short books for book reports

Book Summaries: Browse Over 1,300 Titles on One Page

Use Our Free Book Summaries to Learn 3 Ideas From 1,300+ Books in 4 Minutes or Less

If you’re looking for free book summaries, this is the single-best page on the internet.

Hi! I’m Nik . In 2016, I wrote over 365 book summaries. That’s more than one per day! I spent thousands of hours writing these.

Since then, we’ve grown our catalog to over 1,300 book summaries, and they’re all free of charge. Right now, I personally publish one new book summary every Wednesday at 2 PM CET .

We also post a new, animated book summary every Friday at 2 PM CET on our Youtube channel . For a playlist with our most popular videos, see below.

If you join our free newsletter , you’ll get all new summaries delivered right to your inbox every Saturday, including some of the best titles from our archives, freebies, and a lot more. You can even customize your learning journey. Just sign up below:

Our free book summaries cover the following 44 topics:

• Biography  &  History
• Politics ,  Culture  &  Society
• Environment
• Relationships ,  Sex  &  Parenting
• Happiness  &  Self-Improvement
• Money ,  Investing  &  Personal Finance
• Productivity
• Motivation & Inspiration
• Marketing  &  Sales
• Management  &  Leadership
• Health ,  Fitness  &  Nutrition
• Business, Startups & Entrepreneurship
• Creativity & Writing
• Education  &  Philosophy
• Communication
• Religion  &  Spirituality
• Technology  &  the Future
• Work ,  Careers  &  Success
• Mindfulness & Mental Health

You can browse all our summaries below, sorted alphabetically. We also have a guide to help you remember what you read , a free course to help you read more , and a lifetime membership with audio versions of our summaries, PDF guides, full-length books, and a lot more!

Pro tip:  Use Ctrl + F (or Cmd + F on a Mac) and enter whatever title you’re looking for to quickly jump around on this page.

