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Book Report Templates

online book report

Book reports often ask students to summarize, reflect, and share their ideas. We’ve created a series of book report templates that you can use or adapt based on a variety of learning needs. While this task may reflect individual preferences and insights, it can be collaborative. Students can share in gallery walks, small groups, or large groups. Displaying book reports near your classroom library can allow you to curate a more meaningful classroom book collection and allow peers to interact in an unexpected way. Some of the earliest work with longer writing tasks is cultivated through the experience of crafting a book report. No matter how young your learners may be, fostering a love of reading and providing opportunities for children to write about what they read is critical.

Book Report Templates (Printable PDFs)

One of the most important steps of helping students understand how to craft a book report lies in their ability to choose the books they read and how they want to report on what they’ve learned. It is always useful to review book report options together in class in order to create a firm foundation that students can return to again and again. Since book reports can be a staple task in many elementary school classrooms, offering choice in how students craft and create reports will make the experience more engaging.

We’ve created a variety of printable book report templates below for different learners. For instance, we have an English language and Spanish language book report template that students can use to document character names, setting, and reflect on their favorite parts of a text! Additionally, we’ve crafted book report organizers for fiction and nonfiction texts, so you can appeal to learners who love different genres and make your curriculum more inclusive. Finally, we’ve also created a few options for those students who need more challenge. In these book reports, students extract quotes of significance, analyze them, and offer their insights on what the text teaches readers.

All of our book report templates encourage students to reflect on their interest in the text. This is critical for their reflection and ability to connect with their reading experiences.

Book Report Template

Students complete the book report by writing the title, author, Character names, setting and their favorite part of the story.

Spanish Book Report Template

This is the same book report template but in Spanish.

4th-5th Grade Book Report Summary Template

With this template, 4th - 5th grade students enter the title, author, character names but also enter the plot structure and what the story can teach people. Students also rate the book.

4th - 5th Grade Nonfiction Book Report Template

A template for nonfiction books. The student enters basic book information plus three interesting facts and what they are most curious about after reading the book.

6th - 8th Grade Book Report Template

With this 6-8th grade template, students write a two-sentence summary, important quotes and whether they recommend the book and why.

6th - 8th Grade Book Report Template

Students explain, in two sentences, what the text is about, identify three important events in the text, and choose one quote they think is most important and then analyze its importance.

Try Book Report Ai Writer "WriteApp"

Experience a new way of creating book reports with WriteApp, our AI book report writer. WriteApp uses cutting-edge AI technology to generate detailed and comprehensive book reports in a fraction of the time it usually takes. Try WriteApp today and revolutionize your book report writing process.

AI book report writer

About AI book report creator

Simply input the book details and set your parameters, and WriteApp will produce a high-quality, insightful report. Whether you need a brief overview or an in-depth analysis, WriteApp adapts to your needs, saving you time and stress. Plus, you can use the AI-generated reports as a learning tool to improve your own writing and analytical skills.

AI book writer

How It Works

Step 1: Input Your Book Details Start by entering the details of the book you need a report on. This includes the title, author, and any specific aspects you want the AI book report writer to focus on, such as themes, character analysis, or plot summary.

Step 2: Set Your Parameters Next, set your preferred word count and choose the level of detail you want in the report. WriteApp can generate everything from a brief overview to a comprehensive analysis.

Step 3: Let WriteApp Generate the Report Once your details are set, WriteApp gets to work. Our AI book report writer uses advanced algorithms to generate a high-quality, detailed report that captures the essence of the book and meets your specified requirements.

Step 4: Review, Edit, and Download The generated report is ready for review in a matter of moments. You can read through it, make any necessary edits, and learn from the AI’s approach. Once you’re satisfied, download the report and use it as you wish!

With WriteApp, generating book reports becomes a stress-free and efficient process. Try our AI writer today and see the difference it makes!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can we help you?

Can AI write a book report?

How to use ai to write a book report, can ai write books, how to use ai to write a book, benefits to use our ai book report writer named writeapp, swift report generation.

WriteApp, our AI book report writer, generates comprehensive book reports in a fraction of the time it would take to write manually. Now you can meet your deadlines with ease and efficiency.

High-Quality Content

Powered by advanced AI, WriteApp ensures that every book report is of exceptional quality. It synthesizes information and presents insights in a coherent, compelling manner that demonstrates a deep understanding of the book.

Customizable Reports

WriteApp is adaptable to your unique needs. Whether you need a simple summary or an in-depth analysis, our AI book report writer can customize the report to suit your requirements.

Consistent Learning Tool

WriteApp is more than just a writing aid; it’s also a learning tool. By reviewing the structure, style, and content of the AI-generated book reports, users can improve their own writing and analytical skills.

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Have a book report submission deadline and want to know how to write one? We’re here to help! Book reports are vital in academics, helping students sharpen their understanding and critical thinking, while for authors, they offer a deep dive into a text’s composition and stylistic elements.

In this article, we will understand how to write a good book report. It’s a skill that not only helps you get more out of what you’re reading but also lets you create a report that truly reflects how good the book is. Let’s get started!

Ace your assignment with a perfect book report! Learn more

Firstly, let us understand what is a book report.

What is a book report?

A book report is an in-depth analysis, an objective summary of a book’s main content and arguments. Book reports discuss a book’s content, structure, and themes. Far from just a recap of the plot outline , a book report examines the details of a book’s narrative, offering insights into the characters, themes of the story , and the author’s writing style. 

Note: A book report is usually assigned to students from secondary schools to colleges. As per book report format, book reports are typically 500–1000 words long.

Elements of a book report

A proper book report outline consists of the following elements:

  • Introduction: Think about how to start a book report with an engaging opening. Mention the book’s title, author, genre, and a brief plot summary. State your main theme or viewpoint.
  • Content summary: Give a clear, summary of the plot. Highlight key events and turning points. Avoid spoilers.
  • Analysis and perspective: Examine the key characters, their traits, motivations, development, and plot roles. Explore major themes, symbols, and motifs, and their narrative effect. Review the author’s style and perspective, and their impact on the story.
  • Conclusion: Summarize your main points. Restate your overall impression of the book and possibly suggest who might enjoy it or what kind of readers would benefit from it.
  • Citations and references (if necessary): If you have used external sources or have been influenced by other analyses, make sure to cite these references properly to avoid plagiarism.

By following this book report outline, your book report will be comprehensive, informative, and engaging.

How to write a book report

Before learning how to do a book report, it is important to remember that following a book report format is essential. 

Here’s how to write a book report:

  • Read the book carefully: Start by reading the book thoroughly. Take notes on key points, characters, themes, and any passages that stand out.
  • Create an Outline: Organize your thoughts and notes into an outline. This will be your roadmap and will help keep your writing focused.
  • Write the introduction: Begin with an engaging introduction that provides basic information about the book, including the title, author, and a brief synopsis.
  • Develop the body: You can follow your outline or a book report template to write the body of your report. Discuss each element (plot, characters, themes, etc.) in separate paragraphs or sections.
  • Conclude your report: Summarize your main points and offer your final thoughts and evaluation of the book.
  • Review and revise: Finally, review and proofread your report for clarity, coherence, and correctness. Make sure to correct any grammatical mistakes and ensure your report flows logically.

Taking a look at a few examples of book reports will help you understand how to do a book report easily.  So let’s explore some book report examples next.

Book report examples

Starting with book report examples, let’s look at a book report example on The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

Introduction: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is a powerful and poignant diary that gives an intimate glimpse into the life of a Jewish teenager during the Holocaust.

Summary: The diary chronicles Anne Frank’s life from 1942 to 1944, during which she and her family hid from the Nazis in Amsterdam. The entries detail her daily life in the secret annex, her thoughts, fears, and hopes for a better future.

Analysis and themes: Anne’s diary is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity. Themes of hope, the cruelty of war, the innocence of youth, and the power of writing shine through her words.

Conclusion: Diary of a Young Girl is more than just a diary; it’s a moving narrative that brings to light the horrors of war and the timeless strength of hope and human dignity. Anne Frank’s voice continues to resonate with readers around the world, making this book a must-read for understanding history and humanity.

Now let’s look at a fiction book report example on Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.

Introduction: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a thrilling fantasy novel that introduces us to a world where Greek gods and mythology come to life in the modern era.

Summary: The story follows Percy Jackson, a young boy who discovers he is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. After being accused of stealing Zeus’s lightning bolt, Percy embarks on a dangerous adventure across America to find the real thief and prevent a war among the gods.

Analysis and themes: Riordan’s novel is rich in Greek mythology and cleverly intertwined with modern-day settings and issues. Themes of identity, friendship, and bravery are prominent as Percy navigates the challenges of being a demigod. The book also explores the concept of good vs. evil and the importance of understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses.

Conclusion: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is an engaging and imaginative novel that offers a fresh perspective on Greek mythology. It’s a captivating read for young adults, effectively combining action, humor, and life lessons, making it a standout in the genre of fantasy fiction.

Book report template

You can easily write a book report using our free book report template.

It’s clear that writing a book report is more than a mere academic exercise; it’s an opportunity to delve deeper into the world of literature and gain insights. 

By using the provided template and examples as starting points, you’re well on your way to writing insightful and compelling book reports. Also, to make your book report perfect, we are always here to help you with our expert editing and proofreading services ! 

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a book report be, what should a book report include, how to conclude a book report, how to write an introduction for a book report, what is the purpose of a book report.

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How to Write a Book Report

Use the links below to jump directly to any section of this guide:

Book Report Fundamentals

Preparing to write, an overview of the book report format, how to write the main body of a book report, how to write a conclusion to a book report, reading comprehension and book reports, book report resources for teachers .

Book reports remain a key educational assessment tool from elementary school through college. Sitting down to close read and critique texts for their content and form is a lifelong skill, one that benefits all of us well beyond our school years. With the help of this guide, you’ll develop your reading comprehension and note-taking skills. You’ll also find resources to guide you through the process of writing a book report, step-by-step, from choosing a book and reading actively to revising your work. Resources for teachers are also included, from creative assignment ideas to sample rubrics.

Book reports follow general rules for composition, yet are distinct from other types of writing assignments. Central to book reports are plot summaries, analyses of characters and themes, and concluding opinions. This format differs from an argumentative essay or critical research paper, in which impartiality and objectivity is encouraged. Differences also exist between book reports and book reviews, who do not share the same intent and audience. Here, you’ll learn the basics of what a book report is and is not.

What Is a Book Report?

"Book Report" ( ThoughtCo )

This article, written by a professor emeritus of rhetoric and English, describes the defining characteristics of book reports and offers observations on how they are composed.

"Writing a Book Report" (Purdue OWL)

Purdue’s Online Writing Lab outlines the steps in writing a book report, from keeping track of major characters as you read to providing adequate summary material.

"How to Write a Book Report" ( Your Dictionary )

This article provides another helpful guide to writing a book report, offering suggestions on taking notes and writing an outline before drafting. 

"How to Write a Successful Book Report" ( ThoughtCo )

Another post from ThoughtCo., this article highlights the ten steps for book report success. It was written by an academic advisor and college enrollment counselor.

What’s the Difference Between a Book Report and an Essay?

"Differences Between a Book Report & Essay Writing" ( Classroom)

In this article from the education resource Classroom,  you'll learn the differences and similarities between book reports and essay writing.

"Differences Between a Book Report and Essay Writing" (SeattlePi.com)

In this post from a Seattle newspaper's website, memoirist Christopher Cascio highlights how book report and essay writing differ.

"The Difference Between Essays and Reports" (Solent Online Learning)

This PDF from Southampton Solent University includes a chart demonstrating the differences between essays and reports. Though it is geared toward university students, it will help students of all levels understand the differing purposes of reports and analytical essays.

What’s the Difference Between a Book Report and a Book Review?

"How to Write a Book Review and a Book Report" (Concordia Univ.)

The library at Concordia University offers this helpful guide to writing book report and book reviews. It defines differences between the two, then presents components that both forms share.

"Book Reviews" (Univ. of North Carolina)

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s writing guide shows the step-by-step process of writing book reviews, offering a contrast to the composition of book reports.

Active reading and thoughtful preparation before you begin your book report are necessary components of crafting a successful piece of writing. Here, you’ll find tips and resources to help you learn how to select the right book, decide which format is best for your report, and outline your main points.

Selecting and Finding a Book

"30 Best Books for Elementary Readers" (Education.com)

This article from Education.com lists 30 engaging books for students from kindergarten through fifth grade. It was written by Esme Raji Codell, a teacher, author, and children's literature specialist.

