Book Report Criteria
You are free to choose the way in which you would like to present your BOOK REPORT; however, there is
specific criteria you must meet in order to achieve a successful mark. Your report must include:

PLOT summary
o You must include at least 5 major events that occurred in your book
 These events must be major/important (without them, the outcome of the character
or book itself would be very different.
 Identifying and explaining the type of CONFLICT in your story will earn you higher
marks. (man vs man, man vs nature, man vs himself, ertc…)

CHARACTER
o You must include a description of the main characters in your story
 Physical description

Personality traits/characteristics

Changes the character went through – problems/issues/obstacles the character had to
overcome…

SETTING
o When and where did your story take place?
 You must also add other details important to the setting of the story – example:
weather, social conditions (Eastside vs Westside, upper class $ vs lower class poor, race,
gender equality, social norms at the time…)

THEME
o What is the main message in your book? What messages(s) is the author trying to get across?
 There may be a number of themes in your story (Outsiders has: love, friendship,
loyalty, social rivalry, acceptance…)
 You need to be able to explain why you think that is the theme

VISUAL REPRESENTATION
o Completely up to you as to what you would like to present:


Must be relevant to your story
Must be neat, tidy, creative, well planned out, large enough to enjoy


Must depict at least one element: setting, character, theme, major events(plot)
Must be evident that time and effort were put in to the project
We have discussed a variety of different ways in which you may present. Some of these include: Book in a
box (cereal/pizza box) report, Bloom ball, Mobile, Song/rap/poem, oral presentation with visual, poster,
movie poster, scrapbook, children’s book, comic strip, painting, collage, etc… You may also come see me if
you have other ideas!
Be creative and enjoy showcasing your talents
Cereal Box/Pizza Box Report
You can decorate or design your cereal box or pizza box in any way that you would like, as long as all
criteria are met. The layout that follows is just a suggestion:
Front: Title page – includes the title of the book, the author, and your name. You may also want to add
pictures that relate to your story to grab the attention of the viewer.
Back: Pot Summary – You can choose five (5) major events that occur in your story and explain why they
are significant/important to the story. How would the story be different if these events did not occur? Fully
explain each event or situation. You may also choose to draw a plot diagram and label points along the
diagram (introduction, initial incident, rising action, climax, falling action, conclusion/resolution).
Side: Characters – you may choose to add pictures of what the characters might look like as well as a
detailed description (physical, emotional…) of the character. Giving only a physical description of character
would not get you full marks!
Side: Setting – you may wish to draw a map for the setting of the story. You must include a description of
time and place (when and where) as well as anything else that contributes to the setting, For example, it is
important to mention that there is competition/tension between the two different sides in The Outsiders,
money matters, people are judged depending on their social status…
Top: Theme – you may wish to add pictures or symbols that relate to the theme/message of your story, or
write out words that express the theme.
Bottom: Recommendation/Opinion – what was your opinion of the book? Who would you recommend
the book to? Why? Make sure you justify (explain) your recommendation.
Inside: Pictures, objects, symbols…that relate to your story. You should have at least 5 items inside the box
to further show your understanding. For example, in The Outsiders box, I had a black handled switchblade
(plastic and fake of course), a fake pack of cigarettes, a picture of an old abandoned church, a picture of a
black leather jacket, a small blue toy car, Gone With the Wind, etc…
Here’s where you could include a memorable or
important QUOTE from the book and explain why you
chose that particular quote. You must always put the
quote in quotation marks and state the page it is on.
HAVE FUN WITH IT