Develop an outline or use a free online template to develop your child's understanding of the book report format. Divide the outline into five sections -- an introductory paragraph with thesis sentence; three topics each with three examples from the text; and a concluding paragraph that briefly restates the thesis and main points.
Help your child select a book that interests him. Give him a time frame for reading it. As he reads, encourage him to keep a notebook next to him to jot down his ideas about the author's main points. Tell him to list the main characters, the basic plot and setting for the story. Ask him to write down the author's name and to research basic facts about the author, such as when and where he lived, and other books he's written. Read the book along with your child so that you can assess the validity of the arguments he will develop in his book report.
Help your child complete the outline after he's done reading the book. Set a new deadline for completion of the book report and state the penalty for failing to meet it, such as a deduction in the letter grade. Help him generate a thesis idea or main argument about the book by thinking about what he enjoyed and what he would have done differently if he was the writer. For example, the relationship between two characters, the flaw of a main character or an argument he thinks the author was trying to make with the plot. Encourage him to break out his thesis idea in the outline. Require that he complete the outline before he writes the report.
Review your child's outline to make sure his thesis argument has at least three supporting examples for each point on his outline and make suggestions where information is lacking. Help him encapsulate his argument in five sentences (thesis paragraph) that provide a broad overview which he will elaborate on in his report. Give a due date for the rough draft that is roughly one week from the due date of the outline.
Help him review his rough draft for thoroughness. Hold the report and outline side-by-side, making check marks by each point and supporting examples that have been addressed. Make circles by points that were missed. Give your child a few days to make necessary edits. Provide him with a copy of the MLA (Modern Language Association) guide book and ask him to format his book report according to MLA style guidelines if he is high school age.
Review the second draft together on the new due date for grammatical and formatting errors. Look at the MLA style guide together to check page margins, spacing and citation of any quotes or references. Give your child a due date for the final draft.
Grade the paper, marking points off for any errors or weaknesses in the argument. Review the final report with your child, explaining what, if anything, caused him to lose point. Discuss what he could do differently on his next report to achieve a higher grade or create a stronger argument.