Book Logs

In the beginning....You may wish to discuss with your children the books that they read. You could ask leading questions such as, Who is the main character? or What important thing happens in the story?. Naturally, the questions that you ask should be relevant to the book. If the book has a moral then you could discuss that or if it is a funny book, then you can talk about what is funny. Discuss the book in present tense, say, "The character is" instead of  " The character was". 

Older children should identify most of the following components of a reading selection. 

• Important Characters
• The Plot
• The Setting
• The Theme
• The Moral
• The Mood

They could ask themselves:

• What is the main idea of the author's story?
• Do I agree with the author? Why?
• What purpose do I think the author is trying to achieve with this story?
• What is the good and what is the evil in this story? or What is the conflict in this story?

Book Forms (logs are for 2nd grade and younger)

More About Book Reports

The purpose of a book report:

1. To acquaint the reader with the book

2. To give the reader your opinion of the book

3. To help the reader decide if he/she would like to read the book

Although there is no regular form for a book report, there are four parts that a book report should have:

1. Identify the Book:
   book title, author's name, and perhaps the publisher, and year of publication

2. Classify the Book:
   adventure, fantasy, humor, etc., if it is fact or fiction

3. Describe the Book:
   Give an overall view of the book without giving away the outcome. You should include quotes or scenes from the book that you think are representative of the quality (or lack of quality) of the book.

4. Evaluate the Book:
   Give your opinion of the book. You can support your opinion with details from the book. You can compare it to other books you've read that are similar. Make your opinion clear!