"How to Choose a Good Book for a Report (Middle School)" (WikiHow)

This WikiHow article offers suggestions for middle schoolers on how to choose the right book for a report, from getting started early on the search process to making sure you understand the assignment's requirements.

"Best Book-Report Books for Middle Schoolers" (Common Sense Media)

Common Sense Media has compiled this list of 25 of the best books for middle school book reports. For younger students, the article suggests you check out the site's "50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12."

"50 Books to Read in High School" (Lexington Public Library)

The Lexington, Kentucky Public Library has prepared this list to inspire high school students to choose the right book. It includes both classics and more modern favorites.

The Online Computer Library Center's catalogue helps you locate books in libraries near you, having itemized the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries.

Formats of Book Reports

"Format for Writing a Book Report" ( Your Dictionary )

Here, Your Dictionary supplies guidelines for the basic book report format. It describes what you'll want to include in the heading, and what information to include in the introductory paragraph. Be sure to check these guidelines against your teacher's requirements.

"The Good Old Book Report" (Scholastic)

Nancy Barile’s blog post for Scholastic lists the questions students from middle through high school should address in their book reports.

How to Write an Outline

"Writer’s Web: Creating Outlines" (Univ. of Richmond)

The University of Richmond’s Writing Center shows how you can make use of micro and macro outlines to organize your argument.

"Why and How to Create a Useful Outline" (Purdue OWL)

Purdue’s Online Writing Lab demonstrates how outlines can help you organize your report, then teaches you how to create outlines.

"Creating an Outline" (EasyBib)

EasyBib, a website that generates bibliographies, offers sample outlines and tips for creating your own. The article encourages you to think about transitions and grouping your notes.

"How to Write an Outline: 4 Ways to Organize Your Thoughts" (Grammarly)

This blog post from a professional writer explains the advantages of using an outline, and presents different ways to gather your thoughts before writing.

In this section, you’ll find resources that offer an overview of how to write a book report, including first steps in preparing the introduction. A good book report's introduction hooks the reader with strong opening sentences and provides a preview of where the report is going.

"Step-by-Step Outline for a Book Report" ( Classroom )

This article from Classroom furnishes students with a guide to the stages of writing a book report, from writing the rough draft to revising.

"Your Roadmap to a Better Book Report" ( Time4Writing )

Time4Writing offers tips for outlining your book report, and describes all of the information that the introduction, body, and conclusion should include.

"How to Start a Book Report" ( ThoughtCo)

This ThoughtCo. post, another by academic advisor and college enrollment counselor Grace Fleming, demonstrates how to write a pithy introduction to your book report.

"How to Write an Introduction for a Book Report" ( Classroom )

This brief but helpful post from Classroom  details what makes a good book report introduction, down to the level of individual sentences.

The body paragraphs of your book report accomplish several goals: they describe the plot, delve more deeply into the characters and themes that make the book unique, and include quotations and examples from the book. Below are some resources to help you succeed in summarizing and analyzing your chosen text.

Plot Summary and Description

"How Do You Write a Plot Summary?" ( Reference )

This short article presents the goals of writing a plot summary, and suggests a word limit. It emphasizes that you should stick to the main points and avoid including too many specific details, such as what a particular character wears.

"How to Write a Plot for a Book Report" ( The Pen & The Pad )

In this article from a resource website for writers, Patricia Harrelson outlines what information to include in a plot summary for a book report. 

"How to Write a Book Summary" (WikiHow)

Using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as an example, this WikiHow article demonstrates how to write a plot summary one step at a time.

Analyzing Characters and Themes

"How to Write a Character Analysis Book Report" ( The Pen & The Pad )

Kristine Tucker shows how to write a book report focusing on character. You can take her suggestions as they are, or consider  incorporating them into the more traditional book report format.

"How to Write a Character Analysis" (YouTube)

The SixMinuteScholar Channel utilizes analysis of the film  Finding Nemo to show you how to delve deeply into character, prioritizing inference over judgment.

"How to Define Theme" ( The Editor's Blog )

Fiction editor Beth Hill contributes an extended definition of theme. She also provides examples of common themes, such as "life is fragile."

"How to Find the Theme of a Book or Short Story" ( ThoughtCo )

This blog post from ThoughtCo. clarifies the definition of theme in relation to symbolism, plot, and moral. It also offers examples of themes in literature, such as love, death, and good vs. evil.

Selecting and Integrating Quotations

"How to Choose and Use Quotations" (Santa Barbara City College)

This guide from a college writing center will help you choose which quotations to use in your book report, and how to blend quotations with your own words.

"Guidelines for Incorporating Quotes" (Ashford Univ.)

This PDF from Ashford University's Writing Center introduces the ICE method for incorporating quotations: introduce, cite, explain.

"Quote Integration" (YouTube)

This video from The Write Way YouTube channel illustrates how to integrate quotations into writing, and also explains how to cite those quotations.

"Using Literary Quotations" (Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison)

This guide from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Writing Center helps you emphasize your analysis of a quotation, and explains how to incorporate quotations into your text.

Conclusions to any type of paper are notoriously tricky to write. Here, you’ll learn some creative ways to tie up loose ends in your report and express your own opinion of the book you read. This open space for sharing opinions that are not grounded in critical research is an element that often distinguishes book reports from other types of writing.

"How to Write a Conclusion for a Book Report" ( Classroom )

This brief article from the education resource  Classroom illustrates the essential points you should make in a book report conclusion.

"Conclusions" (Univ. of North Carolina)

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Writing Center lays out strategies for writing effective conclusions. Though the article is geared toward analytical essay conclusions, the tips offered here will also help you write a strong book report.

"Ending the Essay: Conclusions" (Harvard College Writing Center)

Pat Bellanca’s article for Harvard University’s Writing Center presents ways to conclude essays, along with tips. Again, these are suggestions for concluding analytical essays that can also be used to tie up a book report's loose ends.

Reading closely and in an engaged manner is the strong foundation upon which all good book reports are built. The resources below will give you a picture of what active reading looks like, and offer strategies to assess and improve your reading comprehension. Further, you’ll learn how to take notes—or “annotate” your text—making it easier to find important information as you write.

How to Be an Active Reader

"Active Reading Strategies: Remember and Analyze What You Read" (Princeton Univ.)

Princeton University’s McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning recommends ten strategies for active reading, and includes sample diagrams.

"Active Reading" (Open Univ.)

The Open University offers these techniques for reading actively alongside video examples. The author emphasizes that you should read for comprehension—not simply to finish the book as quickly as possible.

"7 Active Reading Strategies for Students" ( ThoughtCo )

In this post, Grace Fleming outlines seven methods for active reading. Her suggestions include identifying unfamiliar words and finding the main idea. 

"5 Active Reading Strategies for Textbook Assignments" (YouTube)

Thomas Frank’s seven-minute video demonstrates how you can retain the most important information from long and dense reading material.

Assessing Your Reading Comprehension

"Macmillan Readers Level Test" (MacMillan)

Take this online, interactive test from a publishing company to find out your reading level. You'll be asked a number of questions related to grammar and vocabulary.

"Reading Comprehension Practice Test" (ACCUPLACER)

ACCUPLACER is a placement test from The College Board. This 20-question practice test will help you see what information you retain after reading short passages.

"Reading Comprehension" ( English Maven )

The English Maven site has aggregated exercises and tests at various reading levels so you can quiz your reading comprehension skills.

How to Improve Your Reading Comprehension

"5 Tips for Improving Reading Comprehension" ( ThoughtCo )

ThoughtCo. recommends five tips to increase your reading comprehension ability, including reading with tools such as highlighters, and developing new vocabulary.

"How to Improve Reading Comprehension: 8 Expert Tips" (PrepScholar)

This blog post from PrepScholar provides ideas for improving your reading comprehension, from expanding your vocabulary to discussing texts with friends.

CrashCourse video: "Reading Assignments" (YouTube)

This CrashCourse video equips you with tools to read more effectively. It will help you determine how much material you need to read, and what strategies you can use to absorb what you read.

"Improving Reading Comprehension" ( Education Corner )

From a pre-reading survey through post-reading review, Education Corner  walks you through steps to improve reading comprehension.

Methods of In-text Annotation

"The Writing Process: Annotating a Text" (Hunter College)

This article from Hunter College’s Rockowitz Writing Center outlines how to take notes on a text and provides samples of annotation.

"How To Annotate Text While Reading" (YouTube)

This video from the SchoolHabits YouTube channel presents eleven annotation techniques you can use for better reading comprehension.

"5 Ways To Annotate Your Books" ( Book Riot )

This article from the Book Riot  blog highlights five efficient annotation methods that will save you time and protect your books from becoming cluttered with unnecessary markings.

"How Do You Annotate Your Books?" ( Epic Reads )

This post from Epic Reads highlights how different annotation methods work for different people, and showcases classic methods from sticky notes to keeping a reading notebook.

Students at every grade level can benefit from writing book reports, which sharpen critical reading skills. Here, we've aggregated sources to help you plan book report assignments and develop rubrics for written and oral book reports. You’ll also find alternative book report assessment ideas that move beyond the traditional formats.

Teaching Elementary School Students How to Write Book Reports

"Book Reports" ( Unique Teaching Resources )

These reading templates courtesy of Unique Teaching Resources make great visual aids for elementary school students writing their first book reports.

"Elementary Level Book Report Template" ( Teach Beside Me )

This   printable book report template from a teacher-turned-homeschooler is simple, classic, and effective. It asks basic questions, such as "who are the main characters?" and "how did you feel about the main characters?"

"Book Reports" ( ABC Teach )

ABC Teach ’s resource directory includes printables for book reports on various subjects at different grade levels, such as a middle school biography book report form and a "retelling a story" elementary book report template.

"Reading Worksheets" ( Busy Teacher's Cafe )

This page from Busy Teachers’ Cafe contains book report templates alongside reading comprehension and other language arts worksheets.

Teaching Middle School and High School Students How to Write Book Reports

"How to Write a Book Report: Middle and High School Level" ( Fact Monster)

Fact Monster ’s Homework Center discusses each section of a book report, and explains how to evaluate and analyze books based on genre for students in middle and high school.

"Middle School Outline Template for Book Report" (Trinity Catholic School)

This PDF outline template breaks the book report down into manageable sections for seventh and eighth graders by asking for specific information in each paragraph.

"Forms for Writing a Book Report for High School" ( Classroom )

In this article for Classroom,  Elizabeth Thomas describes what content high schoolers should focus on when writing their book reports.

"Forms for Writing a Book Report for High School" ( The Pen & The Pad )

Kori Morgan outlines techniques for adapting the book report assignment to the high school level in this post for The Pen & The Pad .

"High School Book Lists and Report Guidelines" (Highland Hall Waldorf School)

These sample report formats, grading paradigms, and tips are collected by Highland Hall Waldorf School. Attached are book lists by high school grade level.

Sample Rubrics

"Book Review Rubric Editable" (Teachers Pay Teachers)

This free resource from Teachers Pay Teachers allows you to edit your book report rubric to the specifications of your assignment and the grade level you teach.

"Book Review Rubric" (Winton Woods)

This PDF rubric from a city school district includes directions to take the assignment long-term, with follow-up exercises through school quarters.

"Multimedia Book Report Rubric" ( Midlink Magazine )

Perfect for oral book reports, this PDF rubric from North Carolina State University's Midlink Magazine  will help you evaluate your students’ spoken presentations.

Creative Book Report Assignments

"25 Book Report Alternatives" (Scholastic)

This article from the Scholastic website lists creative alternatives to the standard book report for pre-kindergarteners through high schoolers.

"Fresh Ideas for Creative Book Reports" ( Education World )

Education World offers nearly 50 alternative book report ideas in this article, from a book report sandwich to a character trait diagram.

"A Dozen Ways to Make Amazingly Creative Book Reports" ( We Are Teachers )

This post from We Are Teachers puts the spotlight on integrating visual arts into literary study through multimedia book report ideas.

"More Ideas Than You’ll Ever Use for Book Reports" (Teachnet.com)

This list from Teachnet.com includes over 300 ideas for book report assignments, from "interviewing" a character to preparing a travel brochure to the location in which the book is set.

"Fifty Alternatives to the Book Report" (National Council of Teachers of English)

In this PDF resource from the NCTE's  English Journal,  Diana Mitchell offers assignment ideas ranging from character astrology signs to a character alphabet.

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online book report

15 Creative and digital book report ideas that will get your students excited to read

online book report

Not all students are excited to read a book. So how can you make reading a book more engaging and fun? This is a huge challenge for most teachers, so I hope I can help you out!

