How to Write a Book Review/Report

What is a Book Review?

A book review is a description and an evaluation of a book that you have read.

Book reviews are so helpful because they inform future readers about books they may be interested in reading.  Often, a book review will influence other readers by telling them a little bit about what the story is about, as well as if is is worth reading or not!

The most important thing to remember is that book reviews DO NOT give away the ending!  If it is a good book, the reader will not want to spend time reading it if he/she already knows the ending.

4 Steps to Follow When Writing a Book Review
(Note: You do not have to answer every question, these are only suggestions to guide your writing.)

1.  Write at Least 3-4 Sentences About the Plot

• What was the story about?
• Who were the main characters?
• What did the main characters do in the story?
• Did the main characters run into any problems?
• Did the main characters have any adventures?
• Who was your favorite character?  Why?

2. Your Personal Experiences

• Could you relate to any of the characters in the story?
• Have you ever done some of the things or felt some of the same things that the characters did?

3.  Your Opinion

• Did you like the book?
• What was your favorite part of the book?
• Do you have a least favorite part of the book?
• If you could change something in the book, what would it be?
  (If you wish you could change the ending, remember not to tell the ending to the story you read!)
  

4.  Your Recommendation

• Would you recommend this book to another person?
• What type of person would like this book?

What is a Book Report?

A book report is different from a book review in that it concentrates on a summary of what the author has to say, and only marginally comments on the reader's opinion of what the author says and how he/she says it. It is a factual account of the book's subject matter, meant to be descriptive rather than analytic or persuasive. A good book report is well organized, gives a sense of the book as a whole, and includes publication details.

Structure of a Book Raport

1. Introduction:

• Give the name of the book you have read, the author, and the publishing details.
• Tell the reader how the book is organized.
• Tell the reader the main thesis or argument of the book.

2. Summary of Content:

• Take each section of the book and summarize the important points in that section, and how it relates to the overall structure and content.
• Give each section proportional weight in your summary. For example, if the book is divided into four sections of approximately equal length, you should devote the same amount of space in your summary for each section. If, however, section one is twice as long as the other three sections, you should devote more space to a discussion of this section than the other three.

3. The Conclusion:

• Tell the reader why you liked/ didn't like the book, referring to elements discussed in your introduction and summary sections.

Questions to Ask Yourself

• Have I included all the important publication details of the book in my report?
• Have I organized my summary in a way that is easy to follow and reflects the organization of the book?
• Have I used headings to indicate major divisions within the book/ and within my summary?
• Have I accurately represented the point of view of the author of the book?
• Have I accurately represented the structure of the argument presented in the book?
• Have I avoided inserting my opinion of the subject matter dealt with in the book?
• Have I indicated at the end of the report whether or not I liked the book and why?

NOTE: No matter what advice that you get on how to write a report or term paper, each teacher/professor is different. Each one has their own preferences in what they want to see in a report. The following information will help, if you do not have a clue on how to write a book report. However, please check with your teacher to see if you are doing things correctly.

 source:http://www.pwcs.edu/pattie/admin/howtodoabookreview.htm; http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/writing/owlhandout/book_report.html