Book Summary Template

Book Summary Template

Doing a summary of the book helps you understand it better. Use this book summary template. The summary tells the most important points and elements of a book

Think about the reason why the author wrote the book.

Present the characteristics of the main characters of the book.

Find out the main idea, the theme, and the main events of the book.

The main idea is what the book is mostly about, while the theme is the message, lesson, or moral of the book.

Take notes while you read the book and write down some quotes that you like. Also, write down some resources, books, or websites mentioned by the author that you will find interesting.

Book title

Type in the name of the book you have read.

Main Events

Type the main events of the book, classifying them in: events from the beginning, events from the middle, and events from the end of the book.

Describe the story visually. Add a representative picture for each of them.

End

Event from the end of the book

Type the main events from the end.

Add a representative picture for each of them.

Middle

Event from the middle of the book

Type the main events from the middle.

Add a representative picture for each of them.

Beginning

Event from the beginning of the book

Type the main events from the beginning.

Add a representative picture for each of them.

Theme

In contrast to the main idea, the theme is the message, lesson or moral of the book.

Some tips to find out the theme of the book easier:

• Try to find it while you are reading. It may be stated or implied.
• Think about how the characters reacted to obstacles.
• Think about the important decisions that the characters made.
• Think about the characters growing or changing throughout the book.

Type in the theme

Quotes

Type in the quotes

Take notes while you read the book. Write here your favorite quotes from the book.

Resources

Take notes while you read the book. Type here the resources, books, or websites that the author mentioned and you want to check out later.

Type in the resources

Main idea

Type in the main idea

The main idea is what the book is mostly about.

Some tips to find out the main idea of a book easier:

• Read the title.
• Look for the text features.
• Figure out if you are reading a fiction or a non fiction book.
• Think about some examples that support this idea.

Main characters

Type the names of the book characters. Start with the main character.

Draw arrows to represent the relationship between them and if it is possible write on them what they represent for each other (if they are relatives, friends, lovers, enemies etc.)

Character name

Characteristics

What are the characteristics that best describe the character? Type them here.

Purpose

What is the reason why the author wrote the book?

Purpose of the book

Author

Who is the author of the book? Type in his/her name.

Author name