers!).

Master standard RL 6: Student's book cover must reflect the development of two different characters' points of view. For example, the front might reveal one character's point of view and the back another.

Display book covers in your classroom to entice your readers to read even more!

With a little creativity, we can engage students to analyze their texts in more meaningful, interactive ways. Try one of the five alternatives to book reports and let us know how it goes! Share your reflections, comments, questions, and suggestions below. Enjoy!

Want to save time and implement some fun alternatives to book reports? Check out my Best Ever Reading Response Projects here .

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50 classics from (almost) everyone's high school reading list

Research shows that reading fiction encourages empathy . While more high school curriculums should include modern, diverse writers like Amy Tan and Malala Yousafzai, certain classics—like John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" and Sandra Cisneros' "The House on Mango Street"—endure. Some even make a comeback. George Orwell's "1984," a novel published in 1949 about a dystopian future where the government controls the truth, even surged to #6 on the bestseller list in January 2021, selling more than 24,000 copies following the insurrection in Washington D.C.

While books are ostensibly for anyone with a yearning to learn, sometimes parents, teachers, and school board officials disagree on what kids should or shouldn't read. The result of the push and pull between these groups then shapes the reading lists of millions across the country. According to Pen America , 1,648 different books were banned in schools across the United States between July 2021 and June 2022. These bans affected 138 school districts in 32 states, impacting the books an estimated 4 million students were allowed to read. The top three most frequently banned books were Maia Kobabe's "Gender Queer: A Memoir," George M. Johnson's "All Boys Aren't Blue," and Ashley Hope Pérez's "Out of Darkness."

Certain books deserve a first, second, or maybe even a third read. Using data from Goodreads released in January 2023, Stacker compiled a list of 50 timeless books, plays, and epic poems commonly found on high school reading lists. A total of 1,194 voters picked the most essential reading required for students. The final ranking is based on Goodreads' score, which considers multiple factors, including total votes each book received and how highly voters ranked each book.

Read on to see which classics made the list.

#50. Their Eyes Were Watching God

- Author: Zora Neale Hurston - Score: 4,143 - Average rating: 3.97 (based on 316,337 ratings)

A coming-of-age story set in early 1900s Florida, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" tackles a multitude of issues: racism, sexism, segregation, poverty, and gender roles, among others. Initially overlooked upon its release, Zora Neale Hurston's best-known work is now considered a modern American masterpiece thanks to work done in Black studies programs in the 1970s.

#49. Mythology

- Author: Edith Hamilton - Score: 4,148 - Average rating: 4.02 (based on 52,213 ratings)

Edith Hamilton's " Mythology " has been a standard of both reference and pleasure reading since its publication in 1942. The book was commissioned by an editor at the publisher Little, Brown and Company in 1939 to replace the outdated 1855 collection on the subject, " Bulfinch's Mythology ," and it remains a popular choice for educating students on the subject today. At nearly 500 pages, this hefty tome covers all the classic Greek, Roman, and Norse myths in one place, from the journeys of Odysseus and the Trojan War to Cupid and Psyche.

#48. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1)

- Author: Maya Angelou - Score: 4,153 - Average rating: 4.28 (based on 492,982 ratings)

In the first of her seven memoirs, " I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ," Maya Angelou speaks of her early life growing up in the South, including the abuse and racism she faced. Before this, Angelou was known as a poet but was encouraged to try her hand at long-form writing following a party she attended with the legendary James Baldwin. This book sold 1 million copies, was nominated for a National Book Award, and spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list.

#47. Oedipus Rex (The Theban Plays, #1)

- Author: Sophocles - Score: 4,211 - Average rating: 3.72 (based on 200,721 ratings)

The tragic Greek play " Oedipus Rex " tells the shocking tale of King Oedipus, who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. The work of Sophocles has inspired many others across disciplines, including Igor Stravinsky's 1920s opera of the same name. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic concept of the Oedipus complex , a theory that children are sexually attracted to their opposite-sex parent, also derived from this work.

#46. Moby-Dick or, the Whale

- Author: Herman Melville - Score: 4,240 - Average rating: 3.53 (based on 528,908 ratings)

Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick or, the Whale"—the lengthy tale of a sea captain on the hunt for this great beast—was inspired by a real-life sperm whale attack that sank the Essex in 1820. Although the book sold less than 3,000 copies during Melville's lifetime, it is now considered an American classic. In September 2022, one collector paid a whopping $327,600 to obtain an 1853 edition of the novel.

#45. The Pearl

- Author: John Steinbeck - Score: 4,421 - Average rating: 3.51 (based on 218,730 ratings)

John Steinbeck's "The Pearl" tells the story of Kino, a poor diver trying to support his family by gathering pearls from gulf beds. He is only barely scraping by until he happens upon a giant pearl. Kino thinks this discovery will finally provide him with the financial comfort and security he has been seeking, but it ultimately brings disaster. The story addresses the reader's relationship to nature, the human need for connection, and the consequences of resisting injustice.

#44. The Importance of Being Earnest

- Author: Oscar Wilde - Score: 4,540 - Average rating: 4.18 (based on 345,903 ratings)

This comedic play by Oscar Wilde takes a satiric look at Victorian social values while following two men—Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff—as they tell lies to bring some excitement to their lives. "The Importance of Being Earnest" was Wilde's final play , and some consider it his masterpiece .

#43. The Red Badge of Courage

- Author: Stephen Crane - Score: 4,752 - Average rating: 3.28 (based on 99,854 ratings)

In "The Red Badge of Courage," Henry Fleming enlists in the Union Army, enticed by visions of glory. When the reality of war and battle sets in, Fleming retreats in fear. In the end, he faces his cowardice and rises to leadership. This American war novel was published in 1895 and is so authentic that it's easy to believe the author—born after the Civil War ended—was himself a veteran.

#42. The Taming of the Shrew

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 4,822 - Average rating: 3.77 (based on 164,742 ratings)

This five-act comedy tells the story of the courtship of the headstrong Katherine and the money-grubbing Petruchio, who is determined to subdue Katherine and make her his wife. After the wedding, Petruchio drags his new wife through the mud to their new home in the country. He proceeds to starve and deprive her of sleep to make his new bride submissive. The play, one of Shakespeare's most popular, has been both criticized for its abusive and misogynistic attitude toward women and praised as a challenging view of how women are supposed to behave.

#41. Slaughterhouse-Five

- Author: Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Score: 4,858 - Average rating: 4.09 (based on 1,284,145 ratings)

In "Slaughterhouse-Five," Kurt Vonnegut tells the story of Billy Pilgrim—based on a real American soldier—who is "unstuck in time." He travels throughout the timeline of his life in a nonlinear fashion, forced to relive certain moments. He is first pulled out after he is drafted and captured in Germany during World War II. The book, which explores how humankind repeats history, has been banned or challenged in classrooms throughout the United States. It even landed in the Supreme Court in 1982 in Board of Education v. Pico , and the court held that banning the book violated the First Amendment.

#40. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

- Author: Mark Twain - Score: 5,170 - Average rating: 3.92 (based on 879,567 ratings)

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" takes place in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, during the 1840s. Tom Sawyer and his friend Huck Finn witness a murder by Joe. After the boys stay silent, the wrong man is accused of the crime. When they flee, the whole town presumes them dead, and the boys end up attending their own funerals. Mark Twain's portrayal of Sawyer and Finn challenges the idyllic American view of childhood, instead showing children as fallible human beings with imperfections like anyone else.

#39. Crime and Punishment

- Author: Fyodor Dostoevsky - Score: 5,537 - Average rating: 4.25 (based on 798,073 ratings)

This Russian classic, published in 1886, tells the story of a former student named Rodion Raskolnikov, who is now impoverished and on the verge of mental instability. To get money—and to demonstrate his exceptionalness—he comes up with a murderous plan to kill a pawnbroker. Considered one of the first psychological novels , "Crime and Punishment" is also quite political as it explores the character's pull toward liberal views and his rebellion against them.

#38. A Separate Peace

- Author: John Knowles - Score: 5,561 - Average rating: 3.59 (based on 209,325 ratings)

In "A Separate Peace," John Knowles explores the friendship of two young men—the quiet, intellectual Gene Forrester and his extroverted, athletic friend Finny. Gene lives vicariously through Finny, but his jealousy ultimately ends in tragedy after he commits a subtle act of violence . The book examines themes of envy and the need to achieve.

#37. Death of a Salesman

- Author: Arthur Miller - Score: 6,178 - Average rating: 3.56 (based on 217,183 ratings)

Arthur Miller introduces readers to an aging Willy Loman , a traveling salesman nearing the end of his career. Loman decides he's tired of driving for work and asks for an office job in New York City, believing he is vital to the company. His boss ends up firing him. Loman is also faced with the fact that his son, Biff, is not as successful in life as he had hoped.

Ultimately, Loman takes his own life so his son can have the insurance money to jump-start a better life. After his death, only Loman's family attends his funeral. "Death of a Salesman" won the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for drama.

#36. The Little Prince

- Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - Score: 6,838 - Average rating: 4.32 (based on 1,871,036 ratings)

In "The Little Prince," a pilot whose plane has crashed in the Sahara desert meets a young boy from outer space. The boy is traveling from planet to planet in search of friendship. On the boy's home—an asteroid—he lived alone, accompanied only by a solitary rose. Once on Earth, the boy meets a wise fox who tells him he can only see clearly with his heart . The book's somber themes of imagination and adulthood have resonated with children and adults alike since it was published—it is now one of the most translated books of all time.

#35. The Old Man and the Sea

- Author: Ernest Hemingway - Score: 6,848 - Average rating: 3.80 (based on 1,036,482 ratings)

"The Old Man and the Sea" was Ernest Hemingway's final major work. The story follows an old man who catches a large fish, only to have it eaten by sharks before he can get it back to shore. Although many may see symbolism about life and aging in the book, Hemingway said there wasn't a deeper meaning in the prose.

#34. The Canterbury Tales

- Author: Geoffrey Chaucer - Score: 6,904 - Average rating: 3.52 (based on 211,378 ratings)

"The Canterbury Tales," written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, was one of the first major works of English literature. The story follows a group of pilgrims who tell tales during their journey from London to Canterbury Cathedral. The cast of characters—including a carpenter, cook, and knight, among others—paints a varied picture of 14th-century society. The stories  inspired the modern film "A Knight's Tale," starring Heath Ledger as a poor knight and Paul Bettany as Chaucer.

#33. Othello

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 6,966 - Average rating: 3.89 (based on 363,620 ratings)

Shakespeare wrote "Othello" in the early 17th century. The play tells the tragic story of Othello—a Moor and general in the Venetian army, and Iago—a traitorous low-ranking officer. Shakespeare tackles themes of racism, betrayal, and jealousy. While he refers to Othello as "Black," Shakespeare most likely meant he was darker-skinned than most Englishmen at the time and not necessarily of African descent.

