Think about the story's main subjects. Some common subjects are what it's like to grow up, death and mourning, racism, beauty, heartbreak, power and corruption. Next, think about how the author might view these subjects. These views will point you to the story's themes. At this point, you are ready to find out what they are.

Which sentence from the paragraph BEST explains WHY it is important to identify a book's MAIN subjects? ]]>
Once you have figured out the main theme of your story you are almost ready to write a book report. First, re-read the text. Look for examples of what the theme of the book is. A few short sentences should be all you need to provide an example of a book's theme.

What is the MOST accurate explanation of this paragraph? ]]>
The first pig was lazy and built his house out of straw. The second little pig was lazy, too, and built his house out of sticks. The wolf destroys both their homes and chases them to the third pig's house. The third pig was a hard worker who made his home out of brick, which protects all three pigs from the wolf. The pigs and the reader learn that only hard work and preparation will lead to success.

WHY did the author include this selection? ]]>