• 10 Days To Faster Reading Summary
• 10% Happier Summary
• 10-Minute Toughness Summary
• 12 Rules For Life Summary
• 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do Summary
• 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do Summary
• 1984 Summary
• 2030 Summary
• 21 Days To A Big Idea Summary
• 21 Lessons For The 21st Century Summary
• 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism Summary
• 30 Lessons For Loving Summary
• 4 Books That Will Help You Fight (and Beat) Anxiety
• 4 Procrastination Books to Help You Get Moving on What Matters Most
• 59 Seconds Summary
• 60 Seconds & You’re Hired Summary
• 7 Strategies For Wealth And Happiness Summary
• 75 Hard Summary
• 8 Rules of Love Summary
• A Beautiful Mind Summary
• A Beginner’s Guide To The End Summary
• A Brief History Of Everyone Who Ever Lived Summary
• A Brief History Of Time Summary
• A Christmas Carol Summary
• A Crack In Creation Summary
• A Curious Mind Summary
• A First-Rate Madness Summary
• A Force For Good Summary
• A General Theory Of Love Summary
• A Guide To The Good Life Summary
• A Higher Loyalty Summary
• A History Of The World In 6 Glasses Summary
• A Message To Garcia Summary
• A Mind For Numbers Summary
• A Monk’s Guide To Happiness Summary
• A More Beautiful Question Summary
• A New Earth Summary
• A People’s History Of The United States Summary
• A Promised Land Summary
• A Random Walk Down Wall Street Summary
• A Return To Love Summary
• A Short History Of Nearly Everything Summary
• A Splendid Exchange Summary
• A Tale of Two Cities Summary
• A Universe From Nothing Summary
• A Vindication Of The Rights Of Woman Summary
• A Walk Around the Block Summary
• A Walk In The Woods Summary
• A Whole New Mind Summary
• A Woman Of No Importance Summary
• A World In Disarray Summary
• A World Without Email Summary
• A Year With Peter Drucker Summary
• Abundance Summary
• Accidental Genius Summary
• Accounting Made Simple Summary
• Adapt Summary
• Adaptive Markets Summary
• Affluenza Summary
• Against Empathy Summary
• Age Of Ambition Summary
• Age Of Anger Summary
• Agile Selling Summary
• AI 2041 Summary
• AI Superpowers Summary
• Alchemy Summary
• Alexander Hamilton Summary
• Alexander The Great Summary
• Algorithms To Live By Summary
• Alibaba Summary
• Alibaba’s World Summary
• All About Love Summary
• All In Summary
• All Marketers Are Liars Summary
• Alone Together Summary
• Altered Traits Summary
• Amazon Summary
• Amusing Ourselves To Death Summary
• An American Sickness Summary
• An Astronaut’s Guide To Life On Earth Summary
• An Audience Of One Summary
• An Invisible Thread Summary
• An Ugly Truth Summary
• Anatomy Of An Epidemic Summary
• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Summary
• Antifragile Summary
• Anxiety at Work Summary
• Anything You Want Summary
• Are You Fully Charged Summary
• Areté Summary
• Arise, Awake Summary
• As A Man Thinketh Summary
• Ask Summary
• Astrophysics for People in a Hurry Summary
• At Home Summary
• Atlas of the Heart Summary
• Atomic Habits Summary
• Attached Summary
• Automate Your Busywork Summary
• Awaken The Giant Within Summary
• Aware Summary
• Awe Summary
• Bad Blood Summary
• Bad Feminist Summary
• Barbarians At The Gate Summary
• Barking Up The Wrong Tree Summary
• Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother Summary
• Be A Free Range Human Summary
• Be Fearless Summary
• Be Obsessed Or Be Average Summary
• Be Our Guest Summary
• Be Useful Summary
• Be Where Your Feet Are Summary
• Becoming Summary
• Becoming The Boss Summary
• Behave Summary
• Behind The Beautiful Forevers Summary
• Behind The Cloud Summary
• Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Summary
• Best Self Summary
• Better Than Before Summary
• Between The World And Me Summary
• Beyond Order Summary
• Big Magic Summary
• Big Potential Summary
• Billion Dollar Whale Summary
• Bird By Bird Summary
• Bit Literacy Summary
• Bittersweet Summary
• Black Box Thinking Summary
• Blink Summary
• Blitzscaling Summary
• Blockchain Revolution Summary
• Blue Ocean Shift Summary
• Blue Ocean Strategy Summary
• Blueprint Summary
• Body By Science Summary
• Bold Summary
• Boost! Summary
• Bored and Brilliant Summary
• Born A Crime Summary
• Born For This Summary
• Born To Run Summary
• Born To Win Summary
• Boss It Summary
• Bounce Back Summary
• Bounce Summary
• Boundaries Summary
• Boys & Sex Summary
• Braiding Sweetgrass Summary
• Brain Food Summary
• Brain Maker Summary
• Brain Rules Summary
• Brain Wash Summary
• Brainfluence Summary
• Brainstorm Summary
• Brandwashed Summary
• Brave New World Summary
• Brave Summary
• Braving The Wilderness Summary
• Breakfast With Socrates Summary
• Breath Summary
• Brief Answers To The Big Questions Summary
• Broadcasting Happiness Summary
• Broke Millennial Summary
• Brotopia Summary
• Buddha’s Brain Summary
• Build the Life You Want Summary
• Building a Second Brain Summary
• Building A StoryBrand Summary
• Building Social Business Summary
• Built To Last Summary
• Built to Move Summary
• Built To Sell Summary
• Bullshit Jobs Summary
• Burn the Boats Summary
• Business Adventures Summary
• Business Model Generation Summary
• Buyology Summary
• Call Sign Chaos Summary
• Can’t Hurt Me Summary
• Capitalism And Freedom Summary
• Capitalism Summary
• Carrots And Sticks Summary
• Cashvertising Summary
• Caste Summary
• Catalyst Summary
• Catch Me If You Can Summary
• Change By Design Summary
• Change Your Questions, Change Your Life Summary
• Chaos Monkeys Summary
• Chaos Summary
• Charlie Munger Summary
• Chasing Excellence Summary
• Chasing The Scream Summary
• Chatter Summary
• Chernobyl Summary
• Choose Yourself Summary
• Clear Thinking Summary
• Collaborative Intelligence Summary
• Come As You Are Summary
• Comfortably Unaware Summary
• Common Sense Summary
• Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits Summary
• Company Of One Summary
• Confessions Of An Advertising Man Summary
• Conscious Uncoupling Summary
• Contagious Summary
• Content, Inc. Summary
• Cooked Summary
• Cosmos Summary
• Counterclockwise Summary
• Courage Is Calling Summary
• Cradle To Cradle Summary
• Creative Confidence Summary
• Creative Schools Summary
• Creativity, Inc. Summary
• Cribsheet Summary
• Crippled America Summary
• Crossing The Chasm Summary
• Crucial Conversations Summary
• Crush It Summary
• Crushing It Summary
• Cryptoassets Summary
• Cryptocurrency Investing For Dummies Summary
• Curious Summary
• Daily Rituals Summary
• Dare To Lead Summary
• Daring Greatly Summary
• Dark Money Summary
• Dark Towers Summary
• Dataclysm Summary
• David and Goliath Summary
• Dear Girls Summary
• Decisive Summary
• Deep Nutrition Summary
• Deep Thinking Summary
• Deep Work Summary
• Delivering Happiness Summary
• Descartes’ Error Summary
• Design To Grow Summary
• Design Your Future Summary
• Designing Your Life Summary
• Designing Your Work Life Summary
• Die Empty Summary
• Die With Zero Summary
• Difficult Conversations Summary
• Digital Gold Summary
• Digital Minimalism Summary
• Digital Renaissance Summary
• Discipline Equals Freedom Summary
• Discipline Is Destiny Summary
• Discourses Summary
• Disney U Summary
• Disrupt Yourself Summary
• Do Nothing Summary
• Do Over Summary
• Do The Work Summary
• Do What Matters Most Summary
• Do What You Are Summary
• Doesn’t Hurt To Ask Summary
• Dollars And Sense Summary
• Don Quixote Summary
• Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff Summary
• Dopamine Nation Summary
• Dotcom Secrets Summary
• Doubt Summary
• Doughnut Economics Summary
• Dreamland Summary
• Drive Summary
• Duct Tape Marketing Summary
• Eat Better Feel Better Summary
• Eat, Move, Sleep Summary
• Eat Sleep Work Repeat Summary
• Eat That Frog Summary
• Eat To Beat Disease Summary
• Eat To Live Summary
• Eating Animals Summary
• Eats, Shoots & Leaves Summary
• Educated Summary
• Effortless Summary
• Ego Friendly Summary
• Ego Is The Enemy Summary
• Einstein: His Life and Universe Summary
• Elite Minds Summary
• Elon Musk Summary (Ashlee Vance)
• Elon Musk Summary (Walter Isaacson)
• Emotional Agility Summary
• Emotional Intelligence 2.0 Summary
• Emotional Intelligence Summary
• Empire Of Illusion Summary
• Empty Planet Summary
• Enchantment Summary
• Ending Aging Summary
• Energy Summary
• Enlightenment Now Summary
• EntreLeadership Summary
• Epic Content Marketing Summary
• Escape Velocity Summary
• Essentialism Summary
• Everybody Lies Summary
• Everybody Matters Summary
• Everyday Millionaires Summary
• Everyday Zen Summary
• Everything I Know Summary
• Everything Is F*cked Summary
• Everything Is Figureoutable Summary
• Everything Is Obvious Summary
• Evicted Summary
• Excellent Advice for Living Summary
• Excellent Sheep Summary
• Executive Presence Summary
• Expert Secrets Summary
• Exploring The World Of Lucid Dreaming Summary
• Extraordinary Influence Summary
• Extreme Ownership Summary
• Facebook Ads Manual Summary
• Factfulness Summary
• Fail Fast Fail Often Summary
• Failing Forward Summary
• Faith Summary
• Farmageddon Summary
• Fascism Summary
• Fast Food Nation Summary
• Fat For Fuel Summary
• Fear Summary
• Feel-Good Productivity Summary
• Feel Great Lose Weight Summary
• Feral Summary
• Find Your Why Summary
• Finding My Virginity Summary
• Finding Your Element Summary
• Finish Summary
• Finite and Infinite Games Summary
• Fire And Fury Summary
• First Bite Summary
• First Break All The Rules Summary
• First Principles Summary
• First They Killed My Father Summary
• First Things First Summary
• Fit For Growth Summary
• Flourish Summary
• Flow Summary
• Fluent In 3 Months Summary
• Focus Summary
• Food Fix Summary
• Fooled By Randomness Summary
• Forensics: The Anatomy Of Crime Summary
• Forest Bathing Summary
• Forgiving What You Can’t Forget Summary
• Founders at Work Summary
• Four Hundred Souls Summary
• Four Thousand Weeks Summary
• Freakonomics Summary
• Free: The Future Of A Radical Price Summary
• Free To Focus Summary
• From Here To Financial Happiness Summary
• Game Changers Summary
• Games People Play Summary
• Genius Foods Summary
• Genius: The Life And Science Of Richard Feynman Summary
• Get A Financial Life Summary
• Get Better at Anything Summary
• Get Good With Money Summary
• Get Out Of Your Head Summary
• Get Out Of Your Own Way Summary
• Get Smart Summary
• Getting COMFY Summary
• Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You’ve Got Summary
• Getting There Summary
• Getting Things Done Summary
• Getting to Yes Summary
• Ghettoside Summary
• Girl, Stop Apologizing Summary
• Girl, Wash Your Face Summary
• #GIRLBOSS Summary
• Girls & Sex Summary
• Give and Take Summary
• Global Content Marketing Summary
• Goals! Summary
• Good People Summary
• Good Strategy, Bad Strategy Summary
• Good To Great Summary
• Good Vibes, Good Life Summary
• Grain Brain Summary
• Great At Work Summary
• Great By Choice Summary
• Great Thinkers Summary
• Green Illusions Summary
• Greenlights Summary
• Grit Summary
• Growth Hacker Marketing Summary
• Guns, Germs, and Steel Summary
• Habits Of A Happy Brain Summary
• Hackers and Painters Summary
• Happier At Home Summary
• Happier Summary
• Happiness Summary
• Happy Together Summary
• Hardwiring Happiness Summary
• Hatching Twitter Summary
• Healthy at 100 Summary
• Hidden Potential Summary
• High-Impact Tools for Teams Summary
• High Performance Habits Summary
• Hillbilly Elegy Summary
• Hiring Success Summary
• Hit Refresh Summary
• Hold Me Tight Summary
• Homo Deus Summary
• Hood Feminism Summary
• Hooked Summary
• How Democracies Die Summary
• How Emotions Are Made Summary
• How Google Works Summary
• How I Built This Summary
• How Luck Happens Summary
• How Music Got Free Summary
• How Not To Be Wrong Summary
• How Not To Die Summary
• How Not To Worry Summary
• How Successful People Think Summary
• How the Word Is Passed Summary
• How the World Really Works Summary
• How To Avoid A Climate Disaster Summary
• How To Be A Bawse Summary
• How to Be a Conservative Summary
• How To Be A Leader Summary
• How To Be A Positive Leader Summary
• How To Be A Stoic Summary
• How To Be Alone Summary
• How To Be An Antiracist Summary
• How To Be Black Summary
• How to Be Right Summary
• How to Become a Straight-A Student Summary
• How to Break Up With Your Phone Summary
• How To Change Summary
• How To Change Your Mind Summary
• How To Create A Mind Summary
• How To Do Nothing Summary
• How To Do The Work Summary
• How To Fail At Almost Everything And Still Win Big Summary
• How To Fail Summary
• How to Live Summary
• How To Love Summary
• How to Raise an Adult Summary
• How To Read A Book Summary
• How To Read Literature Like A Professor Summary
• How To Stop Worrying And Start Living Summary
• How To Summary
• How to Take Smart Notes Summary
• How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere Summary
• How To Talk To Anyone Summary
• How to Think Like a Roman Emperor Summary
• How to Think More Effectively Summary
• How To Win At The Sport Of Business Summary
• How to Win Friends and Influence People Summary
• How We Got To Now Summary
• How We Learn Summary
• How Will You Measure Your Life Summary
• Howard Hughes: His Life And Madness Summary
• Hug Your Haters Summary
• Humans Are Underrated Summary
• Humor, Seriously Summary
• Hyper-Learning Summary
• Hyperfocus Summary
• I Contain Multitudes Summary
• I Hear You Summary
• I Thought It Was Just Me Summary
• I Wear The Black Hat Summary
• I Will Teach You To Be Rich Summary
• Identity Summary
• If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy Summary
• Ignore Everybody Summary
• Ikigai Summary
• Imagine It Forward Summary
• Immunity Summary
• Impeachment Summary
• Imperfect Courage Summary
• In Cold Blood Summary
• In Defense Of Food Summary
• In Search Of Excellence Summary
• Indistractable Summary
• Influence Summary
• Inner Engineering Summary
• Insight Summary
• Inspired Summary
• Intimacy And Desire Summary
• Intuitive Eating Summary
• Invent and Wander Summary
• Inventology Summary
• Invisible Influence Summary
• Invisible Women Summary
• Irresistible Summary
• It Doesn’t Have To Be Crazy At Work Summary
• It’s All In Your Head Summary
• iWoz Summary
• Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook Summary
• Journey Of Awakening Summary
• Joy At Work Summary
• Joyful Summary
• Just Keep Buying Summary
• Just Listen Summary
• Just Mercy Summary
• Kaizen Summary
• Keep Going Summary
• Keep Showing Up Summary
• Keto Answers Summary
• Killing the Mob Summary
• Labor Of Love Summary
• Late Bloomers Summary
• Lateral Thinking Summary
• Launch Summary
• Lead Yourself First Summary
• Leaders Eat Last Summary
• Leadershift Summary
• Leadership And Self-Deception Summary
• Leadership Strategy And Tactics Summary
• Lean Analytics Summary
• Lean In Summary
• Learned Optimism Summary
• Legendary Service Summary
• Leonardo Da Vinci Summary
• Less Doing More Living Summary
• Lessons from the Titans Summary
• Letters From A Stoic Summary
• Letting Go of Nothing Summary
• Liespotting Summary
• Life After Google Summary
• Life in Five Senses Summary
• Life Worth Living Summary
• Lifespan Summary
• Limitless Summary
• Linchpin Summary
• Lives Of The Stoics Summary
• Living Forward Summary
• Living In Your Top 1% Summary
• Long Life Learning Summary
• Long-Term Thinking For A Short-Sighted World Summary
• Long Walk To Freedom Summary
• Loonshots Summary
• Loserthink Summary
• Losing My Virginity Summary
• Lost Connections Summary
• Love People, Use Things Summary
• Love Warrior Summary
• Love Worth Making Summary
• Loving What Is Summary
• Made To Stick Summary
• Make A Killing On Kindle Summary
• Make It Stick Summary
• Make Money Trading Options Summary
• Make Time Summary
• Make Your Bed Summary
• Make Your Mark Summary
• Making Ideas Happen Summary
• Making It All Work Summary
• Managing Oneself Summary
• Man’s Search For Meaning Summary
• Manufacturing Consent Summary
• Maoism Summary
• Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes Summary
• Masters of Scale Summary
• Mastery Summary
• Mating In Captivity Summary
• Maximize Your Potential Summary
• Maybe You Should Talk To Someone Summary
• Measure What Matters Summary
• Meditations On First Philosophy Summary
• Meditations Summary
• Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus Summary
• Merchants of Doubt Summary
• Metahuman Summary
• Mighty Be Our Powers Summary
• Million Dollar Consulting Summary
• Million Dollar Weekend Summary
• Millionaire Success Habits Summary
• Mind Gym Summary
• Mind Hacking Summary
• Mind Over Clutter Summary
• Mind Over Money Summary
• Mindful Work Summary
• Mindset Summary
• Mindsight Summary
• Mini Habits Summary
• Minimalism Summary
• Minor Feelings Summary
• Mistakes Were Made, But Not By Me Summary
• Money: Master The Game Summary
• Money Summary
• Moneyland Summary
• Moonshot Summary
• Moonwalking With Einstein Summary
• More Money Than God Summary
• Move Your Bus Summary
• Multipliers Summary
• My Age Of Anxiety Summary
• My Morning Routine Summary
• My Stroke Of Insight Summary
• Nail It Then Scale It Summary
• Napoleon The Great Summary
• Napoleon’s Buttons Summary
• Narrative Economics Summary
• Necessary Endings Summary
• Never Eat Alone Summary
• Never Finished Summary
• Never Split The Difference Summary
• No-Drama Discipline Summary
• No Excuses! Summary
• No Hard Feelings Summary
• No Logo Summary
• No More Mr. Nice Guy Summary
• No Rules Rules Summary
• No Self No Problem Summary
• Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t Summary
• Noise Summary
• Nonviolent Communication Summary
• Not Today Summary
• Now, Discover Your Strengths Summary
• Nudge Summary
• On Liberty Summary
• On the Origin of Species Summary
• On The Shortness Of Life Summary
• On Tyranny Summary
• On Writing Summary
• On Writing Well Summary
• One Decision Summary
• One Simple Idea Summary
• One Up on Wall Street Summary
• Open Summary
• Option B Summary
• Orientalism Summary
• Originals Summary
• Our Wild Calling Summary
• Out Of Our Minds Summary
• Outer Order, Inner Calm Summary
• Outliers Summary
• Outlive Summary
• Outwitting The Devil Summary
• Own The Day, Own Your Life Summary
• Own Your Everyday Summary
• Oxygen Summary
• 4 Books That Will Help You Deal With Painful Relationships
• Pandemic Summary
• Payoff Book Summary
• Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo From Maslow Summary
• Peak Performance Summary
• Peak Summary
• People Over Profit Summary
• Perfectly Confident Summary
• Permanent Record Summary
• Permission Marketing Summary
• Personality Isn’t Permanent Summary
• Phantoms In The Brain Summary
• Pioneering Portfolio Management Summary
• Pitch Anything Summary
• Pitch Perfect Summary
• Pivot Summary
• Plato At The Googleplex Summary
• Playing With FIRE Summary
• Poor Charlie’s Almanack Summary
• Power Relationships Summary
• Pre-Suasion Summary
• Predictable Success Summary
• Predictably Irrational Summary
• Presence Summary
• Principles Summary
• Prisoners Of Geography Summary
• Problem Solving 101 Summary
• Profit First Summary
• Psyched Up Summary
• Psycho-Cybernetics Summary
• Purple Cow Summary
• QBQ! Summary
• Quiet Power Summary
• Quiet Summary
• Quit Like A Millionaire Summary
• Quitter Summary
• Radical Acceptance Summary
• Radical Candor Summary
• Radical Honesty Summary
• Raise Your Game Summary
• Raising A Secure Child Summary
• Range Summary
• Rationality Summary
• Reading Like A Writer Summary
• Real Artists Don’t Starve Summary
• Real Change Summary
• Real Help Summary
• Reality Is Broken Summary
• Reasons To Stay Alive Summary
• Reframe Your Brain Summary
• Reinvent Yourself Summary
• Rejection Proof Summary
• Relationship Goals Summary
• Remote Book Summary
• Requiem For The American Dream Summary
• Resilience Summary
• Resisting Happiness Summary
• Rest Summary
• Restart Summary
• Rewire Summary
• Rework Summary
• Rich Dad Poor Dad Summary
• Rich Dad’s Cashflow Quadrant Summary
• Richard Nixon: The Life Summary
• Rising Strong Summary
• Rookie Smarts Summary
• Rule #1 Summary
• Safe People Summary
• Salt: A World History Summary
• Salt Sugar Fat Summary
• Sam Walton: Made In America Summary
• Same as Ever Summary
• Sapiens Summary
• Say Nothing Summary
• Search Inside Yourself Summary
• Second Chance Summary
• Secrets Of The Millionaire Mind Summary
• See You At The Top Summary
• See You On The Internet Summary
• Self-Compassion Summary
• Selfish Reasons To Have More Kids Summary
• Set Boundaries Find Peace Summary
• Seven Brief Lessons On Physics Summary
• Sex At Dawn Summary
• Shattered Summary
• She Comes First Summary
• Shoe Dog Summary
• Show Your Work! Summary
• Siddhartha Summary
• Side Hustle Summary
• Silent Spring Summary
• Simple Rules Summary
• Singletasking Summary
• Six Thinking Hats Summary
• Skin In The Game Summary
• Sleep Smarter Summary
• Slow Productivity Summary
• Small Giants Summary
• Smart People Should Build Things Summary
• Smartcuts Summary
• Smarter Faster Better Summary
• Smarter Summary
• So Good They Can’t Ignore You Summary
• So You Want To Talk About Race Summary
• So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed Summary
• Social Intelligence Summary
• Social Summary
• Socialism Summary
• Solve For Happy Summary
• Soundtracks Summary
• Spark Summary
• Spartan Up Summary
• SPIN Selling Summary
• Sprint Summary
• Spy the Lie Summary
• Stamped From The Beginning Summary
• Starry Messenger Summary
• Start Something That Matters Summary
• Start Summary
• Start-Up Nation Summary
• Start Where You Are Summary
• Start With Why Summary
• Startup Growth Engines Summary
• Status Anxiety Summary
• Steal Like An Artist Summary
• Stealing Fire Summary
• Steve Jobs Summary
• Stillness Is The Key Summary
• Stocks for the Long Run Summary
• Stolen Focus Summary
• Storyworthy Summary
• Strengthsfinder 2.0 Summary
• Striking Thoughts Summary
• Stumbling On Happiness Summary
• Subscribed Summary
• Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude Summary
• Suggestible You Summary
• Super Attractor Summary
• Super Brain Summary
• Super Human Summary
• Superbetter Summary
• Supercommunicators Summary
• Superfreakonomics Summary
• Superintelligence Summary
• Surrounded by Idiots Summary
• Survival Of The Friendliest Summary
• Switch Summary
• Talent Is Overrated Summary
• Talk Like Ted Summary
• Talking To Strangers Summary
• Team Of Rivals Summary
• Team Of Teams Summary
• TED Talks Summary
• Tell Me More Summary
• Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now Summary
• Tesla: Man Out of Time Summary
• Testing Business Ideas Summary
• Thank You For Arguing Summary
• Thank You For Being Late Summary
• Thanks For The Feedback Summary
• That Sounds Fun Summary
• The 1-Page Marketing Plan Summary
• The $100 Startup Summary
• The 100-Year Life Summary
• The 10X Rule Summary
• The 12 Week Year Summary
• The 15 Invaluable Laws Of Growth Summary
• The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership Summary
• The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding Summary
• The 22 Immutable Laws Of Marketing Summary
• The 4 Day Week Summary
• The 4 Disciplines Of Execution Summary
• The 4-Hour Body Summary
• The 4-Hour Workweek Summary
• The 4 Minute Millionaire Summary
• The 4 Pillar Plan Summary
• The 48 Laws Of Power Summary
• The 5 AM Club Summary
• The 5 Choices Summary
• The 5 Levels Of Leadership Summary
• The 5 Love Languages Summary
• The 5 Second Rule Summary
• The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People Summary
• The 80/20 Principle Summary
• The 8th Habit Summary
• The Achievement Habit Summary
• The ADHD Advantage Summary
• The Advice Trap Summary
• The Age Of Cryptocurrency Summary
• The Age of Empathy Summary
• The Alchemist Summary
• The Algebra of Happiness Summary
• The Algebra of Wealth Summary
• The Almanack of Naval Ravikant Summary
• The Alter Ego Effect Summary
• The Anatomy Of Peace Summary
• The Antidote Summary
• The Anxious Generation Summary
• The Apology Impulse Summary
• The Art of Aliveness Summary
• The Art Of Asking Summary
• The Art Of Choosing Summary
• The Art Of Communicating Summary
• The Art Of Happiness Summary
• The Art Of Learning Summary
• The Art of Living Summary
• The Art Of Non-Conformity Summary
• The Art of Possibility Summary
• The Art of Rhetoric Summary
• The Art Of Seduction Summary
• The Art Of Social Media Summary
• The Art of Statistics Summary
• The Art Of Stopping Time Summary
• The Art Of The Start Summary
• The Art of Thinking Clearly Summary
• The Art Of Travel Summary
• The Art Of War Summary
• The Art Of Work Summary
• The Artist’s Way Summary
• The Audacity Of Hope Summary
• The Authoritarian Moment Summary
• The Autobiography Of Malcolm X Summary
• The Automatic Millionaire Summary
• The Barefoot Investor Summary
• The Beautiful Cure Summary
• The Better Angels Of Our Nature Summary
• The Bhagavad Gita Summary
• The Big Leap Summary
• The Big Necessity Summary
• The Biology of Belief Summary
• The Bitcoin Standard Summary
• The Black Swan Summary
• The Blue Zones Solution Summary
• The Blue Zones Summary
• The Body Keeps The Score Summary
• The Body Summary
• The Book Of Joy Summary
• The Book of Mistakes Summary
• The Book Summary
• The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read Summary
• The Botany Of Desire Summary
• The Box Summary
• The Brain That Changes Itself Summary
• The Bullet Journal Method Summary
• The Bulletproof Diet Summary
• The Burnout Fix Summary
• The Business Romantic Summary
• The Case Against Education Summary
• The Case Against Sugar Summary
• The Catcher in the Rye Summary
• The Charge Summary
• The Charisma Myth Summary
• The Checklist Manifesto Summary
• The Chimp Paradox Summary
• The China Study Summary
• The Coaching Habit Summary
• The Coach’s Survival Guide Summary
• The Code Breaker Summary
• The Code Of The Extraordinary Mind Summary
• The Comfort Book Summary
• The Comfort Crisis Summary
• The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners Summary
• The Compound Effect Summary
• The Confidence Code Summary
• The Courage Habit Summary
• The Courage to Be Disliked Summary
• The Courage to Be Happy Summary
• The Creative Act Summary
• The Creative Habit Summary
• The Cult of We Summary
• The Culture Code Summary
• The Da Vinci Curse Summary
• The Daily Laws Summary
• The Daily Stoic Summary
• The Dark Net Summary
• The Data Detective Summary
• The Dawn of Everything Summary
• The Decision-Making Blueprint Summary
• The Design Of Everyday Things Summary
• The Desire Map Summary
• The Devil In The White City Summary
• The Diary of a CEO Summary
• The Dip Summary
• The Double Helix Summary
• The Drama Of The Gifted Child Summary
• The E-Myth Revisited Summary
• The Education Of A Value Investor Summary
• The Effective Executive Summary
• The Emperor Of All Maladies Summary
• The End Of Average Summary
• The End Of Illness Summary
• The End of Jobs Summary
• The End Of Poverty Summary
• The End Of Power Summary
• The End Of Stress Summary
• The Energy Bus Summary
• The Ethics Of Ambiguity Summary
• The Eureka Factor Summary
• The Everything Store Summary
• The Evolution Of Everything Summary
• The Execution Factor Summary
• The Facebook Effect Summary
• The Fifth Agreement Summary
• The Fifth Discipline Summary
• The Financial Diet Summary
• The Fine Art Of Small Talk Summary
• The First 20 Hours Summary
• The First 90 Days Summary
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Summary
• The Fortune Cookie Principle Summary
• The Four Agreements Summary
• The Four Steps To The Epiphany Summary
• The Four Tendencies Summary
• The Freaks Shall Inherit The Earth Summary
• The Game Summary
• The Genius Of Birds Summary
• The Genius of Dogs Summary
• The Geography Of Genius Summary
• The Gift Of Fear Summary
• The Gifts Of Imperfection Summary
• The Go-Giver Summary
• The God Delusion Summary
• The God Equation Summary
• The Grand Design Summary
• The Great Escape Summary
• The Great Gatsby Summary
• The Great Mental Models Summary
• The Greatest Salesman In The World Summary
• The Greatest Secret Summary
• The Greatness Mindset Summary
• The Habit Blueprint Summary
• The Happiness Advantage Summary
• The Happiness Equation Summary
• The Happiness Hypothesis Summary
• The Happiness Of Pursuit Summary
• The Happiness Project Summary
• The Happiness Trap Summary
• The Happy Mind Summary
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things Summary
• The Hero Code Summary
• The Hero Factor Summary
• The Hero With a Thousand Faces Summary
• The Hidden Habits of Genius Summary
• The Hidden Life of Trees Summary
• The High 5 Habit Summary
• The Highly Sensitive Person Summary
• The Honest Truth About Dishonesty Summary
• The Hot Zone Summary
• The House Of Rothschild Summary
• The How of Happiness Summary
• The Idea Factory Summary
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Summary
• The Importance Of Being Little Summary
• The In-Between Summary
• The Infinite Game Summary
• The Inner Game Of Tennis Summary
• The Inner Life of Animals Summary
• The Innovator’s Dilemma Summary
• The Innovators Summary
• The Intelligent Investor Summary
• The Interpretation Of Dreams Summary
• The Introvert’s Complete Career Guide Summary
• The Invincible Company Summary
• The Joy of Missing Out Summary
• The Joy Of Movement Summary
• The Kindness Method Summary
• The Language Instinct Summary
• The Last Lecture Summary
• The Latte Factor Summary
• The Law Says What Summary
• The Laws Of Human Nature Summary
• The Leader in You Summary
• The Leadership Challenge Summary
• The Lean Startup Summary
• The Lessons of History Summary
• The Life-Changing Magic Of Not Giving A F*ck Summary
• The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up Summary
• The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit Summary
• The Light We Carry Summary
• The Little Book of Common Sense Investing Summary
• The Little Book Of Hygge Summary
• The Little Book Of Lykke Summary
• The Little Book of Talent Summary
• The Little Book That Still Beats The Market Summary
• The Little Prince Summary
• The Long Tail Summary
• The Longevity Paradox Summary
• The Longevity Project Summary
• The Lost Art of Connecting Summary
• The Lucifer Effect Summary
• The Magic Of Math Summary
• The Magic Of Reality Summary
• The Magic of Thinking Big Summary
• The Man Who Fed The World Summary
• The Man Who Solved The Market Summary
• The Messy Middle Summary
• The Midnight Library Summary
• The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business Summary
• The Millionaire Fastlane Summary
• The Millionaire Next Door Summary
• The Millionaire Real Estate Agent Summary
• The Mind Illuminated Summary
• The Miracle Equation Summary
• The Miracle Morning Summary
• The Miracle Of Mindfulness Summary
• The Mom Test Summary
• The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Summary
• The Moral Animal Summary
• The More Of Less Summary
• The Motivation Manifesto Summary
• The Mountain Is You Summary
• The Myth Of Multitasking Summary
• The Myth Of The Strong Leader Summary
• The New Trading For A Living Summary
• The Next Right Thing Summary
• The Nicomachean Ethics Summary
• The Now Habit Summary
• The Obstacle Is The Way Summary
• The Omnivore’s Dilemma Summary
• The One Minute Manager Summary
• The One-Page Financial Plan Summary
• The ONE Thing Summary
• The Opposite Of Spoiled Summary
• The Order Of Time Summary
• The Organized Mind Summary
• The Origins of Political Order Summary
• The Paradox Of Choice Summary
• The Passion Paradox Summary
• The Path Made Clear Summary
• The Person You Mean to Be Summary
• The Personal MBA Summary
• The Personality Brokers Summary
• The Picture of Dorian Gray Summary
• The Plant Paradox Summary
• The Pomodoro Technique Summary
• The Power Of Bad Summary
• The Power Of Broke Summary
• The Power of Focus Summary
• The Power Of Full Engagement Summary
• The Power Of Habit Summary
• The Power Of Less Summary
• The Power Of Myth Summary
• The Power Of No Summary
• The Power Of Now Summary
• The Power Of Positive Thinking Summary
• The Power of Regret Summary
• The Power Of Showing Up Summary
• The Power Of Starting Something Stupid Summary
• The Power Of The Other Summary
• The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind Summary
• The Power Paradox Summary
• The Practice of Groundedness Summary
• The Practice Summary
• The Practicing Mind Summary
• The Pragmatist’s Guide To Relationships Summary
• The Presence Process Summary
• The Prince Summary
• The Productivity Project Summary
• The Promise Of A Pencil Summary
• The Psychology of Money Summary
• The Psychology Of Selling Summary
• The Psychology Of Winning Summary
• The Purpose Driven Life Summary
• The Rebel Rules Summary
• The Relationship Cure Summary
• The Republic Summary
• The Richest Man In Babylon Summary
• The Ride Of A Lifetime Summary
• The Rise Of Superman Summary
• The Rise Summary
• The Road Back To You Summary
• The Road Less Traveled Summary
• The Road to Character Summary
• The Road To Serfdom Summary
• The Ruthless Elimination Of Hurry Summary
• The Sales Advantage Summary
• The Science of Getting Rich Summary
• The Science Of Storytelling Summary
• The Second Mountain Summary
• The Second Sex Summary
• The Secret Life of Pronouns Summary
• The Secret Summary
• The Secret World of Weather Summary
• The Self-Discipline Blueprint Summary
• The Self-Made Billionaire Effect Summary
• The Selfish Gene Summary
• The Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work Summary
• The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success Summary
• The Shallows Summary
• The Signal And The Noise Summary
• The Simple Path to Wealth Summary
• The Singularity Is Near Summary
• The Six Pillars Of Self-Esteem Summary
• The Sixth Extinction Summary
• The Sleep Revolution Summary
• The Sleep Solution Summary
• The Slight Edge Summary
• The Snowball Summary
• The Social Animal Summary
• The Social Contract Summary
• The Social Leap Summary
• The Soul Of An Octopus Summary
• The Sovereign Individual Summary
• The Speed Of Trust Summary
• The Sports Gene Summary
• The Start-Up of You Summary
• The Story of Philosophy Summary
• The Storytelling Edge Summary
• The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck Summary
• The Success Principles Summary
• The Sunflower Summary
• The Talent Code Summary
• The Tao Of Physics Summary
• The Tao Te Ching Summary
• The Telomere Effect Summary
• The Thank You Economy Summary
• The Third Door Summary
• The Third Wave Summary
• The Tipping Point Summary
• The Total Money Makeover Summary
• The Truth Summary
• The Truths We Hold Summary
• The Ultimate Sales Machine Summary
• The Undoing Project Summary
• The Unexpected Joy Of Being Sober Summary
• The Uninhabitable Earth Summary
• The Universe Has Your Back Summary
• The Untethered Soul Summary
• The Upside Of Irrationality Summary
• The Upside Of Stress Summary
• The Upside Of Your Dark Side Summary
• The Varieties Of Religious Experience Summary
• The War Of Art Summary
• The Warmth Of Other Suns Summary
• The Way Of Integrity Summary
• The Way Of Zen Summary
• The Wealthy Gardener Summary
• The Why Café Summary
• The Willpower Instinct Summary
• The Wisdom Of Crowds Summary
• The Wisdom Of Finance Summary
• The Wisdom of Insecurity Summary
• The Wisdom Of Life Summary
• The Wisdom of the Bullfrog Summary
• The World According To Star Wars Summary
• The World Until Yesterday Summary
• The World Without Us Summary
• The Worldly Philosophers Summary
• The Worry-Free Mind Summary
• The Year of Magical Thinking Summary
• The Year Without Pants Summary
• The Yes Brain Summary
• Theory U Summary
• They Ask You Answer Summary
• Things A Little Bird Told Me Summary
• Think Again Summary
• Think And Grow Rich Summary
• Think Like A Freak Summary
• Think Like A Rocket Scientist Summary
• Think Small Summary
• Thinking Fast and Slow Summary
• This Is Marketing Summary
• This Is Your Brain On Music Summary
• This Is Your Mind On Plants Summary
• Thou Shall Prosper Summary
• Thoughts Without A Thinker Summary
• Thrive Summary
• Thrivers Summary
• Through The Language Glass Summary
• Time And How To Spend It Summary
• Tiny Habits Summary
• Titan Summary
• To Sell Is Human Summary
• Tools Of Titans Summary
• Toward a Psychology of Being Summary
• Traction Summary
• Tribal Leadership Summary
• Tribe Of Mentors Summary
• Tribes Summary
• Trillion Dollar Coach Summary
• Trust Me, I’m Lying Summary
• Trust Yourself Summary
• Trying Not To Try Summary
• Tubes Summary
• Turning Pro Summary
• U Thrive Summary
• Unbeatable Mind Summary
• Uncertainty Summary
• Under Pressure Summary
• Unfu*k Yourself Summary
• Unlearn Summary
• Unlimited Memory Summary
• Unlimited Power Summary
• Unlocking Potential Summary
• Unplug Summary
• Unshakeable Summary
• Untamed Summary
• Upheaval Summary
• Vagabonding Summary
• Value Proposition Design Summary
• Waking Up Summary
• Walden Summary
• Weird Parenting Wins Summary
• What Are You Doing With Your Life Summary
• What Color Is Your Parachute Summary
• What Every Body Is Saying Summary
• What Got You Here Won’t Get You There Summary
• What Happened Summary
• What Happened To You Summary
• What I Know For Sure Summary
• What I Learned Losing A Million Dollars Summary
• What If Summary
• What Is Life? Summary
• What The Eyes Don’t See Summary
• What They Don’t Teach You At Harvard Business School Summary
• What To Eat When Summary
• What to Say When You Talk to Yourself Summary
• What’s Our Problem? Summary
• When Bad Things Happen To Good People Summary
• When Breath Becomes Air Summary
• When Summary
• When The Body Says No Summary
• When Things Fall Apart Summary
• When To Rob A Bank Summary
• Where Good Ideas Come From Summary
• Wherever You Go, There You Are Summary
• White Fragility Summary
• Who Moved My Cheese Summary
• Who Not How Summary
• Who Will Cry When You Die? Summary
• Why “A” Students Work For “C” Students Summary
• Why Are We Yelling? Summary
• Why Does He Do That? Summary
• Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before Summary
• Why Is Sex Fun Summary
• Why Nations Fail Summary
• Why We Can’t Sleep Summary
• Why We Love Summary
• Why We Sleep Summary
• Why We Work Summary
• Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers Summary
• Will It Fly Summary
• Will Summary
• Willpower Doesn’t Work Summary
• Willpower Summary
• Win or Learn Summary
• Winners: And How They Succeed Summary
• Winners Dream Summary
• Winners Take All Summary
• Winning Summary
• Wintering Summary
• Without Their Permission Summary
• Woke, Inc. Summary
• Wonderland Summary
• Words Can Change Your Brain Summary
• Words That Work Summary
• Work Less Finish More Summary
• Work The System Summary
• Write It Down, Make It Happen Summary
• Year Of Yes Summary
• You Are A Badass At Making Money Summary
• You Are A Badass Summary
• You Are Not A Gadget Summary
• You Are Not Your Brain Summary
• You’ll See It When You Believe It Summary
• Your Best Just Got Better Summary
• Your Best Year Ever Summary
• Your Brain At Work Summary
• Your Erroneous Zones Summary
• Your Money or Your Life Summary
• Your Move Summary
• You’re Not Listening Summary
• Zero To One Summary