#32. Flowers for Algernon

- Author: Daniel Keyes - Score: 7,235 - Average rating: 4.18 (based on 597,740 ratings)

The main character in "Flowers for Algernon" is Charlie Gordon, a man of low intelligence who becomes a genius after undergoing an experimental procedure. The experiment has already been performed on a lab mouse named Algernon. Gordon's intelligence opens his eyes to things he's never understood before, but he eventually loses his newly acquired knowledge. The mouse, who Gordon remembers fondly, dies. Daniel Keyes wrote the book after realizing his education was causing a rift between him and his loved ones, making him wonder what it would be like if someone's intelligence could be increased.

#31. Beowulf

- Author: Unknown - Score: 7,844 - Average rating: 3.47 (based on 283,839 ratings)

"Beowulf" is an epic poem —an original manuscript copy is housed in the British Library—of 3,000 lines. It was written in Old English somewhere between A.D. 700 and 1000 and tells the story of Beowulf, a nobleman and warrior in Sweden who is sent to Denmark to fight a swamp monster called Grendel.

#30. A Tale of Two Cities

- Author: Charles Dickens - Score: 8,085 - Average rating: 3.86 (based on 901,761 ratings)

"A Tale of Two Cities" famously starts: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…" Set in the late 1700s, Charles Dickens vividly writes about the time leading up to and during the French Revolution. The historical novel describes death and despair but also touches on themes of redemption.

#29. Wuthering Heights

- Author: Emily Brontë - Score: 8,214 - Average rating: 3.88 (based on 1,651,158 ratings)

"Wuthering Heights," published in 1847, was the first and only novel by Emily Brontë, who died a year later at 30. Brontë tells the tragic love story between Heathcliff, an orphan, and Catherine, his wealthy benefactor's daughter. Considered a classic in English literature, the novel shows readers how passionate and destructive love can be.

#28. The Hobbit (The Lord of the Rings, #0)

- Author: J.R.R. Tolkien - Score: 8,552 - Average rating: 4.28 (based on 3,583,681 ratings)

" The Hobbit " is the story of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who sets off on a journey through the fictional world of Middle-earth in search of adventure and treasure. J.R.R. Tolkien originally wrote this book for his own kids, and it was an instant success in the children's book market. It also grew a keen following with older readers alongside the release of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy in the 1960s, when it offered a great reprieve from the tumult of the times, and the big screen adaptation in the early 2000s.

#27. A Midsummer Night's Dream

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 8,974 - Average rating: 3.95 (based on 507,482 ratings)

Like many of Shakespeare's plays, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" explores the theme of love. This comedy shows the events that surround the marriage of Theseus, the duke of Athens, to Hippolyta, a former Amazon queen. The play also shares the stories of several other lovers influenced by the fairies who live in the forest near the wedding. The play is a favorite for actors and audiences, even today.

#26. The Grapes of Wrath

- Author: John Steinbeck - Score: 9,047 - Average rating: 3.99 (based on 852,960 ratings)

"The Grapes of Wrath" is considered a great American novel partly because it brought to light the destruction and despair caused by the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. The story follows Tom Joad after he is released from prison to find his family's Oklahoma farmstead empty and destroyed. Joad and his family later set off for a new life in California, only to face struggles along the way. The book, which focuses on hard work, won a  Pulitzer Prize  in 1940.

#25. Great Expectations

- Author: Charles Dickens - Score: 9,647 - Average rating: 3.79 (based on 751,833 ratings)

This Charles Dickens classic tells the story of Pip, an orphan who gets a chance at a better life through an anonymous benefactor. The plot mostly centers around Pip's regular visits to Miss Havisham, a wealthy recluse, and his love for her adopted daughter Estella, who is cold toward Pip until years later. Many consider the novel a great masterpiece .

#24. Frankenstein: The 1818 Text

- Author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley - Score: 10,277 - Average rating: 3.85 (based on 1,435,457 ratings)

At just 20 , Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley created what is often labeled as the first science fiction novel : "Frankenstein." While staying with a group of literary comrades, Lord Byron challenged his fellow writers to craft ghost stories. Shelley's story was sparked by a nightmare that ultimately became the classic novel about a mad scientist who created a monster from the body parts of corpses, then brought the creature to life.

#23. Julius Caesar

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 10,472 - Average rating: 3.70 (based on 191,622 ratings)

Shakespeare takes on history with "Julius Caesar," a tragic story of power and betrayal. Brutus, who worked closely with Caesar, joined his fellow conspirators to assassinate Caesar to save the republic from a tyrannical leader. The events had the opposite effect when, only two years later, Caesar's grandnephew was crowned the first emperor of Rome. The play marked a political shift in Shakespeare's writing.

#22. The Outsiders

- Author: S.E. Hinton - Score: 10,564 - Average rating: 4.12 (based on 1,193,939 ratings)

S.E. Hinton introduced readers to 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis in "The Outsiders," a novel she started to write when she was 16. The plot centers around two rival gangs: the lower-class Greasers and the well-off Socials. It touches on teen angst , including the frustrations young people have when they can't rely on adults to change things while also not knowing how to fix things themselves. Hinton's publishers encouraged her to publish under her initials because they didn't think the public would respect a book about teenage boys by someone with the feminine name of Susan Eloise Hinton.

#21. Brave New World

- Author: Aldous Huxley - Score: 10,853 - Average rating: 3.99 (based on 1,711,789 ratings)

In "Brave New World," published in 1932, Aldous Huxley paints a picture of a dystopian future where people consume pills called soma to get a sense of instant bliss without side effects. Emotions, individuality, and lasting relationships aren't allowed. A preordained class system is decided at the embryonic stage, with certain people getting hormones for peak mental and athletic fitness. Some historians believe the book's plot could represent the future in the next 100 years.

#20. Night (The Night Trilogy, #1)

- Author: Elie Wiesel - Score: 11,080 - Average rating: 4.36 (based on 1,150,070 ratings)

"Night," the first in a trilogy of books, is the most well-known of the more than 50 works Elie Wiesel produced in his lifetime. In just over 100 pages, Wiesel recounts his experiences at the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps during the Holocaust—a history he felt compelled to share, as he stated in his 1986 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech , "Because, if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices." The impact of this book has only grown since its publication in 1956, with educators teaching the book in schools for decades and book sales soaring alongside current events, including Wiesel's death in July 2016.

#19. The Crucible

- Author: Arthur Miller - Score: 11,619 - Average rating: 3.60 (based on 380,466 ratings)

This 1953 play is a dramatized version of the Salem witch trials of the late 1600s. In the novel, a group of young girls are dancing in the forest; when caught, they fake illness and shift blame to avoid punishment. Their lies set off witchcraft accusations throughout the town. Arthur Miller wrote "The Crucible" to protest the actions of Sen. Joseph McCarthy , who set up a committee in the early 1950s to investigate and prosecute the Communists he thought had infiltrated the government. It won the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play.

#18. The Giver (The Giver, #1)

- Author: Lois Lowry - Score: 11,635 - Average rating: 4.13 (based on 2,238,142 ratings)

" The Giver " is the dystopian tale of a boy chosen to hold one of the most difficult and important professions in his community—the keeper of all memories from the time before, including the pain and difficulties that have been erased from the seemingly utopian world around them. In 1994, Lois Lowry was awarded the Newbery Medal —a prestigious award for children's literature in the United States—for the first installation of her book quartet. The book's complicated themes of racism, religion, and politics lend themselves more to older readers, creating rich discussion in high school classrooms.

#17. Jane Eyre

- Author: Charlotte Brontë - Score: 11,990 - Average rating: 4.14 (based on 1,941,542 ratings)

Charlotte Brontë—sister to Emily—speaks directly to the reader in "Jane Eyre." The Victorian novel follows the headstrong Jane, an orphan who lives with her aunt and cousins, on her quest to find her identity and true love. The novel, marketed as an autobiography and published in 1847 under the pen name Currer Bell, is written in the first person and introduces " the concept of the self " in writing.

#16. Fahrenheit 451

- Author: Ray Bradbury - Score: 12,468 - Average rating: 3.97 (based on 2,162,063 ratings)

Ray Bradbury describes a futuristic world where books are banned and burned. Guy Montag, one firefighter tasked with extinguishing the books, questions the practice. When Bradbury wrote the classic in the 1950s, television sets were becoming ubiquitous in American households. The theme of the book was a warning about how mass media could interfere with people's ability or desire to think critically, a theme that many think resonates with the social media-obsessed world of today.

#15. Pride and Prejudice

- Author: Jane Austen - Score: 13,486 - Average rating: 4.28 (based on 3,854,915 ratings)

Published in 1813, "Pride and Prejudice" was Jane Austen's second novel. The story follows the will-they-won't-they relationship between the wealthy Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, who comes from meager means. Throughout the chapters, both change for the better as they fall in love. The book has inspired at least  a dozen or more  movie and television adaptations.

#14. The Odyssey

- Author: Homer - Score: 15,087 - Average rating: 3.79 (based on 1,001,633 ratings)

"The Odyssey," a Greek epic poem , follows Odysseus as he travels back to the island of Ithaca after fighting in the war at Troy—something addressed in Homer's poem "The Iliad." When he returns home, he and his son, Telemachus, kill all the men trying to marry Odysseus's wife, Penelope. In the end, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, victory, and war, intervenes. Like many Greek myths, it focuses on themes of love, courage, and revenge.

#13. The Diary of a Young Girl

- Author: Anne Frank - Score: 15,739 - Average rating: 4.18 (based on 3,425,782 ratings)

In 1944, a young Anne Frank recorded her thoughts and feelings as she and other Jewish citizens hid from the German Nazis during World War II. The coming-of-age diary, which chronicles Frank's time hiding in the Secret Annex while she became a young woman, has been translated into 70 languages. While she and most of her family were killed, her father survived and helped publish her work, making it possible for millions to learn her story.

#12. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

- Author: Mark Twain - Score: 16,638 - Average rating: 3.83 (based on 1,228,955 ratings)

Huckleberry Finn is the main character in this follow-up novel to "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." The book explores themes of racism as Huck Finn floats down the Mississippi River with a man escaping slavery. Like Huck at the end of his tale, Twain changed his views on slavery and rejected it as an institution.

- Author: George Orwell - Score: 17,337 - Average rating: 4.19 (based on 4,095,733 ratings)

George Orwell describes a dystopian future rife with war and one where the government—led by Big Brother—controls the truth and snuffs out individual thought. The protagonist, Winston Smith, becomes disillusioned with the Party, and he rebels against it. Although it was published in 1949, the novel had a resurgence in 2017.

#10. The Scarlet Letter

- Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne - Score: 17,684 - Average rating: 3.43 (based on 814,235 ratings)

Nathaniel Hawthorne published "The Scarlet Letter" in 1850. In the novel, based on historical events , readers follow the story of Hester Prynne, a woman who is forced to wear a red "A" on her clothes after she conceives a child out of wedlock. She bears the punishment alone when she refuses to name the baby's father. Her character marked one of the first where a strong woman was the protagonist . Hawthorne's novel also touches on themes of hypocrisy, shame, guilt, and love.

