MLA Book Citations | Format & Examples

Books are one of the most common types of sources in MLA writing, especially when the goal is to analyze literature, explain a historical topic, or develop an argument.

For each book that you use as an outside source, MLA requires two forms of citation:

  • In-text citations with the author and page for each quotation, paraphrase, or summary
  • Works Cited entries that include the author, title, publisher, and publication year

There are also different types of books. The citation guidelines vary according to the number of authors, the type of book, and other factors.

To cite books correctly in MLA style, follow the examples and guidelines below, or use QuillBot’s free Citation Generator.

How to cite a book in MLA style examples
In-text citation Works Cited entry
Morris and Hays-Grudo explained that children who grew up during the Great Depression were known for their resilience and grit (6).
Morris, Amanda Sheffield, and Hays-Grudo, Jennifer. Raising a Resilient Child in a World of Adversity: Effective Parenting for Every Family. American Psychological Association, 2024.

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MLA Footnotes & Endnotes | Format & Examples

Footnotes and endnotes are optional strategies for sharing extra information in MLA style documents. The purpose isn’t to cite sources like MLA in-text citations or Works Cited entries.

Instead, MLA footnotes and endnotes provide extra context without interrupting the prose. The information isn’t immediately relevant or necessary (but still helpful), so writers place it in a footnote at the bottom of the page or on an endnotes page before the Works Cited page.

MLA footnotes and endnotes can serve these purposes:

  • Recommend additional sources
  • Explain outside sources (e.g., the reason for choosing a certain edition)
  • Share extra ideas or examples

Footnotes/endnotes are uncommon and rarely necessary in undergraduate essays, but they may be useful in a master’s thesis or dissertation.

MLA endnotes example
⁴ Other documentary films about art and activism include Exit Through the Gift Shop and The Art of Protest.
Tip
Each source that you mention, paraphrase, or quote in an MLA footnote/endnote needs a Works Cited entry. This is true even if you don’t have any in-text citations for those sources. QuillBot’s free Citation Generator can help you create Works Cited entries.

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How to Cite a Book in APA Style | Format & Examples

Books are one of the most common types of sources in academic writing. For each book that you use as an outside source, APA requires two forms of documentation:

  • In-text citations with the author and date (for paraphrases and summaries) or the author, date, and page (for quotations)
  • Reference list entries  that include the author, date, title, publisher, DOI, and sometimes other details

There are also different types of books. The citation and referencing guidelines vary according to the number of authors, the type of book, and other factors.

To cite and reference books correctly in APA style, follow the examples and guidelines below, or use QuillBot’s free Citation Generator.

How to cite a book in APA style examples
In-text citation Reference list entry
Morris and Hays-Grudo (2023) explained that children who grew up during the Great Depression were known for their resilience and grit.
Morris, A. S., & Hays-Grudo, J. (2023). Raising a resilient child in a world of adversity: Effective parenting for every family. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000385-000

QuillBot’s Plagiarism Checker can help you avoid accidental plagiarism by identifying material that has not been correctly cited.

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Chicago Style Citation Guide | Examples & Tips

Chicago style (also sometimes known as Turabian style) is used by students and researchers in a wide variety of disciplines. The primary resource for applying Chicago style is A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (9th edition).

There are two citation formats to choose from in Chicago style:

  • Notes and bibliography style (used primarily in the humanities)
  • Author-date (used primarily in the sciences)

The general guidelines for both of these styles are explained below. QuillBot’s free Chicago Citation Generator will automatically apply these guidelines to create citations for a variety of source types.

Additionally, our Plagiarism Checker can help you avoid accidental plagiarism by identifying material that has not been correctly cited.

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What Is Paraphrasing? | Definition, Steps & Examples

Paraphrasing involves rewording information from an outside source that you’re using as evidence in your own writing. Most academic writing includes paraphrases from multiple sources to show your readers that you researched your topic thoroughly.

Paraphrasing also helps you avoid overusing quotations so that the majority of your sentences reflect your own writing voice.

However, paraphrasing incorrectly can lead to plagiarism. To paraphrase correctly, you must state the information in your own words and give credit to the source with an in-text citation.

Paraphrase vs quotation example
APA style quotation APA style paraphrase
Haidt (2024) explained, “Experience, not information, is the key to emotional development. It is in unsupervised, child-led play where children best learn to tolerate bruises, handle their emotions, read other children’s emotions, take turns, resolve conflicts, and play fair” (p. 53). Haidt (2024) argued that unsupervised free play is crucial for emotional development because it helps children learn how to bear minor discomforts, regulate their emotions, empathize with others, and resolve conflicts.

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MLA Citation Guide | Format & Examples

MLA style is commonly used by students and academics in the humanities. In this citation guide, we give a broad overview of the guidelines from the 9th edition (the most recent) of the MLA Handbook.

MLA citations have two parts:

  1. In-text citation: Every quotation or paraphrase of another source is accompanied by a parenthetical citation including the author’s last name and the page number.
  2. Works Cited entry: At the end of the paper, you include a Works Cited page, which gives a full reference for each source cited, listed alphabetically by the author’s last name.

QuillBot’s free MLA Citation Generator makes citations easy by automatically creating in-text citations and a reference list.

Additionally, our Plagiarism Checker can help you avoid accidental plagiarism by identifying source material that has not been correctly cited.

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APA Citation Guide | Examples for APA 7th Edition

APA Style is quite commonly used in the field of social and behavioral sciences. In this citation guide, we give a broad overview of the guidelines from the 7th edition (2020) of the APA Publication Manual.

QuillBot’s free APA Citation Generator automatically applies these guidelines to help you cite webpages, journal articles, books, videos, and other types of sources.

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Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting: Similar Yet Different

Summarizing is condensing information; paraphrasing is rewording information; and quoting is copying information inside quotation marks.

Most of the time, when you’re referring back to a previous conversation, text, or piece of media, you’re not recalling each part exactly as it happened—that would require a memory better than any of us probably have!

Instead, you’re going to be either paraphrasing what you heard or read, summarizing the information learned, or directly quoting pieces of what you remember.

Summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting are all closely related actions, which can make them difficult to tell apart in certain circumstances.

Tip
Whether you’re summarizing, paraphrasing, or quoting, QuillBot’s online Notepad can help you keep track of the sources you consult during the research and writing process.

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What Is an Annotated Bibliography? Purpose, Types, and Format

Most people know what a bibliography is—a list of sources at the end of a document. But what does it mean for it to be annotated? An annotated bibliography is a list of sources along with the compiler’s comments on each one.

Each reference gives complete citation information for the source and includes a single-paragraph comment, also called an annotation, at the end.

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