Summarizing a Chapter Book

Summarize a long book by summarizing chapters, then combining the biggest events.

Summarizing a whole chapter book can feel overwhelming, so break it into steps. As you read, jot one sentence for each chapter about its most important event. When you finish, read your chapter sentences and look for the big turning points: the start of the main problem, the events that raise the stakes most, the climax, and the resolution. Combine those into a summary of four to six sentences.

Example chapter notes: Ch. 1, Ana moves to a new town. Ch. 3, she finds an old map in her attic. Ch. 6, she and a neighbor follow the map to an abandoned lighthouse. Ch. 9, a storm traps them inside. Ch. 10, they signal a boat and are rescued. Ch. 11, the town restores the lighthouse. Several chapters are left out, and that's the point.

• 1Write one sentence per chapter as you read.
• 2Pick out the big turning points.
• 3Combine them into four to six sentences.