Books Vocabulary

Books Vocabulary

Books are a great way to learn, have fun, and be inspired. In this lesson, we’ll learn words about people who make books (like authors and illustrators), the parts of a book (like the cover or chapters), and actions with books (like reading or borrowing), among other things. This will help you talk about books and share your reading ideas with others. Let’s get started!

Types of Books

• Novel: A long work of fiction.
• Biography: A detailed description of a person’s life.
• Autobiography: A person’s life story written by themselves.
• Short story: A brief work of fiction.
• Non-fiction: Books based on facts and real events.
• Fiction: Imaginary stories and events.
• Fantasy: Fiction with magical or supernatural elements.
• Mystery: A book about solving a crime or uncovering secrets.
• Science fiction: A genre based on imagined future scientific or technological advances.
• Romance: A book centered around love stories.
• Graphic novel: A novel in comic-strip format.
• Historical fiction: Fictional stories set in a historical time.
• Poetry: A book composed of poems.

Parts of a Book

• Title: The name of the book.
• Cover: The outside of the book.
• Spine: The edge of the book where the pages are bound.
• Blurb: A short description of the book, usually on the back cover.
• Table of contents: A list of chapters or sections in the book.
• Foreword: An introduction to the book, typically written by someone other than the author.
• Preface: A brief introduction by the author.
• Index: A list of topics in the book with page numbers.
• Glossary: A list of difficult words in the book with their meanings.
• Appendix: Extra information at the end of a book.
• Chapter: A section of a book, often numbered.
• Page: A single sheet in a book.
• Dedication: A message where the author gives thanks or honors someone.
• Epilogue: A section at the end of the book that comments on the story.

People Related to Books

• Author: The person who writes the book.
• Illustrator: The person who draws or creates images for the book.
• Editor: The person who reviews and corrects the book before publication.
• Publisher: The company that prints and distributes the book.
• Reader: The person who reads the book.
• Protagonist: The main character in the book.
• Antagonist: The character who opposes the protagonist.

Describing Books

• Suspense: The feeling of tension and excitement.
• Setting: The time and place where the story happens.
• Theme: The main idea or message of the book.
• Tone: The author’s attitude or feeling in the writing.
• Genre: The category of literature (e.g., fiction, fantasy).
• Narrator: The person or voice telling the story.
• Plot: The events that make up the story.
• Climax: The most intense or important point in the story.
• Resolution: The part of the story where the problem is solved.

Actions Related to Books

• To read: To look at and understand written words.
• To write: To create a book or text.
• To publish: To make a book available to the public.
• To edit: To review and make corrections to the book.
• To borrow: To take a book from a library for a limited time.
• To return: To bring back a borrowed book.
• To lend: To give a book to someone temporarily.
• To skim: To read quickly to get the main ideas.
• To summarize: To briefly explain the main points of a book.
• To annotate: To add notes or comments to a text.

Learning Activities

Activity #1 Book Vocabulary Bingo

• You will receive a bingo card with different book-related vocabulary words (e.g., “author,” “chapter,” “plot,” “genre”). Each student will have a different card. The teacher will call out definitions of the words, and you must mark the correct word on your card. The first student to complete a row or full card yells “Bingo!” and wins a small prize.

Activity #2 Book Cover Design Challenge

• Bring one of your favorite books to class and explain where each part of the book is. For example: “title,” “author,” “spine,” and “blurb.”, etc.

Activity #3 Vocabulary Pictionary

• The class will be divided into teams. One student from each team will draw a book-related word (e.g., “cover,” “climax,” “chapter”) while the teammates try to guess the word. You will be given a time limit to guess.

Activity #4 Vocabulary Relay Race

• A relay race will be set up where in turns everyone will run to the board and write down a word related to books when given a definition or description. For example, if the teacher says “the person who writes a book,” you will run to the board and write “author.” The first team to finish with all correct answers wins.