Book reports are a common requirement for students, all the way from elementary school to university. Knowing how to write them will help you finish your assignment a lot faster, and also give you a better chance of wowing your instructors.
Book reports don’t have to be intimidating. Look at them as a way of expressing your thoughts and opinions about the books you read. Also, research shows that writing about what you read is an effective way of cementing the information in your mind, as opposed to simply reading it.
A book report is a written output that describes the contents of a book. Teachers often require a book report as a way of encouraging students to actually read the assigned materials. Reports also help the students to formulate their own opinions and reactions to what they read.
The length of a book report does not guarantee the quality of the writing. Typically, though, you will have a clear introductory paragraph and a conclusion; the body paragraphs can range in number depending on how many themes you wish to explore. It will also depend greatly on the type of book report you choose to write.
To write a great book report, you must first understand the different types of book reports. Sometimes your instructor may specify which type they want you to write, but if they don’t, you can choose the one that you feel most comfortable writing:
The plot summary involves writing a summary of the book, but it doesn’t stop there: after you summarize the plot, you will also add your own thoughts and opinions. Some questions to ask yourself include:
An example of an opening line for a plot summary is:
The plot of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor was compelling because it gave a very clear picture of how racial injustice looked in practical terms during the Great Depression in Mississippi.
Sometimes, a book you read may contain certain themes that stand out to you. When that happens, a theme analysis is a great way to structure your book report.
Remember that the theme analysis will need to include an exploration of the theme presented in the book before you start sharing your own opinions. You can do this by showing examples of how the author expressed that theme.
Some questions to think about include:
An example of an opening line for a book report with the theme analysis structure would be:
The novel Watership Down by Richard Adams powerfully portrayed the theme of leadership: Hazel’s humble but effective leadership was greatly contrasted with the tyrannical and controlling style of Captain Woundwort of the Efrafa warren.
A character analysis is another interesting way of approaching a book report. You focus on a character (or characters) in the story, and how their decisions and behaviors affect the events in the plot.
Some questions to help you analyze characters include:
For example, you might open a book report using character analysis with a line like this:
In the novel Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, the main character is Scarlett O’Hara, but it was the character Melanie Wilkes who really stood out: her steadfastness and belief in the good of everyone is what finally won over even the hardhearted Scarlett.
Note: Never copy summaries or book reports directly from the internet! Your teacher will likely check your work through a submissions platform that compares your writing to what’s already out there online. For more tips, check out our post on how to avoid plagiarism.
Whichever type of book report you choose to write, here are some tips to help you write in a clearer and more engaging way.
Some book reports may be based on an assigned book, but more often, instructors might ask you to choose your own book. They may or may not assign a genre, such as biography, classic literature, or nonfiction.
If you can choose which book to write your report on, now’s your chance to find one that you will be interested in. Some questions that can help you find a book include:
You may be tempted to search online for a book summary and try to write a whole book report based on those findings. (This is less likely to happen if you choose a book you’re actually interested in!)
While you might be able to scrape by with a summary, we highly discourage that tactic for at least two reasons: First, actually reading the book will benefit you by expanding your worldview. Second, you can only write a thorough, quality book report if you have truly read the book yourself.
In order to make sure you read the whole book, it’s important to plan ahead. The following tips might help:
Even before you are more than halfway through the book, you can start to make your outline. This might change after you finish the book, but if you already have a general idea of your report’s structure, it might even help you pay more attention as you read.
Try this format for your outline:
Once you’ve prepared your outline, you can start to write your report. You can use headings to organize your thoughts better. (This is where your written narrations or bullet point notes will come in handy!)
If you already wrote portions of the report as you were reading it, this is the time to organize them into a coherent piece. These tips should help you:
With these steps, writing a book report can be a breeze. Remember, a book report is not just about grades, but what you learn along the journey, so don’t miss out on that experience by taking short-cuts.
And even if school is a distant memory for you, taking the time to reflect on what you’ve read can help you process information and key themes, as well as make you more prepared for your next book club meeting!
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