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 19,419 - Average rating: 4.03 (based on 875,058 ratings)

Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, becomes vengeful after attending his father's funeral, only to find his mother has remarried Claudius, his uncle. The stepfather crowns himself king, a role that should have gone to Hamlet. The prince finds out his father was murdered, after which he kills the new king. Ambiguity runs through the play and the character of Hamlet, whose visions of ghosts are up for interpretation—are they real or a figment of the troubled man's imagination? The tragedy, which launched the famous line "To be, or not to be… " shines a light on some of the worst traits of humanity . Some consider the play Shakespeare's greatest work .

#8. The Catcher in the Rye

- Author: J.D. Salinger - Score: 19,450 - Average rating: 3.81 (based on 3,262,066 ratings)

J.D. Salinger aptly captures teen angst in "The Catcher in the Rye" when the reader gets a look at three days in the life of its narrator, the 16-year-old Holden Caulfield. The book was an instant success, but some schools have banned it from their libraries and reading lists, citing vulgarity and sexual content.

#7. Of Mice and Men

- Author: John Steinbeck - Score: 19,958 - Average rating: 3.88 (based on 2,350,603 ratings)

"Of Mice and Men" tells the story of George and his simple-minded friend Lennie. The two have to get new jobs on a ranch because of some trouble in Lennie's past. The novel, set during the Great Depression, tackles topics of poverty, sexism, and racism .

#6. Macbeth

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 21,256 - Average rating: 3.90 (based on 822,057 ratings)

Another Shakespeare classic, "Macbeth" portrays the weakness of humanity. The character of Macbeth receives a prophecy that he will one day become king of Scotland. His unchecked ambition ends in murder; Macbeth kills King Duncan to steal the throne for himself. It shows the destructive influence of political ambition and pursuing power for its own sake.

#5. Animal Farm

- Author: George Orwell - Score: 22,478 - Average rating: 3.98 (based on 3,491,043 ratings)

A group of farm animals organizes a revolt after they realize their master, Mr. Jones, is mistreating them and offering them nothing in return for their work. When they challenge the leadership, they are disciplined for speaking out. This classic isn't about animal rights. It is a larger critique of Soviet Communism . Orwell wrote it as an attack against Stalinism in Russia .

#4. Lord of the Flies

- Author: William Golding - Score: 24,079 - Average rating: 3.69 (based on 2,692,219 ratings)

"Lord of the Flies" tells the alarming story of a group of young boys who survive a plane crash, only to descend into tribalism on the island where they landed. Two of the boys—Ralph and Jack—clash in their pursuit of leadership. The novel, which has been challenged in schools , shows how struggles for power based on fear and division can result in a collapse of social order, themes that might seem relevant in the current fraught political climate.

#3. The Great Gatsby

- Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald - Score: 29,912 - Average rating: 3.93 (based on 4,737,607 ratings)

Nick Carraway, a Midwest transplant and Yale graduate, moves to West Egg, Long Island, and enters a world of extravagance when he becomes entangled with millionaire Jay Gatsby and socialite Daisy Buchanan. The novel is viewed as a cautionary tale about achieving the American dream of wealth and excess.

#2. Romeo and Juliet

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 34,901 - Average rating: 3.74 (based on 2,430,511 ratings)

Two star-crossed lovers meet and perish in this tragedy. Juliet, a Capulet, falls in love with Romeo, a Montague. Because their families are rivals, they are forbidden to marry. They secretly wed before misfortune leads to their deaths. Losing their children inspires peace among the families. Some critics claim the play's childish view of love hasn't stood the test of time, but others think the story is multilayered and deserves its classic status.

#1. To Kill a Mockingbird

- Author: Harper Lee - Score: 44,390 - Average rating: 4.27 (based on 5,584,470 ratings)

Harper Lee's first novel, published in 1960, tackles issues of racial and social injustice in the South. Set in Alabama, it introduces readers to Atticus Finch, a lawyer who defends a Black man accused of sexually assaulting a white woman. The point-of-view comes from Atticus' daughter, Scout, while Boo Radley, their reclusive neighbor, adds another dimension to this classic story of racism and childhood. Lee's work won her a Pulitzer Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Because of some racial language, the book has been challenged in many schools throughout America.

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What’s a good book for a high-school book report

I have a book report due tomorrow and I haven’t even picked a book yet. I’m a junior in high school. What’s a book that would be easy to do (length doesn’t really matter)