Impressed? Let us customize your learning journey for you so you can start getting smarter from the books most relevant to you right now.

Join our free newsletter and start your customized learning journey:

Last Updated on May 2, 2024

*Four Minute Books participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising commissions by linking to Amazon. We also participate in other affiliate programs, such as Blinkist, MindValley, Audible, Audiobooks, Reading.FM, and others. Our referral links allow us to earn commissions (at no extra cost to you) and keep the site running. Thank you for your support.

Need some inspiration? 👀 Here are... The 365 Most Famous Quotes of All Time »

Share on mastodon.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

• 50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12
• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Screen-Free Activities for Kids and Teens to Enjoy Over the Summer

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

"best of" lists.

Get age-appropriate ideas and inspiration for every interest:

• Best Movies for Kids
• Best TV for Kids
• Best Streaming Picks for Kids
• Best Games for Kids
• Best Apps for Kids
• Best Books for Kids
• Best Podcasts for Kids
• Best Websites for Kids
• Best for Character Development for Kids
• Best for Diversity for Kids
• Best for Learning for Kids

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.

Other great lists from our editors

• Coming-of-Age Books
• Books to Help Your Kid Survive Middle School
• How to Raise a Reader
• Help Your Kids Find Books with Diverse Characters
• How Comics Helped My Kid Love Reading

50 Must-Read Short Books Under 250 Pages

Sarah S. Davis

Sarah S. Davis holds a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master's of Library Science from Clarion University, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Sarah has also written for Electric Literature, Kirkus Reviews, Audible, Psych Central, and more. Sarah is the founder of Broke By Books blog and runs a tarot reading business, Divination Vibration . Twitter: @missbookgoddess Instagram: @Sarahbookgoddess

View All posts by Sarah S. Davis

In a previous mega list here on Book Riot, I highlighted 50 must-read books over 500 pages . It only seems right to follow that up with this list of 50 must-read short books. A mix of narrative styles and genres, the 50 books in this essential list of the best short books are all under 250 pages. If you’re planning what to read for your next readathon, hoping to break through a reading slump or book hangover with a quick read, or need to meet your reading challenge goal with a few books you can read in one sitting, this list has you covered.

Descriptions graciously supplied from publisher descriptions and condensed when necessary.

Best Short Books

All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg (Fiction)

“Who is Andrea Bern? When her dippy therapist asks the question, Andrea knows the right things to say: she’s a designer, a friend, a daughter, a sister. But it’s what she leaves unsaid—she’s alone, a drinker, a former artist, a shrieker in bed, captain of the sinking ship that is her flesh—that feels the most true. Everyone around her seems to have a different idea of what it means to be an adult, though. But when Andrea’s niece finally arrives, born with a heartbreaking ailment, the Bern family is forced to reexamine what really matters. Will this drive them together or tear them apart? Told in gut-wrenchingly honest, mordantly comic vignettes,  All Grown Up  is a breathtaking display of Jami Attenberg’s powers as a storyteller and a whip-smart examination of one woman’s life, lived entirely on her own terms.” (Amazon)

American Housewife by Helen Ellis (Fiction)

“Meet the women of  American Housewife . They wear lipstick, pearls, and sunscreen, even when it’s cloudy. They casserole. They pinwheel. And then they kill a party crasher, carefully stepping around the body to pull cookies from the oven. Taking us from a haunted pre-war Manhattan apartment building to the unique initiation ritual of a book club, these twelve delightfully demented stories are a refreshing and wicked answer to the question: ‘What do housewives do all day?'” (Amazon)

Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. By signing up you agree to our terms of use

American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin by Terrance Hayes (Poetry)

“A powerful, timely, dazzling collection of sonnets from one of America’s most acclaimed poets, Terrance Hayes, the National Book Award-winning author of  Lighthead.  In seventy poems bearing the same title, Terrance Hayes explores the meanings of American, of assassin, and of love in the sonnet form. Written during the first two hundred days of the Trump presidency, these poems are haunted by the country’s past and future eras and errors, its dreams and nightmares. Inventive, compassionate, hilarious, melancholy, and bewildered–the wonders of this new collection are irreducible and stunning.” Amazon

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good  by Helene Tursten, translated by Marlane Delargy (Mystery)

“Maud is an irascible 88-year-old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and… no qualms about a little murder. This funny, irreverent story collection by Helene Tursten, author of the Irene Huss investigations, features two-never-before translated stories that will keep you laughing all the way to the retirement home.” (Amazon)

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (Mystery)

“‘Ten . . .’ Ten strangers are lured to an isolated island mansion off the Devon coast by a mysterious “U. N. Owen.”

‘Nine . . .’ At dinner a recorded message accuses each of them in turn of having a guilty secret, and by the end of the night one of the guests is dead.

‘Eight . . .’ Stranded by a violent storm, and haunted by a nursery rhyme counting down one by one . . . as one by one . . . they begin to die.

‘Seven . . .’ Which among them is the killer and will any of them survive?” (Amazon)

Art Matters by Neil Gaiman (Nonfiction)

“Drawn from Gaiman’s trove of published speeches, poems, and creative manifestos,  Art Matters  is an embodiment of this remarkable multi-media artist’s vision—an exploration of how reading, imagining, and creating can transform the world and our lives.  Drawn together from speeches, poems and creative manifestos,  Art Matters  will explore how reading, imagining and creating can change the world. A creative call to arms, the book will champion freedom of ideas, making art in the face of adversity and choosing to be bold. It will be inspirational to young and old, and will encourage glorious, creative rebellion.  ” (Amazon)

Beast in View by Margaret Millar (Mystery)

“Thirty-year-old Helen Clarvoe is scared and all alone. The heiress of a small fortune, she is resented by her mother and, to a lesser degree, her brother. The only person who seemingly cares for her is the family’s attorney, Paul Blackshear. A shut-in, Helen maintains her residence in an upscale hotel downtown.

But passive-aggressive resentment isn’t the only thing hounding Helen Clarvoe. A string of bizarre and sometimes threatening prank phone calls has upended her spinster’s routine. Increasingly threatened, she turns to a reluctant Mr. Blackshear to get to the bottom of these strange calls. Blackshear is doubtful of their seriousness but he quickly realizes that he is in the midst of something far more sinister than he thought possible. As he unravels the mystery of the calls the identity behind them slowly emerges, predatory and treacherous.” (Amazon)

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (Fiction)

“ The Bell Jar  chronicles the crack-up of Esther Greenwood: brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under — maybe for the last time. Sylvia Plath masterfully draws the reader into Esther’s breakdown with such intensity that Esther’s insanity becomes completely real and even rational, as probable and accessible an experience as going to the movies. Such deep penetration into the dark and harrowing corners of the psyche is an extraordinary accomplishment and has made  The Bell Jar  a haunting American classic.” (Amazon)

Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx (Fiction)

“Annie Proulx has written some of the most original and brilliant short stories in contemporary literature, and for many readers and reviewers, “Brokeback Mountain” is her masterpiece.

Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist, two ranch hands, come together when they’re working as sheepherder and camp tender one summer on a range above the tree line. At first, sharing an isolated tent, the attraction is casual, inevitable, but something deeper catches them that summer.

Both men work hard, marry, and have kids because that’s what cowboys do. But over the course of many years and frequent separations this relationship becomes the most important thing in their lives, and they do anything they can to preserve it.” (Amazon)

Calvin by Martine Leavitt (YA Fiction)

“Seventeen-year-old Calvin has always known his fate is linked to the comic book character from Calvin & Hobbes. He was born on the day the last strip was published. His grandpa put a stuffed tiger named Hobbes in his crib. And he even had a best friend named Susie.

Then Calvin’s mom washed Hobbes to death. Susie grew up beautiful and stopped talking to him. And Calvin pretty much forgot about the strip―until now.

Now he is seventeen years old and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Hobbes is back, as a delusion, and Calvin can’t control him. Calvin decides that cartoonist Bill Watterson is the key to everything―if he would just make one more comic strip, but without Hobbes, Calvin would be cured.

