Short Story "book" reports are informative reports that discuss a story from an objective stance. They are similar to reviews but half of the paper is a summary of the work and the other half is an evaluation of it. Short story "book" reports describe what happens in a work; focus is primarily on giving an account of the major plot, characters, setting, POV and/or main idea of the work. (250-400 word essay.)
As you read, reflect on the following:
• Author: Who is the author?
• Title: What does the title do for you? Does it spark your interest? Does it fit well with the text of the short story?
• Characters: Who are the main characters? What happens to them? Did you like them? Were there good and bad characters?
• Main Ideas: What is the main idea of the short story? What happens? What did you learn that you did not know before?
• Quotes: What parts did you like best? Are there parts that you could quote to make your report more enjoyable?
Include the following in report:
1. State the title of the short story and author.
2. Then, summarize what you have learned from the short story. Explain what happens in the short story, and discuss the elements you liked, did not like, and would have changed
3. Would you recommend this short story to others and why.
Consider the following items as well:
• Elements/characters: What elements did you like best? Which characters did you like best and why? How does the author unfold the story or the main idea of the short story?
• Organization: Make sure that half of your presentation/paper summarizes the work. Then, you may analyze the characters or themes of the work.
• Your Evaluation: Choose one or a few points to discuss about the short story.
- How does this work compare with other short stories in the anthology Brave New Worlds? What major themes does the story introduce, and how effective are they?
- Did the story appeal to you on an emotional or logical way?
• Recommend: Would you recommend this story to others? Why? What would you tell them before they read it? What would you talk about after you read it?