BOOK REPORT OPTIONS 

7​TH​ GRADE 
 
WRITTEN REPORTS: 
 
All ​book reports must have the following characteristics: 
 
1. Book reports must be ​600 words ​or longer. You need to include a ​word count 
at the end of the report. 
2. Book reports are your ​own work​. Your teachers are native speakers and will 
recognize writing that is plagiarized from the internet immediately. This 
receives an automatic ​2.  
3. All written book reports must begin with a 1-paragraph summary of the book 
you read. 
4. Reports must include ​quotes​. 
 
WRITTEN BOOK REPORT OPTIONS: 
 
1. Does your book have a message? Tell us what it is, and why (if you choose 
this option, don’t choose option number 4 for your oral book report). 
2. Talk about the aesthetic development of your book. How does the mood and 
feel of the book change? How does your attitude toward it change? 
3. If you read an unabridged book, talk about the tone of the narrator. How 
does it influence the story? What is more important: the plot, or the tone? 
4. Discuss the role of entertainment in the book. Don’t just answer the 
question of whether it is entertaining – answer the question, was the book 
written ​mostly ​to entertain people? Or was there some other purpose that 
was more important? Look at our literary elements list for ideas. 
5. Referring to the events of the book, tell us what is important to know about 
the time period in which the book was written. How might the events or 
attitudes of the time period have influenced the book? 
6. Discuss instances of suspense or foreshadowing in the book, and why they 
are important to the aesthetic development of the book in general. 
7. **Be careful before you choose this topic, because it is not applicable to all 
books**: Does your author provide any unusual or interesting insight about 
what a novel is, or what the purpose of a novel is (only choose this question if 
the answer is yes)? This might be a good choice if you choose a kind of novel 
that isn’t in a traditional form (for example, a novel written in letters, or a 
graphic novel). 
8. Choose another topic. Check with your teacher to make sure it’s OK. No 
matter what you choose, you should write 700 words. 
9. Choose two scenes in the book, one toward the beginning and one toward the 
end. Talk about how they show that the character changes during the story, 
that he is a changed person at the end.  
10. Describe the setting of the book, including the time period. Use examples 
from the story. What kind of world do the characters live in? How does the 
setting influence the book? You ​must ​use examples from the story.  
 11. Talk about the power of the antagonist over the mentality of the main 
character. Feel free to discuss the psychological conflict that may occur 
between characters. 
12. Discuss a character as a mix of positive and negative traits. This is 
especially appropriate for a character who is not clearly either entirely a 
protagonist or entirely an antagonist.  
13. Choose a character from the book and compare him/her with a well-known 
personality from real life. If you choose this option, double-check to make 
sure your teacher knows about the celebrity whom you are going to write 
about. Only choose this option if there are important similarities between 
the character and the celebrity – it won’t be interesting just to read about 
how they are different.  
14. Discuss the meaning of the title and its importance to the book.  
15. Choose one or more scenes in the book, which demonstrate the paradigm of 
the author, and characterize the paradigm.  
16. Choose your three quotes from the book and explain their role in the story. 
Be careful to unify your discussion of these quotes in some way: remember 
that you always want to have a single main idea (​This option is allowed for 
native texts only, not for readers​). 
17. Identify the climax of the book you are reading (this should be maximum 25 
words). Then, write your own version of the climax, focusing on how it would 
change things for the plot and for the main characters (​because this is a 
creative writing option, it is only allowed ONCE per semester​). 
 
 
ORAL REPORTS 
 
For oral reports, the following standards apply for ​all o
​ ptions. 
1. Bring the book to class to show the teacher. Otherwise you will not be 
allowed to present your book report and you will receive a late grade. 
2. Begin your report by giving a summary of the book (you may also choose to 
do this at the end). 
3. At the end of your report, the teacher may ask you specific questions to 
make sure you have read the book. Be prepared to answer them. 
4. Speak for at least 2 minutes. 
 
ORAL BOOK REPORT OPTIONS: 
 
1. Choose two scenes in the book, one toward the beginning and one toward the 
end. Talk about how they show that the character changes during the story, 
that he is a changed person at the end.  
2. You can act as your favorite character. You can do this alone (a one-person 
theater production!) or you can have one other person help you. They may 
read from a script; you must act from memory. ​If you choose this option to 
do by yourself, the regular 2-3 minute limit applies. If you choose to do this 
with someone else, the play can be 1-3 minutes and then your explanation of 
why this is an important part of the book should be about 2 minutes. 
 3. Does your book have a message? Tell us what it is, and why (if you choose 
this option, don’t choose option number 5 for your written book report).  
4. Discuss the role of entertainment in the book. Don’t just answer the 
question of whether it is entertaining – answer the question, was the book 
written ​mostly ​to entertain people? Or was there some other purpose that 
was more important? Look at our literary elements list for ideas.  
5. If you read an unabridged book, talk about the tone of the narrator. How 
does it influence the story? What is more important: the plot, or the tone? 
You should probably read the rest of us an example. 
6. Referring to the events of the book, tell us what is important to know about 
the time period in which the book was written. How might the events or 
attitudes of the time period have influenced the book? 
7. Discuss instances of suspense or foreshadowing in the book, and why they 
are important to the aesthetic development of the book in general. 
8. **Be careful before you choose this topic, because it is not applicable to all 
books**: Does your author provide any unusual or interesting insight about 
what a novel is, or what the purpose of a novel is (only choose this question if 
the answer is yes)? This might be a good choice if you choose a kind of novel 
that isn’t in a traditional form (for example, a novel written in letters, or a 
graphic novel). 
9. Talk about the power of the antagonist over the mentality of the main 
character. Feel free to discuss the psychological conflict that may occur 
between characters. 
10. Discuss a character as a mix of positive and negative traits. This is 
especially appropriate for a character who is not clearly either entirely a 
protagonist or entirely an antagonist.  
11. Choose a character from the book and compare him/her with a well-known 
personality from real life. If you choose this option, double-check to make 
sure your teacher knows about the celebrity whom you are going to write 
about. Only choose this option if there are important similarities between 
the character and the celebrity – it won’t be interesting just to read about 
how they are different.  
12. Discuss the meaning of the title and its importance to the book.  
13. Choose one or more scenes in the book, which demonstrate the paradigm of 
the author, and characterize the paradigm.  
14. Choose your three quotes from the book and explain their role in the story. 
Be careful to unify your discussion of these quotes in some way: remember 
that you always want to have a single main idea. (​This option is allowed for 
native texts only, not for readers.​)  
15. Identify the climax of the book you are reading (this should be maximum 25 
words). Then, write your own version of the climax, focusing on how it would 
change things for the plot and for the main characters. (​Because this is a 
creative writing option, it is only allowed ONCE per semester.​)  
 
 
BOOK REPORT GRADING CRITERIA: 
 
Your written and oral book reports will be graded mostly on how well you show 
us that you have read the book.  
 
Written book reports ​need to be the appropriate length.  
 
Oral book reports n ​ eed to be the appropriate time length and need to have been 
practiced a little bit. You need to know what you will say.  
 
Ability to write engagingly, neatness of writing (if not typed), and paragraph 
structure will influence your grade well in a written book report. You need to use 
one of the options on this paper. 
 
Correctness of grammar in speaking, proper volume in speaking (loud enough), eye 
contact, and visual props will help your grade in a spoken book report. You need to 
use one of the options on this paper.