Calvin and Susie (is she real?) and Hobbes (he can’t be real, can he?) set out on a dangerous trek across frozen Lake Erie to track down Watterson.” (Amazon)

Chemistry by Weike Wang (Romance)

“At first glance, the quirky, overworked narrator of Weike Wang’s debut novel seems to be on the cusp of a perfect life: she is studying for a prestigious PhD in chemistry that will make her Chinese parents proud (or at least satisfied), and her successful, supportive boyfriend has just proposed to her. But instead of feeling hopeful, she is wracked with ambivalence: the long, demanding hours at the lab have created an exquisite pressure cooker, and she doesn’t know how to answer the marriage question. When it all becomes too much and her life plan veers off course, she finds herself on a new path of discoveries about everything she thought she knew. Smart, moving, and always funny, this unique coming-of-age story is certain to evoke a winning reaction.” (Amazon)

Displacement: A Travelogue by Lucy Knisley (Graphic Memoir)

“In her graphic memoirs, New York Times-best selling cartoonist Lucy Knisley paints a warts-and-all portrait of contemporary, twentysomething womanhood, like writer Lena Dunham ( Girls ). In the next installment of her graphic travelogue series, Displacement , Knisley volunteers to watch over her ailing grandparents on a cruise. (The book’s watercolors evoke the ocean that surrounds them.) In a book that is part graphic memoir, part travelogue, and part family history, Knisley not only tries to connect with her grandparents, but to reconcile their younger and older selves. She is aided in her quest by her grandfather’s WWII memoir, which is excerpted. Readers will identify with Knisley s frustration, her fears, her compassion, and her attempts to come to terms with mortality, as she copes with the stress of travel complicated by her grandparents’ frailty.” (Goodreads)

Edinburgh by Alexander Chee

“Twelve-year-old Fee is a shy Korean American boy and a newly named section leader of the first sopranos in his local boys’ choir. But when Fee learns how the director treats his section leaders, he is so ashamed he says nothing of the abuse, not even when Peter, his best friend, is in line to be next. When the director is arrested, Fee tries to forgive himself for his silence. But when Peter takes his own life, Fee blames only himself. In the years that follow he slowly builds a new life, teaching near his hometown. There he meets a young student who is the picture of Peter and is forced to confront the past he believed was gone.” (Amazon)

The End We Start From by Megan Hunter (Fiction)

“Megan Hunter’s debut is a searing original, a modern-day parable of rebirth and renewal, of maternal bonds, and the instinct to survive and thrive in the absence of all that’s familiar.

As London is submerged below floodwaters, a woman gives birth to her first child, Z. Days later, she and her baby are forced to leave their home in search of safety. They head north through a newly dangerous country seeking refuge from place to place. The story traces fear and wonder as the baby grows, thriving and content against all the odds.

The End We Start From  is an indelible and elemental first book―a lyrical vision of the strangeness and beauty of new motherhood, and a tale of endurance in the face of ungovernable change.” (Amazon)

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (Fantasy)

“Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced… they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of things.

No matter the cost.” (Amazon)

Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman (Nonfiction)

“Anne Fadiman is–by her own admission–the sort of person who learned about sex from her father’s copy of  Fanny Hill , whose husband buys her 19 pounds of dusty books for her birthday, and who once found herself poring over her roommate’s 1974 Toyota Corolla manual because it was the only written material in the apartment that she had not read at least twice.

This witty collection of essays recounts a lifelong love affair with books and language.” (Amazon)

Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill (Poetry)

“In this rousing new prose and poetry collection, Nikita Gill gives Once Upon a Time a much-needed modern makeover. Through her gorgeous reimagining of fairytale classics and spellbinding original tales, she dismantles the old-fashioned tropes that have been ingrained in our minds. In this book, gone are the docile women and male saviors. Instead, lines blur between heroes and villains. You will meet fearless princesses, a new kind of wolf lurking in the concrete jungle, and an independent Gretel who can bring down monsters on her own.

Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself,  Fierce Fairytales  is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation.” (Amazon)

The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis (Nonfiction)

“Michael Lewis’s brilliant narrative takes us into the engine rooms of a government under attack by its own leaders. In Agriculture the funding of vital programs like food stamps and school lunches is being slashed. The Commerce Department may not have enough staff to conduct the 2020 Census properly. Over at Energy, where international nuclear risk is managed, it’s not clear there will be enough inspectors to track and locate black market uranium before terrorists do….

If there are dangerous fools in this book, there are also heroes, unsung, of course. They are the linchpins of the system―those public servants whose knowledge, dedication, and proactivity keep the machinery running. Michael Lewis finds them, and he asks them what keeps them up at night.” (Amazon)

Fox 8 by George Saunders (Fiction)

“Fox 8 has always been known as the daydreamer in his pack, the one his fellow foxes regard with a knowing snort and a roll of the eyes. That is, until he develops a unique skill: He teaches himself to speak “Yuman” by hiding in the bushes outside a house and listening to children’s bedtime stories. The power of language fuels his abundant curiosity about people—even after “danjer” arrives in the form of a new shopping mall that cuts off his food supply, sending Fox 8 on a harrowing quest to help save his pack.” (Amazon)

The Friend by Sigrid Nunez (Fiction)

“When a woman unexpectedly loses her lifelong best friend and mentor, she finds herself burdened with the unwanted dog he has left behind. Her own battle against grief is intensified by the mute suffering of the dog, a huge Great Dane traumatized by the inexplicable disappearance of its master, and by the threat of eviction: dogs are prohibited in her apartment building.

While others worry that grief has made her a victim of magical thinking, the woman refuses to be separated from the dog except for brief periods of time. Isolated from the rest of the world, increasingly obsessed with the dog’s care, determined to read its mind and fathom its heart, she comes dangerously close to unraveling. But while troubles abound, rich and surprising rewards lie in store for both of them.

Elegiac and searching,  The Friend  is both a meditation on loss and a celebration of human-canine devotion.” (Amazon)

Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong (Fiction)

“Her life at a crossroads, a young woman goes home again in this funny and inescapably moving debut from a wonderfully original new literary voice.

Freshly disengaged from her fiancé and feeling that life has not turned out quite the way she planned, thirty-year-old Ruth quits her job, leaves town and arrives at her parents’ home to find that situation more complicated than she’d realized. Her father, a prominent history professor, is losing his memory and is only erratically lucid. Ruth’s mother, meanwhile, is lucidly erratic. But as Ruth’s father’s condition intensifies, the comedy in her situation takes hold, gently transforming all her grief.

Told in captivating glimpses and drawn from a deep well of insight, humor, and unexpected tenderness,  Goodbye, Vitamin  pilots through the loss, love, and absurdity of finding one’s footing in this life.” (Amazon)

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn (Mystery)

“A canny young woman is struggling to survive by perpetrating various levels of mostly harmless fraud. On a rainy April morning, she is reading auras at Spiritual Palms when Susan Burke walks in. A keen observer of human behavior, our unnamed narrator immediately diagnoses beautiful, rich Susan as an unhappy woman eager to give her lovely life a drama injection. However, when the “psychic” visits the eerie Victorian home that has been the source of Susan’s terror and grief, she realizes she may not have to pretend to believe in ghosts anymore. Miles, Susan’s teenage stepson, doesn’t help matters with his disturbing manner and grisly imagination. The three are soon locked in a chilling battle to discover where the evil truly lurks and what, if anything, can be done to escape it. ” (Amazon)

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (Horror)

“First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson’s  The Haunting of Hill House  has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a “haunting”; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.” (Amazon)

Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot (Memoir)

“ Heart Berries  is a powerful, poetic memoir of a woman’s coming of age on the Seabird Island Band in the Pacific Northwest. Having survived a profoundly dysfunctional upbringing only to find herself hospitalized and facing a dual diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder and bipolar II disorder; Terese Marie Mailhot is given a notebook and begins to write her way out of trauma. The triumphant result is  Heart Berries , a memorial for Mailhot’s mother, a social worker and activist who had a thing for prisoners; a story of reconciliation with her father―an abusive drunk and a brilliant artist―who was murdered under mysterious circumstances; and an elegy on how difficult it is to love someone while dragging the long shadows of shame.

Mailhot trusts the reader to understand that memory isn’t exact, but melded to imagination, pain, and what we can bring ourselves to accept. Her unique and at times unsettling voice graphically illustrates her mental state. As she writes, she discovers her own true voice, seizes control of her story, and, in so doing, reestablishes her connection to her family, to her people, and to her place in the world.” (Amazon)

Her Body and Other Parties by Carman Maria Machado (Fiction)

“In  Her Body and Other Parties , Carmen Maria Machado blithely demolishes the arbitrary borders between psychological realism and science fiction, comedy and horror, fantasy and fabulism. While her work has earned her comparisons to Karen Russell and Kelly Link, she has a voice that is all her own. In this electric and provocative debut, Machado bends genre to shape startling narratives that map the realities of women’s lives and the violence visited upon their bodies.” (Amazon)

How to Be a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery (Memoir)

“Understanding someone who belongs to another species can be transformative. No one knows this better than author, naturalist, and adventurer Sy Montgomery. To research her books, Sy has traveled the world and encountered some of the planet’s rarest and most beautiful animals. From tarantulas to tigers, Sy’s life continually intersects with and is informed by the creatures she meets.

This restorative memoir reflects on the personalities and quirks of thirteen animals—Sy’s friends—and the truths revealed by their grace. It also explores vast themes: the otherness and sameness of people and animals; the various ways we learn to love and become empathetic; how we find our passion; how we create our families; coping with loss and despair; gratitude; forgiveness; and most of all, how to be a good creature in the world.” (Amazon)

I’m Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya (Memoir)

“A trans artist explores how masculinity was imposed on her as a boy and continues to haunt her as a girl–and how we might reimagine gender for the twenty-first century.

Vivek Shraya has reason to be afraid. Throughout her life she’s endured acts of cruelty and aggression for being too feminine as a boy and not feminine enough as a girl. In order to survive childhood, she had to learn to convincingly perform masculinity. As an adult, she makes daily compromises to steel herself against everything from verbal attacks to heartbreak.

Now, with raw honesty, Shraya delivers an important record of the cumulative damage caused by misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia, releasing trauma from a body that has always refused to assimilate.  I’m Afraid of Men  is a journey from camouflage to a riot of colour and a blueprint for how we might cherish all that makes us different and conquer all that makes us afraid.” (Amazon)

The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon (Fiction)

“Phoebe Lin and Will Kendall meet in their first month at prestigious Edwards University. Phoebe is a glamorous girl who doesn’t tell anyone she blames herself for her mother’s recent death. Will is a misfit scholarship boy who transfers to Edwards from Bible college, waiting tables to get by. What he knows for sure is that he loves Phoebe.

Grieving and guilt-ridden, Phoebe is drawn into a secretive cult founded by a charismatic former student with an enigmatic past. When the group commits a violent act in the name of faith, Will finds himself struggling to confront a new version of the fanaticism he’s worked so hard to escape. Haunting and intense,  The Incendiaries  is a fractured love story that explores what can befall those who lose what they love most.” (Amazon)

Killing and Dying by Adrian Tamine (Graphic Novel)

“ Killing and Dying  is a stunning showcase of the possibilities of the graphic novel medium and a wry exploration of loss, creative ambition, identity, and family dynamics. With this work, Adrian Tomine ( Shortcomings ,  Scenes from an Impending Marriage ) reaffirms his place not only as one of the most significant creators of contemporary comics but as one of the great voices of modern American literature. His gift for capturing emotion and intellect resonates here: the weight of love and its absence, the pride and disappointment of family, the anxiety and hopefulness of being alive in the twenty-first century.” (Amazon)

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto (Fiction)

“With the publication of  Kitchen,  the dazzling English-language debut that is still her best-loved book, the literary world realized that Yoshimoto was a young writer of enduring talent whose work has quickly earned a place among the best of contemporary Japanese literature.  Kitchen  is an enchantingly original book that juxtaposes two tales about mothers, love, tragedy, and the power of the kitchen and home in the lives of a pair of free-spirited young women in contemporary Japan. Mikage, the heroine, is an orphan raised by her grandmother, who has passed away. Grieving, Mikage is taken in by her friend Yoichi and his mother (who is really his cross-dressing father) Eriko. As the three of them form an improvised family that soon weathers its own tragic losses, Yoshimoto spins a lovely, evocative tale with the kitchen and the comforts of home at its heart.” (Amazon)

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline (YA Fiction)

“Humanity has nearly destroyed its world through global warming, but now an even greater evil lurks. The indigenous people of North America are being hunted and harvested for their bone marrow, which carries the key to recovering something the rest of the population has lost: the ability to dream. In this dark world, Frenchie and his companions struggle to survive as they make their way up north to the old lands. For now, survival means staying hidden—but what they don’t know is that one of them holds the secret to defeating the marrow thieves.” (Amazon)

Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit (Nonfiction)

“In her comic, scathing essay, “Men Explain Things to Me,” Rebecca Solnit took on what often goes wrong in conversations between men and women. She wrote about men who wrongly assume they know things and wrongly assume women don’t, about why this arises, and how this aspect of the gender wars works, airing some of her own hilariously awful encounters.

This updated edition with two new essays of this national bestseller book features that now-classic essay as well as “#YesAllWomen,” an essay written in response to 2014 Isla Vista killings and the grassroots movement that arose with it to end violence against women and misogyny, and the essay “Cassandra Syndrome.” This book is also available in hardcover.” (Amazon)

The Merry Spinster by Daniel M. Lavery (Fantasy)

“Adapted from the beloved “Children’s Stories Made Horrific” series, The Merry Spinster takes up the trademark wit that endeared Daniel M. Lavery to readers of both The Toast and the bestselling debut Texts from Jane Eyre . Sinister and inviting, familiar and alien all at the same time, The Merry Spinster twists traditional children’s stories and fairy tales with elements of psychological horror, emotional clarity, and a keen sense of feminist mischief. Unfalteringly faithful to its beloved source material, The Merry Spinster also illuminates the unsuspected and frequently alarming emotional complexities at play in the stories we tell ourselves, and each other, as we tuck ourselves in for the night.” (Amazon)

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur (Poetry)

“The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. Deals with a different pain. Heals a different heartache.  Milk and Honey  takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.” (Amazon)

The Misfit’s Manifesto by Lidia Yuknavitch (Nonfiction)

“The feeling of not fitting in is universal.  The Misfit’s Manifesto  is for misfits around the world—the rebels, the eccentrics, the oddballs, and anyone who has ever felt like she was messing up. It’s Lidia Yuknavitch’s love letter to all those who can’t ever seem to find the “right” path. She won’t tell you how to stop being a misfit—quite the opposite. In her charming, poetic, funny, and frank style, Lidia will reveal why being a misfit is not something to overcome, but something to embrace. Lidia also encourages her fellow misfits not to be afraid of pursuing goals, how to stand up, how to ask for the things they want most. Misfits belong in the room, too, she reminds us, even if their path to that room is bumpy and winding. An important idea that transcends all cultures and countries, this book has created a brave and compassionate community for misfits, a place where everyone can belong.” (Amazon)

Nutshell by Ian McEwan (Fiction)

“Trudy has been unfaithful to her husband, John. What’s more, she has kicked him out of their marital home, a valuable old London town house, and in his place is his own brother, the profoundly banal Claude. The illicit couple have hatched a scheme to rid themselves of her inconvenient husband forever. But there is a witness to their plot: the inquisitive, nine-month-old resident of Trudy’s womb.

As Trudy’s unborn son listens, bound within her body, to his mother and his uncle’s murderous plans, he gives us a truly new perspective on our world, seen from the confines of his. McEwan’s brilliant recasting of Shakespeare lends new weight to the age-old question of Hamlet’s hesitation, and is a tour de force of storytelling.” (Amazon)

The Only Great Harmless Thing by Brooke Bolander (Sci-Fi)

“ The Only Harmless Great Thing  is a heart-wrenching alternative history by Brooke Bolander that imagines an intersection between the Radium Girls and noble, sentient elephants.

In the early years of the 20th century, a group of female factory workers in Newark, New Jersey slowly died of radiation poisoning. Around the same time, an Indian elephant was deliberately put to death by electricity in Coney Island.

These are the facts.

Now these two tragedies are intertwined in a dark alternate history of rage, radioactivity, and injustice crying out to be righted. Prepare yourself for a wrenching journey that crosses eras, chronicling histories of cruelty both grand and petty in search of meaning and justice.” (Amazon)

The Red Parts by Maggie Nelson (Memoir)

“Late in 2004, Maggie Nelson was looking forward to the publication of her book  Jane: A Murder , a narrative in verse about the life and death of her aunt, who had been murdered thirty-five years before. The case remained unsolved, but Jane was assumed to have been the victim of an infamous serial killer in Michigan in 1969.

Then, one November afternoon, Nelson received a call from her mother, who announced that the case had been reopened; a new suspect would be arrested and tried on the basis of a DNA match. Over the months that followed, Nelson found herself attending the trial with her mother and reflecting anew on the aura of dread and fear that hung over her family and childhood–an aura that derived not only from the terrible facts of her aunt’s murder but also from her own complicated journey through sisterhood, daughterhood, and girlhood.

The Red Parts  is a memoir, an account of a trial, and a provocative essay that interrogates the American obsession with violence and missing white women, and that scrupulously explores the nature of grief, justice, and empathy.” (Amazon)

A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (Fiction)

“Welcome to sunny suburban 1960s Southern California. George is a gay middle-aged English professor, adjusting to solitude after the tragic death of his young partner. He is determined to persist in the routines of his former life.  A Single Man  follows him over the course of an ordinary twenty-four hours. Behind his British reserve, tides of grief, rage, and loneliness surge―but what is revealed is a man who loves being alive despite all the everyday injustices.” (Amazon)

Sisters by Lily Tuck (Fiction)

“In her singular new novel  Sisters , Tuck gives a very different portrait of marital life, exposing the intricacies and scandals of a new marriage sprung from betrayal.

Tuck’s unnamed narrator lives with her new husband, his two teenagers, and the unbanishable presence of his first wife―known only as  she . Obsessed with her, our narrator moves through her days presided over by the all-too-real ghost of the first marriage, fantasizing about how the first wife lives her life. Will the narrator ever equal  she  intellectually, or ever forget the betrayal that lies between them? And what of the secrets between her husband and  she , from which the narrator is excluded? The daring and precise build up to an eerily wonderful denouement is a triumph of subtlety and surprise.