Here’s what you’ll find in this blog post (click on the title if you want to jump to the section directly)

5 tips to get your students excited about reading

  • 15 creative and digital book report lesson plans (free & ready to use!)
  • The complete collection of book report lesson ideas in one assignment (your students get to choose!)

Instructions on how to use these digital book report lesson activities

Before you dive into the book reports, you have to get your students excited about reading first. In this previous post about reading, I’ve listed 10 tips that will encourage your students to read . I’ve come up with 5 more amazing tips! Here we go:

1. Use AR apps

online book report

Here are a few apps with amazing storylines and AR books.

  • Wonderscope , for example, is an excellent storytelling tool. It uses augmented reality to transform ordinary places into real-time stories. Students also learn to read with the app. They ask questions to the characters in the story and listen to the characters’ answers.
  • The Ghostkeeper’s journal and field guide : This book is an immersive adventure for readers aged 10 and up, offering several AR experiences to enhance the storyline. These are accessed via a mobile app “ Ghost-o-Matic ”.
  • Bookful creates an engaging reading experience and brings stories and characters in books to life. The app holds the world’s largest 3D/AR library with hundreds of titles from leading publishers and brands such as: The Tale of Peter Rabbit, DK’s Encyclopedia, and children’s favorites such as Barbie, My Little Pony, Thomas & Friends, Transformers, and The Smurfs.

2. Escape lessons

online book report

Here are 3 fun ready-to-use escape lessons to spark your students’ joy of reading:

  • A Halloween Murder : Let your students investigate the murder of the victim: Brat Spook. When they find the murderer, they get their “inspector” badge. Let them look for evidence in the murder scene, talk to suspects, analyze lab results, and so on!
  • Finding Rudolph : Save Christmas by helping Santa find back Rudolph. Students go through different challenges, talk to eye-witnesses, and follow Rudolph through a winter maze, so Santa can deliver all the presents to the children.
  • Easter Bunny Substitute : Can your students find a good Easter Bunny replacement? In the last breakout game for the classroom, the Easter Bunny is hurt, so your students need to interview the possible applicants and take tests to replace the Easter Bunny themselves. If they succeed in the challenges, they get an Easter Bunny substitute badge.

3. Storytelling

online book report

If you bring cultural elements into your lessons by telling a story, your students will be more eager to learn. Storytelling makes students want to “live the story”. And they do this by reading it. If your story is strong enough, your students will love learning and reading. They will even remember the lesson content better.

Here’s a fun & ready-to-use example: The life of William Shakespeare

4. First chapters

online book report

5. Books & sleepovers

online book report

You can even add different parts to your sleepover. For example, let students read their favorite passage in a book of choice out loud, and 1 hour before bedtime, all your students take their book and read in silence. Or how about creating cozy themed corners? Fantasy, science fiction, detectives,… When your students are reading in themed corners, they get the full experience. They can even dress up as a character in their book whilst reading.

15 Creative and digital book report lesson plans

Step 1: Get your students excited about reading. ✅ Step 2: make sure they don’t lose their interest when you’re announcing the book report assignment! ☑️ This part can be demotivating.

As the lower grade students often still get fun book report assignments, the higher grade students often get a dull worksheet where they have to describe the characters and give a summary. Change up your book report assignments with these creative, free & ready-to-use lesson ideas.

Take a look at all these ready-to-use and free digital book report activities. They’re all made with BookWidgets . You can even make exercises like these yourself in your own BookWidgets account.

Keep on reading to find out how to use these exercises in your lessons.

How did your students experience the book? Let them fill the glasses with drawings of the storyline/the book. The glasses represent the view of the students. Students can get really creative and use the toolbar at the bottom to draw and type.

You can ask your students to present their book report artworks to the other students as well. This way, your students can explain what’s on their drawing.

Creative book report - glasses drawing

2. Bookworm

Creative book report - bookworm worksheet

3. Timeline

This interactive book report asks your students to create a timeline of the story. When did what happen, chronologically? The have to add the biggest events in the story to the timeline.

Creative book report with timeline

4. Comic book

In this book report exercise, your students have to write a comic book based upon the book they’ve just read. When they click on the “start” icon, they can choose fitting text balloons to go with their story.

Here are three other fun websites that let students create comic books: Storyboard That , Comic Life , and Toonytool . They already give you creative templates and drawings. This is a bit easier for students. This way, they don’t have to start from scratch.

Creative book report - Comic book

5. Character portrait

Creative book report - Character portrait

6. Randomness task

Just… add a little spice. I’ve turned the ordinary book report task, where students have to describe characters, the setting, plot, etc., into an exciting one. Your students don’t know yet what they’ll have to describe. They spin the randomness wheel and their task appears. The fun thing about this one is that all of your students will write a different book report.

Creative book report - bookworm

7. Book cover

Here, students get to be creative and invent their own book cover (front and back) of the book they just read. Or maybe just a cover for of a piece of text you’ve read out loud. They can use the whiteboard tools: pencil, type tool, switch colors, add images, etc.

Creative book report - book cover

8. Character family tree

This digital mind map exercise allows your students to add boxes with text and connect them to each other. This is perfect for a book report activity focusing on the characters in their book.

Creative book report - family tree

9. Facebook Profile

Modern days call for modern book report lesson ideas. Image the main character having a Facebook profile. What would be on it? That’s exactly what your students have to figure out here. Create a Facebook profile about the main character.

Creative book report - Facebook profile

10. Book Collage

Here, students have to add 10 pictures or images that have to do with the book. They can do so by clicking on the photo icon and adding images into their collage.

Creative book report - family tree

11. Mirror selfie

In this creative book report, students have to dress up like the character in their book, including holding 3 attributes that refer to the personality of the main character. They have to take a picture or mirror selfie of themselves dressed up, and add that picture to the whiteboard. You can ask them to come forward and present their images and explain why they’ve chosen those specific attributes.

The fun thing about all of these exercises is that they work on smartphones as well. So in this case, students can just open the exercise on their smartphones, take a mirror selfie with their phones and add it to the mirror in the digital whiteboard exercise.

Creative book report - Mirror selfie

12. Email to the author

Your students have the chance to write a friendly email or letter to the author of the book they just read. Students have to share:

  • their opinion;
  • the character in the book they liked most, and why;
  • their favorite part of the book and why;
  • questions that they have about the book.

If you have an email address of the author, ask your students to submit their works to you, the teacher, first. After having given feedback on their letters, they can make some changes and send it over to the author.

If you have the author’s postal address, it’s much more fun to write a classic letter.

Creative book report - Letter to the author

13. Conversation between characters

There is something called a “texting thumb” or a “smartphone pinky”. This shows that students like to send texts. A lot of them. So why not include it in your book report lesson plan? In this digital book report, students have to invent a conversation between two characters in their book.

Creative book report - Conversation with a character

14. Movie vs. Book

A lot of books have a movie version too. If your students choose a book that also has a movie, it’s interesting to let your students make a comparison. With this book report exercise, you’re also sure your students actually read the book instead of just watching the movie and write a summary of the movie and not the book.

Creative book report - movie vs book

15. Emoji summary

The last exercise is also one students can relate to. Nowadays, we use emojis after almost every sentence when we’re communicating with friends. Emojis also have a strong meaning and can be used to express feelings or say something without actually saying it.

Creative book report - Emoji summary

The complete collection of book report lesson ideas in one assignment

All these book report exercises are so much fun and yet they don’t take up a lot of time. Perhaps they just ask your students to only describe a certain part about the book. Cue… the planner widget.

With this type of BookWidgets activity, you can combine several lessons into one. You can let your students take matters into their own hands and choose which book report activities they’d like to finish.

It’s actually pretty easy. Your students read the instructions in the instructions widget and then start adding at least three book report activities to their planner. They finish the activities, submit them to their teacher, check off their planner, and that’s it!

Creative book report - Collection

Above, you can find the 15 ready-to-use book report activities. You can use these lesson examples for free. Since they’re all made with BookWidgets, I’ve listed them in this BookWidgets group . Here’s what you need to do:

  • Click on this link . It will immediately bring you to the group with all of the book report activities. If you don’t have a BookWidgets account yet, you’ll have to sign up first for free .
  • Duplicate all the book report activities. Click on the settings wheel , select all widgets , click on the settings wheel again, choose duplicate selected widgets . Choose where you want to save the activities in your BookWidgets account.
  • Go to your saved book report lessons. You can now click on the black dropdown arrow next to the ‘Show’ button of a particular exercise and select Edit . You can make some changes to this activity (if you want). If it’s perfect for you, click on Share in the upper right corner.
  • Share this link with your students. When they click on it, they can fill it out. A lot of the book report examples above have been made with BookWidgets’ Whiteboard widget, in which students can use the tool menu at the bottom to switch tools (draw, type,…), and to switch colors. When done, they can submit the book reports to you by clicking on the envelope in the upper right corner.
  • As a teacher, you go to “Grades & reporting” in BookWidgets to find your students’ answers.

Of course, now that you’ve got your own BookWidgets account, you can also create book report activities or other assignments yourself!

Attention! Once your free trial runs out, you’ll only be able to use the widgets you’ve already finished/shared with students. While your BookWidgets account will still work and you’ll still get your students’ results with the free BookWidgets version, you won’t be able to duplicate widgets nor create new widgets yourself anymore.

So that’s it! I hope these lesson ideas are useful for your classroom or at least give you lots of new ideas for your book report lessons! You can even create ones yourself!

Create your first digital book report with BookWidgets

Have fun, share this with fellow teachers and keep on rocking your classroom!

Join hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and get the best content on technology in education.

BookWidgets enables teachers to create fun and interactive lessons for tablets, smartphones, and computers.

online book report

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A Beginner's Guide to Writing a Book Report (with Examples)

Last Updated: June 25, 2024 Fact Checked

  • Researching
  • Drafting the Report
  • Reviewing & Revising

Sample Book Reports & Summaries

Expert q&a.

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams and by wikiHow staff writer, Raven Minyard, BA . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,422,538 times.

A book report is a short essay that summarizes and analyzes a work of fiction or nonfiction. Writing a book report may not seem fun at first, but it gives you a great chance to fully understand a work and its author. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about how to write a book report, from choosing a book and outlining to drafting and editing your final paper.

Things You Should Know

  • Read the entire book and take notes on important themes, characters, and events. Use your notes to create an outline with evidence that supports your analysis.
  • Include the title and author in your intro, then summarize the plot, main characters, and setting of the book.
  • Analyze the author’s writing style, as well as the main themes and arguments of the book. Include quotes and examples to support your statements.

Researching Your Book Report

Step 1 Follow the requirements of your assignment.

  • For example, find out if your teacher wants you to include citations, such as page numbers from the book, in your report.
  • Ask your teacher how much of your paper to devote to summary versus analysis. Most book reports are direct summaries with objective analysis rather than your personal opinions. In contrast, a book review or commentary is more opinion-driven.

Jake Adams

  • Some popular books for book reports include To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Animal Farm by George Orwell, and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Choose a book at your grade level.

Step 3 Write down the key elements of the book.

  • Author: Who wrote the book? Do you know any other works by this author?
  • Genre: Is the book fiction or nonfiction? If it’s fiction, is it historical, fantasy, horror, etc.? If it’s nonfiction, is it a biography, memoir, science, etc.?
  • Audience: Who would find this book appealing? Is it intended for a specific age range or gender? Do you typically enjoy books like this?
  • Title: Does the title catch your interest? Does it fit well with the book’s content?
  • Book Cover/Illustrations: What does the book cover convey and does it accurately represent the book? How do you feel when you look at it? If the book has illustrations, what are they and do they hold your interest?

Step 4 Read the entire book.

  • Take breaks while reading to keep your attention sharp. Try to find a pace that is comfortable for you. If you get distracted after 15 minutes, read in 15-minute intervals. If you can go an hour, read for an hour at a time.
  • Give yourself enough time to read the entire book. It’s very difficult to write a book report if you’ve just skimmed over everything. Don’t procrastinate!
  • Don’t trust online book summaries. You can’t guarantee that they are accurate or true to the text.

Step 5 Take careful notes when reading.

  • For example, look for a sentence that clearly describes a main setting in the book, such as “The castle was gloomy and made out of large black stones.”

Outlining Your Book Report

Step 1 Create an outline.