About this Worksheet: This book report worksheet directs the student to write about the book they have completed reading. This book report worksheet asks the student to write about the setting, plot, conflicts, motifs, theme, and much more. This book report worksheet gives the student a good opportunity to learn and reflect on the book they have completed. The teacher will be able to measure their reading comprehension of the book. The book report worksheet may even be used to give a class book talk or presentation. This worksheet is suitable for 7th grade, 8th grade, 9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade and 12th grade.   | | | | "); //--> English Worksheets Grades 6-12 School Leaders NEW: Classroom Clean-Up/Set-Up Email Course! 🧽 Every product is independently selected by (obsessive) editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission. 2024 Summer Reading List for Kids and Teens (Free Printables) More than 150 books for grades preK to 12. When summer arrives, some kids see it as a chance to spend time reading new books as well as old favorites. Others would be happy if they didn’t see a book during their whole vacation. But summer reading is key to keeping skills fresh. During this time off from school, let them enjoy books of all kinds—it’s the reading that matters. Our summer reading list for 2024 has options for every kid, every reading level, and every interest. Bookmark this list for easy access! Be sure to fill out the form on this landing page to grab our free 2024 printable summer reading lists. Each list features a selection of 21 of the books from each category listed below. Looking for even more suggestions? Check out our huge collection of book lists here . Summer Reading List 2024 Picture Books Easy Readers/Chapter Books Middle Grades Young Adult Graphic Novels Picture Books Summer Reading List 2024 Looking to inspire little ones and new readers? This 2024 summer reading list for preschoolers and early elementary has selections that feature gorgeous illustrations and captivating stories. These books are perfect for story time, bedtime, or anytime! Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock by Dallas Hunt and Amanda Strong Awâsis is a young Cree girl who’s about to embark on an adventure. Together with her woodland friends, she gathers the ingredients she needs to bake bannock, a traditional bread. This picture book includes Cree terminology and a delicious recipe to try too. Buy it:  Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock Big Brown Bear’s Cave by Yuval Zommer Working through every one of Yuval Zommer’s creative titles would be a great way for students to spend their summer vacation. This one is especially perfect, though, for kids whose parents ask them to help clean out the garage (or attic or basement) during summer break. Based on his observations of humans’ “caves,” Big Brown Bear thinks he needs a lot more stuff to make his own home feel comfy. Or does he? Buy it:  Big Brown Bear’s Cave Big Bunny by Rowboat Watkins Big Bunny loves to eat carrots, along with … lots of other stuff. The zany plot twists will give kids the giggles. The unexpected ending is pure fun. Buy it:  Big Bunny Boxitects by Kim Smith Boxitect. Blanketeer. Spaghetti-tect. Kids will want to be all of them! After you read, use the cardboard box creation inspiration to build some castles of your own. Buy it:  Boxitects Bright Star by Yuyi Morales Join a young fawn on a journey through the Sonoran Desert and the borderlands there. The images are stunning, the story inspiring. ( A Spanish edition is also available.) Buy it:  Bright Star Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem by Amanda Gorman Amanda Gorman inspired the nation with her poem at the 2020 presidential inauguration ceremony. Her children’s book is just as stirring, with gorgeous illustrations kids will love. Buy it:  Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem Choosing Brave by Angela Joy, illustrated by Janelle Washington This Caldecott Honor book celebrates the life of Emmett Till, whose murder sparked the Civil Rights Movement. But the story truly belongs to his mother, Mamie, who ensured her son’s sacrifice was for the greater good. Add this one to your elementary summer reading list and share this incredibly inspiring story with a new generation. Buy it: Choosing Brave A Different Pond by Bao Phi and Thi Bui Journey to another land with this Caldecott Honor book. Follow along as a father teaches his son about their native country, Vietnam. Buy it:  A Different Pond Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho A little Asian girl notices her eyes look different than the other kids she knows, but they look just like those of her beloved mother, grandmother, and sister. This sweet tale about learning to know and love yourself for who you are is a great addition to a kindergarten summer reading list in 2024. Buy it:  Eyes That Kiss in the Corners Finding the Music/En pos de la música by Jennifer Torres When Reyna accidentally breaks her abuelito ‘s special instrument, a vihuela , she’s heartbroken—and determined to get it fixed. This touching title celebrates family bonds, mariachi music, and the power of community. Buy it:  Finding the Music/En pos de la música Flashlight Night by Matt Forrest Esenwine One of the best parts of summer is staying up late! The nighttime adventure these children have will inspire students to click on their own flashlights—and their imaginations—and head out into the dark. Buy it:  Flashlight Night Floaty by John Himmelman When someone leaves a mysterious basket on grouchy Mr. Raisin’s doorstep, the last thing he expects to be inside is a dog—especially one that floats! What will Mr. Raisin do when Floaty floats away? This is the perfect lighthearted read-aloud for your first grade summer reading list. Buy it:  Floaty Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won There’s a pervasive dark cloud of grumpiness among the animal friends, until they start gifting hats to one another. Also check out follow-ups Hooray for Books! and Hooray for Today! Buy it:  Hooray for Hat! I Am Truly by Kelly Greenawalt Princess Truly can do anything she sets her mind to, from taming lions to dancing on the stars! Be sure to check out the other Princess Truly books too. Buy it:  I Am Truly I Want 100 Dogs by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Claire Keane The narrator’s parents have lots of reasons why their family can’t have 100 dogs (or 90, or 80, or …). But in the end, everyone agrees one dog will be just fine. Parents beware: This book might be the trick your child needs to talk you into getting a pet! Buy it:  I Want 100 Dogs Knight Owl by Christopher Denise This little owl has just one wish—to become a knight! It’s not going to be easy, but in the end, he’s determined to prove his bravery. Buy it: Knight Owl Lion on the Inside: How One Girl Changed Basketball by Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir and Judith Henderson, illustrated by Katherine Ahmed Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir was a rock-star basketball player, but rules about wearing her hijab on the court derailed her career. She channeled her energy into activism instead, working to change the rules and pave the way for more girls like herself. Buy it: Lion on the Inside Lost and Found Cat by Doug Kuntz and Amy Shrodes In this true story, an Iraqi family brings their beloved family cat when they leave their home as refugees, only to have it get lost during the boat crossing to Greece. A worldwide reunification effort leads to a happy ending. Buy it:  Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush’s Incredible Journey The Magician’s Secret by Zachary Hyman and Joe Bluhm Sleepovers at Grandpa’s are a highlight of many kids’ summers. When your grandfather is a retired magician with a magic story chest in his attic, though? Well, that’s a guaranteed adventure. Buy it:  The Magician’s Secret My Hair Is a Garden by Cozbi A. Cabrera A young girl learns that her hair’s natural beauty is meant to be treasured as much as the gorgeous plants blooming throughout her neighbor’s yard. Buy it:  My Hair Is a Garden at Amazon National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Where by Jill Esbaum This medley of explanations will answer curious kids’ questions about the tallest mountains, the biggest rivers, and even fun facts like where ice cream was invented. Use it to take a vacation when you can’t leave home! Buy it:  National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Where Natsumi! by Susan Lendroth and Priscilla Burris No one in Natsumi’s family appreciates her extra-energetic approach to preparing for the Japanese arts festival. Her grandfather knows just how to channel all that enthusiasm—through drumming! Inspire students to march to their own drum this summer. Buy it:  Natsumi! Noodlephant by Jacob Kramer and K-Fai Steele Noodlephant loves pasta—hence her nickname. When the kangaroos start making one unfair law after another, Noodlephant stands up for everyone’s right to enjoy pasta. Check out the sequel, Okapi Tale , too. Buy it:  Noodlephant The Roots of Rap by Carole Boston Weatherford This artful trip through musical history will fascinate kids (and adults too). Learn about how artists from so many domains—storytelling, poetry, funk, street art, breakdancing, deejaying, and more—helped rap and hip-hop become what they are today. Buy it:  The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop The Secret Elephant by Ellan Rankin What would you do to keep an elephant safe when bombs fall from the sky? Would you bring it home with you from the zoo each night? One Belfast zookeeper did just that during World War II, and this is her enchanting story. Buy it: The Secret Elephant Sisters & Champions by Howard Bryant This story of the sisters that redefined expectations of what kids from a tough Los Angeles neighborhood can achieve is a summer inspiration that’s a perfect addition to your elementary summer reading list in 2024. Floyd Cooper’s illustrations are a delight. Buy it:  Sisters & Champions: The True Story of Venus and Serena Williams Take a Hike, Miles and Spike! by Travis Foster and Ethan Long Two oblivious dogs pack for an outdoor adventure but have to revise their plans when the other animals call them out for being selfish. Catchy rhymes and Ethan Long’s signature, super-fun illustrations make this silly story a guaranteed hit for your kindergarten summer reading list. Buy it:  Take a Hike, Miles and Spike! What If … by Samantha Berger and Mike Curato Gorgeous illustrations showcase the richness a vivid imagination can add to a child’s life. No matter what they take away from her, they can’t take away her ability to create. Buy it:  What If … What if You Had an Animal Tail? by Sandra Markle and Howard McWilliam A perfect pairing for a summer outing to the zoo, this fun series will have kids laughing as they learn about animal adaptations and the human body. This one focuses on tails; read the others to learn about animal ears, hair, and more. Buy it:  What if You Had an Animal Tail? Easy Readers/Chapter Books Summer Reading List 2024 Chapter books give readers who are still mastering the skill even more practice. Our 2024 easy reader summer reading list choices are excellent for read-alouds too, whether it’s parents reading to kids or kids reading to parents (or kids reading to each other!). Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants by Andrea Beaty Readers who loved Ada Twist’s picture book will love following her on her chapter book adventures. Pals Rosie Revere and Iggy Peck join her as she works to solve a mystery in her own backyard. This is a great choice for an elementary summer reading list. Buy it: Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants Agent Moose by Mo O’Hara Folks keep going missing on the South Shore in this graphic novel. No worries though—Agent Moose and his sidekick Owlfred are on the case! Buy it:  Agent Moose Arlo & Pips: King of the Birds by Elise Gravel Arlo the crow is smart, and he knows it. Fortunately, his little friend Pips isn’t afraid to put him in his place! This funny graphic novel includes plenty of true facts about crows mixed in with the story and is a fantastic book to put on your first or second grade summer reading list in 2024. Buy it:  Arlo & Pips: King of the Birds Baloney and Friends by Greg Pizzoli Kids will get a kick out of reading about the adventures of Baloney and his friends Peanut, Bizz, and Krabbit! Plus, they can follow the tutorial at the end of the book to learn how to draw comics of their own. Buy it:  Baloney and Friends Bunbun & Bonbon: Fancy Friends by Jess Keating Bunbun is as cute as can be but awfully lonely. Fortunately, fancy candy Bonbon is ready to step in! Their sweet adventures fill the pages of this easy-reader graphic novel. Buy it:  Bunbun & Bonbon Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song Norma and Belly are hungry squirrels who desperately want a nut—a donut! They’re foiled at every turn, though, and their silly adventure will keep kids giggling throughout this early-reader graphic novel. Buy it:  Donut Feed the Squirrels The Door That Had Never Been Opened Before by Mrs. and Mr. MacLeod This picture book for early readers tells the story of a magic door, a missing key, and a bright new world called the “Land of Never Before.” Readers will enjoy the journey into the unknown future with the Grunion kids, who previously showed the world How To Eat a Book . Buy it: The Door That Had Never Been Opened Before Earth’s Incredible Places: Grand Canyon by Susan Lamb, illustrated by Sean Lewis Headed to the Grand Canyon this summer? Learn all about the geology, wildlife, and natural history of one of the world’s most majestic places. Readers will also discover the deep connection indigenous people have had to this land for centuries. Buy it: Earth’s Incredible Places: Grand Canyon Evelyn Del Ray Is Moving Away by Meg Medina When Daniela’s best friend Evelyn moves out of her apartment across the street, the two girls spend one last day playing together among the moving boxes. Even though they won’t be neighbors anymore, they know they’ll always be friends. Buy it: Evelyn Del Ray Is Moving Away InvestiGators by John Patrick Green Welcome to the underground (literally!) world of Special Undercover Investigation Teams (S.U.I.T.). Gator agents Mango and Brash travel the sewers by toilet as they solve cases in this hilarious graphic novel for young readers. Buy it:  InvestiGators I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 by Lauren Tarshis The heart-pounding adventure of the stories in the I Survived series, based on real-life events, is sure to capture every kid’s imagination. Check out the whole series here. Buy it:  I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be Best Friend by Dawn Quigley Jo Jo Makoons lives on an Ojibwe reservation with her family, where her #1 best friend is her cat, Mimi. But her #1 human friend, Fern, doesn’t seem to want to be friends anymore. What will Jo Jo Makoons do? Buy it:  Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be Best Friend Meet Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqi Yasmin is a sassy second grader from a Pakistani-American family. She tackles real-life challenges with spirit and imagination in a book filled with winning illustrations that bring the stories to life. Buy it:  Meet Yasmin! Pea, Bee, & Jay: Stuck Together by Brian “Smitty” Smith Pea loves to roll and can’t resist a dare to roll right off the farm where he lives. But an unexpected storm sends him farther than he expected. Will his new friends Bee and Jay