With  Sisters , Lily Tuck delivers riveting psychological portrait of marriage, infidelity, and obsession; charting with elegance and insight love in all its phases.” (Amazon)

Skim by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki (YA Graphic Novel)

“‘Skim’ is Kimberly Keiko Cameron, a not-slim, would-be Wiccan goth who goes to a private girls’ school in the early ’90s. When her classmate Katie Matthews is dumped by her boyfriend, who then kills himself — possibly because he’s (maybe) gay — the entire school goes into mourning overdrive. It’s a weird time to fall in love, but that’s what happens to Skim when she starts meeting secretly with her neo-hippie English teacher, Ms. Archer. But then Ms. Archer abruptly leaves the school, and Skim has to cope with her confusion and isolation while her best friend, Lisa, tries to pull her into ‘real’ life by setting up a hilarious double-date for the school’s semi formal. Suicide, depression, love, homosexuality, crushes, cliques of popular, manipulative peers — the whole gamut of teen life is explored in this poignant glimpse into the heartache of being 16.” (Amazon)

Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales by P.D. James (Mystery)

“When it comes to crime, it’s not always a question of ‘who dunnit?’ Sometimes there’s more mystery in the  why  or the  how . And what about the clever few who carry out what appears to be the perfect crime? Or whose most essential selves are changed by the crimes they commit? And what about those who know the identity of the murderer but keep the information to themselves? These are some of the questions that these six stories begin to unlock as they draw us into the inner workings—the thoughts and emotional machinations, the recollections and rationalizations, the dreams and desires—behind both murderous cause and effect. And no one gets inside the head of a perpetrator—or makes it a peerlessly thrilling and entertaining read—like the incomparable P. D. James.” (Amazon)

The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami, translated by Ted Goossen (Fiction)

“Opening the flaps on this unique little book, readers will find themselves immersed in the strange world of best-selling Haruki Murakami’s wild imagination. The story of a lonely boy, a mysterious girl, and a tormented sheep man plotting their escape from a nightmarish library, the book is like nothing else Murakami has written. Designed by Chip Kidd and fully illustrated, in full color, throughout, this small format, 96 page volume is a treat for book lovers of all ages.” (Amazon)

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (Fiction)

“When her corgis stray into a mobile library parked near Buckingham Palace, the Queen feels duty-bound to borrow a book. Discovering the joy of reading widely (from J. R. Ackerley, Jean Genet, and Ivy Compton-Burnett to the classics) and intelligently, she finds that her view of the world changes dramatically. Abetted in her newfound obsession by Norman, a young man from the royal kitchens, the Queen comes to question the prescribed order of the world and loses patience with the routines of her role as monarch. Her new passion for reading initially alarms the palace staff and soon leads to surprising and very funny consequences for the country at large.” (Amazon)

The Vegetarian by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith (Fiction)

“Before the nightmares began, Yeong-hye and her husband lived an ordinary, controlled life. But the dreams—invasive images of blood and brutality—torture her, driving Yeong-hye to purge her mind and renounce eating meat altogether. It’s a small act of independence, but it interrupts her marriage and sets into motion an increasingly grotesque chain of events at home. As her husband, her brother-in-law and sister each fight to reassert their control, Yeong-hye obsessively defends the choice that’s become sacred to her. Soon their attempts turn desperate, subjecting first her mind, and then her body, to ever more intrusive and perverse violations, sending Yeong-hye spiraling into a dangerous, bizarre estrangement, not only from those closest to her, but also from herself.” (Amazon)

Waiting for Eden by Elliot Ackerman (Fiction)

“Eden Malcom lies in a bed, unable to move or to speak, imprisoned in his own mind. His wife Mary spends every day on the sofa in his hospital room. He has never even met their young daughter. And he will never again see the friend and fellow soldier who didn’t make it back home–and who narrates the novel. But on Christmas, the one day Mary is not at his bedside, Eden’s re-ordered consciousness comes flickering alive. As he begins to find a way to communicate, some troubling truths about his marriage–and about his life before he went to war–come to the surface. Is Eden the same man he once was: a husband, a friend, a father-to-be? What makes a life worth living? A piercingly insightful, deeply felt meditation on loyalty and betrayal, love and fear,  Waiting for Eden  is a tour de force of profound humanity.” (Amazon)

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour (YA Fiction)

“Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.” (Amazon)

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nonfiction)

“In this personal, eloquently-argued essay—adapted from the much-admired TEDx talk of the same name—Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie offers readers a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century, one rooted in inclusion and awareness. Drawing extensively on her own experiences and her deep understanding of the often masked realities of sexual politics, here is one remarkable author’s exploration of what it means to be a woman now—and an of-the-moment rallying cry for why we should all be feminists.” (Amazon)

The White Darkness by David Grann (Nonfiction)

“Henry Worsley was a devoted husband and father and a decorated British special forces officer who believed in honor and sacrifice. He was also a man obsessed. He spent his life idolizing Ernest Shackleton, the nineteenth-century polar explorer, who tried to become the first person to reach the South Pole, and later sought to cross Antarctica on foot. Shackleton never completed his journeys, but he repeatedly rescued his men from certain death, and emerged as one of the greatest leaders in history.

Worsley felt an overpowering connection to those expeditions. He was related to one of Shackleton’s men, Frank Worsley, and spent a fortune collecting artifacts from their epic treks across the continent. He modeled his military command on Shackleton’s legendary skills and was determined to measure his own powers of endurance against them. He would succeed where Shackleton had failed, in the most brutal landscape in the world.

In 2008, Worsley set out across Antarctica with two other descendants of Shackleton’s crew, battling the freezing, desolate landscape, life-threatening physical exhaustion, and hidden crevasses. Yet when he returned home he felt compelled to go back.” (Amazon)

Women & Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard (Nonfiction)

“Britain’s best-known classicist Mary Beard, is also a committed and vocal feminist. With wry wit, she revisits the gender agenda and shows how history has treated powerful women. Her examples range from the classical world to the modern day, from Medusa and Athena to Theresa May and Hillary Clinton. Beard explores the cultural underpinnings of misogyny, considering the public voice of women, our cultural assumptions about women’s relationship with power, and how powerful women resist being packaged into a male template.

With personal reflections on her own experiences of the sexism and gendered aggression she has endured online, Mary asks: if women aren’t perceived to be within the structures of power, isn’t it power that we need to redefine?” (Amazon)

You Might Also Like

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.

• PDFs for all 136 Lit Terms we cover
• Downloads of 1944 LitCharts Lit Guides
• Teacher Editions for every Lit Guide
• Explanations and citation info for 40,985 quotes across 1944 books
• Downloadable (PDF) line-by-line translations of every Shakespeare play

Need something? Request a new guide .

How can we improve? Share feedback .

LitCharts is hiring!

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Book Summary

booksummary.net

Read original fairy tales >>

Main Content

Latest summaries, hills like white elephants summary.

Hills Like White Elephants is a short story by Ernest Hemingway. It follows a conversation between a man and a woman as they sit at a train station in Spain about the possibility of her having an abortion.

The Masque of the Red Death Summary

The Masque of the Red Death is a short story by the American writer Edgar Allan Poe. It is a story about Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a deadly plague called the Red Death, by hiding in his abbey with his 1000 closest friends.

The Happy Prince Summary

The Happy Prince is a timeless tale written by Oscar Wilde. It is a story about a majestic statue of a little prince that overlooks a city and a swallow who helped him share his precious stones with the less fortunate.

The Tell-Tale Heart Summary

The Tell-Tale Heart is a short story by the American writer Edgar Allan Poe, about an unnamed narrator who tries to convince the reader of the narrator's sanity, while describing the murder the narrator committed.

The Princess and the Pea Summary

The Princess and the Pea is a fairytale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. It is a story about an unhappy prince who couldn't find a real princess to marry, so they made a test for a young girl to find out whether or not she is a true princess.

A Rose for Emily Summary

A Rose for Emily is a short story by the American author William Faulkner, first published on April 30, 1930 in The Forum magazine. A story about an unmarried woman living in the American South refusing to pay her taxes.

Latest Analyses

Hills like white elephants analysis.

Hills Like White Elephants is a short story by American author Ernest Hemingway, first published in 1927. This is a closer analysis of the story which contains complex themes such as communication, unspoken emotions, and power dynamics in relationships.

The Happy Prince Analysis

The Happy Prince is one of the most popular fairy tales in English literature. Take a closer look at the analysis of the story which describes the sacrifice of the statue and a little swallow.

The Tell-Tale Heart Analysis

The Tell-Tale Heart is one of the most popular short stories in English literature. Take a look at a closer analysis of the story which describes the murder of an old man and the guilt of his murderer.

The Princess and the Pea Analysis

The Princess and the Pea is one of the shortest and most popular fairy tales in children's literature. Here is a closer look into the story describing the prince's desperate finding for a real princess.

A Rose for Emily Analysis

A Rose for Emily is a short story of one of the most famous American writers William Faulkner. This is a closer analysis of the very dark short story which describes the deterioration and death of a rich Southern woman.

The Raven Analysis

The Raven is one of the most well-known and famous poems in American literature. This is a closer analysis of the very dark poem which describes how losing love can drive someone to misery and madness.

Latest Character Analyses

Hills like white elephants characters.

Analysis of personality and characteristics of all characters within the story Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway. Take a look at the conflicts faced by the young couple as they grapple with a difficult decision regarding the girl's pregnancy.

The Masque of the Red Death Characters

Analysis of personality and characteristics of all characters within the story The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe. Take a look at what conflicts characters such as Prince Prospero and his friend face when they see the Red Death.

The Happy Prince Characters

A key analysis of characters and their behavior in the story The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde. It explains the connection of both protagonists, Happy Prince and Swallow as well as some minor characters such as Reed, God, Mayor, etc.

The Tell-Tale Heart Characters

Analysis of literary characters included in The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. This study includes characteristics of the unnamed narrator, the old man, and police officers.

The Princess and the Pea Characters

Analysis of characteristics and actions of literary characters included in The Princess and the Pea by H. C. Andersen. This study guide includes characteristics of the princess, the prince, the queen, and the pea as the symbol.

A Rose for Emily Characters

Further study of characteristics, and connections between literary characters in A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner. The analysis includes characteristics of Snow White as the major character and minor characters such as Homer Barron, Judge Stevens, Tobe, etc.

Latest Books

The masque of the red death, the happy prince, the tell-tale heart, the princess and the pea, the ugly duckling, little red riding hood, latest biographies, jerome david salinger.

Jerome David Salinger (1919 - 2010) was an American writer, novelist and storyteller. He published a few stories between 1948 and 1959. He exited the literature world in 1965 and got famous by his only novel “The Catcher in the Rye” which he wrote for ten years. The novel became a trend amongst the American […]

James Joyce

Born James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (1882 - 1941) James Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet. His psychological perceptions and innovative literary techniques made him one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. He was born in Dublin, the son of an impoverished civil servant. Although middle class, his family quickly lost that […]

Mark Twain (1835. - 1910.) with the real name Samuel Langhorne Clemens was an American writer and humorist who became popular and appreciated in every generation. He wasn't a good student so he dropped out of school at the age of 12. He worked on many different jobs. Mark started as a printer and even […]

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was an American novelist and short story writer who was considered one of the most famous authors of the Jazz Age in 20th century. His novels includes "This Side of Paradise", "The Beautiful and Damned", "The […]

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer and statesman. Born in Frankfurt in 1749, Goethe's body of work is extensive, including, aside from his poetry and four novels, over 10,000 letters and nearly 3,000 drawings. Goethe was an avid botanist, anatomist and was once a law student. He was made a nobleman in 1782 […]

Ernest Hemingway

Biography of Ernest Hemingway, an American novelist, and journalist known for his short stories. He is a Nobel prize winner and is considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century whose experiences impacted his writing.

Information

• Index of Writers
• Digital Books

Study guides

• Book Analyses
• Book Summaries
• Character Analyses
• Biographies

BookSummary.net

The largest collection of book summaries, analyses, books, study guides and educational resources for students and teachers. Here, you'll find works from more than 250 greatest authors of all time. [more]

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 .

Featured Middle School Resources

Related Resources

• Main Idea Worksheets
• Capitalization
• Alphabet Coloring Pages
• Preschool Letter Worksheets
• Bubble Letters
• 5 Letter Words
• Words for Kids (A-Z Word Lists)
• Days of the Week
• Phonemic Awareness Worksheets
• Phonics Worksheets
• Sight Words
• Kindergarten Spelling
• 1st Grade Spelling
• 2nd Grade Spelling
• 3rd Grade Spelling
• Anchor Charts
• All About Me Templates
• Christmas Worksheets
• Cursive Writing
• Frayer Model Templates
• Fun Fact Friday
• Main Idea Graphic Organizers
• Noun Worksheet Maker
• Printable Lined Paper
• Reading Logs
• Sight Words Bingo
• Writing Prompts
• By grade, concept, theme
• By Common Core Standards
• By NGLS Standards

Book Report Templates

Book reports often ask students to summarize, reflect, and share their ideas. We’ve created a series of book report templates that you can use or adapt based on a variety of learning needs. While this task may reflect individual preferences and insights, it can be collaborative. Students can share in gallery walks, small groups, or large groups. Displaying book reports near your classroom library can allow you to curate a more meaningful classroom book collection and allow peers to interact in an unexpected way. Some of the earliest work with longer writing tasks is cultivated through the experience of crafting a book report. No matter how young your learners may be, fostering a love of reading and providing opportunities for children to write about what they read is critical.

Book Report Templates (Printable PDFs)

One of the most important steps of helping students understand how to craft a book report lies in their ability to choose the books they read and how they want to report on what they’ve learned. It is always useful to review book report options together in class in order to create a firm foundation that students can return to again and again. Since book reports can be a staple task in many elementary school classrooms, offering choice in how students craft and create reports will make the experience more engaging.

We’ve created a variety of printable book report templates below for different learners. For instance, we have an English language and Spanish language book report template that students can use to document character names, setting, and reflect on their favorite parts of a text! Additionally, we’ve crafted book report organizers for fiction and nonfiction texts, so you can appeal to learners who love different genres and make your curriculum more inclusive. Finally, we’ve also created a few options for those students who need more challenge. In these book reports, students extract quotes of significance, analyze them, and offer their insights on what the text teaches readers.

All of our book report templates encourage students to reflect on their interest in the text. This is critical for their reflection and ability to connect with their reading experiences.

Students complete the book report by writing the title, author, Character names, setting and their favorite part of the story.

This is the same book report template but in Spanish.

With this template, 4th - 5th grade students enter the title, author, character names but also enter the plot structure and what the story can teach people. Students also rate the book.

A template for nonfiction books. The student enters basic book information plus three interesting facts and what they are most curious about after reading the book.

With this 6-8th grade template, students write a two-sentence summary, important quotes and whether they recommend the book and why.

Students explain, in two sentences, what the text is about, identify three important events in the text, and choose one quote they think is most important and then analyze its importance.

•   The best short books and novellas under 250 pages

The best short books and novellas under 250 pages

From classic to contemporary, discover our favourite short books and novellas, guaranteed to stay with you long after the final page..

As rewarding as tackling an immersive epic can be, sometimes short novels that can be finished in a weekend linger with us the longest. So, we've curated our edit of the best short books and novellas. Each is under 250 pages, and while much easier to finish in our busy lives than a 600+ page tome, these short novels are still guaranteed to make a lasting impact.

If you're looking for even more inspiration for you TBR pile, discover our edit of the best literary fiction.  

The best short novels

By elizabeth o'connor.

Set on a remote and unforgiving island off the coast of Wales, Whale Fall is the story of Manod, a young woman with dreams of a life different from the one she is destined for. With war on the horizon, a move to the mainland seems unlikely, until two anthropologists arrive to study the island’s unique way of life. Manod hatches a plan to befriend them and secure a passage to a new future. At 224 pages, Elizabeth O’Connor’s haunting and highly anticipated debut novel is a read you can enjoy in one sitting.

Western Lane

By chetna maroo.

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023

Short books can be just as profound and moving as a tome, as Chetna Maroo's Booker-winning debut proves. Exploring themes of grief and sisterhood, this debut coming-of-age story packs all the feels into just 176 pages. Eleven-year-old Gopi has been playing squash for as long as she can remember. When her mother dies, her father enlists her in a brutal training regimen and soon, the game has become her entire world, causing a rift between Gopi and her sisters. But on the court, governed by the rhythms of the sport, she feels alive; the serve, the volley, the drive, the shot and its echo. This novel beautifully captures the ordinary as we follow a young athlete's struggle to transcend herself. 

Stella Maris

By cormac mccarthy.

Stella Maris is the story of a mathematician, twenty years old, admitted to the hospital with forty thousand dollars in a plastic bag and one request: she does not want to talk about her brother. Heralded by the Guardian as ‘one of the greatest American novels of this or any other time’, Stella Maris is the must-read companion novel to The Passenger . Though they can be read separately, together, the two novels tell one grand story of siblings Bobby and Alicia Western. While The Passenger is a little longer, Stella Maris comes in at just 192 pages, making it the perfect short read to curl up with. 

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

By toshikazu kawaguchi.

