Is there a difference between a reading response and a book report?

Yes. A reading response provides a thesis statement of opinion that can be backed up with evidence from the work it reviews. It includes personal reflections that elaborate your connection to the written or artistic work (any type of media can be the subject of a response essay). By contrast, a book report simply summarizes the setting, characters, and/or the sequence of events in a book, and it could be of any genre. There is no thesis statement unless the instructor requires one that relates to the main subject, and it usually does not include personal stories as the response essay does in a reflective way.