be able to help him find his way back home? Buy it:  Pea, Bee, & Jay: Stuck Together Pick Your Own Quest: Dragon vs. Unicorn by Connor Hoover The Pick Your Own Quest series is what summer reading dreams are made of! Reminiscent of the beloved Choose Your Own Adventure books of the 1980s, these stories are different each time you read them. Find them all here. Buy it:  Pick Your Own Quest: Dragon vs. Unicorn Pizza and Taco: Who’s the Best? by Stephen Shaskan What’s better, pizza or tacos? That’s the big question in this graphic novel for emergent readers—except Pizza and Taco have come to life! Buy it:  Pizza and Taco The Poet’s Dog by Patricia MacLachlan Teddy, a dog who has recently lost his elderly owner, narrates this tender tale. Now alone in his owner’s cabin, he rescues two children caught in a winter storm and experiences the healing power of companionship. A perfect story for any young dog lover. Buy it:  The Poet’s Dog Polly Diamond and the Magic Book by Alice Kuipers and Diana Toledano When Polly discovers that a magic book that appeared on her doorstep can make everything she writes actually happen, she wastes no time trying it out—with entertaining results. If you enjoy this one, be sure to check out the sequel, Polly Diamond and the Super Stunning Spectacular School Fair . Buy it:  Polly Diamond and the Magic Book Power Forward by Hena Khan Summer is the perfect time to get hooked on a new sports fiction series. This introduction to the Chasing the Dream series introduces Zayd Saleem, a likable 4th grader who’s also a basketball fanatic. Buy it:  Power Forward Scaredy Bat and the Missing Jellyfish by Marina J. Bowman Mystery-loving kids will fall in love with Scaredy Bat. This detective series is filled with colorful graphics to help younger readers follow along as a child vampire attempts to solve mysteries with her pals. Try this one for an elementary summer reading list. Buy:  Scaredy Bat and the Missing Jellyfish Search for a Giant Squid (Pick Your Path) by Amy Seto Forrester and Andy Chou Musser This unique new STEM series for early readers lets kids choose their own adventure in the real world. Reluctant readers who enjoy nature will return to this one again and again. Buy it: Search for a Giant Squid (Pick Your Path) She Persisted: Maria Tallchief by Christine Day Looking for inspiring stories of strong women? The She Persisted series is full of them. In this one, young readers learn about America’s first major prima ballerina, who was also a member of the Osage Nation. Buy it:  She Persisted: Maria Tallchief A Story No One Has Ever Heard Before by Avi Steinberg Use this charming new book to teach kids about story elements in such a fun way! “I am not going to be the one to tell this story,” explains the narrator. “You are!” Step-by-step, the narrator offers guidance on characters, conflict, climax, and resolution. The final pages provide a Mad Libs–style tale that kids can complete over and over again. Buy it: A Story No One Has Ever Heard Before West Meadows Detectives: The Case of Maker Mischief by Liam O’Donnell This title is the second in a series starring Myron, a young sleuth who speaks frankly and positively about his autism. We love how his quirks play off those of his sidekicks as they work together to find a classmate’s stolen robot. The series is fantastic for a 3rd grade summer reading list. Buy it:  West Meadows Detectives: The Case of Maker Mischief Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends by Kaz Windness These best friends have always loved being so similar. But it turns out they’re actually pretty different—and that’s OK. We love this one for a lighthearted addition to a 2nd grade summer reading list. Buy it: Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends Middle Grade Summer Reading List 2024 Middle grade readers are ready for longer books with more advanced vocabulary. We’ve picked a variety of genres for our middle school summer reading list for 2024, from historical fiction to mystery, fantasy adventures to realistic modern tales. Absolutely Truly (A Pumpkin Falls Mystery) by Heather Vogel Frederick Truly Lovejoy’s family moved from Texas to a tiny town in New Hampshire to take over their family’s century-old bookstore. Left largely to her own devices, Truly finds herself chasing down clues found in old books. There are sequels too: Yours Truly and Really Truly . Buy it:  Absolutely Truly (A Pumpkin Falls Mystery) Aline and the Blue Bottle by Carolina Ugaz-Morán A Halloween birthday party turns into the beginning of a quest for a young girl who finds out she has magical powers and has to locate a hidden artifact. Buy it:  Aline and the Blue Bottle The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo This is one of the most popular books of the last few years, so put it on your middle school summer reading list for 2024 if you haven’t yet. Mysterious Beatryce might be the girl foretold in a prophecy, and it puts her life in danger. The magical medieval setting captures the imagination, as does the intriguing cast of characters. Buy it:  The Beatryce Prophecy Big Tree by Brian Selznick Part fantasy, part nature story, and entirely mesmerizing, this is one of those books that will enchant nature lovers. Two sycamore tree seeds come alive as they tell their tale of adventure among dinosaurs, volcanoes, and other dangers. This book is unlike anything else kids have read, and it deserves a spot on the best middle school summer reading list picks of 2024. Buy it: Big Tree Blended by Sharon M. Draper A biracial tween must split time equally living with each of her divorced parents (who are both now dating other people and have vastly different income levels). Many kids will see their own lives reflected in her lifestyle-switching tale. We love this one for a 6th grade summer reading list. Buy it:  Blended Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman The Book Scavenger series mystery tales all begin with clues found on Book Scavenger, a fictional geocaching-style game where participants hide books in public places and reveal the locations through encoded clues. Emily and James embark on three rollicking, heart-thumping adventures in and around San Francisco. Don’t be surprised if kids want to set up their own scavenger adventures after they read! Buy it:  Book Scavenger The Creature of the Pines (The Unicorn Rescue Society) by Adam Gidwitz A society for caring for mythical creatures is a surefire hook, but this series by a talented middle grade author backs up its hype with compelling characters and clever plot twists. Love it? There are five more books in the series. Buy it:  The Creature of the Pines (The Unicorn Rescue Society) The Dreamatics by Michelle Cuevas What if your dreams were actually lavish productions put on by special theaters, just for you? Discover the Lunarian and its troupe, the Dreamatics, who stage Luna’s dreams every night. When Luna’s real life takes a turn for the worse, the Lunarian is taken over by Bad Dreams, and the Dreamatics must find a way to save it and make Luna’s dreams sweet again. Buy it: The Dreamatics Ellie, Engineer by Jackson Pearce Friends, creativity, and girl-powered STEM: A story about a neighborhood building project is a perfect summer read, especially when led by Ellie, armed with her trusty tool belt. There are two more Ellie books to enjoy too. Buy it:  Ellie, Engineer Funny Girl: Funniest. Stories. Ever. edited by Betsy Bird What do you get when 25 of today’s funniest women children’s book writers combine their stories together in one book? A hilarious collection that will make you laugh until you cry! Bonus: A portion of the proceeds from this book goes to support WriteGirl , a nonprofit whose mission is to empower girls by promoting creativity and self-expression. Buy it:  Funny Girl: Funniest. Stories. Ever. Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! by Sarah Kapit Vivy Cohen has wanted to be a baseball pitcher ever since she met pro ballplayer VJ Capello. But things aren’t so simple for Vivy: She is autistic, and her mom says she can’t play baseball because she’s a girl. That doesn’t stop Vivy from being invited to join a Little League team. And when Vivy writes a letter to VJ, she’s surprised to get a reply. Buy it:  Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! A Girl, a Raccoon, and the Midnight Moon by Karen Romano Young Award-winning author Karen Romano Young spins a clever caper around a group of tweens trying to crack a case that may help them prevent their beloved local library from closing. Buy it:  A Girl, a Raccoon, and the Midnight Moon The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman Maria Merian was a brave and passionate scientific mind who was well ahead of her time. Her story will inspire kids to head outside to look for butterflies and caterpillars in their own garden or nearby park. Buy it:  The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science Green by Alex Gino Alex Gino’s Melissa (originally titled George) was a smash hit, making the story of a transgender child readily relatable. Their latest tells the story of nonbinary Green as they join their school’s production of The Wizard of Oz to spend more time with their crush. It’s the kind of read that questioning preteens and their allies will be glad to find on the shelf. Buy it: Green Grump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves by Liesl Shurtliff We love this author’s entertaining way of turning classic fairy tales on their heads for middle grade readers. A young dwarf is torn between the appeal of new friendship and a nagging suspicion that Queen Elfrieda Veronika Ingrid Lenore (E.V.I.L.) has dark intentions. Buy it:  Grump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Hatchet by Gary Paulsen This classic survival novel now has four sequels, making up Brian’s Saga . Hatchet is the one that started it all: Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is traveling by single-engine plane to visit his father when the plane crashes, killing the pilot. Brian is alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present. Buy it:  Hatchet (Brian’s Saga) Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon Beat the summer heat by sending chills down your spine! In this thriller, a group of tweens is drawn into waking versions of their own nightmares in a spooky game of hide-and-seek. It’s the perfect middle school summer reading list pick for reluctant readers. Buy it:  Hide and Seeker Home Sweet Motel (Welcome to Wonderland #1) by Chris Grabenstein In this offering from a favorite middle grade author, P.T. Wilkie and his friend Gloria try to save his family’s Wonderland motel—a kid’s paradise—from financial ruin. Readers will be cheering them on as they laugh at P.T.’s tendency to “embellish” stories, the pair’s crazy moneymaking strategies, and their wild attempts to solve an unexpected mystery that crops up. Read more of their adventures in the rest of the Welcome to Wonderland series . Buy it: Home Sweet Motel Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd Be inspired by the story of Olive, who’s determined not to let brittle bone disease stand in the way of her dreams. As she searches for a fabled wish-granting hummingbird, she makes friends and learns more about herself too. Buy it: Hummingbird The Many Meanings of Meilan by Andrea Wang At Meilan’s new school, the principal decides she should go by Melanie to make it easier for the other (white) students to pronounce. This sets Meilan off on a journey to find out more about her own name—and herself. Buy it:  The Many Meanings of Meilan The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick Imagine your mom got together with a group of other moms and decided to form a book club, and you and your middle school acquaintances have no choice but to join. A group reading of  Little Women makes unlikely friends out of the four girls, leading to a whole Mother-Daughter Book Club series . Buy it:  The Mother-Daughter Book Club One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia In the summer of 1968, the Gaither sisters travel from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a few months with their mother. Much to their surprise, their mother isn’t exactly excited to see them and instead wants them to spend the summer at a Black Panther camp. Buy it:  One Crazy Summer The Orphan Band of Springdale by Anne Nesbet Kids who love historical fiction will enjoy this World War II story of life on the home front. Eleven-year-old Gusta moves from New York City to live with her grandmother in Maine, where there’s plenty of small-town drama. It’s a terrific option for a 7th grade summer reading list. Buy it:  The Orphan Band of Springdale The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson A puzzling letter sends Candice on a summer quest to find treasure and clear her grandmother’s name. Reviewers compare this historical mystery to Ellen Raskin’s classic  The Westing Game . Buy it:  The Parker Inheritance Pony on the Twelfth Floor by Polly Faber Kizzy’s desire to own a horse gets the best of her in this humorous tale about trying to own—and hide—a pony in an apartment building. Buy it:  Pony on the Twelfth Floor Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce The first book of the Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries is a clever caper about a budding tween criminologist attempting to solve a local murder. Buy it:  Premeditated Myrtle Race to the Bottom of the Sea by Lindsay Eagar Fidelia Quail’s life assisting in her parents’ marine biology research is already unusual. But when they drown in a storm and she’s kidnapped by pirates, this story catapults into page-turning summer adventure territory. Buy it:  Race to the Bottom of the Sea The Rhythm of Time by Questlove and S.A. Cosby This smart time-travel tale carries kids back to Philadelphia in the 1990s. It’s not all that far back into the past, but things are just different enough to give Rahim and Kasia some serious adventures. This book is a great pick for a 2024 summer reading list for 5th or 6th grade. Learn more: The Rhythm of Time The Sea in Winter by Christine Day Masie Cannon was a ballet dancer in training until a serious leg injury knocked her off her feet. Now she’s preparing for a winter road trip to the Native American community where her mother grew up, but she’s anything but excited. Can her family help heal her heart? Buy it:  The Sea in Winter The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon Brothers Bobby Gene and Caleb were minding their own business in their small Indiana town when Styx Malone rolled in. Styx is older and wiser and teaches the boys how to pull off an escalator trade, getting better and better stuff until they get something incredible. This book is full of hilarious antics and sweet brotherly relationships. Buy it:  The Season of Styx Malone The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood Travel back in time to experience life backstage at the Globe Theatre. An orphan named Widge is tasked with stealing the script for Hamlet , but as he gets to know the actors and the great playwright himself, he must decide where his loyalty lies. If you enjoy it, there’s a follow-up book, Shakespeare’s Scribe . Buy it:  The Shakespeare Stealer The Sky at Our Feet by Nadia Hashimi Summer is for compelling page-turners and characters that move you. Everything changes for Jason when he finds out that his Afghan mother, whom he thought was deported, is living illegally in the United States. Buy it: The Sky at Our Feet Spy School Revolution by Stuart Gibbs The latest book in this teacher-recommended series features superspy-in-training Ben Dash trying to prove his friend