In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time. But this opportunity is not without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the café, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . . Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s beautiful novel stole the hearts of readers the world over. Through it, we meet four visitors to the café and explore the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time?

Five Tuesdays in Winter

By lily king.

With Writers & Lovers , Lily King became one of our most acclaimed writers of contemporary fiction. And now, with Five Tuesdays in Winter , she gathers ten of her best short stories. These intimate literary stories tell of a bookseller who is filled with unspoken love for his employee, an abandoned teenage boy nurtured by a pair of housesitting students and a girl whose loss of innocence brings confident power. Romantic, hopeful, raw and occasionally surreal, these stories riff beautifully on the topic of love and romance.

by Raven Leilani

Raven Leilani is a funny and original new voice in literary fiction. Her razor-sharp yet surprisingly tender debut is an essential novel about what it means to be young now. Edie is messing up her life, and no one seems to care. Then she meets Eric, who is white, middle-aged and comes with a wife who has sort-of-agreed to an open marriage and an adopted black daughter who doesn’t have a single person in her life who can show her how to do her hair. And as if life wasn’t hard enough, Edie finds herself falling head-first into Eric’s family. 

The Most Precious of Cargoes

By jean-claude grumberg.

On a train crossing the forest, a Jewish father holds his twin children. His wife no longer has enough milk to feed them. In hopes of saving both their lives, he wraps his daughter in a shawl and gently throws her from the train. Elsewhere in the enormous forest lives a young woman, who prays each night for a baby until one day, she finds a small bundle. Set against the horrors of the Holocaust and told with a fairytale-like lyricism,  The Most Precious of Cargoes , is a deeply moving fable about family and redemption that is simply not to be missed.

All the Lovers in the Night

By mieko kawakami.

Freelancer proofreader Fuyuko is shy and solitary. About to turn thirty-five, she is haunted by her past encounters, and is unable to even imagine a successful relationship. But she has one friend, Hijiri, and she loves the light. On Christmas Eve, the night of her birthday, Fuyuko leaves her home to count the lights, and an encounter with physics teacher Mr. Mitsutsuka opens up another dimension. Poetic, pulsing and unexpected, this is the third novel by internationally bestselling writer Mieko Kawakami.

‘ Compact and supple, it’s a strikingly intelligent feat. ’ The New York Times on All the Lovers in the NIght

Of Women and Salt

By gabriela garcia.

A New York Times bestseller, Of Women and Salt tells the story of five generations of fierce Latina women, linked by blood and circumstance. From nineteenth-century cigar factories to present-day detention centres, this novel is a haunting meditation on the choices of mothers and the tenacity of women who choose to tell their truth despite those who wish to silence them. 

The Cat Who Saved Books

By sosuke natsukawa.

Translated by Louise Heal Kawai

This international bestseller is a heart-warming story about finding courage, caring for others, and the tremendous power of books (even short ones). After the death of his grandfather, Rintaro is devastated. It seems he will have to close Natsuki Books, the tiny second-hand bookshop his grandfather owned which has long been Rintaro's safe haven. Then, a talking tabby cat called Tiger appears and asks Rintaro for help. The cat needs a book lover to join him on a mission. Together, they embark on three magical adventures to save books from people who have imprisoned, mistreated and betrayed them. 

Summerwater

By sarah moss.

This devastating novel from the acclaimed author of Ghost Wall is set over twenty-four hours as the guests of a faded Scottish cabin park wait out the rain on the longest day of the year. With little else to do, twelve people sit cooped up with their families, watching the other residents. Slowly, one family, a mother and daughter without the right clothes or the right manners, begin to draw attention and tensions begin to rise as tragedy looms.  Summerwater  is a searing exploration of our capacity for both kinship and cruelty and a literary must-read in these divided times.

by Thora Hjörleifsdóttir Translated by Meg Matich

Twenty-year-old Lilja is in love. He is older and beautiful, a Derrida-quoting intellectual. He is also a serial cheater, gaslighter and narcissist. Lilja will do anything to hold on to him. And so she accepts his deceptions and endures his sexual desires. She rationalizes his toxic behaviour and permits him to cross all her boundaries. In her desperation to be the perfect lover, she finds herself unable to break free from the toxic cycle. And then an unexpected ultimatum: an all-consuming love, or the promise of a life reclaimed.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales From the Cafe

This short book is another beautiful, simple tale about the time-travelling customers of the Cafe Funiculi Funicula and the sequel to the bestselling Before the Coffee Gets Cold . Customers include a man who travels to see the girl he couldn’t marry, a son who had to miss his mother’s funeral and a man who travels back to see his friend who died twenty-two years ago. This beautiful, simple tale tells the story of people who must face up to their past, in order to move on with their lives.

The Silence

By don delillo.

This novella from one of America’s greatest literary fiction writers, Don DeLillo, is an illuminating and essential guide to our navigation of a bewildering world. Set on Super Bowl Sunday 2022, this compelling novel about what happens when an unpredictable crisis strikes is a profoundly moving examination of what makes us human. A retired physics professor and her husband are hosting a dinner party. One of her former students has already arrived, but another couple has been delayed by a dramatic flight from Paris. As they wait for kick-off, something happens that severs the digital connections in all our lives.

Don't Miss

A complete guide to Don DeLilo's books

The girl who reads on the métro, by christine féret-fleury.

Juliette takes the métro to the job she hates each morning, her only escape the books she reads on her journey. But one day she gets off a few stops early, and meetds Soliman – the owner of the most enchanting bookshop Juliette has ever seen. And this encounter will change her life forever, because Soliman also believes in the power of books, and he has the perfect job for Juliette . . .  

The End We Start From

By megan hunter.

In the midst of a mysterious environmental crisis, as London is submerged below flood waters, a woman gives birth to her first child, Z. Days later, the family are forced to leave their home in search of safety. As they move from place to place, shelter to shelter, their journey traces both fear and wonder as Z's small fists grasp at the things he sees, as he grows and stretches, thriving and content against all the odds. 

The Yellow Wall-Paper and Other Stories

By charlotte perkins gilman.

Confined to her attic bedroom and isolated from her newborn baby, the nameless narrator of  The Yellow Wallpaper  keeps a diary in which she records the shifting patterns of the room’s lurid yellow wallpaper. In  Herland , a trio of men set out to discover an all-female community rumoured to be hidden deep in the jungle. There, they’re captured by women who have lived in a peaceful and prosperous utopia without men. Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s progressive views on feminism and mental health are showcased in her two most famous stories. With both stories totalling just 240 pages, this MCL edition is a perfect short read.

Our Souls at Night

Adapted into a major film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, Our Souls at Night is the final novel from the acclaimed American author, Kent Haruf. Addie Moore and Louis Waters have been neighbours for years. Now they both live alone, their houses empty of family, their quiet nights solitary. Then one evening Addie pays Louis a visit, and their lives change forever. This short, romantic novel is a story about growing old with grace and bravery.

‘ Simple, low-key and absolutely beautiful. ’ The Times on Our Souls at Night

The Little Prince

By antoine de saint-exupéry.

First published in 1943,  The Little Prince  by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry has been translated into more than 250 languages, becoming one of the best-selling books of all time. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's short novel tells the story of a pilot stranded in the Sahara and his strange encounter with a young boy from another world, whose curiosity takes them on their journey together. Soon the pilot is able to piece together an understanding of the tiny planet from which the prince has come and of his incredible travels across the universe.

The Great Gatsby

By f. scott fitzgerald.

A book that surely needs little introduction, this is one of Fitzgerald’s greatest works, capturing the flamboyance, the carelessness and the cruelty of the wealthy during America's Jazz Age. Jay Gatsby lives mysteriously in a Long Island mansion, and while people clamour for invitations to his lavish parties, no one seems to know him or how he became so rich. But Jay Gatsby cares for one person alone - Daisy Buchanan, the woman he has waited for all his life. Little does he know that his infatuation will lead to tragedy and end in murder.

by Toni Morrison

First published in 1973, Toni Morrison's Sula is an essential book in the formation of black feminist literary criticism, tackling themes of womanhood, race, slavery and love. Having grown up together in a poor but close-knit community, Nel and Sula are inseparable, until adulthood takes them on different paths. Nel stays in town to raise a family, but Sula escapes to the progressive ideals of the big city. When Sula returns ten years later, the two friends must confront their differences and an awful secret they shared as children. 

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

By douglas adams.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy began life as a Radio 4 show in 1978 and has since spawned adaptations across almost every format, making it a staple on every respectable list of the best sci-fi books. Following the galactic adventures of Arthur Dent after his house's untimely demolition to make way for a new hyperspace express route, this new edition of 'the Guide' features exclusive bonus archive material and a new introduction from Russell T. Davies.

Our Wives Under The Sea

By julia armfield.

Leah is back from a perilous and troubling deep-sea mission, and Miri is delighted to have her wife home. To have the woman she loves back should mean a return to normality, but Miri can feel Leah slipping from her grasp. Leah has carried the trauma of events that took place on the ocean floor into the couple's domestic life, and Miri soon realizes that the life that they once knew, might be gone. The debut novel from the author of acclaimed short story collection salt slow , Our Wives Under The Sea is a rich meditation on love, loss and the mysteries of the ocean.

Very Cold People

No one is watching Ruth, but she watches everyone and everything. Growing up on the outskirts of a wealthy but threadbare town, on the outer edge of popularity, she doesn’t necessarily understand what she is seeing, but she records the unfurling of her awkward youth, under even more awkward parenting. As they mock, ignore, undermine and discount their daughter, Ruth’s parents present now as damaged, inadequate, even monstrous. All the while the Future comes towards them, steadily, and for some of them, fatally. And the fog of the Past and the abuses committed under it gathers, swirls, settles, and intermittently clears. A short but dazzling book that will immobilize and transfix you.

Concerning My Daughter

By kim hye-jin.

In this prize-winning, internationally bestselling short novel, a mother lets her thirty-something daughter – Green – move into her apartment, with dreams that she will find a good job and a good husband to start a family with. But when Green arrives with her girlfriend Lane, her mother finds it hard to be civil. Yet Green's mother has her own moral battle to fight when the care home where she works insists that she lower her standard of care for an elderly dementia patient who chose not to lead a conventional life, and she finds herself asking the question: why should not having chosen a traditional life mean that your life is worth nothing at all? Translated from Korean by Jamie Chang, this is a universal tale about ageing, prejudice and love.

Acts of Infidelity

By lena andersson.

Actor Olof Sten makes no secret of being married, but when meets Ester Nilsson, she falls madly in love with him. As they start to meet regularly and begin to conduct a strange dance of courtship, Olof insists he doesn't plan to leave his wife, but he doesn't object to this new situation either . . . it’s far too much fun. Ester, on the other hand, is convinced that things might change. To read  Acts of Infidelity  is to dive inside the mind of a brilliant, infuriating friend. Cutting, often cruel, and written with razor-sharp humour, Acts of Infidelity is painful, maddening, but most of all perfectly, precisely true.

Mrs Dalloway

By virginia woolf.

On a perfect June morning, Clarissa Dalloway sets off to buy flowers for the party she will host that evening. She is preoccupied with thoughts of the present and memories of the past, and from her interior monologue emerge the people who have touched her life. On the same day, Septimus Warren Smith, a shell-shocked survivor of the Great War, commits suicide, and casual mention of his death at the party provokes in Clarissa thoughts of her own isolation. Bold and experimental, Virginia Woolf's story of one day in the lives of Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith is a landmark in twentieth-century fiction. 

The best short non-fiction books

A (very) short history of life on earth, by henry gee.

This lyrical and moving account takes us back to the early history of the earth, a wildly inhospitable place with swirling seas, constant volcanic eruptions and an unstable atmosphere. The triumph of life as it emerges, survives and evolves in this hostile setting is Henry Gee's riveting subject: he traces the story of life on earth from its turbulent beginnings to the emergence of early hominids and the miracle of the first creatures to fly. You'll never look at our planet in the same way again.

Scary Smart

By mo gawdat.

In Scary Smart,  The former chief business officer of Google outlines how artificial intelligence is predicted to be a billion times more intelligent than humans by 2049. Free from distractions and working at incredible speeds, AI can look into the future and make informed predictions, looking around corners both real and virtual. But AI also gets so much wrong. Mo Gawdat, drawing on his unparalleled expertise in the field, outlines how and why we must alter the terrifying trajectory of AI development and teach ourselves and our machines to live better. 

Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain

By lisa feldman barrett.

In seven short essays about that big grey blob between your ears, neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett explores the origins and structure of the brain, as well as shelving popular myths about the alleged battle between thoughts and emotions, or between nature and nurture. Sure to intrigue casual readers and scientific veterans alike, the book is full of surprises, humour and revelations about human nature.

Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands

By mary seacole.

Mary Seacole was a fiercely independent self-funded entrepreneur from Jamaica. A trained nurse, she was desperate to offer help during the Crimean War, but was denied work by officials and by Florence Nightingale. Mary knew what she wanted to achieve and wouldn’t let anything stand in her way, so she set up her famous hotel for British soldiers, offering respite from the front line. Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands is her gutsy autobiography.

The Happiest Man on Earth

By eddie jaku.

This heartbreaking yet hopeful memoir shows us how happiness can be found even in the darkest of times. In November 1938, Eddie Jaku was beaten, arrested and taken to a German concentration camp. He endured unimaginable horrors for the next seven years and lost family, friends and his country.  But he survived. And because he survived, he vowed to smile every day. He went on to believe himself to be the ‘happiest man on earth’. This is his story. 

You may also like

The best short story books and collections for 2024, reading challenges to help you break out of your literary comfort zone, must reads: 50 best books of all time.

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Arts and Entertainment

A Beginner's Guide to Writing a Book Report (with Examples)

Last Updated: March 13, 2024 Fact Checked

• Researching
• Drafting the Report
• Reviewing & Revising

Sample Book Reports & Summaries

Expert q&a.

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams and by wikiHow staff writer, Raven Minyard, BA . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,418,443 times.

A book report is a short essay that summarizes and analyzes a work of fiction or nonfiction. Writing a book report may not seem fun at first, but it gives you a great chance to fully understand a work and its author. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about how to write a book report, from choosing a book and outlining to drafting and editing your final paper.

Things You Should Know

• Read the entire book and take notes on important themes, characters, and events. Use your notes to create an outline with evidence that supports your analysis.
• Include the title and author in your intro, then summarize the plot, main characters, and setting of the book.
• Analyze the author’s writing style, as well as the main themes and arguments of the book. Include quotes and examples to support your statements.

Researching Your Book Report

• For example, find out if your teacher wants you to include citations, such as page numbers from the book, in your report.
• Ask your teacher how much of your paper to devote to summary versus analysis. Most book reports are direct summaries with objective analysis rather than your personal opinions. In contrast, a book review or commentary is more opinion-driven.

• Some popular books for book reports include To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Animal Farm by George Orwell, and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Choose a book at your grade level.

• Author: Who wrote the book? Do you know any other works by this author?
• Genre: Is the book fiction or nonfiction? If it’s fiction, is it historical, fantasy, horror, etc.? If it’s nonfiction, is it a biography, memoir, science, etc.?
• Audience: Who would find this book appealing? Is it intended for a specific age range or gender? Do you typically enjoy books like this?
• Title: Does the title catch your interest? Does it fit well with the book’s content?
• Book Cover/Illustrations: What does the book cover convey and does it accurately represent the book? How do you feel when you look at it? If the book has illustrations, what are they and do they hold your interest?

• Take breaks while reading to keep your attention sharp. Try to find a pace that is comfortable for you. If you get distracted after 15 minutes, read in 15-minute intervals. If you can go an hour, read for an hour at a time.
• Give yourself enough time to read the entire book. It’s very difficult to write a book report if you’ve just skimmed over everything. Don’t procrastinate!
• Don’t trust online book summaries. You can’t guarantee that they are accurate or true to the text.

• For example, look for a sentence that clearly describes a main setting in the book, such as “The castle was gloomy and made out of large black stones.”

Outlining Your Book Report

• Introduction: Introduce the title, author, and publication information. Include a brief overview of the book’s genre and main theme, and state your purpose for writing the report.
• Summary: Concisely summarize the plot or central idea, highlighting main events, characters, and conflicts. Focus on important aspects while avoiding spoilers.
• Analysis and Evaluation: Evaluate the author’s writing style and use of literary devices, like foreshadowing, metaphors, imagery, etc. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the book and use quotes and examples from the text.
• Themes and Messages: Identify the book’s main themes or messages and how they develop through the course of the book. Provide specific quotes and examples.
• Character Analysis: Analyze the main characters in the book, their development, and their relationships. Explain their motivations, personalities, and significance to the story. Provide examples and quotes to support your analysis.
• Personal Reflection: Depending on your teacher’s instructions, you might share your personal opinions and discuss what you liked and disliked about the book. Reflect on how the book relates to broader themes or issues.
• Conclusion: Summarize your main points and conclude with your final thoughts or reflections on the book.
• Bibliography: If required, include a works cited page or bibliography listing all the sources you used to write your book report.
• Outlining takes time, but it saves you more time once you reach the editing stage.
• Some people prefer to outline with pen and paper, while others just type up a list on the computer. Choose the method that works best for you.

• Be careful not to overuse quotes. If it seems like every other line is a quote, try to dial back. Aim to include a maximum of one quotation per paragraph. Quotes and examples should still take a backseat to your summary.

