Name: ________________________________________
Date: ___________
Period:___________
BOOK TALK
AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION
For this oral report, we will have a five-minute book discussion on your chosen APlevel book. The book talk will be due when you have finished your book and feel
confident with a discussion. We will be seated at the front table with two chairs while
others are working on another assignment. When it is your turn, bring your book and
scoring rubric, pull up a chair, and begin a five-minute discussion. Be prepared to
discuss any of the following:
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The names, physical descriptions, personalities, motives, and history of all
characters
Details of the plot, including type of conflict, time sequence, structure
Narration details—point of view, reliability of narrator, changing narrators
A favorite quotation—memorized (minimum 50 words)
Author’s diction, syntax, tone, or use of rhetorical devices
The book’s strengths and weaknesses—your opinion, supported with examples
The significance of the title
Symbolism in the book
The author’s use of ethos, logos, or pathos
Social or historical significance of the book
The setting—time, place, scenes, span (and how you know)
The circumstances surrounding any random quote I choose to read aloud
The book’s themes, with examples to back them up
Author background and how it affects the book
A discussion of your original book cover/playbill cover
The final score will be determined by articulateness, knowledge, and understanding of
the book’s details, depth of interpretation as well as a visual portion. The visual portion
may be an original book cover or playbill cover depicting an important or climactic
scene of the book. Please do not copy an idea that has already been used as a book dust
jacket, movie poster, or DVD cover.
Book Title:____________________________________________________________
Author: ____________________________________________________________
Points
10-9
8-7
6-5
4-3
Brief Summary
Complete plot
summary including
plot, conflict, time
sequence, structure
Adequate plot
summary including
plot, conflict, time
sequence, structure
Incomplete plot summary
including plot, conflict,
time sequence, structure
Inadequate plot summary
missing some elements of
plot, conflict, time sequence,
structure
Complete discussion
of main and minor
characters including
comparisons,
contrasts, and
complete character
sketches
Adequate discussion
and character
sketches of main
characters including a
few comparisons
among characters
Incomplete discussion of
main or minor characters
Inadequate discussion of
main or minor characters
Complete discussion
of rhetorical devices
including diction,
syntax, tone, and
other rhetorical
devices
Adequate discussion
of rhetorical devices
including diction,
syntax, tone, and
other rhetorical
devices
Incomplete discussion of
rhetorical devices
including diction, syntax,
tone, and other rhetorical
devices
Inadequate discussion of
rhetorical devices including
diction, syntax, tone, and
other rhetorical devices
None
Complete
memorization of a
favorite quotation of
50 words or more
Adequate
memorization of a
favorite quotation of
40 words or more
Incomplete memorization
of a favorite quotation of
30 words or more
Inadequate memorization of
a favorite quotation of 20
words or more
None
Complete discussion
of the book’s
strengths and
weaknesses
Adequate discussion
of the book’s strengths
and weaknesses
Incomplete discussion of
the book’s strengths and
weaknesses
Inadequate discussion of
the book’s strengths and
weaknesses
None
Complete discussion
of symbolisms in the
book with examples
Adequate discussion
of symbolisms in the
book with examples
Incomplete discussion of
symbolisms in the book
with few examples
Inadequate discussion of
symbolisms in the book
with no examples
None
Characters
Rhetorical Devices
Memorized
Quotation
Book Strengths
and Weaknesses
Symbolism
Themes
Social or Historical
Author
Background
Book Cover /
Playbill
Book Cover
______/ 25
2-0
None
N/A
None
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Complete discussion
of the themes and
examples to back
themes discussed
Adequate discussion
of the themes and
examples to back
themes discussed
Incomplete discussion of
the themes and few
examples to back themes
discussed
Complete discussion
of the social or
historical
significance of the
book
Adequate discussion
of the social or
historical significance
of the book
Incomplete discussion of
the social or historical
significance of the book
Inadequate discussion of
the social or historical
significance of the book
None
Complete discussion
of the author’s
background and how
it affects the book
Complete discussion
of the design of the
book cover and the
climactic or
memorable scene it
depicts
Adequate discussion
of the author’s
background and how
it affects the book
Adequate discussion
of the design of the
book cover and the
climactic or
memorable scene it
depicts
Incomplete discussion of
the author’s background
and how it affects the
book
Incomplete discussion of
the design of the book
cover and the climactic or
memorable scene it
depicts
Inadequate discussion of
the author’s background
and how it affects the book
None
Total Score
______/ 125
Inadequate discussion of
the themes and no
examples to back themes
discussed
N/A
Inadequate discussion of
the design of the book cover
and the climactic or
memorable scene it depicts
None
N/A
N/A
N/A
None
N/A