Everyone who's ever been a student has their own Book Report Tale of Woe to tell. I remember my days in elementary school, 
when we were required to write monthly book reports that included decorated covers and followed a specific (and quite thorough) outline.
So far I've gotten two of my kids through the Book Report Years, with only one remaining. But book reports these days are a little more complicated than they were when I was suffering through book-report-related torture.
For one thing, it's not enough anymore to decorate some construction paper to look like the cover of the actual book and write a paragraph explaining the plot and another one on whether you liked the ending. Book reports are less about writing and more about art these days. It's too bad that only one of my kids has any artistic talent--and she's not the one currently in the Book Report Years.
I've heard from other parents that I'm not alone here. My cousin's kids have had to do book reports built like castles, complete with toilet-paper-roll turrets, or along a cereal-box theme, where instead of nutrition information, you'd see a list of characters. Mr. Third Grader has a "Box Book Report" to do right now, with different aspects of the book listed on each side of the box, 5 objects inside that symbolize something about the book, and an essay explaining how each of those relates to the story.
It's taking all I have to just talk him though this assignment. Sure, I could step in and get that box covered in about three minutes (it will take him ten times that long, with three temper tantrums along the way). But I've been to school, done the homework, written the book reports. It's his turn now.
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