• For example, you’ll likely need to focus primarily on discussing the most important characters or the characters that appear most frequently in the text.
• When you are finished with your outline, go back through it to see if it makes sense. If the paragraphs don’t flow into one another, move them around or add/delete new ones until they do.
• Also, check to see if your outline covers all of the major elements of the book, such as the plot, characters, and setting.

Writing Your Book Report

• For example, a sentence summary might state, “This book is about the main character’s journey to Africa and what she learns on her travels.”
• Don’t take up too much space with your introduction. In general, an introduction should be 3-6 sentences long, though in rare cases, they may be longer or shorter.

• Use vivid language when you can and include plenty of details. For example, you might write, “The farm was surrounded by rolling hills.”

• For instance, if the main character moves to Africa, you might describe what happens before the move, how the move goes, and how they settle in once they arrive.

• For example, you might write that the main character is “a middle-aged woman who enjoys the finer things in life, such as designer clothes.” Then, connect this description to the plot summary by describing how her views change after her travels, if they do.
• Expect to introduce the characters in the same sentences and paragraphs as the plot introduction.

• You might write, “The author argues that travel gives you a new perspective. That is why her main characters all seem happier and more grounded after visiting new places.”
• For fiction, determine if the author is using the story to pass along a certain moral or lesson. For example, a book about an underdog athlete could encourage readers to take chances to pursue their dreams.

• For example, an author who uses lots of slang terms is probably going for a hip, approachable style.

• Some teachers require, or strongly suggest, that you include the author’s name and the book title in your concluding paragraph.
• When writing a conclusion , don’t introduce any new thoughts. Any important points should be made in your body paragraphs. Save the space for your recap.

Reviewing and Revising Your Book Report

• Before you submit your paper, make sure that you’ve spelled the author’s name and any character names correctly.
• Don’t trust your computer’s spell check to catch all the errors for you. Spell check can be helpful, but it isn’t perfect and can make mistakes.

• If you’re nervous about asking, try saying something like “It would be great if you could go over my book report and make sure that it reads smoothly.”
• Remember, no one’s first draft is perfect, so don’t get upset if someone suggests you do something differently. They want to help make your report the best it can be, so don’t take constructive criticism personally.

• For example, double-check that you are using the correct font, font size, and margins.
• Once you've finished proofreading, revising, and checking that you've addressed all the requirements, you're ready to submit your book report!

• Even though your book report is your own work, avoid using “I” too much. It can make your writing feel choppy. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• It might be tempting to watch the movie or read the online notes instead of reading the book. Resist this urge! Your teacher will be able to tell the difference. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• Calm down and walk around if you get too frustrated while writing. If you write a book report while angry, you're more likely to misspell things!
• Choose a unique book. Harry Potter or Percy Jackson is an absolute no. Everyone chooses those. Try something different!
• Write when anything comes to mind! You don't want to lose your ideas!

• Give yourself plenty of time to write your report. Don’t wait until the last minute or you may feel rushed. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• Stealing or using another person’s work is considered plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Make sure that the work you submit is all your own. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.aresearchguide.com/write-book-report.html
• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 24 July 2020.
• ↑ https://grammark.org/how-to-write-a-book-report/
• ↑ https://library.valleycollege.edu/elements_of_book_report.pdf
• ↑ https://takelessons.com/blog/steps-to-writing-a-book-report
• ↑ https://www.infoplease.com/homework-help/homework-center-writing-book-report
• ↑ https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-setting
• ↑ https://www.tcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/archive/writing-center-handouts/essay-types-plot-summary.pdf
• ↑ https://www.cornerstone.edu/blog-post/six-steps-to-really-edit-your-paper/

About This Article

To write a book report, start by introducing the author and the name of the book and then briefly summarizing the story. Next, discuss the main themes and point out what you think the author is trying to suggest to the reader. Finally, write about the author’s style of writing, paying particular attention to word choice and the overall tone of the book. For tips on editing and polishing your paper before turning it in, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Louise Pena

May 17, 2016

Did this article help you?

Ashley Egerage

Nov 13, 2017

Aug 20, 2016

Charlotte Arney

Mar 10, 2023

Nov 16, 2017

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

100 Last-Day-of-School Activities Your Students Will Love!

Free Book Report Templates: Printables for Grades 3-5 for Fiction or Nonfiction Books

Take a new spin on your book report assignment. 📚😍

The Nocturnals are fun-filled animal adventure books with companion nonfiction for elementary school classrooms. Check out The Nocturnals World , a resource hub with free turnkey printable activities and educator guides, and browse The Nocturnals bookstore!

Building lifelong readers is one of the most important things we can do in our classrooms. The benefits of reading are wide-ranging, from improving vocabulary skills to boosting cognitive development, concentration skills, and curiosity for learning. So, how do we get young learners excited about reading and sharing what they’ve learned? Check out our free book report template printables .

Four different activities are ready to print to help you take a new spin on your next book report assignment for fiction or nonfiction books. Students will love filling in their mini book report one-pagers or making their selections from the choice board to share details about what they read.

Worksheets Included:

My mini book report—fiction and nonfiction.

These book report one-pagers are a great way for students to reflect on their readings as they complete different sections of the worksheet. There’s a version for both fiction and nonfiction.

Book Report Choice Board

Give students choices on how they want to complete their book report assignment. This choice board offers eight fun options, from designing a comic to creating a playlist or writing interview questions, so students can let their creativity guide them.

Designing Water Bottle Stickers

Students are obsessed with stickers. In this unique activity, students will design water bottle stickers that the main character of the book would love to have, along with a short description of their choices.

Give students fun-filled books to choose from

Animal adventure books from The Nocturnals are the perfect way to get your upper elementary students excited about reading. Paired with nonfiction companion texts that explore nocturnal animal facts, this series is great for hi-lo readers. Visit The Nocturnals World for more free printable activities and educator guides.

You Might Also Like

42 Creative Book Report Ideas for Students

Inspire your students to share their love of books. Continue Reading

Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256

10 Steps to Writing a Successful Book Report

• Writing Essays
• Writing Research Papers
• English Grammar
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

A book report should contain the basic elements, but a good book report will address a specific question or point of view and back up this topic with specific examples, in the form of symbols and themes. These steps will help you identify and incorporate those important elements in a process that takes three to four days.

How To Write a Book Report

• Have an objective in mind, if possible. Your objective is the main point you want to argue or the question you plan to answer. Sometimes your teacher will offer a question for you to answer as part of your assignment, which makes this step easy. If you have to come up with your own focal point for your paper, you may have to wait and develop the objective while reading and reflecting on the book.
• Keep supplies on hand when you read. This is very important. Keep sticky-note flags, pen, and paper nearby as you read. Don't try to take "mental notes." It just doesn't work.
• Read the book. As you read, keep an eye out for clues that the author has provided in the form of symbolism. These will indicate some important point that supports the overall theme. For instance, a spot of blood on the floor, a quick glance, a nervous habit, an impulsive action--these are worth noting.
• Use your sticky flags to mark pages. When you run into any clues, mark the page by placing the sticky note at the beginning of the relevant line. Mark everything that piques your interest, even if you don't understand their relevance.
• Note possible themes or patterns that emerge. As you read and record emotional flags or signs, you will begin to see a point or a pattern. On a notepad, write down possible themes or issues. If your assignment is to answer a question, you will record how symbols address that question.
• Label your sticky flags. If you see a symbol repeated several times, you should indicate this somehow on the sticky flags, for easy reference later. For instance, if blood shows up in several scenes, write a "b" on the relevant flags for blood. This may become your major book theme, so you'll want to navigate between the relevant pages easily.
• Develop a rough outline. By the time you finish reading the book , you will have recorded several possible themes or approaches to your objective. Review your notes and try to determine which view or claim you can back up with good examples (symbols). You may need to play with a few sample outlines to pick the best approach.
• Develop paragraph ideas. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence and a sentence that transitions to the next paragraph. Try writing these first, then filling out the paragraphs with your examples (symbols). Don't forget to include the basics for every book report in your first paragraph or two.
• Review, re-arrange, repeat. At first, your paragraphs are going to look like ugly ducklings. They will be clunky, awkward, and unattractive in their early stages. Read them over, re-arrange and replace sentences that don't quite fit. Then review and repeat until the paragraphs flow.
• Re-visit your introductory paragraph. The introductory paragraph will make the critical first impression of your paper. It should be great. Be sure it is well-written, interesting, and it contains a strong thesis sentence .

The objective: Sometimes it is possible to have a clear objective in mind before you start . Sometimes, it is not. If you have to come up with your own thesis, don't stress about a clear objective in the beginning. It will come later.

Recording emotional flags: Emotional flags are merely points in the book that bring about emotion. Sometimes, the smaller the better. For example, for an assignment for The Red Badge of Courage , the teacher might ask students to address whether they believe Henry, the main character, is a hero. In this book, Henry sees lots of blood (emotional symbol) and death (emotional symbol) and this causes him to run away from the battle at first (emotional response). He is ashamed (emotion).

Book report basics: In your first paragraph or two, you should include the book setting, time period, characters, and your thesis statement (objective).

Re-visiting the introductory paragraph: The introductory paragraph should be the last paragraph you complete. It should be mistake-free and interesting. It should also contain a clear thesis. Don't write a thesis early on in the process and forget about it. Your point of view or argument may change completely as you re-arrange your paragraph sentences. Always check your thesis sentence last.

• Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs
• How to Write a Great Book Report
• How to Write a Response Paper
• How to Start a Book Report
• The Ultimate Guide to the 5-Paragraph Essay
• How to Develop a Research Paper Timeline
• The Introductory Paragraph: Start Your Paper Off Right
• 6 Steps to Writing the Perfect Personal Essay
• Tips for Writing an Art History Paper
• How to Write and Format an MBA Essay
• How to Write a Research Paper That Earns an A
• How to Write a Great Process Essay
• How to Understand a Difficult Reading Passage
• How to Remember What You Read
• How to Write a Good Thesis Statement
• What Is Expository Writing?

• Additional Resources
• A List of Writing Contests in 2022 | Exciting Prizes!
• Em Dash vs. En Dash vs. Hyphen: When to Use Which
• Book Proofreading 101: The Beginner’s Guide
• Screenplay Editing: Importance, Cost, & Self-Editing Tips
• Screenplay Proofreading: Importance, Process, & Cost
• Script Proofreading: Rates, Process, & Proofreading Tips
• Manuscript Proofreading | Definition, Process & Standard Rates
• 14 Punctuation Marks: Examples & Free Guide on How to Use
• Tips to Write Better if English Is Your Second Language
• Novel Proofreading | Definition, Significance & Standard Rates
• The Top 10 Literary Devices: Definitions & Examples
• Top 101 Bone-Chilling Horror Writing Prompts
• Top 10 Must-Try Writing Prompt Generators in 2024
• 100+ Creative Writing Prompts for Masterful Storytelling
• Best 101 Greatest Fictional Characters of All Time
• Top 10 eBook Creator Tools in 2024: Free & Paid
• 50 Timeless and Unforgettable Book Covers of All Time
• What Is Flash Fiction? Definition, Examples & Types
• Discover the Best Book Review Sites of 2024: Top 10 Picks
• 80 Enchanting Christmas Writing Prompts for Your Next Story

Your Guide to the Best eBook Readers in 2024

• Top 10 Book Review Clubs of 2024 to Share Literary Insights
• 2024’s Top 10 Self-Help Books for Better Living
• Writing Contests 2023: Cash Prizes, Free Entries, & More!
• Top 10 Book Writing Apps of 2024: Free & Paid!
• Top 10 Book Marketing Services of 2024: Features and Costs
• 10 Best Book Publishing Companies in 2024
• What Is a Book Teaser and How to Write It: Tips and Examples
• Audiobook vs. EBook vs. Paperback in 2024: (Pros & Cons)
• Top 10 Book Writing Software, Websites, and Tools in 2024
• How to Get a Literary Agent in 2024: The Complete Guide
• An Easy Guide to the Best Fonts & Font Sizes for Your Book
• Top 10 Book Promotion Services for 2024’s Authors
• Alpha Readers: Where to Find Them and Alpha vs. Beta Readers
• Author Branding 101: How to Build a Powerful Author Brand

How to Write a Book Report | Steps, Examples & Free Template

• A Guide on How to Write a Book Synopsis: Steps and Examples
• How to Write a Book Review (Meaning, Tips & Examples)
• Book Title Generators: Top 10 Book Name Generators of 2024
• 50 Top Literary Agents in the USA for Authors in 2024
• Building an Author Website: The Ultimate Guide with Examples
• Top 10 Book Printing Services for Authors in 2024
• 10 Best Free Online Grammar Checkers: Features and Ratings
• How to Write a Poem: Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Poetry
• What Is a Poem? Poetry Definition, Elements, & Examples
• 2024’s 10 Best Paraphrasing Tools for All (Free & Paid)
• Top 10 AI Detector Tools in 2024 (Free & Paid)
• Top 10 Book Editing Software in 2024 (Free & Paid)
• What Is an Adverb? Definition, Types, Differences & Examples
• What Are Large Language Models and How They Work: Explained!
• What Is an Adjective? Definition, Usage & Examples
• Top 10 Hardcover Book Printing Services [2024 Update]
• 15 Types of Poems Everyone Should Know About
• 2024’s Top 10 Setting Generators to Create Unique Settings
• Different Types of Characters in Stories That Steal the Show
• Top 10 Screenplay & Scriptwriting Software (Free & Paid)
• Writing Contests 2024: Cash Prizes & Free Entries
• 10 Best AI Text Generators of 2024: Pros, Cons, and Prices
• Top 10 Must-Try Character Name Generators in 2024
• How to Track Changes in Google Docs: A 7-Step Guide
• 10 Best AI Text Summarizers in 2024 (Free & Paid)
• Pre-Publishing Steps
• Book Cover Design: An Introduction
• What is a Book Copyright Page?
• 8 Pre-Publishing Steps to Self-Publish Your Book
• 7 Essential Elements of a Book Cover Design
• How to Copyright Your Book in the US, UK, & India
• How to Format a Book in 2024: 7 Tips for Print & EBooks
• Beta Readers: Why You Should Know About Them in 2024
• How to Publish a Book in 2024: A Beginners’ Guide
• ISBN Guide 2024: What Is an ISBN and How to Get an ISBN
• Self Publishing Guide
• How to Hire a Book Editor in 5 Practical Steps
• Self-Publishing Options for Writers
• How to Promote Your Book Using a Goodreads Author Page
• What Makes Typesetting a Pre-Publishing Essential for Every Author?
• 4 Online Publishing Platforms To Boost Your Readership
• How to Find the Perfect Book Editor for Your Manuscript
• Typesetting: An Introduction
• Quick Guide to Novel Editing (with a Self-Editing Checklist)
• Quick Guide to Book Editing [Complete Process & Standard Rates]
• 10 Best Self-Publishing Companies of 2024: Price & Royalties
• What Is Amazon Self-Publishing? Pros, Cons & Key Insights
• Manuscript Editing in 2024: Elevating Your Writing for Success
• Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing: 2024 Guide
• How to Publish a Book on Amazon: 8 Easy Steps [2024 Update]
• 10 Best Book Cover Design Services of 2024: Price & Ratings
• A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing a Book in 2024
• Learn How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish a Book in 2024
• What are Print-on-Demand Books? Cost and Process in 2024
• What Are the Standard Book Sizes for Publishing Your Book?
• Top 10 EBook Conversion Services for 2024’s Authors
• How to Copyright a Book in 2024 (Costs + Free Template)
• How to Market Your Book on Amazon to Maximize Sales in 2024
• Traditional Publishing
• How to start your own online publishing company?
• 8 Tips To Write Appealing Query Letters
• How to Write a Query Letter (Examples + Free Template)

Writing Tips

• How to Create Depth in Characters
• Starting Your Book With a Bang: Ways to Catch Readers’ Attention
• How to Write a Powerful Plot in 12 Steps
• Research for Fiction Writers: A Complete Guide
• Short stories: Do’s and don’ts
• How to Write Dialogue: 7 Rules, 5 Tips & 65 Examples
• How to Write a Novel in Past Tense? 3 Steps & Examples
• What Are Foil and Stock Characters? Easy Examples from Harry Potter
• How To Write Better Letters In Your Novel
• On Being Tense About Tense: What Verb Tense To Write Your Novel In
• How To Create A Stellar Plot Outline
• How to Punctuate Dialogue in Fiction
• On Being Tense about Tense: Present Tense Narratives in Novels
• The Essential Guide to Worldbuilding [from Book Editors]
• What Is Point of View: 1st, 2nd & 3rd POV with Examples
• How to Create Powerful Conflict in Your Story | Useful Examples
• How to Write a Book: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Write a Short Story: 6 Steps & Examples
• How To Craft a Murder Mystery Story
• How to Write a Novel: 8 Steps to Help You Start Writing
• What Is a Stock Character? 150 Examples from 5 Genres
• How to Write a Children’s Book: An Easy Step-by-Step Guide
• Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey: Worksheet & Examples
• Novel Outline: A Proven Blueprint [+ Free Template!]
• Character Development: 7-Step Guide for Writers
• Foil Character: Definition, History, & Examples
• What Is NaNoWriMo? Top 7 Tips to Ace the Writing Marathon
• What Is the Setting of a Story? Meaning + 7 Expert Tips
• Theme of a Story | Meaning, Common Themes & Examples
• 5 Elements of a Short Story & 6 Stages of a Plot
• What Is a Blurb? Meaning, Examples & 10 Expert Tips
• What Is Show, Don’t Tell? (Meaning, Examples & 6 Tips)
• How to Write a Book Summary: Example, Tips, & Bonus Section
• How to Write a Book Description (Examples + Free Template)
• 10 Best Free AI Resume Builders to Create the Perfect CV
• A Complete Guide on How to Use ChatGPT to Write a Resume
• 10 Best AI Writer Tools Every Writer Should Know About
• 15 Best ATS-Friendly ChatGPT Prompts for Resumes in 2024
• How to Write a Book Title (15 Expert Tips + Examples)
• The 10 Best AI Story Generators: Features, Usage & Benefits
• 100 Novel and Book Ideas to Start Your Book Writing Journey
• Exploring Writing Styles: Meaning, Types, and Examples
• Mastering Professional Email Writing: Steps, Tips & Examples
• How to Write a Screenplay: Expert Tips, Steps, and Examples
• Business Proposal Guide: How to Write, Examples and Template
• Different Types of Resumes: Explained with Tips and Examples
• How to Create a Memorable Protagonist (7 Expert Tips)
• How to Write an Antagonist (Examples & 7 Expert Tips)

Writing for the Web: 7 Expert Tips for Web Content Writing

Still have questions? Leave a comment

Add Comment

Checklist: Dissertation Proposal

Enter your email id to get the downloadable right in your inbox!

