How to write a Book Report
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Book reports can take on many different forms. Three types of effective book reports are plot summaries, character analyses, and theme analyses. Always include the following elements in any book report:
the type of book report you are writing
the title of the book
the author of the book
the time when the story takes place
the location where the story takes place
the names and a brief description of each of the characters you will be discussing
many quotations and examples from the book to support your opinions
A Plot Summary
When you are writing a plot summary for your book report you don’t need to retell the story. You need to explain what your opinion is of the story and why you feel the plot is so compelling, or unrealistic, or sappy. It is the way you analyze the plot that will make this a good report.
A Character Analysis
Explore the way a character dresses and what impression that leaves with the reader. What positive characteristics does the character possess? Try taking examples of dialogue and analyzing the way a character speaks. Discuss the words he/she chooses and the way his/her words affect other characters. Tie all of your observations together by explaining the way the characters make the plot move forward.
Themes
Try bringing some of your thoughts and feelings as a reader into the report as a way to show the power of a theme. Before you discuss your own thoughts, however, be sure to establish what the theme is and how it appears in the story.
Explain exactly what theme you will be exploring in your book report.
Use quotations from the book as possible to prove that the theme is important to the story.
Make sure that you talk about each example or quotation you’ve included. Make a direct connection between the theme and the example from the book.
After you have established the theme and thoroughly examined the way it affects the book, include a few sentences about the impact the theme had upon you and why it made the book more or less enjoyable to read.
Try starting the report with a sentence similar to the following:
In the novel Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor, the theme of racial prejudice is a major catalyst in the story.
No matter what type of book report you decide to write, make sure that your writing is clear and expressive and that you include examples from the book to support your opinions.