  • Introduction: Introduce the title, author, and publication information. Include a brief overview of the book’s genre and main theme, and state your purpose for writing the report.
  • Summary: Concisely summarize the plot or central idea, highlighting main events, characters, and conflicts. Focus on important aspects while avoiding spoilers.
  • Analysis and Evaluation: Evaluate the author’s writing style and use of literary devices, like foreshadowing, metaphors, imagery, etc. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the book and use quotes and examples from the text.
  • Themes and Messages: Identify the book’s main themes or messages and how they develop through the course of the book. Provide specific quotes and examples.
  • Character Analysis: Analyze the main characters in the book, their development, and their relationships. Explain their motivations, personalities, and significance to the story. Provide examples and quotes to support your analysis.
  • Personal Reflection: Depending on your teacher’s instructions, you might share your personal opinions and discuss what you liked and disliked about the book. Reflect on how the book relates to broader themes or issues.
  • Conclusion: Summarize your main points and conclude with your final thoughts or reflections on the book.
  • Bibliography: If required, include a works cited page or bibliography listing all the sources you used to write your book report.
  • Outlining takes time, but it saves you more time once you reach the editing stage.
  • Some people prefer to outline with pen and paper, while others just type up a list on the computer. Choose the method that works best for you.

Step 2 Intermix examples and quotations from the text.

  • Be careful not to overuse quotes. If it seems like every other line is a quote, try to dial back. Aim to include a maximum of one quotation per paragraph. Quotes and examples should still take a backseat to your summary.

Step 3 Don’t try to cover everything.

  • For example, you’ll likely need to focus primarily on discussing the most important characters or the characters that appear most frequently in the text.
  • When you are finished with your outline, go back through it to see if it makes sense. If the paragraphs don’t flow into one another, move them around or add/delete new ones until they do.
  • Also, check to see if your outline covers all of the major elements of the book, such as the plot, characters, and setting.

Writing Your Book Report

Step 1 Open with an informative intro paragraph.

  • For example, a sentence summary might state, “This book is about the main character’s journey to Africa and what she learns on her travels.”
  • Don’t take up too much space with your introduction. In general, an introduction should be 3-6 sentences long, though in rare cases, they may be longer or shorter.

Step 2 Describe the book’s setting.

  • Use vivid language when you can and include plenty of details. For example, you might write, “The farm was surrounded by rolling hills.”

Step 3 Include a general plot summary.

  • For instance, if the main character moves to Africa, you might describe what happens before the move, how the move goes, and how they settle in once they arrive.

Step 4 Introduce the main characters.

  • For example, you might write that the main character is “a middle-aged woman who enjoys the finer things in life, such as designer clothes.” Then, connect this description to the plot summary by describing how her views change after her travels, if they do.
  • Expect to introduce the characters in the same sentences and paragraphs as the plot introduction.

Step 5 Examine main themes and/or arguments in your body paragraphs.

  • You might write, “The author argues that travel gives you a new perspective. That is why her main characters all seem happier and more grounded after visiting new places.”
  • For fiction, determine if the author is using the story to pass along a certain moral or lesson. For example, a book about an underdog athlete could encourage readers to take chances to pursue their dreams.

Step 6 Comment on the writing style and tone.

  • For example, an author who uses lots of slang terms is probably going for a hip, approachable style.

Step 7 Write a concise conclusion.

  • Some teachers require, or strongly suggest, that you include the author’s name and the book title in your concluding paragraph.
  • When writing a conclusion , don’t introduce any new thoughts. Any important points should be made in your body paragraphs. Save the space for your recap.

Step 8 Include a bibliography, if required.

Reviewing and Revising Your Book Report

Step 1 Edit your paper.

  • Before you submit your paper, make sure that you’ve spelled the author’s name and any character names correctly.
  • Don’t trust your computer’s spell check to catch all the errors for you. Spell check can be helpful, but it isn’t perfect and can make mistakes.

Step 2 Ask someone else to read it.

  • If you’re nervous about asking, try saying something like “It would be great if you could go over my book report and make sure that it reads smoothly.”
  • Remember, no one’s first draft is perfect, so don’t get upset if someone suggests you do something differently. They want to help make your report the best it can be, so don’t take constructive criticism personally.

Step 3 Polish your final draft.

  • For example, double-check that you are using the correct font, font size, and margins.
  • Once you've finished proofreading, revising, and checking that you've addressed all the requirements, you're ready to submit your book report!

online book report

  • Even though your book report is your own work, avoid using “I” too much. It can make your writing feel choppy. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • It might be tempting to watch the movie or read the online notes instead of reading the book. Resist this urge! Your teacher will be able to tell the difference. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

  • Calm down and walk around if you get too frustrated while writing. If you write a book report while angry, you're more likely to misspell things!
  • Choose a unique book. Harry Potter or Percy Jackson is an absolute no. Everyone chooses those. Try something different!
  • Write when anything comes to mind! You don't want to lose your ideas!

online book report

  • Give yourself plenty of time to write your report. Don’t wait until the last minute or you may feel rushed. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
  • Stealing or using another person’s work is considered plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Make sure that the work you submit is all your own. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

Write a Comparative Essay

  • ↑ https://www.aresearchguide.com/write-book-report.html
  • ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 24 July 2020.
  • ↑ https://grammark.org/how-to-write-a-book-report/
  • ↑ https://takelessons.com/blog/steps-to-writing-a-book-report
  • ↑ https://www.infoplease.com/homework-help/homework-center-writing-book-report
  • ↑ https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-setting
  • ↑ https://www.tcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/archive/writing-center-handouts/essay-types-plot-summary.pdf
  • ↑ https://www.cornerstone.edu/blog-post/six-steps-to-really-edit-your-paper/

About This Article

Jake Adams

To write a book report, start by introducing the author and the name of the book and then briefly summarizing the story. Next, discuss the main themes and point out what you think the author is trying to suggest to the reader. Finally, write about the author’s style of writing, paying particular attention to word choice and the overall tone of the book. For tips on editing and polishing your paper before turning it in, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How To Write a Good Book Report in Seven Steps

Are you having trouble writing your book report? Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to give you seven easy steps that’ll help you write the perfect book report.

Need helping writing a book report? LanguageTool can help.

Quick Summary on How To Write a Book Report

  • As you read the book, highlight and take notes.
  • Reread the instructions of the assignment.
  • Organize your notes and create an outline.
  • Write a compelling introduction.
  • Include quotations, examples, and supporting evidence in the body paragraphs.
  • Encapsulate the main point of your text in the conclusion.
  • Edit and proofread.

What Is a Book Report?

A book report is an essay in which students explain and support their thoughts and views on a story, novel, or any other literary work.

There are several different types of book reports. Regardless of which type you’re writing, teachers and professors usually assign book reports as a way to ensure that their students have thoroughly understood the book. Below, we’ll go over how to write a good book report in seven easy steps.

What are the steps on how to write a book report? Find out below.

How To Write a Book Report

1. as you read the book, highlight and take notes..

The first step of writing a good book report is to read the book, of course. However, it’s important to highlight and takes notes while reading it. Highlight anything that stands out to you or that evokes certain emotions. Write notes on patterns, themes, and characters. If you’re writing a book report on a nonfiction book, write notes on the major points of the book and what you think about them.

2. Revisit and reread the instructions of the assignment.

Once you’re done reading and taking notes, reread the instructions of the assignment. Find what it is you’re supposed to write about. Is it a character analysis? A plot summary? An exploration of themes and patterns, or something else? It’s also essential to follow the formatting guidelines, so make sure to use the correct font and spacing. If you have any questions, reach out to your teacher or professor.

3. Organize your notes and create an outline.

Gather your notes and arrange them into categories. Once you’ve completed this, write an outline and organize the categories to become the paragraphs of your book report. Jot down bullet points on what each paragraph will include and what part of the book can support it. As you start writing the book report, remain flexible. You don’t have to follow the outline exactly. You may realize that a few edits create a better flow.

4. Write a compelling introduction.

The introduction should be informative and catchy. You may want to start with a quote, climactic scene, or an unusual observation you had while reading the book. Towards the end of the introduction, you should write a one or two-sentence summary about the book, and then the last sentence should explain what exactly you’ll be writing about in the rest of the report.

Book Report Elements

Keep in mind that all book reports should contain:

  • The name and author of the book.
  • A thesis statement.
  • If you're writing about a fiction book, mention the setting, time period, and characters.
  • If you’re writing about a nonfiction book, mention the author’s main point in writing the book.
  • Evidence to support your arguments.

5. Include quotations, examples, and supporting evidence in the body paragraphs.

The body paragraphs are where you can include quotations, examples, and supporting evidence that bring your book report together.

For example, let’s say you’re writing a character analysis. You believe that the character that everyone sees as the protagonist is actually the antagonist. You should write why you believe that and include specific scenarios that help prove your point.

Or if you’re writing about a non-fiction book, you could use the body paragraphs to write about why you agree or disagree with the author. Similarly, you’d have to use examples and evidence to support your argument.

It’s a good idea to start off with your most compelling, evidence-backed point. Leave the weakest arguments for the middle, and end with another strong point. Lastly, whether you’re writing about fiction or non-fiction, commenting on writing style and tone is recommended (especially if it’s explicitly requested in the instructions).

6. Encapsulate the main point of your text in the conclusion.

The conclusion is just as important as the introduction, so make sure to set aside enough time to write one (students tend to rush through this part). Use the concluding paragraph to pull all your arguments together. Reiterate again what the main point was about, and then briefly summarize the main idea of your book report.

7. Edit and proofread.

Now that you’ve completed the first draft of your book report, it’s time to reread and make edits if needed. Are there any paragraphs you can move around that’ll improve the rhythm of your writing? Do you have enough evidence to back up your claims? Is your introduction captivating and descriptive?

While you’re rereading the book report, you should also be looking for typos and spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. If you want an extra set of eyes to look for all types of errors, you should use LanguageTool as your spelling and grammar checker. Not only will this advanced editor correct mistakes, but it supports more than twenty languages—meaning your book report will be perfect regardless of which language you’re writing it in.

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How to Write a Book Report (+ Book Report Example) 

Download for free, specific tips for writing effective book reports..

Write better book reports using the tips, examples, and outlines presented here. This resource covers three types of effective book reports: plot summaries, character analyses, and theme analyses. It also features a specific book report example for students.

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How to write a book report (+ book report example) 

Whether you're a student looking to show your comprehension of a novel, or simply a book lover wanting to share your thoughts, writing a book report can be a rewarding experience. This guide, filled with tips, tricks, and a book report example, will help you craft a report that effectively communicates your understanding and analysis of your chosen book.

Looking for a printable resource on book reports? See our Printable Book Report Outlines and Examples

What is a book report? 

Book reports can take on many different forms. Writing a book review helps you practice giving your opinion about different aspects of a book, such as an author's use of description or dialogue.

You can write book reports of any type, from fiction to non-fiction research papers, or essay writing; however, there are a few basic elements you need to include to convey why the book you read was interesting when writing a good book report.

Close up shot of student writing a book report in class. Book report example.

Types of book reports 

Three types of effective book reports are plot summaries, character analyses, and theme analyses. Each type focuses on different aspects of the book and requires a unique approach. These three types of book reports will help you demonstrate your understanding of the book in different ways.

Plot summary

When you are writing a plot summary for your book report you don't want to simply summarize the story. You need to explain what your opinion is of the story and why you feel the plot is so compelling, unrealistic, or sappy. It is the way you analyze the plot that will make this a good report. Make sure that you use plenty of examples from the book to support your opinions.

Try starting the report with a sentence similar to the following:

The plot of I Married a Sea Captain , by Monica Hubbard, is interesting because it gives the reader a realistic sense of what it was like to be the wife of a whaling captain and live on Nantucket during the 19th century.

Character analysis

If you choose to write a character analysis, you can explore the physical and personality traits of different characters and the way their actions affect the plot of the book.

  • Explore the way a character dresses and what impression that leaves with the reader.
  • What positive characteristics does the character possess?
  • Does the character have a "fatal flaw" that gets him/her into trouble frequently?
  • 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.
  • Finally, tie all of your observations together by explaining the way the characters make the plot move forward.

In the novel Charlotte's Web , by E. B. White, Templeton the rat may seem like an unnecessary character but his constant quest for food moves the plot forward in many ways.

Theme analyses

Exploring the themes (or big ideas that run throughout the story) in a book can be a great way to write a book report because picking a theme that you care about can make the report easier to write. 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 as many examples and 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.

In the novel Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry , by Mildred Taylor, the theme of racial prejudice is a major catalyst in the story.

How to write a book report

Close up shot of male student writing a book report in journal. Book report example.

1. Thoroughly read the book

Immerse yourself in the book, taking the time to read it in its entirety. As you read, jot down notes on important aspects such as key points, themes, and character developments.

2. Identify the main elements of the book

Scrutinize the book's primary components, including its main themes, characters, setting, and plot. These elements will form the basis of your report.

3. Formulate a thesis statement

Compose a thesis statement that encapsulates your personal perspective about the book. This should be a concise statement that will guide your analysis and give your report a clear focus.

