20 Book Response Questions
for Book Reports
Use these questions for your monthly book reports. They may be used with graphic organizers
and/or other book report forms. Before you read your book, make sure you carefully look over
the specific question assigned for the month. As you read your book, look for details to help you
support and/or develop your ideas.
Questions that deal with characters:
1. Changing Places: Standard 3
(Suggestion - Use a character web to help you plan.)
Choose a character from your book that you would like to change places with?
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What did you like about that character?
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Why would your life be “better” if you became that character?
Choose a character from your book that you would not like to change places with?
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What did you not like about that character?
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Why would your life be “worse” if you became that character?
2. Diary Entry
(Suggestion - Use a sequence chart to help you plan your writing.)
Pretend that you are one of the characters in your story.
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Write a diary entry about how you spent a day from the character's point of view
Sign your entry with the character's name
In a separate paragraph, explain why you chose that specific day/event to write about
3. That Reminds Me of Someone! Standard 2
(Suggestion – Use a Venn diagram to help you plan.)
Characters in books often remind us of people we know in real life. Pick one character
from your story and tell how he/she reminds you of someone you know. (No last names,
please!)
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Describe the character is.
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Describe the person you know is.
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Describe similarities between the book character and the person you know.
4. That Reminds Me of Me! Standard 2
(Suggestion – Use a Venn diagram to help you plan.)
Events in a well-written book often remind us of something we have experienced in our
own lives. Have you ever had a similar experience to a character in your book?
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Describe the character’s experience and how he/she felt about it.
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Describe your experience and how you felt about it.
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Describe the similarities.
5. That Reminds Me of Another Story! Standard 2 & 3
(Suggestion – Use a “T” chart to help you plan.)
Select a main character from your story. Compare him/her with a main character
from another book you have read.
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Describe the character from your book.
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Describe the other character.
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Describe the similarities and differences.
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Did you like one character more? Why or why not?
6. A Metamorphosis! Standard 3
(Suggestion – Use a sequence chart to help you plan.)
Select a main character from your book. Describe how that character changed from the
beginning of the story to the end.
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Describe character traits from the beginning
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Describe character traits from the ending
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Tell why you think he/she changed.
7. Solving Problems! Standard 2
Well-written stories usually present a main problem. In your opinion, do the characters
in your story successfully solve the problem they face, or do they fail?
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Identify the problem.
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Describe how the main characters react to the problem.
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Describe how the main characters solve or fail to solve the problem.
8. What a Character! Standard 3
(Mr. Madden will give you a web to help you plan.)
Select one character from your book.
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Create a character web describing 4 physical traits.
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Create another web describing 4 personality traits.
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Use your notes to write a 3-paragraph description of your character. Paragraph 1
names the book, author, and what your topic is. Paragraph 2 is about one set of traits,
paragraph 3 is about the other set of traits. For each personality trait, give a specific
example from the novel.
9. Pretend! Standard 2
(Suggestion – Use a “T” chart to help you plan.)
Pretend you are one of the main characters in your book. What would you have done
differently from him/her?
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Describe the character
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Describe the incident or event
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Describe what you would have done differently
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Explain why you would act differently.
10. A Fan Club! Standard 2
(Suggestion – Use a web to help you plan.)
Which character in your book did you admire most?
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Describe specific personality traits that you admire.
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Describe specific incidents from the story that back up your conclusions.
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Would you like this character for your friend? Why or why not?
Questions that deal with the setting:
11. What a Place! Standard 2
The setting is the “where” and “when” of the story. Would your story have been very different
with a new setting? Tell why or why not. Use the bullets below to help you plan your answer.
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Describe where and when your story took place.
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Describe how the setting affected the story characters.
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Describe how the setting affected the story plot.
12. A New Setting: Stratford School Standard 3
Pretend your story changed, and its new setting is Stratford School in the year 2000.
Make up an incident that happens using the characters and plot line from your book but change
the setting to Stratford. To help you plan:
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·
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Decide on what character(s) you would like to include.
Decide on a particular incident or event that would fit in with the story plot. (You can
alter it in any way you like.)
Describe specific things about Stratford to make it your new setting. Be specific.
13. That Reminds Me of Another Story! Standard 2 & 3
(Suggestion – Use a “T” chart to help you plan.)
Does the setting of your book remind you of another story you have read? Compare the
settings of the two books.
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Describe the setting of your book.
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Describe the other setting.
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Describe the similarities and differences.
Extra Credit: If you had to choose one place to live, would you choose the setting of book 1 or
book 2? Explain why you prefer one setting to the other.
Questions that deal with the Plot:
14. What an Ending! Standard 1 & 2
How would your book be different if it had a new ending?
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Write a summary of the ending of your book.
Then create a new ending. Be sure to include specific details to make your
ending seem real. (Suggestions: try and use specific characters, dialogue, and/or
setting descriptions from the actual book.)
15. What an Ending: Continued! Standard 1 & 2
Reread the ending of your book. Pretend some time has passed since then. Write a short
sequel to the book.
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Write a brief summary of the actual ending.
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Tell how much time has passed.
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Create your sequel.
Try to include specific characters dialogue, and/or setting descriptions from the actual book. Is
the original story problem solved? Do new problems appear?
16. Extra! Extra! Read All About It! Standard 2
Chose one event from your book. Pretend you are a newspaper reporter assigned to write
a news article cover the incident. Make sure you:
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Create a “catchy” headline
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Cover the 5 W’s (who, what, where, when, why)
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Include a byline (where) at the beginning of your article.
Do not retell the entire story. Try to make your writing sound like an article from the newspaper.
17. “You said it!” Standard 3
(Suggestion – Use your story map to help you plan.)
Select a favorite quote or line from the beginning, from the middle, and from the end of
your book. Tell why each quote or line is important to the story. (Try to identify the speaker of
each quote or line you selected.)
Questions that deal with the moral/lesson:
18. What’s the Point! Standard 3
In most well written books the author typically has a moral or lesson he wants the reader
to learn from the story? Describe what the moral or lesson was in your book. Use specific
details from the story to show how the author got his/her point across.
Questions that deal with the general reactions:
19. A Letter to You! Standard 2 & 3
Write a letter to the author of your book telling him/her what you thought of his/her story.
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Include specific details about what you liked or disliked about the book. Include your
reactions to the basic story elements; specific characters, the setting, the problem
described, and/or moral or lesson learned.
Ask the author any questions you would like answered.
Write your essay in the form of a letter. Include a date, address, salutation, closing, and
your signature.
20. Do You Recommend It? Standard 2
Rate your book on a scale from 1 – 10, with 10 being the highest rating. Then tell
whether or not you would recommend your book to others?
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Base your rating and recommendation on specific story elements: specific
characters, the setting, the problem described, and/or moral or lesson learned.
Fill in the blank and then finish the following sentence:
“I found my book to be __________ because ……….”
You may use any describing word other than the word “good.”