Examples: Edited Papers

Need editing and proofreading services.

• Tags: Academic Writing , English as a Second Language / ESL , Writing Tips

Have a book report submission deadline and want to know how to write one? We’re here to help! Book reports are vital in academics, helping students sharpen their understanding and critical thinking, while for authors, they offer a deep dive into a text’s composition and stylistic elements.

In this article, we will understand how to write a good book report. It’s a skill that not only helps you get more out of what you’re reading but also lets you create a report that truly reflects how good the book is. Let’s get started!

Ace your assignment with a perfect book report! Learn more

Firstly, let us understand what is a book report.

What is a book report?

A book report is an in-depth analysis, an objective summary of a book’s main content and arguments. Book reports discuss a book’s content, structure, and themes. Far from just a recap of the plot outline , a book report examines the details of a book’s narrative, offering insights into the characters, themes of the story , and the author’s writing style. 

Note: A book report is usually assigned to students from secondary schools to colleges. As per book report format, book reports are typically 500–1000 words long.

Elements of a book report

A proper book report outline consists of the following elements:

• Introduction: Think about how to start a book report with an engaging opening. Mention the book’s title, author, genre, and a brief plot summary. State your main theme or viewpoint.
• Content summary: Give a clear, summary of the plot. Highlight key events and turning points. Avoid spoilers.
• Analysis and perspective: Examine the key characters, their traits, motivations, development, and plot roles. Explore major themes, symbols, and motifs, and their narrative effect. Review the author’s style and perspective, and their impact on the story.
• Conclusion: Summarize your main points. Restate your overall impression of the book and possibly suggest who might enjoy it or what kind of readers would benefit from it.
• Citations and references (if necessary): If you have used external sources or have been influenced by other analyses, make sure to cite these references properly to avoid plagiarism.

By following this book report outline, your book report will be comprehensive, informative, and engaging.

How to write a book report

Before learning how to do a book report, it is important to remember that following a book report format is essential. 

Here’s how to write a book report:

• Read the book carefully: Start by reading the book thoroughly. Take notes on key points, characters, themes, and any passages that stand out.
• Create an Outline: Organize your thoughts and notes into an outline. This will be your roadmap and will help keep your writing focused.
• Write the introduction: Begin with an engaging introduction that provides basic information about the book, including the title, author, and a brief synopsis.
• Develop the body: You can follow your outline or a book report template to write the body of your report. Discuss each element (plot, characters, themes, etc.) in separate paragraphs or sections.
• Conclude your report: Summarize your main points and offer your final thoughts and evaluation of the book.
• Review and revise: Finally, review and proofread your report for clarity, coherence, and correctness. Make sure to correct any grammatical mistakes and ensure your report flows logically.

Taking a look at a few examples of book reports will help you understand how to do a book report easily.  So let’s explore some book report examples next.

Book report examples

Starting with book report examples, let’s look at a book report example on The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

Introduction: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is a powerful and poignant diary that gives an intimate glimpse into the life of a Jewish teenager during the Holocaust.

Summary: The diary chronicles Anne Frank’s life from 1942 to 1944, during which she and her family hid from the Nazis in Amsterdam. The entries detail her daily life in the secret annex, her thoughts, fears, and hopes for a better future.

Analysis and themes: Anne’s diary is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity. Themes of hope, the cruelty of war, the innocence of youth, and the power of writing shine through her words.

Conclusion: Diary of a Young Girl is more than just a diary; it’s a moving narrative that brings to light the horrors of war and the timeless strength of hope and human dignity. Anne Frank’s voice continues to resonate with readers around the world, making this book a must-read for understanding history and humanity.

Now let’s look at a fiction book report example on Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.

Introduction: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a thrilling fantasy novel that introduces us to a world where Greek gods and mythology come to life in the modern era.

Summary: The story follows Percy Jackson, a young boy who discovers he is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. After being accused of stealing Zeus’s lightning bolt, Percy embarks on a dangerous adventure across America to find the real thief and prevent a war among the gods.

Analysis and themes: Riordan’s novel is rich in Greek mythology and cleverly intertwined with modern-day settings and issues. Themes of identity, friendship, and bravery are prominent as Percy navigates the challenges of being a demigod. The book also explores the concept of good vs. evil and the importance of understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses.

Conclusion: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is an engaging and imaginative novel that offers a fresh perspective on Greek mythology. It’s a captivating read for young adults, effectively combining action, humor, and life lessons, making it a standout in the genre of fantasy fiction.

Book report template

You can easily write a book report using our free book report template.

It’s clear that writing a book report is more than a mere academic exercise; it’s an opportunity to delve deeper into the world of literature and gain insights. 

By using the provided template and examples as starting points, you’re well on your way to writing insightful and compelling book reports. Also, to make your book report perfect, we are always here to help you with our expert editing and proofreading services ! 

For more useful tips and resources, keep reading:

• Top 10 Best Print-on-Demand Book Companies in 2024
• Proven Book Marketing Techniques to Increase Sales in 2024
• 10 Best Book Cover Design Services of 2024: Price & Ratings
• Top 10 Online Book Editing Services of 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a book report be, what should a book report include, how to conclude a book report, how to write an introduction for a book report, what is the purpose of a book report.

Found this article helpful?

Leave a Comment: Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Your vs. You’re: When to Use Your and You’re

Your organization needs a technical editor: here’s why.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get carefully curated resources about writing, editing, and publishing in the comfort of your inbox.

How to Copyright Your Book?

If you’ve thought about copyrighting your book, you’re on the right path.

© 2024 All rights reserved

• Terms of service
• Privacy policy
• Fiction Writing Tips
• Dissertation Writing Guide
• Essay Writing Guide
• Academic Writing and Publishing
• Citation and Referencing
• Partner with us
• Annual report
• Website content
• Marketing material
• Job Applicant
• Cover letter
• Resource Center
• Case studies

• 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.

More Templates

Law School Letters Of Recommendation

Community Service Forms

Genogram Templates

Permission Slip Templates

Story Map Templates

Essay Outline Templates

Instantly enhance your writing in real-time while you type. With LanguageTool

Get started for free

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.

Unleash the Professional Writer in You With LanguageTool

Go well beyond grammar and spell checking. Impress with clear, precise, and stylistically flawless writing instead.

Works on All Your Favorite Services

• Thunderbird
• Google Docs
• Microsoft Word
• Open Office
• Libre Office

We Value Your Feedback

We’ve made a mistake, forgotten about an important detail, or haven’t managed to get the point across? Let’s help each other to perfect our writing.

20 Incredible Short Books You Can Read in a Day

Most of our childhood favorites can be considered short novels or novellas, so no wonder it’s comforting to have a handful of thinner books on our TBR pile. As a loose guide, short novels are 200 pages or fewer, novellas are 60 to 120 pages, and  short stories  average 4,000 words. Consider this collection our grateful nod to brevity: short stories, novellas, and novels—all 200 pages or less—that we can consume in one sitting.

We Love Anderson Cooper

By r. l. maizes.

The characters in this collection of short stories all mean well, but their actions often fall short of their intentions, leading to some sad and funny twists.  In an interview , the author says, “I selected stories about outsiders because it’s a theme most people can relate to, especially these days.”

The Uncommon Reader

By alan bennett.

Once upon a time, the Queen of England went for a walk with her corgis and encountered a bookmobile. A palace kitchen worker happened along, and much to his surprise, the Queen loved his book recommendations. This short and sweet novel confirms the power of literature to bring joy to everyone, even a Queen.

God Help the Child

By toni morrison.

Morrison passed away in August 2019, leaving a legacy of beautiful and difficult truths. In this, her final novel, Bride was so desperate for love when she was young that she lied about something big. Years later, her lie is exposed. But Bride’s story is a one of redemption, and of arriving safe at the other end of tragedy.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

By neil gaiman.

A boy is welcomed into his neighbors’ home—three generations of private women—and taught hard lessons about life, death, and the supernatural space in between. Now a grown man, he second-guesses every mystical thing he saw when he was young. Typical of Gaiman,  Ocean  makes you want to run out and find the magic in your own life.

The Sense of an Ending

By julian barnes.

Winner of the Man Booker Prize, Barnes makes you question your life in 163 pages. Tony Webster is middle-aged, divorced, facing retirement, and not interested in grappling with past friendships. Yet here he is, forced to give a second glance at everything he once believed about himself.

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good

By helene tursten.

Maud is 88 years old, lives alone on purpose, and her hobbies include ruining people’s lives online. When a corpse is found in her apartment, everyone assumes Maud has graduated to murder. Too bad she doesn’t have any friends left to vouch for her. Don’t miss this hilarious and twisted two-story collection.

Dept. of Speculation

By jenny offill.

A husband and wife get married with their eyes open to all of life’s inevitable challenges. But now, faltering careers and parenthood have pushed them close to the edge of failure. Here, the wife revisits the arc of their marriage and comes to a few uncomfortable conclusions about their love story.

Another Brooklyn

By jacqueline woodson.

A chance encounter stirs up the past, sending August to the Brooklyn of her mostly-happy childhood. It was a tight neighborhood with even tighter friends, but as an adult she’s able to see certain people for what they were: flawed, struggling, and even criminal.

By Paul Harding

In his last moments, a man is set free from life’s tangibles—the clothes, dishes, and mementos. Sliding backward in time, he reunites with his father and the untamed Maine of his childhood before consciousness takes him somewhere else.  Tinkers , Harding’s debut novel, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

By Stephen King

When Scott Carey becomes ill, old friends and new neighbors come to the rescue. You won’t find King’s usual gory storytelling here. In fact,  Elevation  is quite a tender story about friendship and the ways a community tends to circle the wagons around its own … with a supernatural twist, of course.

Beasts of No Nation

By uzodinma iweala.

The story of Agu, a barely-surviving child soldier, put Iweala’s debut novel on the bestseller list. With his family murdered and no good options in front of him, Agu finds a new family among the commanders and boys who are as lost as he. Despite the miserable events of his story, it’s an exhilarating read.

Of Love and Other Demons

By gabriel garcía márquez.

Young Sierva Maria is ignored by her cruel parents. When she’s bitten by a rabid dog, they arrange a proper exorcism at a local convent. Father Delaura, who once saw Sierva in a dream, takes charge of her care and—possible possession aside—becomes consumed by his fated love for her.

Last Night at the Lobster

By stewart o’nan.

The Red Lobster is going out of business and Manny has to keep a brave face as he and his staff close up one last time. This is a gem of a book with a main character so fully realized you'll swear you've met him somewhere. Also, if you've ever worked in a failing chain restaurant, you’ll appreciate it on an even deeper level.

By Sarah Moss

Silvie and her father are deep in the British woods at an Iron-Age reenactment village, hoping to evoke simpler times. The villagers build an authentic ghost wall to hold back invaders, but it’s supposed to be capped with enemy skulls. As the modern world rages outside, how far will they go to connect with the past?

The Vegetarian

By han kang.

Another Man Booker Prize winner, Kang introduces Yeong-hye, an unforgettable woman whose small rebellion—renouncing meat—leads to a bleak spiral of self-discovery. In all ways, this is a novel about bodily consent—with food, appearances, sex—and the consequences of demanding it.

By Amy Hempel

Her first collection in a decade, Hempel returns with 15 beautiful and heartbreaking stories. Her characters wrestle with the regret of being childless, the pain of caring for the unloved, the betrayal of infidelity … and they often do it alone, with only us, the reader, to witness it all.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

By agatha christie.

Most of Christie’s mystery novels are on the short side, and they all deserve a read. Start with her first novel which also introduces fabled Inspector Hercule Poirot. Poirot solves a murder, Christie begins her legendary career, and the mystery genre is never the same.

The Final Solution

By michael chabon.

Nine-year-old Linus has just escaped Nazi Germany with an African grey parrot. He runs all the way to rural England where he meets an old man, a former detective, who reluctantly takes him in and realizes he has one last mystery to solve. The parrot keeps repeating sets of numbers in German. What do they mean?

Breakfast at Tiffany's

By truman capote.

Set against gleaming Manhattan skyscrapers and the Tiffany & Co. storefront, Holly Golightly has left small-town Texas and is charming her way into the swankiest parties in town. The name “Holly Golightly” immediately brings Audrey Hepburn’s iconic movie role to mind, but if you haven’t read Capote’s novella, it’s time.

The Alchemist

By paulo coelho.

Thirty years ago,  The Alchemist  hit the shelves and showed us all how to follow our dreams. It’s the story of young Santiago, who leaves home in search of worldly treasures. His actual journey, however, yields life lessons and friendships more valuable than anything he can hold in his hands.

Share with your friends

Related articles.

11 Striking Novels About Identity and Belonging

11 Thrilling Books to Read Next if You Loved 'One of Us Is Lying'

11 Stimulating Books About Psychedelics

Celadon delivered.

Subscribe to get articles about writing, adding to your TBR pile, and simply content we feel is worth sharing. And yes, also sign up to be the first to hear about giveaways, our acquisitions, and exclusives!

" * " indicates required fields

Step 1 of 8

Connect with

Sign up for our newsletter to see book giveaways, news, and more, get our newsletter.

Looking for the 2024 Reading Log?

Looking for the FREE 2024 Reading Log? Click Here !

Everyday Reading

25+ Short Books for Middle Grade Readers (under 200 pages)

It’s a tricky thing for middle grade readers (middle grade usually refers to readers between the ages of about 8-12 or the second half of elementary school) when the books they’re seeing all start to be big enough to use as a doorstop.

When you’ve been reading books around 80-120 pages, it’s a big jump to be handed a 300-400 page book!

And if you’re a reluctant reader?

Those 400+ page books just are so discouraging.

If you’re looking for some great short books for your middle grade reader (or to read aloud to younger kids), these are some of my favorites, all clocking in at under 200 pages.

25+ Short Books for Middle Grade Readers 

Any other favorite short books for middle grade readers? I’d love to hear – please leave them in the comments because it helps make this post more helpful for other readers!

And if you’d like a printable copy of this list of short books that you can take to your library or screenshot on your phone for easy access, just pop in your email address below and it’ll come right to your inbox!

If you liked this post about short chapter books for middle grade readers, you might like these posts too:

• The best graphic novels for beginning readers
• Tips for engaging a reluctant reader
• 25 books like Dogman

Reader Interactions

February 17, 2022 at 5:52 am

The Stella Diaz series books are wonderful.

February 17, 2022 at 5:54 am

Oh- and Dragons in a Bag series by Zetta Elliott!

February 17, 2022 at 6:38 pm

The Ordinary Princess! I loved that book when I was a kid! I had completely forgotten about it.

March 18, 2022 at 1:37 pm

I am always looking for books to read with my 13 yr old grandson (advanced reader). Short chapters are a big hit even for my own reading. I was please to see The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye. I used to read her books myself and did not know she had written for middle school readers.

March 18, 2022 at 2:12 pm

The Watson’s Go To Birmingham! By Christopher Paul Curtis

January 3, 2023 at 8:59 pm

I enjoyed this book very much, but my 13-year-old could not get into it. He has some kind of aversion to books written about the Jim Crow era. I really hope to take him to the Smithsonian African American museum this spring to open his eyes!

March 18, 2022 at 4:05 pm

Great post, thank you! I am curious about the 400 page chapter books for middle graders who have grown OUT of their reluctance with the help of your AWESOME tips on raising readers! I so appreciate your content!

March 21, 2022 at 12:56 pm

Chris Colfer’s series of Land of Stories series. They are also being released as graphic novels.

March 28, 2022 at 3:51 am

This was our exact situation, so I have quite a list! Additional ideas from your list include: – The Wish Giver by Bill Brittain – The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden – A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle – The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo – Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo – Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson – Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell – Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl – The Nancy Drew Diaries series by Carolyn Keene – The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket – Winnie-the-Pooh by Alan Alexander Milne

And some that I have on our list but haven’t been read yet: – Because if the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord – A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett – The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare – The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry – Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.