4. Create a detailed outline

Plan the structure of your book report. This outline should include an introduction, body paragraphs each focusing on a different aspect of the book, and a conclusion.

5. Craft the introduction

The introduction should provide basic information such as the book's title and author, and present your thesis statement. It should engage the reader and make them interested in your analysis.

6. Write the body of the report

In the body of your report, discuss in detail the book's main elements that you identified in step 3. Use specific examples from the text to support your analysis and to prove your thesis statement.

7. Write a strong conclusion

Your conclusion should summarize your analysis, reaffirm your thesis, and provide a closing thought or reflection on the overall book.

8. Review and edit your report

After writing, take the time to revise your report for clarity and coherence. Check for and correct any grammar or spelling errors. Ensure that your report clearly communicates your understanding and analysis of the book.

9. Include citations

If you have used direct quotes or specific ideas from the book, make sure to include proper citations . This is crucial in academic writing and helps avoid plagiarism.

10. Proofread

Finally, proofread your work. Look for any missed errors and make sure that the report is the best it can be before submitting it.

High school teacher hands back graded book reports. Book report example.

Book report example 

Below is a book report example on the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

In  To Kill a Mockingbird , Harper Lee presents a thoughtful exploration of racial prejudice, morality, and the loss of innocence. Set in the small, fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression, the book centers around the Finch family - young Scout, her older brother Jem, and their widowed father, Atticus. Scout's character provides a fresh perspective as she narrates her experiences and observations of the unjust racial prejudice in her town. Her honesty and curiosity, coupled with her father's teachings, allow her to grow from innocence to a more profound understanding of her society's inequalities. The plot revolves around Atticus Finch, a respected lawyer, defending a black man, Tom Robinson, unjustly accused of raping a white woman. As the trial progresses, it becomes clear that Robinson is innocent, and the accusation was a product of racial prejudice. Despite compelling evidence in Robinson's favor, he is convicted, symbolizing the power of bias over truth. The theme of racial prejudice is a significant part of the book. Lee uses the trial and its unjust outcome to critique the racial prejudice prevalent in society. For example, despite Atticus's solid defense, the jury's racial bias leads them to find Robinson guilty. This instance highlights how deeply ingrained prejudice can subvert justice. The book also explores the theme of the loss of innocence. Scout and Jem's experiences with prejudice and injustice lead to their loss of innocence and a better understanding of the world's complexities. For example, Scout's realization of her town's unfair treatment of Robinson demonstrates her loss of innocence and her understanding of societal biases. Overall,  To Kill a Mockingbird  is a compelling exploration of the harsh realities of prejudice and the loss of innocence. Harper Lee's intricate characters and vivid storytelling have made this book a classic.

The above is an excellent book report example for several reasons. First, it provides a clear, concise summary of the plot without giving away the entire story. Second, it analyzes the main characters, their roles, and their impacts on the story. Third, it discusses the major themes of the book - racial prejudice and loss of innocence - and supports these themes with evidence from the text. Finally, it presents a personal perspective on the book's impact and overall message, demonstrating a deep understanding of the book's significance.

Book report checklist

Always  include the following elements in any book report:

  • The type of book report you are writing
  • The book's title
  • 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 thesis statement
  • The point of view of the narrator
  • Summary of the book
  • The main points or themes discussed in the work of fiction or non-fiction
  • The first paragraph (introductory paragraph), body paragraphs, and final paragraph
  • The writing styles of the author
  • A critical analysis of the fiction or non-fiction book

Don't forget! 

No matter what type of book report you decide to write, ensure it includes basic information about the main characters, and make sure that your writing is clear and expressive so that it’s easy for audiences in middle school, high school, college-level, or any grade level to understand. Also, include examples from the book to support your opinions. Afterward, conduct thorough proofreading to complete the writing process. Book reports may seem disconnected from your other schoolwork, but they help you learn to summarize, compare and contrast, make predictions and connections, and consider different perspectives & skills you'll need throughout your life.

Looking for more writing resources? You can find them in our creative writing center .

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22 Book Report Templates

In tackling coursework, you may have to dig a little bit into a book or some other kind of literature. This could be with the aim of gaining deeper insight on a matter, drawing connections between the contents of the book and the subject at hand, and so on.

What is a book report?

The above tasks require a book report. This is an essay that discusses the contents of a given book. It is largely written as part and parcel of a class assignment that is issued out to students in school, especially at the elementary level. It is shorter and less comprehensive than a book review.

How to write a book report?

To write a book report, you need to follow the steps below:

  • Draft an introductory paragraph. This captures the basic information about the book such as its genre, title, author, year published, number of pages, and the publisher. Include some interesting background information about the author of the book.
  • Next, incorporate a plot summary. It is basically a summary of the book itself with regards to the themes, plot, and the characters that are found in it plus the roles they play there.
  • Carry out some character analysis of the main characters who dominate and play critical roles in the book from the start through to the finish line.
  • Point out the themes of the book i.e. the main ideas that run throughout the story from the start through to the finish.
  • Place your personal evaluation and conclusion at the tail end of the report. These two give your own opinion of the entire book and what it does have to offer to any reader.

Book Report Templates

These are frameworks against which the book reports are drafted. They serve as rough guides through which the tiny details are filled out. The templates cheapen the task of drafting a report of this kind while also seeing to it that the outcomes are largely accurate.

Book Report Templates #01

Guide: How to draft a book report

Different reports have different outlines and contents. Thus, there is really no unifying way of drafting the report. Nonetheless, there are some common steps that cut across the board. Below, we highlight and explain them:

  • Jot down the first draft of the book report. This acts as a spark from which the subsequent reports are drafted and originated.
  • Prepare the introductory paragraph of the book report. Remember, it is this introduction that sets the tone and the overall theme of the report going forward. It has to be brief but include every aspect of the report altogether.
  • Now get to the core business of the report altogether. Here, you should read the book, garner the finer details and jot down its summary.
  • While at it, draft the main portion of the book report, explain the main characters, highlight and explain the main themes of the book, point out any quotes, and comment on the writer’s writing style.
  • Give the book a personal evaluation. This one mainly aims at commenting on the book in its entirety while also providing your own review and testimonial about the book as a whole.
  • Edit and revise the report before submitting it. As you do so, see to it that you weed out any grammatical and spelling mistakes that may be present in the report.

What is the format of a book report?

The format of a book report refers to the outline that the report follows from the introduction to the conclusion of the book. Even though different reports follow different formats, there are common contents that cut across the board. These are:

  • The kind of book report you are drafting
  • The book’s title
  • The author of the book
  • The times that the story is taking place
  • The location of the story of the book
  • Names and descriptions of the characters in the book
  • Quotations and examples from the book to provide support to your opinions

How long should a book report be?

Generally, you should keep your book report as short as it can practically be. A length of about 600-800 words would be suitable. Also, the report has to be double-spaced and drafted in legible fonts.

Final Thoughts

Drafting a book report is not a walk in the park. As a starter, you may have to devote much of your time to write it several times before mastering the art well. We ask you to carry out mock writing to deepen your understanding of the matter. Seeking the assistance of a trained expert may equally do the trick.

How did our templates helped you today?

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What is the Use of a Book Report?

Book reports are excellent ways to articulate your philosophies and ideas about the respective books. They help individuals to develop their language skills in terms of speech, writing, expression, listening, and reading. The content in the report must be relevant to the plot, there must be a good summary of the narratives in the story, and you must mention the reasons for the author to write the book.

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42 Creative Book Report Ideas for Students

Inspire your students to share their love of books.

online book report

Responding to what you read is an important literacy skill. Reading about other people’s experiences and perspectives helps kids learn about the world. And although students don’t need to dive deeply into every single book they read, occasionally digging into characters, settings, and themes can help them learn to look beyond the prose. Here are 42 creative book report ideas designed to make reading more meaningful for kids.

A poem about the sword in the stone formatted in the shape of the sword in the stone

1. Concrete Found Poem

This clever activity is basically a shape poem made up of words, phrases, and whole sentences found in the books students read. The words come together to create an image that represents something from the story.

2. Graphic Novel

Have students rewrite the book they are reading, or a chapter of their book, as a graphic novel. Set parameters for the assignment such as including six scenes from the story, three characters, details about the setting, etc. And, of course, include detailed illustrations to accompany the story.

A news article displayed on a computer screen with comments and an emoji laid over the print as an example of creative book report ideas

3. Book Snaps

Book Snaps are a way for students to visually show how they are reacting to, processing, and/or connecting with a text. First, students snap a picture of a page in the book they are reading. Then, they add comments, images, highlights, and more.

4. Diary Entry

Have your students place themselves in the shoes of one of the characters from their book and write a first-person diary entry of a critical moment from the story. Ask them to choose a moment in the story where the character has plenty of interaction and emotion to share in a diary entry.

A pizza box decorated with a book cover and a paper pizza with book report details as an example of creative book report ideas

5. Pizza Box Book Report

If you’re looking for creative book report ideas that use upcycled materials, try this one using a pizza box. It works well for both nonfiction and fiction book reports. The top lid provides a picture of the book cover. Each wedge of the pizza pie tells part of the story.

6. Book Jacket

Have students create a new book jacket for their story. Include an attractive illustrated cover, a summary, a short biography of the author, and a few reviews from readers.

A book report made from a mint tin as an example of creative book report ideas

7. Mint Tin Book Report

There are so many super-creative, open-ended projects you can use mint tins for. Teacher blogger Teacher Thrive describes the process of creating book reports using them. There’s even a free template for cards that fit inside.

8. Fictional Yearbook Entries

Ask your students to create a yearbook based on the characters and setting in the book. What do they look like? Cut out magazine pictures to give a good visual image for their school picture. What kind of superlative might they get? Best-looking? Class clown? What clubs would they be in or lead? Did they win any awards? It should be obvious from their small yearbooks whether your students dug deep into the characters in their books. They may also learn that who we are as individuals is reflected in what we choose to do with our lives.

A book report in the form of a cake made from paper

9. Book Report Cake

This project would be perfect for a book tasting in your classroom! Each student presents their book report in the shape of food. Learn more about book tastings .

10. Current Events Comparison

Have students locate three to five current events articles a character in their book might be interested in. After they’ve found the articles, have them explain why the character would find them interesting and how they relate to the book. Learning about how current events affect time, place, and people is critical to helping develop opinions about what we read and experience in life.

A book report written on separate pieces of paper shaped like ingredients of a sandwich

11. Sandwich Book Report

Yum! You’ll notice a lot of our creative book report ideas revolve around food. In this oldie but goodie, each layer of this book report sandwich covers a different element of the book—characters, setting, conflict, etc.

12. Book Alphabet

Choose 15 to 20 alphabet books to help give your students examples of how they work around themes. Then ask your students to create their own Book Alphabet based on the book they read. What artifacts, vocabulary words, and names reflect the important parts of the book? After they find a word to represent each letter, have them write one sentence that explains where the word fits in.

A book report tacked to a tri-fold display board with a face peeking over the top as an example of creative book report ideas

13. Peekaboo Book Report

Using cardboard lap books (or small science report boards), students include details about their book’s main characters, plot, setting, conflict, resolution, etc. Then they draw a head and arms on card stock and attach them to the board from behind to make it look like the main character is peeking over this book report.

14. Act the Part

Have students dress up as their favorite character from the book and present an oral book report. If their favorite character is not the main character, retell the story from their point of view.

A student wears a colorful t-shirt decorated with a book report about the book Ivy and Bean

15. T-shirt Book Report

Another fun and creative idea: Create a wearable book report with a plain white tee. Come up with your own using Sharpie pens and acrylic paint.

16. Bookmark

Have students create a custom illustrated bookmark that includes drawings and words from either their favorite chapter or the entire book.

A cutout of a woman's profile is surrounded by colorful sections, each with a description of the pictured woman

17. Rays of Sunshine Book Report

This is great for biography research projects. Students cut out a photocopied image of their subject and glue it in the middle. Then, they draw lines from the image to the edges of the paper, like rays of sunshine, and fill in each section with information about the person. As a book report template, the center image could be a copy of the book cover, and each section expands on key information such as character names, theme(s), conflict, resolution, etc.

18. Reading Lists for Characters

Ask your students to think about a character in their book. What kinds of books might that character like to read? Take them to the library to choose five books the character might have on their to-be-read list. Have them list the books and explain what each book might mean to the character. Post the to-be-read lists for others to see and choose from—there’s nothing like trying out a book character’s style when developing your own identity.

A student's hand-written to-do list

19. Character To-Do List

This fun activity is an off-the-beaten-path way to dive deep into character analysis. Get inside the head of the main character in a book and write a to-do list that they might write. Use actual information from the text, but also make inferences into what that character may wish to accomplish.

