How to Write an Elementary Non-Fiction Book Report
Your teacher may assign a book report in order to test and improve your reading and writing skills. A non-fiction book report is a short, four-paragraph essay summarizing a work of fact, such as a science book, to a person who has never read it before. While a fiction book report focuses on the book's characters, setting and plot, a non-fiction book report describes the information an author gives about a subject. Writing a good non-fiction book report takes time, creativity and organization.
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Instructions
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Create an outline form. An outline form will help you to organize the information needed to write your non-fiction book report. Divide a piece of paper into three sections. Label the first section "introduction," the second section "summary," and the third section "reaction."
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Write down the title, author, publisher and the year the book was published under "introduction."
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3
Fill out the "summary" section of your outline as you read the book. Take notes about the subject of the book, what the author has to say about the subject, as well as any interesting facts and events.
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Note down what you thought about the book under the "reaction" section. Include whether or not you enjoyed the book and why, what you have learned from the book, a fact or event from the book you found particularly interesting, and if you can recommend the book to others.
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Put together the first draft of your book report. Follow the outline in order, beginning with the book and author information in the introduction, a paragraph-long summary and a paragraph-long description of your reaction to the book in the body. End with a short conclusion paragraph summing up the main points you made in your report.
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6
Proofread your book report. Look for spelling and grammar errors. Find any areas that might sound better if worded differently or that need more information. Have a parent look over your report to find other places you could improve.
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7
Write the final copy of your non-fiction book report, fixing any errors you discovered while you proofread. Take the time to give your report that extra polish. This is the version you will turn in to your teacher.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure to follow your teacher's instructions carefully. Your teacher may have specific things he or she would like you to include in your report.
