In the digital age, there is no excuse for book reports (either from teachers or students). Books --and our individual and communal experience with them -- are just too important, and the book report is more likely to kill engagement with that book than it is to invigorate one's literary experiences. So let's be done with it, replacing it with better practices.
Why I Can't Stand Book Reports
Where is this coming from? Well, one of my students, assigned to write a book review for my Digital Culture class, dutifully posted his on his blog and then linked to it with the phrase, "Book report time!"
That really bugged me. What is this, 7th grade?
It bugged me in part because as a parent, I've suffered through many a book report my children have belabored--usually at the last minute. And as a teacher, I've suffered from reading so many superficial or tedious responses to books or other readings. But mostly, it bugged me because it meant I had failed to get across to my students the more consequential ways that books can be part of their learning nowadays. So, I'm going to try to fix that, and I'm going to do so by arguing against the book report genre.
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- Student reads the assigned or chosen book
- Student writes a response that partly summarizes, partly analyzes the book (sometimes using a prompt from the teacher).
- Student turns in book report to teacher.
- Teacher grades book report, using it as evidence that the book has been read and its ideas understood.
- Rinse, lather, and repeat
What is wrong with this picture -- especially given what books can be in the digital age? Let's take a look.
