How to Write a Book Report at the Elementary School Level
A book report is a way to reflect on what you've read, identify a book's strengths and weaknesses, and show your understanding of the author's message. It can persuade others to read the story themselves as well as steer them toward titles they might like better. Learning to write book reports will hone your reading, comprehension and analysis skills and prepare you for the writing and decision-making you'll be doing in high school, college and as an adult in the workplace.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
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Make notes as you read the book. Jot down the names of the characters, the settings and when the story takes place. If there are scenes you like that are really funny, scary or sad, write down the page numbers so that you can find them quickly when you start to write your report.
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Use the first paragraph of your report to give the title of the book, the name of the author and when it was written. The first paragraph should also tell readers what the genre is and provide a one-sentence description of the plot. Example: "This is a comedy about a boy who finds a baby alligator and tries to keep it a secret from his mom."
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Write a short synopsis of the plot for your second paragraph. The synopsis tells readers who the main character is and what his quest is in the story. A quest always revolves around a theme of reward, revenge, escape or a combination of these. Some examples of a quest would be competing for a prize, searching for treasure, playing a trick, escaping from zombies or solving a mystery. The synopsis also explains what obstacles--human and otherwise--stand in the way of the hero achieving his quest.
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Tell your readers in the third paragraph what you liked and disliked about the book. For instance, maybe the dialogue had you laughing out loud or the descriptions of life in another country make you want to visit there someday. Disappointments with a story could be a confusing plot, a slow pace or an ending that feels phony. Draw upon your own life by telling readers how you related to what the characters were feeling or what you might have done in the same circumstances.
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Use the fourth paragraph to compare and contrast this book with others you have read. These can be books written by the same author or books written by different authors on the same subject.
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Tips & Warnings
Always give examples to support your opinions. Instead of simply saying you didn't like a certain character, explain whether it's because the character did mean things to others, joked around too much or just didn't feel very plausible to you. If a book isn't as good as you hoped it would be, provide some suggestions on how it could have been better or more interesting.
Don't spoil the reading experience for your friends and classmates by giving away the ending or spilling all of the story's best secrets and surprises.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit O. Taillon/Flickr.com
