How to Write a College Book Report in APA Style
High-level college papers require hours and pages of research, but introductory level work may be similar to some advanced classes from high school. One throwback assignment that may remind a student of previous work is the book report. These assignments require students to read a book and summarize its plot and characters for the reader. In college, you will likely be required to cite the book and any outside resources with a style book such as the American Psychological Association (APA). Writing an intelligent and well-composed book report can score you a high grade and demonstrate your writing skills and thought processes for your professor.
Instructions
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Introduce the author and the title of the book in the first paragraph of your book report. The reader should immediately know which book you read.
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Summarize the main idea of the book in the introductory paragraph. For example, a report on Toni Morrison's "Beloved" could include a sentence such as: “The book tells the tale of young African-American mother who escaped from slavery and is haunted by the spirit of her youngest daughter, Beloved."
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Write the main body to highlight the major details of the book, including characters and events. Include any lessons that the book attempts to teach the reader.
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Record your opinion of the book in the later paragraphs of the report. Point out elements that made the book enjoyable and mention areas where it could use some work. Talk about areas you would change if you had the choice. Decide if the book is trying to make an overall statement, and whether you agree or disagree with that statement, and present your arguments as such.
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Finish the report with a recommendation. Decide whether you would recommend the book for other readers. If not, explain why. If so, explain why, and what age group or interest levels would enjoy the book the most.
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Create a separate page labeled References. Center the word “References” at the top of the page.
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Cite the book you read in APA style. Begin with the author’s name, listed by last name, first initial and middle initial. For the “Beloved” example, the citation would begin: Morrison, T.
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Include the year of publication in parentheses, the title of the work in italics, and the location and publisher of the book. The final “Beloved” citation would read: "Morrison, T. (1987) Beloved. New York: Knopf." The title should be italicized.
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Tips & Warnings
Adding direct quotes from the book can help you explain your opinions and show the professor that you performed an in-depth reading of the book.
If you reference any critics or other works in your book report, you must also cite these on your References page. Citations should be alphabetized by the author’s last name. If you have questions regarding other types of citations, consult an APA style manual or Internet APA style resource guide.
References
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