Write a Book Report: That Was Then, This Is Now

Learner: Fisher, age 15

Time: 50 minutes

Goal: Fisher will plan and write a clear book report that introduces the novel, summarizes its main conflict, explains a theme, and includes a personal response supported by a detail from the book.

Materials

• A copy of S. E. Hinton’s That Was Then, This Is Now
• Paper or a notebook and a pen or pencil

Lesson

1. Hook — 5 minutes. Ask Fisher: “Can a person change so much that someone close to them no longer understands them?” Invite a brief response. Explain that this question connects to the novel’s central relationship and will help Fisher choose a focus for the report.
2. Show a report plan — 10 minutes. Explain that a book report should do more than retell the plot: it should give a reader useful information and make a claim about what the book means or how well it works. Model this planning outline:
   • Opening: Name the book and author; give a concise overall reaction.
   • Setup: Introduce Bryon and Mark, who are close friends raised together, and explain that changes in their lives begin to strain their relationship.
   • Summary: Describe the main conflict and a few important events without recounting every chapter.
   • Interpretation: Explain a theme, such as growing up, loyalty, or how people change.
   • Response: Give a reasoned opinion, supported by a specific event or detail from the novel.
   Model a claim, not a finished report: “The novel explores growing up by showing how changes in Bryon and Mark’s lives affect their friendship.” Remind Fisher to check the book for exact events and details, and not to invent quotations.
3. Plan together — 10 minutes. Work through these questions with the book available:
   • Who narrates the story? What do we learn about Bryon and Mark’s friendship?
   • What change or event creates tension between them?
   • Which event best illustrates the theme Fisher wants to discuss?
   • What is one detail from the book that could support Fisher’s opinion?
   Help Fisher make brief notes, checking names and events against the text. Choose one main theme and one or two supporting details rather than trying to cover everything.
4. Write independently — 20 minutes. Fisher writes a book report of about four paragraphs, using the outline. Offer this starting frame if useful:
   • “In That Was Then, This Is Now, S. E. Hinton tells the story of …”
   • “At the beginning, Bryon and Mark …”
   • “Their relationship changes when …”
   • “One theme of the novel is … This is shown when …”
   • “I found the book … because …”
   The frames are optional; Fisher should put ideas in their own words. Encourage a focused summary and a specific example from the book.
5. Recap and quick check — 5 minutes. Ask Fisher to underline the sentence that states the report’s main idea and point to the book detail that supports it. Check together: Does the report name the book and author, explain the main conflict, discuss a theme, and give a supported opinion? Have Fisher make one quick revision based on the check.

Make it easier: Write one paragraph at a time using the sentence frames, and refer to notes made together.

Make it harder: Ask Fisher to compare two characters’ responses to change and explain how that comparison develops the novel’s theme.