How to Write a Book Report – Middle & High School

level Book reports and book reviews are similar. Book reports tend to be a little more descriptive (What is this book about?) and book reviews are usually more persuasive (Why a reader should or shouldn't read this book). Both offer a combination of summary and commentary.
They are a way to think more deeply about a book you've read and to demonstrate your understanding. Most teachers have their own requirements, and sometimes a specific format they expect you to follow, so be sure to check, but the following general elements of a book report or book review should be helpful. Introduction Here you want to provide basic information about the book, and a sense of what your report will be about. You should include: Title (underlined)/Author Publication Information: Publisher, year, number of pages Genre A brief (1-2 sentences) introduction to the book and the report/review. Body There are two main sections for this part. The first is an explanation of what the book is about. The second is your opinions about the book and how successful it is. There are some differences between reports on fiction or other imaginative writing and reports on non-fiction books. But for both, a good place to start is to explain the author's purpose and/or the main themes of the book. Then you can summarize.