Citation Examples: Book

MLA 9 citation examples coming soon! See below for MLA 8 examples.

Here are some example citations for books, e-books (bottom of the list), and audiobooks. They are based on MLA 8 guidelines. A Works Cited page should be double spaced within and between citations. To save room, we only single spaced. When a citation has more than one line, the second line and any lines that follow should have a hanging indent. That means the first line of each citation starts at the left margin, and all other lines are indented (moved to the right) half an inch.

Print Books (Whole)

Example – book, 1 author

Simon, Seymour. Frogs. HarperCollins Publishers, 2015.

Example – book, 2 authors

Rottmann, Alexander, and Nici Pederzolli. Freestyle Snowboarding: Tricks, Skills, and Techniques. Firefly Books, 2010.

Example – book, 3 authors, edition

Reilly, Mary Jo, et al. Mexico. 3rd ed., Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2012.

Example – book, 1 editor

Willis, Laurie, editor. Adoption. Greenhaven Press, 2012.

Example – book, 2 editors

Lerner, K. Lee, and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, editors. World of Sports Science. Gale, 2007.

Example – book, 3 editors, edition, used one volume of a multi-volume set

Lerner, K. Lee, et al., editors. Alternative Energy. 2nd ed., vol. 1, Gale, 2012.

Print Books (Part)

Example – poem in a book, 1 author

Medina, Pablo. "The Secret." Cool Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Growing Up Latino in the United States, Holt, 1994, p. 48.

Example – short story in a book, 1 author, 1 editor

Chase, Richard. "Old Christmas Eve." Grandfather Tales, edited by H. L. Pick, Viking, 1973, pp. 58-60.

Example – encyclopedia article, author

Adams, Clark E. “Gerbils.” The World Book Encyclopedia, 2013, pp. 136-37.

Example – encyclopedia article, no author, from a multi-volume set, edition

"Rats, Mice, and Relatives II: Hamsters (Cricetinae)." Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, 2nd ed., vol. 16, Gale, 2007, pp. 239-48.  

Example – word in a dictionary

"Greenhouse Effect." Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary for Children, Merriam-Webster, 2010, p. 242. 

Example – map in an atlas

"Prevailing Winds and Ocean Currents." National Geographic Student World Atlas, 4th ed., National Geographic, 2014, p. 23.

Example – photograph of artwork, in a book, no author, 2 editors

“Chinese Horse.” Art That Changed the World, edited by Gadi Farour and Sam Atkinson, DK Publishing, 2013, p. 20.

Book (Whole or Part) Found in a Library Database

Example – book, in a library database, 1 author

Lundgren, Julie K. Animal Adaptations. Britannica Digital Learning, 2013. Kids InfoBits, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITKE&sw=w&u=port&v=2.1&id=
     GALE%7CCX3745300007&it=r&asid=91e4411f5781d956ac60b76a482d97e9.

Example – article in a book, library database, 2 authors, edition

Garbus, Julia, and Noah Berlatsky. "Panda, Giant." UXL Endangered Species, 3rd ed., UXL, 2016, pp. 191-94. Kids InfoBits,
     go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITKE&sw=w&u=port&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CCX3627500069&it=r&asid=a5cee18da5ab0421cd6e9d78897dd329.

Example – article in a book, library database, 2 editors

Lerner, K. Lee, and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, editors. “Soccer.” World of Sports Science, vol. 2, Gale, 2007, pp.647-49. Gale Virtual Reference Library,
     go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=port&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CCX3451100488&asid=7f7a14a418f9fdb081e1f5587d079270.

Book (Whole or Part) Found on the Internet

Example – word in a dictionary, Internet, publisher is same as Web site title (so do not list publisher)

“Greenhouse Effect.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2016, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greenhouse%20effect.

Example – encyclopedia article, Internet, publisher is same as Web site title (so do not list publisher)

Stock, Joann. "Earthquake." World Book Student, 2016, worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar171680.

E-Books

Example – e-book, 1 author, downloaded to a device

Arnold, Eric. Volcanoes! Mountains of Fire. E-book, Random House, 2013.

Example – e-book, 1 author, read on a Web site

Chandler, Katherine. The Bird-Woman of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. E-book, Silver Burdett, 1905. Google Books,
     books.google.com/books?id=B7UAAAAAYAAJ.

Example – e-book, 1 editor, read on a Web site

Dickinson, Asa D., editor. The Children’s Book of Thanksgiving Stories. E-book, Doubleday, 1915. Project Gutenberg,
     www.gutenberg.org/etext/45114.

Audiobooks 

Example – audiobook, listened to on CD, known author, known narrator, known publisher (Listening Library), known publication date 

DiCamillo, Kate. The Tale of Despereaux. Narrated by Graeme Malcolm, audiobook ed., Listening Library, 2003.

Example – audiobook, downloaded from Audible to a device (do not include the website from which you downloaded it), known author, known narrator, known publisher (HarperAudio), known publication date 

Lewis, C. S. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Narrated by Michael York, audiobook ed., HarperAudio, 2005. 

Example – audiobook, streamed/listened to from a Web site (Audible.com), known author, known narrator, known publisher (HarperAudio), known publication date 

Lewis, C. S. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Narrated by Michael York, audiobook ed., HarperAudio, 2005. Audible.com, www.audible.com/pd/KIDS/the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe-Audiobook/
     B002V1NHJ2.