20. Collage

Create a collage using pictures and words that represent different parts of the book. Use old magazines or print pictures from the Internet.

A group of students pose with their paper bag book reports as an example of creative book report ideas

21. Book Reports in a Bag

Looking for book report ideas that really encourage creative thinking? With book reports in a bag, students read a book and write a summary. Then, they decorate a paper grocery bag with a scene from the book, place five items that represent something from the book inside the bag, and present the bag to the class.

22. Timeline

Have students create a timeline of the main events from their book. Be sure to include character names and details for each event. Use 8″ x 11″ sheets of paper taped together or a long portion of bulletin board paper.

A manilla file folder decorated with elements of a book report as an example of creative book report ideas

23. File Folder Book Report

Also called a lap book, this easy-to-make book report hits on all the major elements of a book study and gives students a chance to show what they know in a colorful way.

24. Public Service Announcement

If a student has read a book about a cause that affects people, animals, or the environment, teach them about public service announcements . Once they understand what a PSA is, have them research the issue or cause that stood out in the book. Then provide a template for a storyboard so they can create their own PSA. Some students might want to take it a step further and create a video based on their storyboard. Consider sharing their storyboard or video with an organization that supports the cause or issue.

A book report written on a 3 dimensional triangle

25. Triorama Book Report

Who doesn’t love a multidimensional book report? This image shows a 3D model, but you can also try an accordion-folded book report, a quadrama, or an info-sphere.

26. Character Cards

Make trading cards (like baseball cards) for a few characters from the book. On the front side, draw the character. On the back side, make a list of their character traits and include a quote or two.

A girl stands next to a book report mobile made from a wire hanger and index cards as an example of creative book report ideas

27. Book Report Mobile

This creative project doesn’t require a fancy or expensive supply list. Students just need an ordinary clothes hanger, strings, and paper. The body of the hanger is used to identify the book, and the cards on the strings dangling below are filled with key elements of the book, like characters, setting, and a summary.

28. Fact Sheet

Have students create a list of 10 facts that they learned from reading the book. Have them write the facts in complete sentences, and be sure that each fact is something that they didn’t know before they read the book.

A book report made from 12 sheets of paper put together to form a dodecahedron as an example of creative book report ideas

29. Dodecahedron Book Report

Creative book report ideas think outside the box. In this case, it’s a ball! SO much information can be covered on the 12 panels, and it allows students to take a deep dive in a creative way.

30. Be a Character Therapist

Therapists work to uncover their clients’ fears based on their words and actions. When we read books, we must learn to use a character’s actions and dialogue to infer their fears. Many plots revolve around a character’s fear and the work it takes to overcome that fear. Ask students to identify a character’s fear and find 8 to 10 scenes that prove this fear exists. Then have them write about ways the character overcame the fear (or didn’t) in the story. What might the character have done differently?

A decorated paper hand with paper charms hanging off of it

31. Charm Bracelet Book Report

What a “charming” way to write a book report! Each illustrated bracelet charm captures a character, an event in the plot, setting, or other detail.

32. Mind Maps

Mind maps can be a great way to synthesize what students have learned from reading a book. Plus, there are so many ways to approach them. Begin by writing a central idea in the middle of the page. For example, general information, characters, plot, etc. Then branch out from the center with ideas, thoughts, and connections to material from the book.

A book made from folded grocery bags is the template for a student book report as an example of creative book report ideas

33. Book Report Booklets

This clever book report is made from ordinary paper bags. Stack the paper bags on top of each other, fold them in half, and staple the closed-off ends of the bags together. Students can write, draw, and decorate on the paper bag pages. They can also record information on writing or drawing paper and glue the paper onto the pages. The open ends of the bags can be used as pockets to insert photos, cut-outs, postcards, or other flat items that help them tell their story.

34. Letter to the Author

Have kids write a letter to the author of the book. Tell them three things you really liked about the story. Ask three questions about the plot, characters, or anything else you’re curious about.

A low tech tv made from a cereal box

35. Cardboard Box TV

This cardboard box TV book report project is a low-tech version of a television made from a cereal box and two paper towel rolls. Students create the viewing screen cut out at the top, then insert a scroll of paper with writing and illustrations inside the box. When the cardboard roll is rotated, the story unfolds.

36. Board games

This is a great project if you want your students to develop a little more insight into what they’re reading. Have them think about the elements of their favorite board games and how they can be adapted to fit this assignment.

A book report made from a paper background and attached flaps as an example of creative book report ideas as an example of creative book report ideas

37. Foldables

From Rainbows Within Reach, this clever idea would be a great introduction to writing book reports. Adapt the flap categories for students at different levels. Adjust the number of categories (or flaps) per the needs of your students.

38. Timeline

Create a timeline using a long roll of butcher paper, a poster board, or index cards taped together. For each event on the timeline, write a brief description of what happens. Add pictures, clip art, word art, and symbols to make the timeline more lively and colorful.

A girl stands holding a comic strip book report as an example of creative book report ideas

39. Comic Strips

If you’re looking for creative book report ideas for students who like graphic novels, try comic strip book reports. Include an illustrated cover with the title and author. The pages of the book should retell the story using dialogue and descriptions of the setting and characters. Of course, no comic book would be complete without copious illustrations and thought bubbles.

40. Movie Version

If the book your students have read has been made into a movie, have them write a report about how the versions are alike and different. If the book has not been made into a movie, have them write a report telling how they would make it into a movie, using specific details from the book.

A book report in the form of a wanted poster

41. Wanted Poster

Make a Wanted poster for one of the book’s main characters. Indicate whether they are wanted dead or alive. Include a picture of the character and a description of what the character is “wanted” for, three examples of the character showing this trait, and a detailed account of where the character was last seen.

42. Wheaties Box Book Report

Recycle a cereal box and create a book report to look like an old-fashioned Wheaties box that features sports heroes. Include a main image on the front side of the box. Decorate the sides of the box with information about the book’s characters, setting, plot, summary, etc.

Come share your own creative book report ideas in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, dont’ miss 100 famous children’s books every kid should read (plus free printable).

Book reports don't have to be boring. Help your students make the books come alive with these 42 creative book report ideas.

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Writing a Book Report

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Book reports are informative reports that discuss a book from an objective stance. They are similar to book reviews but focus more on a summary of the work than an evaluation of it. Book reports commonly describe what happens in a work; their focus is primarily on giving an account of the major plot, characters, thesis, and/or main idea of the work. Most often, book reports are a K-12 assignment and range from 250 to 500 words.

Book reviews are most often a college assignment, but they also appear in many professional works: magazines, newspapers, and academic journals. If you are looking to write a book review instead of a book report, please see the OWL resource, Writing a Book Review .

Before You Read

Before you begin to read, consider what types of things you will need to write your book report. First, you will need to get some basic information from the book:

  • Publisher location, name of publisher, year published
  • Number of Pages

You can either begin your report with some sort of citation, or you can incorporate some of these items into the report itself.

Next, try to answer the following questions to get you started thinking about the book:

  • Author: Who is the author? Have you read any other works by this author?
  • Genre: What type of book is this: fiction, nonfiction, biography, etc.? What types of people would like to read this kind of book? Do you typically read these kinds of books? Do you like them?
  • Title: What does the title do for you? Does it spark your interest? Does it fit well with the text of the book?
  • Pictures/Book Jacket/Cover/Printing: What does the book jacket or book cover say? Is it accurate? Were you excited to read this book because of it? Are there pictures? What kinds are there? Are they interesting?

As You Read

While reading a work of fiction, keep track of the major characters. You can also do the same with biographies. When reading nonfiction works, however, look for the main ideas and be ready to talk about them.

  • Characters: Who are the main characters? What happens to them? Did you like them? Were there good and bad characters?
  • Main Ideas: What is the main idea of the book? What happens? What did you learn that you did not know before?
  • Quotes: What parts did you like best? Are there parts that you could quote to make your report more enjoyable?

When You Are Ready to Write

Announce the book and author. Then, summarize what you have learned from the book. Explain what happens in the book, and discuss the elements you liked, did not like, would have changed, or if you would recommend this book to others and why. Consider the following items as well:

  • Principles/characters: What elements did you like best? Which characters did you like best and why? How does the author unfold the story or the main idea of the book?
  • Organize: Make sure that most of your paper summarizes the work. Then you may analyze the characters or themes of the work.
  • Your Evaluation: Choose one or a few points to discuss about the book. What worked well for you? How does this work compare with others by the same author or other books in the same genre? What major themes, motifs, or terms does the book introduce, and how effective are they? Did the book appeal to you on an emotional or logical way?
  • Recommend: Would you recommend this book to others? Why? What would you tell them before they read it? What would you talk about after you read it?

Revising/Final Copy

Do a quick double check of your paper:

  • Double-check the spelling of the author name(s), character names, special terms, and publisher.
  • Check the punctuation and grammar slowly.
  • Make sure you provide enough summary so that your reader or instructor can tell you read the book.
  • Consider adding some interesting quotes from the reading.
  • TemplateLab

Book Report Templates

30 book report templates & reading worksheets.

Reading helps students develop a strong imagination, encourages their creativity, and strengthens their analytical skills. Teachers assign a lot of book reports to ensure that students read lots of books, especially at that critical early age when they are still trying to master the written word. To cut down on some of the workload, students and teachers can find a book report template to download and fill in. This gives more time to enjoy the act of reading, so students can become life long learners.

Table of Contents

  • 1 Book Report Templates
  • 2.1 Why Provide A Book Report Form
  • 2.2 Sections Of A Simple Book Report
  • 2.3 Sections Of A Multi-Page Report
  • 3 Sample Book Reports
  • 4 Difference Between The Book Report Types
  • 5.1 What To Do Once You’ve Written The Report
  • 6 Book Report Examples
  • 7 Tips for Teachers
  • 8 Tips for Students

What Is A Book Report

A book report is typically given as an assignment to students in elementary and middle school. Students fill out a form answering basic questions about the book they were assigned to read. Turning in the report serves as proof to the teacher that the student read the book and, hopefully, got something out of it.

These reports may ask students to detail what the book was about, the names of the main characters, what the theme of the book is, and where the events are set. Some reports may ask specific questions about events or characters to ensure that the students read the book all the way through. The report can also help students understand the book better by asking them to think about its meaning and the plot.

Free Book Report Template 01

Reading Worksheets

Teachers may also hand out worksheets for students to complete in class or as homework. These are usually limited to the earlier grades when students are still learning to read. Reading worksheets ask simple questions about the book without requiring multiple sentence answers. These questions may ask students to name a favorite character, or mention the main conflict in a few words.

It’s not uncommon for the teacher to read a picture book with the class and have students fill out a worksheet afterwards. If the classroom has a bookshelf, there may also be a ‘Reading Time’ when students pick out a book to read. When they finish, the students fill out the worksheet and submit it to their teacher.

Why Provide A Book Report Form

Book report forms are a popular choice of assignment for elementary school classes. These forms make it simple for students to complete the report by filling out the worksheet. These sheets can be generic with standard questions, or teachers may create a unique sheet with questions specific to each different book that is assigned.

These forms also help introduce students to the idea of a book report format and show them what kind of information may be expected on longer, multi-page reports that they are expected to complete in the higher grades. A form is also easier to grade , especially for teachers who have a large classroom and more assignments to go over than usual.

Sections Of A Simple Book Report

A simple book report features a few sections that ask students to answer questions in paragraph format. These each ask students to detail a different element of the book. All book report forms will ask for the title, author name, and the illustrator’s name, if it is a picture book. The other elements on a simple form include:

  • Setting – This is where the book’s events took place, i.e. New York.
  • Characters – A list of who the main characters are and their names.
  • Plot – A basic overview of the major events in the book.
  • Your impressions – Whether you like the book or not, and why.

A simple form may also just ask the students to describe the beginning, middle, and end events of the book in three questions. Students may also be expected to identify the climax, which is the most intense point of the book where the main character’s problems are resolved or made worse. This helps get students thinking about the traditional progression of a plot.

Sections Of A Multi-Page Report

Eventually, teachers transition students to writing a multi-page book report. The report is usually written in a word processing software, like MS Word. Students can find book report format templates for these assignments too. These longer reports are written out in paragraph form. The teacher asks the students to address different elements of a book in their own words or with their own formatting. A simple way to organize these reports is to divide them into three basic sections, the introduction, main body, and conclusion. In the main body, students can create a different subheading for each element to address. For instance,

  • Introduction – The first paragraph; includes book title, author, genre, and why you chose the book.
  • Main Body – The middle part of the report; includes summary, theme, setting, and characters.
  • Conclusion – A short summary of the book report and opinion of the book.