Erica is not a double agent. To do so, he’ll have to track down an insurgent group that dates back to colonial times. Check out the whole Spy School series too. Buy it:  Spy School Revolution The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore Working with LEGO bricks provides Lolly with a creative and healing form of expression after his older brother is a victim of gang violence. This is a story about learning to throw away the directions and make your own way in the world. Put this one on your middle grade summer reading list. Buy it:  The Stars Beneath Our Feet Trapped in a Video Game by Dustin Brady An unknown villain imprisons Jessie in his least favorite activity: a video game. And if he can’t figure out how to beat this mysterious culprit, he’ll be stuck in the virtual world. Love Jessie? There’s a whole Trapped in a Video Game series about him! Buy it:  Trapped in a Video Game We Are All West of the Sea by Stephanie Willing A budding paleontologist has to figure out what happened to her missing mom in this suspenseful story that combines road trips, mythology, and dinosaurs. Buy it: West of the Sea The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney Humphrey is Room 26’s class pet: a lovable hamster! Follow his adventures as he gets to know his human companions. There’s a whole According to Humphrey series featuring this fluffy cutie too. Buy it:  The World According to Humphrey You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly Charlotte and Ben may only know each other through an online Scrabble game, but they’re both busy finding their way through middle school. Though they live far apart, their friendship grows in unexpected ways as they spend one eventful week supporting each other through family troubles and school challenges. Buy it:  You Go First Young Adult Summer Reading List 2024 By this age, kids probably have some required summer reading to do. But when they just want to read for fun, our high school summer reading list 2024 suggestions give them a wide array of choices. They delve into topics relevant to teen life: bullying, first love, friendships, and more. And some of them are just pure escapist fun! All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson The author explores the intersectionality of being male, a person of color, and queer in contemporary society. It’s one of our favorite #OneVoices nonfiction books. Buy it: All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto All of This Is True by Lygia Day Peñaflor When four teens meet their favorite novelist, they’re thrilled at their new friendship. But then their deepest secrets appear in her next book, and the consequences are dire. This contemporary YA mystery is also available in Spanish —ideal for bilingual teens looking for a suspense-filled narrative in their native language. Buy it: All of This Is True All the Things We Never Knew by Liara Tamani Two teens fall in and out of love in this romance-centered YA book that’s just as much a love letter to basketball as to first love itself. Buy it: All the Things We Never Knew As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh In war-torn Syria, Salama is determined to help her family escape before her sister-in-law gives birth. The challenge is so great that her fear manifests itself in an imaginary companion who’s constantly telling her she needs to get out. As she desperately tries to leave Syria behind, fate steps in and changes her views of everything happening around her. Add this book to your summer reading list for high schoolers. Buy it: As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow Because I Was a Girl: True Stories for Girls of All Ages by Melissa de la Cruz This multicultural collection outlines the real-life struggles authors, chefs, and STEM professionals faced because of their female identity. Girls and boys alike can benefit from these true stories. Buy it: Because I Was a Girl: True Stories for Girls of All Ages The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu When her best friend, Elise, shoots Remy’s boyfriend, Jack, Remy is left to question the truth about what happened. Obsession is the driving force behind this fast-paced plot surrounding two besties’ warped connection. Buy it: The Best Lies The Black Veins by Ashia Monet A teen barista must seek out six fellow magicians to help save her family in the first book of this fantasy series. Buy it: The Black Veins The Desolations of Devil’s Acre by Ransom Riggs If you’ve been following the saga of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children , you won’t want to miss the final novel in the series. If you missed the first five, summer is the perfect time to catch up! Buy it: The Desolations of Devil’s Acre The Do-Over by Lynn Painter Light romances are perfect for high school summer reading lists. This one is a cross between the movie Groundhog Day and a teen romance. After a disastrous Valentine’s Day with a cheating boyfriend, Emilie wakes up living the same day over and over again. Maybe the enigmatic Nick can help her find her way back to reality. Buy it: The Do-Over Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters A teen fiddler uses her secret ability to summon ghosts from their graves in order to help her brother. With an LGBTQ+ romance as a subplot, this high school summer reading list pick is fantastic for reluctant readers intrigued by the supernatural. Buy it: Ghost Wood Song Gilded by Marissa Meyer Fairy tales are for little kids, right? Not this dark retelling of Rumpelstiltskin! Magic and mystery meet romance in this gripping tale. Buy it: Gilded Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher A few hundred years after the Camelot of legend, a betrothed young princess and knight have many problems. To begin with, they can’t stand each other. Complicating matters further, neither of them is interested in traditional romance with the opposite sex. Their relationship develops from blackmail to grudging support against a background of medieval sword-fighting and society. Buy it: Gwen & Art Are Not in Love The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune This fantasy novel set in an orphanage for unique, magical children is anything but childish. The characters, including a young gnome, a green blob, and Linus the child Antichrist, are surprisingly real, and their quest for acceptance in a nearby town is a charming allegory for tolerance in our own world. It deserves a place on every high school summer reading list. Buy it: The House in the Cerulean Sea If These Wings Could Fly by Kyrie McCauley Tens of thousands of crows have invaded Auburn, Pennsylvania. It’s an issue for everyone in town except 17-year-old Leighton Barnes. For Leighton, it’s no stranger than her house, which inexplicably repairs itself every time her father loses his temper and breaks things. Leighton’s senior year is filled with shades of the past and anticipation of the future, all while dealing with the confusing events of the present. Buy it: If These Wings Could Fly If You’re Out There by Katy Loutzenhiser Social media is the only lead two high schoolers have when they begin to investigate the disappearance of a friend who seems to have vanished. This light thriller is the perfect summer high school reading list choice. Buy it: If You’re Out There In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner Best friends Cash and Delaney escape their difficult lives in a small town and head to an elite prep school in New England, where they’ve both earned scholarships. But do they really want to leave their pasts behind entirely? Their relationship evolves as they try to discover the answer. Buy it: In the Wild Light Kent State by Deborah Wiles High school history fans will be riveted by this compelling account of the Kent State shootings of 1970, when American troops killed four college students who were protesting the Vietnam War. Multiple viewpoints recount the events of that terrifying weekend, with consequences that still resonate today. Buy it: Kent State Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson When Monday Charles goes missing, her best friend Claudia is the only one who seems to even notice she’s gone. When no one can give her the answers she needs, Claudia goes on a quest to find them herself, no matter how difficult they may be to accept. Buy it: Monday’s Not Coming Sky’s End by Marc J. Gregson Fantasy lovers will dive into this new saga of a teen who must battle powerful sky serpents in order to reunite his family. Full of political intrigue, family dynamics, and incredible adventure, this page-turner will have readers eagerly awaiting the promised sequel. Buy it: Sky’s End The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow Janelle “Ellie” Baker is a teen rebel stuck in an alien-controlled quadrant of New York City in this sci-fi adventure about living—and falling in love—on an Earth that humans no longer control. Buy it: The Sound of Stars They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but for different reasons, they both want to make a new friend on their End Day. Luckily, there’s an app for that. It’s called The Last Friend. Through it, Rufus and Mateo meet up to try to live a lifetime in a single day. Buy it: They Both Die at the End This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed At the end of her senior year, Noor’s family moves from Chicago to a rural area, where they definitely stand out as Indian American and Muslim. Noor plans to just ride out her final high school days, but when she learns the school district has recently banned over 500 books, mostly by marginalized authors, she instead decides to take action. Now she and her family are the target of everything from racial slurs to threats and violence, and Noor has to choose whether to back down from a seemingly losing fight or continue to stand up for what she believes in. Buy it: This Book Won’t Burn Throwback by Maurene Goo Sam and her mom, Priscilla (a first-generation Korean American), just can’t seem to get along. But when Sam finds herself thrown back in time to the 1990s, attending high school alongside her much younger mother, she learns a few things that just might change their relationship forever. Buy it: Throwback Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman You’ve heard of Vincent van Gogh, but do you know about Theo? Heiligman chronicles the amazing and eccentric lives of the Van Gogh brothers, their relationship with each other, and their work. Buy it: Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers Watch Us Rise by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan Jasmine and Chelsea are ready to make changes for women at their high school. They use their literary talents to form a Women’s Rights Club, which soon goes viral. Online trolls lead to trouble, but these best friends are determined to triumph. Buy it: Watch Us Rise What’s Eating Jackie Oh? by Patricia Park Sophomore Jackie’s Korean American parents want her to attend an Ivy League college, but Jackie wants to be a master chef instead. She has the chance to make her dream come true on a reality TV cooking show, but soon realizes the judges expect her to focus on Asian cuisine because of her heritage. To win, she’ll need to convince them that her Korean background is just one part of who she is and what she cooks, and that Jackie Oh is just like anyone else: complicated, layered, and in search of something delicious, no matter where it comes from. Buy it: What’s Eating Jackie Oh? When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk What happens when lifelong best friends are now ex-besties? Cleo and Layla’s friendship may be over, but the story doesn’t end there. Buy it: When You Were Everything Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson This National Book Award finalist is a poignant tale about the bond two teenagers form in foster care while also trying to retain a connection to their shared Native American culture. Buy it: Where the Dead Sit Talking White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig Ex-boyfriend drama ends up being the least of Rufus’ worries after he finds his sister at a crime scene—and has only one night to prove her innocence. Buy it: White Rabbit Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his 18th birthday—just when it seems they might be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes. Buy it: Windfall Graphic Novel Summer Reading List 2024 Graphic novels are a real boon for reluctant readers and visual learners. Today’s graphic lit has taken on a life of its own. These books draw kids in with beautiful art, then engage them with compelling narratives. That’s why graphic novels are a big part of our summer reading list for 2024, for kids of every age. Act (A Click Graphic Novel) by Kayla Miller Olive can’t wait for the 6th grade field trip, but it turns out an unjust school policy will keep some kids from attending. So Olive decides to run for student council and be the change she wants to see in the world! See other graphic novels in the Click series here. (Grades 3–6) Buy it: Act (A Click Graphic Novel) Begin Again by Oliver Jeffers This nonfiction graphic novel traces the history of mankind through each of its great leaps from one society to the next. As it arrives in the present and imagines the future, Begin Again asks readers to think of humankind as “we” instead of “us and them.” It’s a timely message, brought to life by whimsical illustrations. (Grades 7–12) Buy it: Begin Again Blancaflor: The Hero With Secret Powers by Nadja Spiegelman and Sergio García Sánchez This retelling of a classic Latin American folktale was on “best of” lists everywhere, so of course we had to add it to our summer reading list for 2024. Celebrate the resourcefulness of women with this magical story that will really resonate with modern kids. (Grades 3–6) Buy it: Blancaflor: The Hero With Secret Powers The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell Make-believe definitely isn’t just for little kids. This engaging graphic novel will inspire middle grade readers to spend summer break building and creating with friends. There’s a sequel too: Roar of the Beast . (Grades 3–6) Buy it: The Cardboard Kingdom Class Act by Jerry Craft This is the illustrated sequel to Craft’s New Kid , which won the 2020 Newbery Medal, the Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Kirkus Prize. They both explore what it’s like to be one of the few students of color at a prestigious private school. (Grades 3–6) Buy it: Class Act Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang When Gene was growing up, his heroes were in comic books—not on the court or playing field. As a high school teacher, though, he starts to realize how important sports are to many of his students, and the basketball team’s journey to the state championship holds inspiring lessons for kids and adults alike. (Grades 9–12) Buy it: Dragon Hoops Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels by Serena Blasco Following in the wake of the incredible success of the Enola Holmes book series (now a Netflix film series!), these graphic novels retell the mystery tales with lush illustrations that perfectly capture the energy of the originals. See the whole series here. (Grades 4–8) Buy it: Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels Freshman Year by Sarah Mai Life after high school is complicated for Sarah, who isn’t quite sure what she wants as she heads off to college. Anxiety dogs her as she attempts to make new friends and explore new ideas, and visits home show how things both change and stay the same, all at the same time. This is a terrific read for high school seniors who feel