Before writing your book report or choosing the text you want to read (unless a specific title comes pre-assigned), you need first to understand what a book report is.
What Is a Book Report?
You must understand what it is before you figure out how to write a book report paper correctly.
A book report is not a retelling of a work. It is a self-guided paper in which students show their understanding of the topic, author, and book. Such a paper does not repeat the thoughts of the book’s author. It shows the attitude of the student to the described work. That is, you show the professor you are familiar with the book’s text and understand the topic the author raises. It is a definite short research paper.
Book Report Outline and Structure
As previously stated, a report is strikingly similar to an essay in that it should always begin with an introductory paragraph and finish with a closing statement.
What to include in a book report? In general, any book report should contain several main elements:
- Introduction. In this part, you reveal the title, the author, the year of publication, the critics’ opinions, and the theme of the work. It contains background information about what you have researched and how interested the reader will be in your research. You can write a few introductory sentences and tell how you evaluate the book and its relevance to the modern world. Do not add too many details; you will tell about them in the following parts of a book report.
- Main part. Here you already talk in detail about the characters, the plot, the issues raised, and your observations. This section should be the most voluminous and detailed. Give arguments to your thoughts, help the reader to immerse themselves in the issue under study, and draw their own opinion.
- Conclusion. The final part may contain only a few sentences. Here you can again voice the analyzed question and recall your arguments. Sum up your paper.
After you’ve gotten the information needed for your task cover page out of the way and crafted a solid introduction, you will next move on to the body of the book report. The body of your paper is where you will mention each main character and their significance to the book. Remember to include here any specific character traits that make up their persona, any special events that may have significant meaning and a few book quotes.
Adhere to the same format for all other characters in the book report. Remember to provide quotes and supporting evidence to support any claims you make. Next, you will offer a brief plot summary. Since book reports rarely extend past one page, you will need to find a way to mention key plot details in five sentences or less. Since no specific format must be followed when writing a plot summary, it is crucial to ensure that proper grammatical rules are followed and that you endeavor to be as descriptive as possible without going overboard. You want to be engaging and informative but not so wordy that your reader loses interest.
Lastly, you will need to create your closing statement. It is normally done by summarizing the text and reiterating the key points you touched upon in your thesis.
How to Write a Book Report?
So, to write a good book report, follow these steps:
Step 1: Read the task and guidelines
First, you need to understand the task the professor has given you. Learn what document you should write, what size, and format. Also, determine what should be included and should not be there.
Step 2: Read the book
Before writing an assignment, you need to understand what the book is about. Read it carefully and take notes. Write down key characters and events. Note the key events and how they influenced the development of the plot as a whole.
Step 3: Create a document outline
Read your notes and consider how they will help you expand on your research topic. Outline your thesis and arguments. After this step, you should have a plan for how you will write your paper.
Step 4: Writing a book report introduction
Tell readers about the book you are describing; name the author, the central characters, and the issue you will analyze. Put the reader in the context of the events in the book.
Step 5: Write the body
Analyze in detail the question you have chosen, and give your arguments. Feel free to write quotes and examples. Show your understanding of the book and attitude to the events described. Don’t be too subjective; add arguments to support your point of view.
Step 6: Write conclusions
To do a book report, remind yourself what book you analyzed and what question you investigated. Summarize what you have stated in the paper. This part aims to familiarize the reader with your paper, even if they have little time to study part of the text.
Step 7: Write the book report title
Indicate what kind of work it is, who did it, and what story this paper is dedicated to. Write these details.
Step 8: Edit the finished paper
Read the finished document and remove all semantic inconsistencies, errors, and typos. Your book report should be clear and concise. The reader must quickly understand why you wrote this or that thesis.
Book Report Format
A book report is much more than just a book summary with a good introduction. Authoring a report will be easier if you think about how to write a theme and are mindful of the proper writing format. If you are like most students, you are likely to be interested in what information is important, what should be included, and what should be left out. How exactly do you write a book report that is easy to read and understand and gets you a grade or response equal to the amount of effort and knowledge you put into creating it?
The trick is to write as much detail as possible without sacrificing quality or reader engagement. To maintain an organized structure, you will want to keep information clear and concise, avoid jumping back and forth between different contexts, use detail and be descriptive, and clearly detail your primary points. Remember to write topic sentences and closing sentences as each new paragraph starts and ends so the reader does not become confused.
Book Report Writing Tips
- Read the book carefully to understand the author’s idea. If you find it difficult to read the whole work, read in parts. For example, take a break every 10 minutes to keep your focus.
- Take notes and write out quotes. It will make it easier for you to work on the report further.
- Write as many arguments and examples as possible to support your point of view. It will help your professor understand how deeply you know the subject and how well you understand the book’s author.
- If you don’t understand the author’s point of view, read his other books.
- Don’t get carried away with quotes. Your task is not to rewrite the book in your report but to give it or the events described a precise assessment.
- After the report is ready, set it aside and then reread it. It will help you find any inaccuracies or mistakes you may have missed.
Book Report Examples
Many different factors are involved in writing a school or college book report. Unless you are given specific instructions that clearly outline the format or topic you are to follow, you may be asking yourself how to write a theme or even what sort of writing makes for a good book report.
If you need help to make a book report, here are some ideas and examples you can use.
Intro example
The book “The Little Prince” was written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery in French. It was translated into English in 1943. The main characters are the little prince and the pilot. The work’s main task is to show society’s established norms satirically.
An example of what can be described in the central part
The work reflects the view and experience of the author Antoine de Saint-Exupery himself. He was a military pilot, which was reflected in his works. The book “The Little Prince” is written as a fairy tale for adults to remind them about essential things.
Conclusion example
Simple, understandable images helped the author to convey his main idea. With the help of a fairy tale and visual images, they raise acute social issues that society faces and are relevant today. Thus, the book “The Little Prince” has become a masterpiece of world literature, which is still relevant today.
Here you can find examples of some famous books. And in this article, you will find some book report templates.
