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What should a book report include?
What is a book report?
How to do a book report?
How do you write an academic book review?
Book reports are informative reports that discuss a book from an objective stance. They are similar to book reviews but focus more on a summary of the work than an evaluation of it. Book reports commonly describe what happens in a work; their focus is primarily on giving an account of the major plot, characters, thesis, and/or main idea of the ...
- Overview
- Researching Your Book Report
- Outlining Your Book Report
- Writing Your Book Report
- Sample Book Reports & Summaries
A book report is a short essay that summarizes and analyzes a work of fiction or nonfiction. Writing a book report may not seem fun at first, but it gives you a great chance to fully understand a work and its author. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about how to write a book report, from choosing a book and outlining to drafting and editing your final paper.
Read the entire book and take notes on important themes, characters, and events. Use your notes to create an outline with evidence that supports your analysis.
Include the title and author in your intro, then summarize the plot, main characters, and setting of the book.
Analyze the author’s writing style, as well as the main themes and arguments of the book. Include quotes and examples to support your statements.
Follow the requirements of your assignment.
Read through the assignment sheet carefully and make note of any questions you have. Raise your hand during class or talk with your teacher afterward to go over any concerns. Make sure that you know the required paper length, due date, and any formatting requirements, like double-spacing.
For example, find out if your teacher wants you to include citations, such as page numbers from the book, in your report.
Ask your teacher how much of your paper to devote to summary versus analysis. Most book reports are direct summaries with objective analysis rather than your personal opinions. In contrast, a book review or commentary is more opinion-driven.
Check what kinds of topics you might be asked to write on from the book, so you’ll know what to look out for as you read.
For example, your teacher may want you to focus on summarizing the plot, analyzing the characters, or even comparing and contrasting two different books.
This should be a paragraph-by-paragraph listing of how you’ll organize your book report. Include what each paragraph will discuss and the details from the work that you’ll include. This outline might change a bit when you
Writing often leads to new realizations, so have a plan but be flexible. Here’s a general idea for what your outline should include:
Introduce the title, author, and publication information. Include a brief overview of the book’s genre and main theme, and state your purpose for writing the report.
Concisely summarize the plot or central idea, highlighting main events, characters, and conflicts. Focus on important aspects while avoiding spoilers.
Evaluate the author’s writing style and use of literary devices, like foreshadowing, metaphors, imagery, etc. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the book and
and examples from the text.
Open with an informative intro paragraph.
starting a book report introduction
, include the author’s name and the book’s title and genre. Open with a line that will grab your reader’s attention, such as an interesting quote from the book. Include a general, one-sentence summary of the entire work as the last line of your introduction.
For example, a sentence summary might state, “This book is about the main character’s journey to Africa and what she learns on her travels.”
Don’t take up too much space with your introduction. In general, an introduction should be 3-6 sentences long, though in rare cases, they may be longer or shorter.
This is a great way to start the body of your paper because it sets the stage for everything else that you’ll discuss. Try to describe the locations mentioned in the book so that your teacher knows exactly what you’re referring to. If the story takes place on a farm, say so in your report. If the setting is imaginary or futuristic, make that clear as well.
Sample Summary Plot of Macbeth
Sample Summary Plot of My Sister's Keeper
Sample Summary Plot of The Lottery Rose
What are the steps to write a book report?
Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist
I would start with finding out if your teacher wants you to focus on any specific topic or theme. That way, you can highlight parts of the book that match up with this as you read.
Active reading and thoughtful preparation before you begin your book report are necessary components of crafting a successful piece of writing. Here, you’ll find tips and resources to help you learn how to select the right book, decide which format is best for your report, and outline your main points.
Feb 7, 2024 · Mention the book’s title, author, genre, and a brief plot summary. State your main theme or viewpoint. Content summary: Give a clear, summary of the plot. Highlight key events and turning points. Avoid spoilers. Analysis and perspective: Examine the key characters, their traits, motivations, development, and plot roles.
Introduction. Writing the perfect book report shouldn’t be as daunting as it sounds. With the right help, you can do it in no time at all. In just four easy steps we’ll show you how. First, let’s lay the groundwork and cover some basics—like, what is a book report? What’s the difference between a book report and a book review?
An academic book review provides the main ideas, and since published book reviews typically have a limited word count, the summary should remain brief. Analysis and Significance. Compare the book and its argument with the other literature on the topic. Discuss its contribution to past and current research and literature.
Writing a Book Report. For more information, ask a librarian. Updated: December 14, 2022. What are book review and book report, step guide on writing book review and report, audience, subject, content, citation, more.