Sample Book Reports

Free Book Report Template 13

Difference Between The Book Report Types

The short book report form is handed out by the teacher and can be completed in one night like a homework assignment. A multi-page report is created by the student and may take more than one night to finish.

Short templates are available in lots of fun book report ideas suitable for young children. They have questions with a few lines to hand write the answers in a few short sentences. Some templates may include activities to make them more interesting to students, such as having them draw out a scene from the book or re-write the ending.

Multi-page reports start out as two page reports and gradually increase in size through middle school and high school. Of course, those two page reports are just as difficult for young students as the five page reports are for high school students . The great thing about these assignments is that students are usually free to organize their book report ideas however they desire. They can create bold sub-headers for the main body of the report. Students can write about the theme, characters, and setting separately. Or they can leave out the headers and devote their report to a specific element, such as the book theme. This allows students to weave information about characters and setting into the report where they are most relevant to the theme. The former works well for short chapter books, and the latter is better for books that may feature multiple themes.

Ideas for Different Kinds of Book Reports

There is more than one way to complete a book report. Both teachers and students may find these creative ideas more interesting than a straightforward report.

Write a review of the book. Create the report in the form of a newspaper or blog review. Summarize the book without giving away the plot or the ending. Talk about what made you like it or, if you hated it. Feel free to give the book a thumbs up or down rating at the end.

Do a diary. Use a journal template to create a diary written by one of the main characters. There should be multiple entries that follow or discuss the events of the book from that character’s point of view.

Interview one of the characters. Create an imaginary interview with one of the characters in the book. Ask them questions about where they come from, why the character did something important to the plot, and what the character thinks about the outcome of the events in the book.

Write a newspaper article. Create an imaginary newspaper article detailing one of the major events in the book, such as a theft or an important discovery. Make sure to answer the who, what, where, when, and why of these events in your article.

What To Do Once You’ve Written The Report

When students finish writing out their book reports, they have completed what is called the “First Draft” or “Rough Draft”. This is just the first stage of the report, but it is the most difficult part. Finishing up that report in the following steps is a lot easier.

Read and mark the report. Read through the book report from beginning to end to get a feel for it overall. Get a brightly colored pen to mark any spelling or punctuation errors you find in the report. Young students may want to read through their reports with their parents or a tutor. Sometimes, teachers actually make students submit a rough draft of their reports for points before the final report is due. The teacher reviews the draft, makes edits, and suggestions for changing the report before final submission.

Make edits to the report. Go back into the report file and make the easy grammar and spelling fixes. Take a look at your teacher’s suggestions or the ideas you wrote down for things to change in the report. Create a plan to make those additions or changes. Make the changes to the report. Don’t forget to save your file as a separate document. For instance, save your rough draft as, Report1.doc, and this updated version as, Report2.doc.

Review the report. Print out a fresh copy of the report. Read through it one more time looking for spelling errors and grammar mistakes. Keep an eye out for spots where the text doesn’t make sense. This can sometimes happen when you add new content to a report. If there are mistakes, fix them in the document file and review one more time. Your final draft is ready to print out when you can no longer find any mistakes.

Book Report Examples

Free Book Report Template 23

Tips for Teachers

Book reports are a big part of the curriculum. That doesn’t mean they have to be a lot of work for the students or the teacher. Make assigning these reports less of a hassle with these tips.

  • Assign one book for the entire class to read. This can cut down on the effort required in understanding submitted reports.
  • Pick out a short book report template to use. There is no need to use valuable time in creating one from scratch.
  • Print out more copies of the form than are needed. Some students may lose theirs and need an extra form.
  • Make reminder announcements when a due date approaches. Remind students at least twice before a book report due date.
  • Keep the word count requirement low. Teachers also have to spend more time reviewing longer reports.
  • Consider creative alternatives to some written reports. When your curriculum includes a lot of book reports, give students the option of turning in a drawing, diorama, or another project as a break.

Tips for Students

Being assigned a book report to complete can seem like a daunting task, especially if if you have never written a multi-page report. Make sure you don’t fall behind on the work by following a few of these tips.

  • Make up a reading schedule to complete the book well in advance of the report being due. Use a calendar to remind yourself.
  • Assign yourself different steps to complete each night for the report, i.e. make an outline, write 200 words, or revising
  • Ask the teacher for help with ideas if you can’t figure out how to get started.
  • Look for examples of completed reports to see how they are structured.

Book reports vary in their length and complexity. Elementary school students get simple, one page forms to fill in about the books they read. Those in middle school and high school usually have to write multiple page reports. Nearly all reports require students to talk about the plot, theme, characters, and how they liked the book. Both students and teachers can find a lot of templates to use. Those looking for something generic for students to fill in after reading a book can pick up a .pdf or .jpg form. Those who want more control over the look and wording of the template should download a .doc file.

More Templates

Law School Letters Of Recommendation

Law School Letters Of Recommendation

Community Service Forms

Community Service Forms

Genogram Templates

Genogram Templates

Permission Slip Templates

Permission Slip Templates

Story Map Templates

Story Map Templates

Essay Outline Templates

Essay Outline Templates

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  • Writing Tips

How to Write a Book Report

How to Write a Book Report

5-minute read

  • 5th September 2021

A book report is an essay that summarizes the main ideas presented by the author. But how do you write a good book report? Our top tips include:

  • Check the assignment instructions so you know what you need to do.
  • Read the book , making notes as you go.
  • Plan your book report and create an essay outline .
  • Write up your report , using examples and quotes to support your points.
  • Revise and proofread your work to eliminate errors.

In the rest of this post, we look at how to write a book report in more detail.

1. Check the Assignment Instructions

Book reports come in many different types, so the first thing you should do if you’re asked to write one is check the assignment instructions carefully. Key aspects of the essay instructions to pay attention to include:

  • The required length of the book report (and any maximum word count ).
  • Whether you will be assigned a book to write about or whether you will be asked to pick one yourself (either from a list supplied by the tutor or based on a set of requirements, such as a book about a set topic).
  • What aspects of the book to write about (e.g., will it just be a summary of the book’s content, or will you also need to offer some critical analysis?).
  • Any requirements for structuring and formatting your report (e.g., whether to break the essay up into sections with headings and subheadings).

If anything about the instructions is unclear, check it with your tutor.

2. Read the Book and Make Notes

Next, you’ll need to read the book you’re writing about in full, not just skim through or read a synopsis! This means you’ll need to leave enough time before the deadline to read the text thoroughly (and write up your report).

When you are reading, moreover, make sure to take notes on:

  • Basic bibliographic details, including the title, author name(s), year of publication, publisher, and number of pages.
  • How the book is structured (e.g., whether it uses chapters).
  • The overall plot or argument, plus key ideas and/or plot points from each part.
  • For works of fiction, important characters and themes.
  • Significant quotations or examples you might want to use in your report.

Where possible, make sure to note down page numbers as well. This will make it easier to find the relevant parts again when you’re reviewing your notes.

3. Outline Your Book Report

How you structure your report will ultimately depend on the length (e.g., a short, 500-word report is unlikely to use separate sections and headings, while a longer one will need these to help break up the text and guide the reader) and the assignment instructions, so make sure to review these carefully.

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However, common elements of a book report include:

  • An introductory paragraph or section with basic book details (e.g., the title, author(s), genre, publisher, publication date, and intended audience).
  • Information about the author’s background and, where relevant, credentials.
  • An overview of the book’s plot (fiction and narrative non-fiction), or its main idea (other non-fiction), sometimes with a section-by-section breakdown.
  • Information on characters, setting, and themes (fiction and narrative non-fiction), or key ideas and concepts set out by the author (other non-fiction).
  • Where required, critical analysis or evaluation of the book.

When planning your book report, then, use your notes and the assignment instructions to outline your essay, breaking it down into clearly defined sections and noting what you will include in each one.

4. Write Up Your Book Report

When it comes to writing up your report, helpful tips include:

  • Imagine the reader will be unfamiliar with the book and try to ensure your report covers all the information they’d need to know what it is about.
  • Use clear, concise language to make your report easy to follow. Look out for wordiness and repetition, and don’t be tempted to pad out your report with irrelevant details just to increase the word count!
  • Use examples and quotations to support your points (but don’t rely too heavily on quotations; keep in mind that the report should be in your own words).
  • Follow the formatting instructions set out in your style guide or the assignment instructions (e.g., for fonts, margins, and presenting quotations).

If you use quotations in your report, moreover, make sure to include page numbers! This will help the reader find the passages you’ve quoted.

5. Revise and Proofread Your Work

When you have the first draft of your book report, if you have time, take a short break (e.g., overnight) before re-reading it. This will help you view it objectively. Then, when you do re-read it, look out for ways you could improve it, such as:

  • Typos and other errors that need correcting.
  • Issues with clarity or places where the writing could be more concise (reading your work aloud can make it easier to spot clunky sentences).
  • Passages that would benefit from being supported with a quote or example.

It’s also a good idea to re-read the assignment instructions one last time before submitting your work, which will help you spot any issues you missed.

Finally, if you’d like some extra help checking your writing, you can have it proofread by a professional . Submit a free sample document today to find out more.

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Book Report Planning Sheets

Customize book report planning sheets.

Book Report Planning Sheet with Colorful Crayons

If you're assigning this to your students, copy the worksheet to your account and save. When creating an assignment, just select it as a template!

Completed Worksheet Example - Book Report Planner

What is a Book Report?

It is a written summary and analysis of a book's content, intended to provide an overview of its key elements, themes, characters, and plot. It is often used as an educational tool to assess a reader's understanding of a book and their ability to critically analyze its various aspects. They can vary in structure and complexity depending on the grade level and educational objectives.

What are Book Report Planning Worksheets?

They are effective tools that teachers assign to students to organize ideas before beginning a larger, more in-depth report. This simple form is meant to highlight the main idea, plot, setting, and main characters of a book, while also showing that students understand what they read, and that they are able to present information about the pages they've read. Planning an outline ahead of time with a Storyboard That template is an essential step towards an incredible and unique project. This planning can be done in class or as homework in note form.

Why are they Important and How are they Best Used?

They are important because they help students create a plan before executing a large project. Students are able to take what they know from the book, and write it all down in one place. They are also able to decide what they want to include, or not include, in their reports by having all of the information laid out in front of them.

In the world of education, fostering reading comprehension and critical thinking skills is a vital mission. These worksheets provide a structured framework that guides the class through a journey of analyzing, understanding, and reflecting on the books they read.

Types of Projects

  • The Traditional Report: The traditional approach involves key elements such as the title and author, summarizing the plot, character analysis, setting description, and personal opinions. These worksheets serve as book report forms that students can use to structure a specific idea, as well as their thoughts and insights. Kids are prompted to identify the main ideas, describe the book's aspects, and offer their opinions on their favorite parts.
  • Character Analysis: Delving into characters is a fantastic way to enhance reading comprehension. Students can identify character traits, motivations, and changes throughout the story. By using a book report template for kids, teachers guide elementary-age children to critically think about the characters' development and role in the narrative.
  • Setting Exploration: Settings often play a significant role in shaping the story's atmosphere and events. Our worksheets offer a structured platform for students to identify and describe the settings, as well as analyze how they impact the plot and characters. This free printable tool engages middle school students and elementary age kids in a deeper understanding of the story's context.
  • Comparative Analysis: Comparing and contrasting two books with similar themes or genres is an enriching exercise. Students can analyze characters, plots, themes, and writing styles side by side. This activity encourages critical thinking as students identify similarities and differences between the two works, honing their ability to critically assess literature.
  • Book-to-Movie Comparison: In an age where many books find themselves on the silver screen, comparing a book to its movie adaptation can be captivating. With our worksheets, students can highlight the differences and evaluate how successfully the adaptation captures the essence of the novel. This engaging activity invites children to express their opinion on how well the story transitioned from page to screen.
  • Critical Book Review: Encouraging critical thinking is a cornerstone of education. Our handouts can be transformed into platforms for students to review what they've read with a discerning eye. By using a book report generator, students can evaluate plot development, character depth, and writing style, strengthening their analytical skills.
  • Alternate Conclusion, Ending, or Sequel: Nurturing creativity is equally important. Our templates can serve as springboards for students to imagine alternate endings or sequels to the book. By completing a book report planning form, grade school children create new narrative possibilities, fostering their imaginative thinking.
  • Letter to the Author: What better way to engage students than allowing them to interact with the author? Worksheets can include sections for students to write letters to authors, sharing their thoughts, questions, and reactions. This activity bridges the gap between the author's creation and the student's interpretation.
  • Book Advertisement: These worksheets can take the form of designing advertisements or promotional posters for the book. By focusing on key aspects, students not only comprehend the book but also learn to present their understanding in a visually appealing manner.
  • Timeline of Events: Understanding the chronological sequence of events is crucial in comprehending stories. Templates can be adapted to create timelines of important events from the book. Students fill in the report form with short summaries of events, identifying their significance, and arranging them chronologically.