anxious about what lies ahead. (Grades 10–12) Buy it: Freshman Year Heartstopper by Alice Oseman Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. This sweet graphic novel series has a huge following and has even become a Netflix series. (Grades 8–12) Buy it: Heartstopper Himawari House by Harmony Becker Three foreign exchange students meet in Japan and forge a fast friendship as they navigate life in a new world. (Grades 9–12) Buy it: Himawari House I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005: The Graphic Novel by Lauren Tarshis and Alvin Epps The beloved I Survived series has a new addition: graphic novels! These are the perfect elementary summer reading list 2024 choice for reluctant readers and lovers of adventure. See the whole series here. (Grades 2–6) Buy it: I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005: The Graphic Novel Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell Frederica Riley’s relationship with popular girl Laura Dean is toxic—and maybe all too familiar to high schoolers. Freddy falls under her spell again and again until she finally learns what’s truly important in relationships, including friendships. (Grades 9–12) Buy it: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me Maker Comics: Grow a Garden! by Alexis Frederick-Frost The Maker Comics series is a fantastic DIY collection for tweens and teens. Grow a Garden! seems like a great summer project, while other selections in the series include things like learning to draw a comic or fix a car. (Grades 4–8) Buy it: Maker Comics: Grow a Garden! March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell The first installment of this graphic novel series recounts late senator John Lewis’ first encounters with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the beginning of the Nashville Student Movement as civil action to desegregate the South was steadily gaining traction. (Grades 9–12) Buy it: March: Book One Max & the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce Fast-paced and witty, this graphic novel stars wannabe knight Max and her band of buddies. Run-ins with a sorceress, wizards, dragons, and plenty more exaggerated action keep readers interested, and the plentiful quips keep them laughing too. (Grades 3–6) Buy it: Max and the Midknights Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte and Ann Xu Kids who love to watch cooking competitions will want to add this to their summer reading list for 2024. Cici needs to raise money to bring her grandmother from Taiwan to visit her in Seattle. Winning a cooking contest might just be the answer! (Grades 2–6) Buy it: Measuring Up Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women has a timeless appeal for many readers. This graphic novel modernizes the story with a blended family living in a walk-up in NYC. The characters have familiar personalities, even if their stories are a little different. (Grades 3–6) Buy it: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy Monsters Beware! (The Chronicles of Claudette) by Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado This is the third installment of this engaging graphic novel series for the upper elementary audience. Claudette is desperate to compete in—and win—the annual Warrior Games. She’ll have to contend with monsters who reportedly eat the other competitors, though! (Grades 2–5) Buy it: Monsters Beware! (The Chronicles of Claudette) Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea! by Ben Clanton You can’t help but smile at Narwhal’s enthusiasm in this graphic novel series opener about new friendship—he’s just so darn cheerful all the time. Plenty of quirky details will make kids chuckle, like Narwhal’s invitations to a mishmash of sea creatures to join his “pod of awesomeness” (and the cute horns he awards to each new member), or his and Jelly’s unlikely shared love of waffles. Dive into the whole series! (Grades 1–4) Buy it: Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea! (Narwhal and Jelly #1) The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp and Manuel Preitano Barbara Gordon’s entire life changes when a gunshot wound leaves her paralyzed from the waist down. During her time at a rehab center, she encounters a mystery: Patients keep going missing. As Barbara works to find the answers, she learns important truths about herself. (Grades 6–8) Buy it: The Oracle Code Poe: Stories and Poems (Graphic Novel Adaptation) by Gareth Hinds Poe’s spooky works are the perfect basis for graphic storytelling. Horror-story fans will love this new take on classics like The Raven and The Cask of Amontillado . (Grades 8–12) Buy it: Poe: Stories and Poems Primer by Thomas Krajewski, Jennifer Muro, and Gretel Lusky Ashley Rayburn has discovered body paints that turn her into a superhero! Now she has to decide whether to keep them (and her powers) or return them to the agency that made them. (Grades 3–6) Buy it: Primer Real Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham This relatable story is all about what it’s like when friendships grow and change when you’re not quite ready for it. It addresses issues like bullying and self-confidence and the complexities of navigating relationships. (Grades 3–6) Buy it: Real Friends Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks Sanity and Tallulah live on a space station, which is enough to excite the imagination all on its own. But these irrepressible mad-scientist tweens have plenty of mischief up their sleeves. Read the first book, then follow up with the others in the Sanity & Tallulah series . (Grades 3–6) Buy it: Sanity & Tallulah Science Comics: Robots & Drones: Past, Present, and Future by Mairghread Scott and Jacob Chabot The Science Comics series is awesome for motivating middle grade readers while teaching about high-interest topics. This title is excellent screen-free entertainment for tech-loving kids. (Grades 4–8) Buy it: Science Comics: Robots & Drones: Past, Present, and Future Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee This whimsical story explores the challenges of leaving childhood behind. Follow a girl still yearning for playtime while she slowly finds herself with only a ghost left as a friend. This bittersweet tale will really resound with middle grade readers. (Grades 3–6) Buy it: Séance Tea Party Sunshine by Jarrett J. Krosoczka Several years after his powerful graphic memoir Hey, Kiddo , author Krosoczka is back with new stories to tell of his young adulthood. His experiences working at summer camp for seriously ill children changed his views on life. Read about the kids and their families, and your views might change too. (Grades 8–12) Buy it: Sunshine Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas This graphic novel follows middle schooler Bree as she starts a new school and is forced to take Swim 101. An elderly neighbor coaches her along, leading Bree and her team to a victory they could never have imagined. (Grades 4–8) Buy it: Swim Team This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews Each year, Ben’s town turns out for the Autumn Equinox Festival and sends lighted lanterns floating off down the river. This year, Ben and his friends are determined to follow them wherever the path leads. (Grades 5–8) Buy it: This Was Our Pact The Unlucky Kid by Bob Holt Quin might be the unluckiest kid alive. When he tries to be nice by offering some food to a seagull, he’s soon mobbed by every bird in the neighborhood. His sister’s plan to help him get rid of a loose tooth leaves him hanging at the end of a kite string. And only he could go fishing and wind up catching a nest of angry wasps! This easy reader graphic novel is full of fun and sure to engage young readers from the first page. (Grades 1–4) Buy it: The Unlucky Kid When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed This graphic novel tells the story of two brothers from Somalia growing up in a refugee camp in Kenya. Based on the experiences of Somali refugee Omar Mohamed, this book will stay with readers long after they close it. (Grades 4–6) Buy it: When Stars Are Scattered Get Your Free Printable Summer Reading Lists for 2024 Just fill out the form on this landing page to get instant access to all five 2024 printable summer reading lists. You’ll find a selection of 21 titles from each of the lists above, including picture books, easy readers/chapter books, middle grade books, young adult books, and graphic novels. What books are on your summer reading list for 2024? We’d love to hear about them in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Plus, learn why summer reading is so important for kids and get tools to help motivate them ., you might also like. Free Summer Reading Bundle for Use in the Classroom or at Home Encourage kids to read all summer long with our reading log, goals worksheet, and bingo card! Continue Reading Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256 Reference Examples More than 100 reference examples and their corresponding in-text citations are presented in the seventh edition Publication Manual . Examples of the most common works that writers cite are provided on this page; additional examples are available in the Publication Manual . To find the reference example you need, first select a category (e.g., periodicals) and then choose the appropriate type of work (e.g., journal article ) and follow the relevant example. When selecting a category, use the webpages and websites category only when a work does not fit better within another category. For example, a report from a government website would use the reports category, whereas a page on a government website that is not a report or other work would use the webpages and websites category. Also note that print and electronic references are largely the same. For example, to cite both print books and ebooks, use the books and reference works category and then choose the appropriate type of work (i.e., book ) and follow the relevant example (e.g., whole authored book ). Examples on these pages illustrate the details of reference formats. We make every attempt to show examples that are in keeping with APA Style’s guiding principles of inclusivity and bias-free language. These examples are presented out of context only to demonstrate formatting issues (e.g., which elements to italicize, where punctuation is needed, placement of parentheses). References, including these examples, are not inherently endorsements for the ideas or content of the works themselves. 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Facebook References Instagram References LinkedIn References Online Forum (e.g., Reddit) References TikTok References X References Webpage on a Website References Clinical Practice References Open Educational Resource References Whole Website References latest in US News Border Patrol memo instructs agents to release migrants from... 14-year-old subway surfer rushed to hospital after striking head... Man named 'Optimus Prime' caught driving stolen car: Texas police Millionaire investment banker slugs woman on nyc street during.... Here are the questions ex- NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo could face at... AOC worries Donald Trump would throw her in jail if he wins... Masked porch pirate snatches package as stunned FedEx driver... Taxpayer-funded new high-rise for homeless features gym, cafe —... Idaho high school grad refuses to shake superintendent’s hand, drops banned book at his feet during ceremony. View Author Archive Get author RSS feed Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission. An Idaho high school graduate staged an unusual form of protest at her graduation when she offered a book to the school district’s superintendent, who had banned it months earlier. Annabelle Jenkins was one of 44 graduates to have her name called during the Idaho Fine Arts Academy graduation ceremony on May 23. After she shook hands with administrators on the stage, Jenkins paused in front of West Ada School District Superintendent Derek Bub and pulled out “The Handmaid’s Tale” from the sleeve of her graduation gown. Bub stood firm with his arms crossed and declined the book, leaving Jenkins to drop it at his feet as she moved across the stage. The graphic novel version, written by Margaret Atwood and Renee Nault, was one of 10 the school district banned from its libraries earlier in the academic year over its graphic imagery, deemed unsuitable for the student body. Jenkins says she and some classmates have been outspoken about the ban because it was done without input from the students or staff and with little transparency. “My main issue with this particular situation was that the teacher that was contesting it never read the book.” Jenkins says her move was in response to the school district’s actions toward the student body throughout the school year regarding the books. “It was a gesture and you’re going to receive a gesture. If you want to make a bigger show out of it, be my guest,” the graduate told KTVB. Following the ceremony, Jenkins shared a video of her stunt to TikTok, which has been seen over 24.3 million times. “I have never desired to go viral, but if I was ever going to, I’m glad that it is for something so deeply important to me,” Jenkins told the Idaho Statesman. “More than anything, I just want people to talk about it. I want to generate conversation.” Start and end your day informed with our newsletters Morning Report and Evening Update: Your source for today's top stories Thanks for signing up! Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Never miss a story. Jenkins’ main issue with the ban stems from the fact that the teacher who contested the book in the first place never read it, according to the graduate. In December, the Idaho Fine Arts Academy principal removed the book from the school’s library as the adaptation of the dystopian society featured illustrations of sexual violence, according to the Idaho Statesman. Idaho Fine Arts Academy offers grades 6-12, where students must audition to attend, and is located 11 miles west of Boise. The school determined there was no system to “determine which students at various grade levels could access specific books,” district spokesperson Niki Scheppers told the newspaper. Following the book’s initial removal from the shelves, the school district set up a review team, consisting of the chief academic officer, an English teacher and a middle school and high school principal. The team decided to ban 10 books, including the graphic novel, “A Stolen Life” by Jaycee Dugard, “Kingdom of Ash” by Sarah J. Maas and “Water for Elephants” by Sarah Gruen. “I think the graphic novel is a very tasteful way of adapting it, and that’s not to say there aren’t scenes in there that are difficult for some students or some readers, I just don’t think that’s a reason for it to be banned,” Jenkins told KTVB. She says she read “The Handmaid’s Tale” when she was in seventh or eighth grade and the graphic novel adaptation when she was a sophomore in high school. “It is a book with a lot of heavy themes, and it has some very difficult scenes to get through. It does deal with a lot of sexual themes. I believe a word that I’ve heard tossed around about that book was ‘pornographic,” which I very strongly disagree with.” The school district slammed Jenkins’ protest, saying it “overshadowed the celebratory occasion.” “While we respect the right to voice concerns, it is important to maintain the focus on the achievements and hard work of our students during such significant milestones,” Scheppers told the Statesman. Share this article: Advertisement Search Please fill out this field. Manage Your Subscription Give a Gift Subscription Newsletters Sweepstakes Entertainment The Handmaid's Tale Was Removed from an Idaho School Library. This Teen Handed a Copy to the Superintendent At Graduation Annabelle Jenkins protested the removal of the graphic novel adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel earlier in the school year Carly Tagen-Dye is the Books editorial assistant at PEOPLE, where she writes for both print and digital platforms. West Ada School District/Youtube An Idaho high school graduate took book censorship into her own hands at her graduation ceremony earlier this month. During the May 23 graduation ceremony for the Idaho Fine Arts Academy, Annabelle Jenkins handed West Ada School District superintendent Derek Bub a copy of the graphic novel adaptation of Margaret Atwood ’s 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale . The book had been removed from the school district’s libraries in Dec. 2023. According to the Idaho Statesman , the novel was one of 10 books, including Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen and Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas, to be removed from the school district. It's administration concluded that the “graphic imagery contained within [the graphic novel adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale ] was not suitable for the West Ada School District student population,” per a statement from district representative Niki Scheppers. “I just realized that I did not want to walk across that stage and get my diploma and shake the superintendent's hand,” Jenkins told KTVB . “I just did not want to do that.” In a TikTok Jenkins posted, which currently has over 24 million views, the graduate is seen shaking the hands of other faculty on stage during the ceremony. When she gets to Bub, Jenkins hands him a copy of The Handmaid’s Tale graphic novel instead. “I got up there and I got the book out. I kind of showed it to the audience really quick,” she said. “He crossed his arms like this and he wouldn't take it.” Jenkins placed the book at his feet before she walked off the stage. