Would you have to submit a book report but have no idea how to craft one? If yes, then this blog is for you. Basically, book report writing is one of the most common and challenging assignments that every student will have to face in their academic life. However, you can handle this task easily, if you are aware of the basic steps involved in writing a book report outline.
In general, writing a book report is not simple, because in it you need to think critically and share what you have read. As book report writing is considered tough by many students, in this blog, we have shared some basic ways to compose a book report outline. Continue reading to update your knowledge of the book report outline creation steps so that by using that you can draft a brilliant book report at the end.
What is a Book Report?
A book report is a written or oral composition that describes, summarizes, and evaluates a fiction or nonfiction piece. It is a school activity often assigned to students. Mainly, based on the book reports prepared by students, the instructors will determine whether or not a student has read a book.
Book reports typically adhere to a standard format and include the following information.
- Book Title and Year of Publication
- Author’s name
- The genre (type or category) of the book
- Main subject, plot, or theme of the book
- A brief summary of the key points or ideas covered in the book
- The reader’s reaction to the book, apparently identifying its strengths and weakness
- Brief quotations from the book to support general observations
Steps for Writing a Good Book Report
Reading is one of the important steps that you have to complete before you start your book report writing process. You can write a good report only if you have read the book for which you want to write a report. So, pick and read the book carefully by having a pen and paper to take notes. Don’t consider reading to be a chore. Enjoy reading your book and also while reading, jot down the important points and page numbers of significant passages to make your report writing easier.
The book report writing process actually starts only after you have completed reading the book. If you have completed reading the book, then follow the below-mentioned steps to write a good book report.
- Prewriting
- Writing
- Revising
- Editing
- Publishing
Prewriting and Writing
Prewriting is the initial step of the book report writing process where you need to plan the things you want to present in your report about the book. Preparing an outline is one of the effective ways to plan in the prewriting process. If you have a well-structured outline, then you can easily start writing your book report by organizing your thoughts and presenting your ideas corresponding to each paragraph with your strong writing skills.
Revising, Editing, and Publishing
After you have completed writing your book report, revise your report and check for errors. In order to spot errors in your report, you can read your report loudly or ask your friends for feedback. If there are any errors in the report, then go ahead and edit it. Also, while editing, check for grammar and the use of correct guidelines for writing the book title and quotes. The report you are about to publish should be free from errors and hence spend more time on revising and editing.
Learn How to Write a Book Report Outline
After you have completed reading the book, then, with the points gathered, you have to write a book report outline by including the following ideas. Each idea should be explained in the form of a paragraph.
- Introduction
- Body
- Evaluation and Conclusion
Introduction
Almost every book report starts with the basic details about the book such as book title, genre, and publication information. The introduction section is the opening paragraph of the book report where you need to develop the interest of the readers by mentioning any interesting facts about the author or the book. As the book reports are personal, you can also state why you chose to read that particular book.
Body
It is the core section of your book report where you need to describe what the book is all about in 2 or 3 paragraphs. This is the only place in your report where you can show your readers that you have really read and understood the book.
The body section of your book report should contain the following paragraphs if it is a fiction book.
Summary
After writing the introductory paragraph, in the first paragraph of your body, write an overview of the book. For a fiction book, make sure to include details like the story setting, main characters, time period, and plot. Also, mention details like the narration style, tone of the book, and genre.
Characters
After you write the summary of the book, in the next paragraph, describe the characters in the story and discuss the conflict in the story that the main characters were dealing with. It is not necessary to write only about the lead characters. You can also provide details about other supporting characters.
Plot
In this paragraph, you need to mention the plot. Don’t explain every detail in the story. Just focus only on the important sequence of events. While discussing the plot, cover the plot highlights, turning points in the story, conflict resolution, and climax. Here, in this paragraph, without missing, explain all the literary devices the author has used in the book.
So, what would you do if your book was non-fiction? For instance, when you write a book report on a biography or any facts, your body section should focus on the description of the subject discussed in the book and the author’s point of view. To present the author’s ideas and arguments in an orderly manner, you can use the headings of each chapter in the book.
When writing a book report for a fiction book, it is not necessary to cover all the arguments of the author. Instead, you can choose only the main ideas and the argument that is interesting to you. If you are asked to write a book report for a biography, then in the body section, just write about some important events in that person’s life.
Evaluation and Conclusion
It is the closing paragraph of your book report where you need to share your own comments or reviews about the book. In this section, you need to mention the strengths and weaknesses of the book. Also, share the things that you learned from the book, the events that impressed you, and why you loved the book. When writing the conclusion paragraph, be honest with your opinions about the book and inform your readers whether you recommend the book to them or not.
Conclusion
Hopefully, by now, you will have gained knowledge of how to write a book report outline. In general, a book report will be written in the form of an expository essay. But, sometimes, your instructor may ask you to write a book review or a book report by including your point of view. So,
