How to Write a Book Report

Writing a good book report requires summarizing a lot of information in a very small space. Your job is to extract the main ideas of a book and possibly analyze it as well and then type it up into a presentable report. Follow these steps to make the task easier.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Oxford English Dictionary
• Printer Paper
• Word-processing Software
• Desk Lamps
• Thesaurus
• Notebooks
• Printers
• Computers
• Highlighter Pens
• Writing Style Manuals
• Bibliography Software
• Index Cards

1. Take thorough and careful notes as you read the book. (See "How to Take Reading Notes.") Use Post-it flags to mark pages that contain important passages or quotes.

2. Gather your reading notes and the book and have them by your side as you write your report.

3. Ask yourself, What would I want to know about this book?

4. Look through your notes and decide, based on the length of the book report and your answers to the above question, what is essential to include and what can be excluded.

5. State the main point of the book: Why did the author write the book? Or for fiction, give a brief plot summary.

6. Outline the plot or main ideas in the book (See "How to Write a Paper Outline"), or for fiction describe the story and key dramatic points.

7. Follow your outline as you write the report, making sure to balance the general and the specific. A good book report will both give an overview of the book's significance and convey enough details to avoid abstraction.

8. Summarize the overall significance of the book: What has this book contributed to the knowledge of the world? For fiction: What does this story tell us about the author's take on life's big questions?

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to proofread your book report carefully before turning it in.
• Type your report on a computer.

on 10/1/2007 Pick a book on a subject you are interested in. It makes it a lot more fun.

on 3/28/2006 You have to condition your mind that your interested with the topic; it's easier to understand a subject you're interested in. Choose ways to relay the subject to your life and how it can help you in the future. In that way you can tell yourself that this is not just a report, it's also a way of telling people that this subject is helpful for me, and it would be helpful for them also.

on 10/1/2007 Read as much as you can - fast! Don't wait till the last minute, but be sure you understand what you have read. This will give you more time to do the report.

on 11/22/2005 Start your report with a question. It will attract the reader's attention. You can also start it with "Picture this...". You don't want it to be boring, do you?

on 10/1/2007 Always give qualified criticism about the book. This shows that you both understand the book and are willing to give some suggestions on it. Also try to find out if the author has been reviewed before and see what the general opinion of the author is.