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now ! The graduate said that she originally picked up the graphic novel, written by Atwood and Renée Nault, when she heard a teacher arguing with a school librarian about the book. Jenkins said that her main issue with the situation was that the teacher hadn’t actually read the book. Scheppers told the Idaho Statesman that Jenkins’ protest “unfortunately overshadowed the celebratory occasion.” “While we respect the right to voice concerns, it is important to maintain the focus on the achievements and hard work of our students during such significant milestones,” Scheppers continued. Book censorship has been on the rise in recent years across the country. PEN America reported 4,349 instances of book banning, across 23 states and 53 public school districts, throughout the latter half of 2023. Jenkins, who plans to study English and work toward a master’s degree in library science, told KTVB that she doesn’t like to “be the center of attention,” but felt the censorship was important to address. According to the Idaho Statesman , Jenkins and other students had already spoken out about the issue earlier in the school year. Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  “When I do things, I want it to be very purposeful. I want people to know that this is something deeply, deeply important to me,” she said. “My goal was never to be disruptive or mess up the ceremony. And I really don't believe that I did. I mean, at the end of the day, I think that that was my time on stage and that was my moment and that was something that was important to me to do.” Related Articles Stand Out in High School When applying to college, make sure your application showcases who you are in and out of school. While grades and test scores are important, colleges also want to see the person you're becoming and the skills you've learned outside of class. High School Classes Colleges Look For If you’re in high school and thinking about college you should know that the courses you take matter. That’s because college admissions officers want to see a solid foundation of learning you can build on in college. How to Convert Your GPA to a 4.0 Scale Colleges report GPA (grade point average) on a 4.0 scale. See how to calculate your GPA and convert your grades to the 4.0 scale. Extracurriculars Matter—to You and to Colleges Participating in extracurricular activities like clubs, sports, or a job can foster new interests and help you discover more about yourself. It can also show colleges your dedication and leadership skills. 442 IMAGES 100 Of The Best Books For Your High School Student the high school book report is shown SOLUTION: Book review examples for highschool students High School Book Report Template (4) Book Report Template by Brittany Bonner Book Report Template High School VIDEO Inkling Book Report Get ready with me for school book report today! my school book report FNAF book B7-2 school book report(ignore this ) 7 Books Every Student Should Read Horizon High School students write book COMMENTS Engaging High School Book Report Templates The below book report template can help. If your students need to review the elements of fiction before beginning this assignment, Teaching Powerful Writing is a great resource. This collection of personal narratives and writing activities highlights different writing techniques and covers literary elements such as voice, using flashback, and ... How to Write a Book Report "Best Book-Report Books for Middle Schoolers" (Common Sense Media) Common Sense Media has compiled this list of 25 of the best books for middle school book reports. For younger students, the article suggests you check out the site's "50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12." "50 Books to Read in High School" (Lexington Public Library) 42 Creative Book Report Ideas for Every Grade and Subject And although students don't need to dive deeply into every single book they read, occasionally digging into characters, settings, and themes can help them learn to look beyond the prose. Here are 42 creative book report ideas designed to make reading more meaningful. 1. Concrete Found Poem. How to Write a Book Report (+ Book Report Example) 2. Identify the main elements of the book. Scrutinize the book's primary components, including its main themes, characters, setting, and plot. These elements will form the basis of your report. 3. Formulate a thesis statement. Compose a thesis statement that encapsulates your personal perspective about the book. The 31 Best Books to Read in High School The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger) This bold and controversial novel by J. D. Salinger centers around ideas including adolescent sexuality and relationships. The protagonist is constantly bouncing around from person to person, place to place, activity to activity. 31 Student-Approved Books to Read for High School There is a growing pool of great books that students love reading. And this is my personal favorite category, so it comes first! Delirium. Delirium is a part of a trilogy along with subsequent books Pandemonium and Requiem. Dystopia, forbidden love, resistance, rebellion. Teen readers eat these up! High School Book Report: Template, Format, & Writing Tips A high school book report is a standard high school assignment. Unfortunately, it is not a real-world writing task because you will never write anything similar outside your school. There are three types of writing, depending on the book genre: nonfiction, biography, and fiction book reports. It is a combination of facts and your feelings about ... 30 Book Report Templates & Reading Worksheets There is more than one way to complete a book report. Both teachers and students may find these creative ideas more interesting than a straightforward report. Write a review of the book. Create the report in the form of a newspaper or blog review. Summarize the book without giving away the plot or the ending. 25 Essential High School Reads From the Last Decade Way back in 2016, we asked our community to share what they would consider essential reads for high school students. The final list of 20 recommended books was dominated by what many would consider the classics: John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Shakespeare ... 20 Indispensable High School Reads The more things change, the more they stay the same. The final cut of our list of indispensable high school reads—culled from reader comments—is dominated by perennials like George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.The five most popular entries were all published within 15 years of each other, and none were published later than Harper Lee's To ... Writing a Book Report in Seven Steps Quick Summary on How To Write a Book Report. As you read the book, highlight and take notes. Reread the instructions of the assignment. Organize your notes and create an outline. Write a compelling introduction. Include quotations, examples, and supporting evidence in the body paragraphs. How to Write a Killer Book Report For each word (i.e. somebod y), write the story element. For example: Somebody = the aliens, wanted = underpants, but = mom came outside to get laundry, so then = they zoomed back to space. Put this all together and you have a short and sweet summary: The aliens wanted underpants but the mom came outside to get the laundry so they zoomed back ... High School High school book reports are easy once you've done the pre-writing and preparation. Your introduction will be the easiest part of your paper to write. The first paragraph of your paper should include the basic facts about the book. ... Longer books often have a few subplot lines going on throughout the story; only mention these when necessary ... 12 Creative Book Report Projects Your Students Will Love Book Reports · For Your Classroom. 12 Creative Book Report Projects Your Students Will Love. April 20, 2022April 20, 2022 admin. Whether you're teaching a whole-class novel, or finishing a round of independent reading or literature circles, post-reading assessments are always more engaging when they're more than just a test or essay. How to Write a High School Book Report Outline You will include the following information in this section: Title of the book which must be underlined and the name of the author. Publication Information such as the publisher, year of publication, and number of pages. Genre of the book. A brief introduction to the book and the report, typically a 1 to 2 sentence paragraph. The Best Book-Report Books for Middle Schoolers My Name Is Not Easy. age 12+. Fascinating story of Alaskan kids growing up in the 1960s. By: Debby Dahl Edwardson (2011) See full review. Common Sense Media editors help you choose The Best Book-Report Books for Middle Schoolers. Find fiction, nonfiction, and memoirs perfect for engaging kids. Free Book Report Templates: Printable for Grades 3-5 Take a new spin on your book report assignment with our free book report template printables including a one-pager, choice board, and more! ... Summer Survival Guide Supporting Students Teacher Appreciation Teacher Discounts & Deals Teacher Health Teacher PD Teaching High School ... Printables for Grades 3-5 for Fiction or Nonfiction Books ... Books Every High School Student Should Read post a comment ». 199 books based on 164 votes: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, 1984 by George Orwell, The Diary of a Young Girl by An... Great Books High School 9-12 • The Great Books Foundation MENUMENUExplore 9-12 9-12 OverviewFeatures and BenefitsStudent & Teacher ProductsDownloadable Support MaterialsAlignmentsResearch SamplesShopChat with Us Great Books High School 9-12 The Great Books High School program combines high-quality literature, student-centered discussion, and activities that support reading comprehension, critical thinking, speaking and listening, and writing ... Five Alternatives to Book Reports Your Students Will Love Book reports and summaries are a thing of the past. Engage your middle and high school students with five book report alternatives that will leave them asking for more and, most importantly, building vital reading and analysis skills along the way. 1. Assign one pagers at the end of a novel. One pagers are engaging, allow for creativity, and lead to higher level thinking and analysis ... 50 classics from (almost) everyone's high school reading list Research shows that reading fiction encourages empathy.While more high school curriculums should include modern, diverse writers like Amy Tan and Malala Yousafzai, certain classics—like John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" and Sandra Cisneros' "The House on Mango Street"—endure. Some even make a comeback. George Orwell's "1984," a novel published in 1949 about a dystopian future where ... What's a good book for a high-school book report : r ... GED for Dummies. Well if you want something short and easy to write a report about I would recommend either Things Fall Apart or Heart of Darkness. Both of those books are taught in various high schools throughout America. Heart of Darkness is like 80 pages but it is quite a bit more dense than Things Fall Apart. High School Book Report Worksheets The book report worksheet may even be used to give a class book talk or presentation. This worksheet is suitable for 7th grade, 8th grade, 9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade and 12th grade. High School 50 Best YA Books for Teens Green has penned several must-read books for teens, but this one is especially worth reading if you love sad books. via amazon.com. 6. The Giver series by Lois Lowry (1993) Shop Now. Considered ... 'Under his eye': Student hands superintendent banned book at graduation One recent high school graduate said they had enough of not having a say as a student about what books would be available in her library. Which is why she decided to make a statement. Summer Reading List 2024: 150+ Books for Pre-K to High School 2024 Summer Reading List for Kids and Teens (Free Printables) More than 150 books for grades preK to 12. When summer arrives, some kids see it as a chance to spend time reading new books as well as old favorites. Others would be happy if they didn't see a book during their whole vacation. Reference examples More than 100 reference examples and their corresponding in-text citations are presented in the seventh edition Publication Manual.Examples of the most common works that writers cite are provided on this page; additional examples are available in the Publication Manual.. To find the reference example you need, first select a category (e.g., periodicals) and then choose the appropriate type of ... Idaho high school student Annabelle Jenkins refuses to shake An Idaho high school graduate staged an unusual form of protest at her graduation when she offered a book to the school district's superintendent, who had banned it months earlier. Annabelle ... 'The Handmaid's Tale' Was Removed from an Idaho School Library. This An Idaho high school graduate took book censorship into her own hands at her graduation ceremony earlier this month. During the May 23 graduation ceremony for the Idaho Fine Arts Academy ... Stand Out in High School BigFuture Ambassador Program. Student leaders can play a special role in arming peers with resources and information about planning, paying and preparing for college. Make sure your college application showcases who you are in and out of school. While grades and test scores are important, colleges also want to see the person you're becoming and ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis