In tackling coursework, you may have to dig a little bit into a book or some other kind of literature. This could be with the aim of gaining deeper insight on a matter, drawing connections between the contents of the book and the subject at hand, and so on.
What is a book report?
The above tasks require a book report. This is an essay that discusses the contents of a given book. It is largely written as part and parcel of a class assignment that is issued out to students in school, especially at the elementary level. It is shorter and less comprehensive than a book review.
How to write a book report?
To write a book report, you need to follow the steps below:
- Draft an introductory paragraph. This captures the basic information about the book such as its genre, title, author, year published, number of pages, and the publisher. Include some interesting background information about the author of the book.
- Next, incorporate a plot summary. It is basically a summary of the book itself with regards to the themes, plot, and the characters that are found in it plus the roles they play there.
- Carry out some character analysis of the main characters who dominate and play critical roles in the book from the start through to the finish line.
- Point out the themes of the book i.e. the main ideas that run throughout the story from the start through to the finish.
- Place your personal evaluation and conclusion at the tail end of the report. These two give your own opinion of the entire book and what it does have to offer to any reader.
Book Report Templates
These are frameworks against which the book reports are drafted. They serve as rough guides through which the tiny details are filled out. The templates cheapen the task of drafting a report of this kind while also seeing to it that the outcomes are largely accurate.
Guide: How to draft a book report
Different reports have different outlines and contents. Thus, there is really no unifying way of drafting the report. Nonetheless, there are some common steps that cut across the board. Below, we highlight and explain them:
- Jot down the first draft of the book report. This acts as a spark from which the subsequent reports are drafted and originated.
- Prepare the introductory paragraph of the book report. Remember, it is this introduction that sets the tone and the overall theme of the report going forward. It has to be brief but include every aspect of the report altogether.
- Now get to the core business of the report altogether. Here, you should read the book, garner the finer details and jot down its summary.
- While at it, draft the main portion of the book report, explain the main characters, highlight and explain the main themes of the book, point out any quotes, and comment on the writer’s writing style.
- Give the book a personal evaluation. This one mainly aims at commenting on the book in its entirety while also providing your own review and testimonial about the book as a whole.
- Edit and revise the report before submitting it. As you do so, see to it that you weed out any grammatical and spelling mistakes that may be present in the report.
What is the format of a book report?
The format of a book report refers to the outline that the report follows from the introduction to the conclusion of the book. Even though different reports follow different formats, there are common contents that cut across the board. These are:
- The kind of book report you are drafting
- The book’s title
- The author of the book
- The times that the story is taking place
- The location of the story of the book
- Names and descriptions of the characters in the book
- Quotations and examples from the book to provide support to your opinions
How long should a book report be?
Generally, you should keep your book report as short as it can practically be. A length of about 600-800 words would be suitable. Also, the report has to be double-spaced and drafted in legible fonts.
Final Thoughts
Drafting a book report is not a walk in the park. As a starter, you may have to devote much of your time to write it several times before mastering the art well. We ask you to carry out mock writing to deepen your understanding of the matter. Seeking the assistance of a trained expert may equally do the trick.