Tips for Making a Template

  • Understand the Purpose: Begin by understanding the purpose. It's a tool designed to guide students through the process of analyzing and summarizing a book's content.
  • Identify Your Audience: Determine whether the worksheet is intended for elementary-grade students or middle-school students.
  • Choose a Format: Decide on the format of your worksheet. You can use a no prep printable book report template, or create a custom design.
  • Incorporate Structured Sections: Include sections for various aspects of the book such as a short summary, character analysis, and personal reflections.
  • Utilize Free Resources: Search for free book report templates online to gather ideas and inspiration for your worksheet's layout and content.
  • Consider Grade-Level Appropriate Language: Tailor the language used in the worksheet to suit the reading comprehension level of the students for whom it's intended.
  • Add Visual Elements: Enhance engagement by incorporating visuals, like images or icons, to make the worksheet visually appealing.
  • Provide Prompts for Analysis: Offer prompts and questions that encourage critical thinking. Include questions like "What is a book report?" and "What are some ideas to make your project unique?"
  • Offer Space for Personalization: Include sections that allow students to share their personal opinions, a favorite part of the book, and creative insights.
  • Include Organizational Tools: Utilize a book report maker or book report generator to create a professional-looking worksheet. A book report graphic organizer can also help students structure their thoughts effectively in their own words.

By incorporating elements like templates, book report planning forms for grade school, and relevant book report examples, you can design a worksheet that guides students through a comprehensive exploration of the book's content while fostering their creativity and critical thinking skills.

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How to Make a Book Report Worksheet

Choose one of the premade templates.

We have lots of templates to choose from. Take a look at our example for inspiration!

Click on “Copy Template”

Once you do this, you will be directed to the storyboard creator.

Give Your Worksheet a Name!

Be sure to call it something related to the topic so that you can easily find it in the future.

Edit Your Worksheet

This is where you will include directions, specific images, and make any aesthetic changes that you would like. The options are endless!

Click "Save and Exit"

When you are finished, click this button in the lower right hand corner to exit your storyboard.

From here you can print, download as a PDF, attach it to an assignment and use it digitally, and more!

Happy Creating!

Frequently Asked Questions About Book Reports

Do book report worksheets limit creativity.

No, they don't inherently limit creativity. While they provide structure through elements like book report templates, they can be adapted to encourage creative analysis. By exploring how to write a report that allows creativity, educators can strike a balance between structured analysis and imaginative insights. Ideas can be integrated to spark imaginative thinking. A well-designed book report template for kids allows room for personal expression while maintaining organization.

Do book reports differ based on grade levels?

Yes, they vary by grade level. Elementary reports focus on simple summaries and character descriptions. Middle school reports delve into themes and analysis. High school and college projects demand deeper analysis, including writing style and context. Worksheets and free book report templates can guide each level.

Are book reports limited to novels?

They extend beyond novels to include non-fiction, biographies, and more, and free book report templates adapt to different genres. A versatile book report template for kids accommodates various reading materials, and ideas cater to diverse literary forms.

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How to write a book report

How to write a book report

A book report is one of the first types of essays you probably learned to write in elementary school. But no matter how many book reports you turn in over the course of your student life, they can still inspire some anxiety and some confusion about the best way to write a book report, especially as you reach the high school and college level.

The good news is that the basics you learned in the early grades will serve you in good stead, since the book report format remains mostly the same. The very same structure and tools you used to dissect Charlotte’s Web and Superfudge will work just as well for Animal Farm and The Handmaid’s Tale . What changes is the depth and breadth of your analysis as a high school and college student.

So, If you are wondering how to start a book report for a college class assignment, here are some of the key pieces of information you need to know.

What is a book report?

Let’s start off with some definitions. In the most general terms, a book report is a summary of a written text, often a fiction novel, but can also include other genres such as memoir and creative non-fiction. It includes an analysis of the different elements and authorial choices that comprise the work, such as tone, theme, perspective, diction, dialogue, etc.

While the analysis should be reasoned and objective, it should also include your opinion and assessment of the impact and overall success of the author’s choices on the final work.

Book reports usually fall into one of the following types:

Plot summary

This type of book report isn’t just a re-telling of the story, it’s a comment on your overall impression of the plot — whether you thought it was engaging or maudlin or vapid, for example — backed up by direct quotes from the text to support your opinion.

Example of a plot summary thesis statement: The plot of Herman Melville’s short story, “Bartleby the Scrivener,” offers a poignant portrait of how depression robs a person of all motivation and momentum in life.

Character analysis

A character analysis zeroes in on a particular character (their characterization and actions) and their impact on the unfolding of the plot and its eventual outcome.

Example of a character analysis thesis statement: In J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye , the character of Phoebe, Holden’s bright and precocious younger sister, is a catalyst for rekindling his hope in humanity and reconsidering the choices he’s made in his life.

Theme analysis

A theme analysis looks at the overarching concepts, or themes, that run through a book and that give the text meaning and direction. Themes tend to be broad in nature, such as love, the importance of family, the impact of childhood, etc.

Example of a theme analysis thesis statement: Banana Yoshimoto’s novella, Kitchen , explores the theme of death and how everyone sooner or later has to come to terms with the mortality of the people they love as well as their own.

How to start a book report

The very first step in writing a stellar book report that earns a top grade is actually reading the book. This may seem obvious, but many students make the assignment much harder on themselves by not putting in the time up front to do a thorough and complete reading of the book they’re going to be writing their report on. So resist the urge to skim the text or to rely on the Cliff’s notes version. A nuanced analysis requires a deep grasp of the text, and there is no substitute for focused, firsthand reading.

It’s a lot easier to stick with a book that you enjoy reading! If you have the chance to choose the book you’ll be writing a report on, take some time to select a book that appeals to you, considering the genre, time period, writing style, and plot.

It can be helpful to start thinking about your book report while you are still making your way through your initial reading of the text. Mark down passages that provide key turning points in the action, descriptive passages that establish time and place, and any other passages that stand out to you in terms of their word choice and use of language. This makes it much easier to go back later and start collecting the evidence you’ll need to support your argument and analysis.

Once you finish reading the book from cover to cover, you’ll likely find that your mind is swirling with thoughts, impressions, and burgeoning analyses. At this stage, trying to distill all of these half-formed thoughts into one cohesive report may seem like a daunting task. One way to make this task more approachable is to start by collecting and listing the objective facts about the book. The following list covers the basic elements that should be included in every book report you write, no matter what topic or specific type of book report you’re writing:

  • The book’s title and author
  • The historical context of the book (when it was written)
  • The time(s) during which the story is set
  • The location(s) where the story takes place
  • A summary of the main characters and action of the story
  • Quotes from the book that will function as evidence to support your analysis

With all of the basics in hand, you can start to write your book report in earnest. Just like most other essay types, a well-written book report follows a basic structure that makes it easy for your reader to follow your thoughts and make sense of your argument.

A typical book report will open with an introduction that briefly summarizes the book and culminates with a thesis statement that advances an opinion or viewpoint about it. This is followed by body paragraphs that provide detailed points to flesh out and support that opinion in greater detail, including direct quotes from the text as supporting evidence. The report finishes with a conclusion that summarizes the main points and leaves the reader with an understanding of the book, its aims, and whether or not you feel the book (and its author) was successful in doing what it set out to do. Ideally, the conclusion will also make a statement about how the book fits into the larger literary world.

A book report template you can use for any book report

If you find yourself stuck on how to start a book report, here’s a handy book report template you can use to get things off the ground. Simply use this structure and start filling it in with the specifics of the book you are writing your report on. Feel free to expand upon this book report template, adding more sections as appropriate.

Introduction

Write three to five sentences introducing the book and author as well as important contextual information about the book, such as the publication year and the overall critical reception at the time. Finish the paragraph with your thesis statement.

Body paragraphs

Include at least three body paragraphs that offer detailed information and analysis to support your thesis statement. Each paragraph should contain one idea, backed up with direct quotes from the text alongside your critical analysis.

Write three to five sentences that restate your thesis and summarize the evidence you’ve presented in support of it. Relate your findings to a larger context about the book’s place within both the literary world and the world at large.

Frequently Asked Questions about book reports

A book report follows the format of most papers you write - it will have an introduction, a body and a conclusion. Depending on the type of book report, you will fill these parts with the required information.

These are the basic parts that should be included in every book report you write, no matter what topic or specific type of book report you’re writing:

  • The historical context of the book and time(s) during which the story is set

The book report is, among other things, also a summary of the plot, main characters, and ideas and arguments of the author. Your book report should help readers decide whether they want to read the book or not.

How many pages a book report should have depends on your assignment. It can be a half page, but it can also have many pages. Make sure to carefully read through your assignment and ask your professor if you are unsure .

A book report is a summary of a written text. A good book report includes an analysis of the different elements and authorial choices that comprise the work, such as tone, theme, perspective, diction, dialogue, etc. A good book report helps the reader decide whether they want to read the book or not.

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A book report should contain the basic elements, but a good book report will address a specific question or point of view and back up this topic with specific examples, in the form of symbols and themes. These steps will help you identify and incorporate those important elements in a process that takes three to four days.

How To Write a Book Report

  • Have an objective in mind, if possible. Your objective is the main point you want to argue or the question you plan to answer. Sometimes your teacher will offer a question for you to answer as part of your assignment, which makes this step easy. If you have to come up with your own focal point for your paper, you may have to wait and develop the objective while reading and reflecting on the book.
  • Keep supplies on hand when you read. This is very important. Keep sticky-note flags, pen, and paper nearby as you read. Don't try to take "mental notes." It just doesn't work.
  • Read the book. As you read, keep an eye out for clues that the author has provided in the form of symbolism. These will indicate some important point that supports the overall theme. For instance, a spot of blood on the floor, a quick glance, a nervous habit, an impulsive action--these are worth noting.
  • Use your sticky flags to mark pages. When you run into any clues, mark the page by placing the sticky note at the beginning of the relevant line. Mark everything that piques your interest, even if you don't understand their relevance.
  • Note possible themes or patterns that emerge. As you read and record emotional flags or signs, you will begin to see a point or a pattern. On a notepad, write down possible themes or issues. If your assignment is to answer a question, you will record how symbols address that question.
  • Label your sticky flags. If you see a symbol repeated several times, you should indicate this somehow on the sticky flags, for easy reference later. For instance, if blood shows up in several scenes, write a "b" on the relevant flags for blood. This may become your major book theme, so you'll want to navigate between the relevant pages easily.
  • Develop a rough outline. By the time you finish reading the book , you will have recorded several possible themes or approaches to your objective. Review your notes and try to determine which view or claim you can back up with good examples (symbols). You may need to play with a few sample outlines to pick the best approach.
  • Develop paragraph ideas. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence and a sentence that transitions to the next paragraph. Try writing these first, then filling out the paragraphs with your examples (symbols). Don't forget to include the basics for every book report in your first paragraph or two.
  • Review, re-arrange, repeat. At first, your paragraphs are going to look like ugly ducklings. They will be clunky, awkward, and unattractive in their early stages. Read them over, re-arrange and replace sentences that don't quite fit. Then review and repeat until the paragraphs flow.
  • Re-visit your introductory paragraph. The introductory paragraph will make the critical first impression of your paper. It should be great. Be sure it is well-written, interesting, and it contains a strong thesis sentence .

The objective: Sometimes it is possible to have a clear objective in mind before you start . Sometimes, it is not. If you have to come up with your own thesis, don't stress about a clear objective in the beginning. It will come later.

Recording emotional flags: Emotional flags are merely points in the book that bring about emotion. Sometimes, the smaller the better. For example, for an assignment for The Red Badge of Courage , the teacher might ask students to address whether they believe Henry, the main character, is a hero. In this book, Henry sees lots of blood (emotional symbol) and death (emotional symbol) and this causes him to run away from the battle at first (emotional response). He is ashamed (emotion).

Book report basics: In your first paragraph or two, you should include the book setting, time period, characters, and your thesis statement (objective).

Re-visiting the introductory paragraph: The introductory paragraph should be the last paragraph you complete. It should be mistake-free and interesting. It should also contain a clear thesis. Don't write a thesis early on in the process and forget about it. Your point of view or argument may change completely as you re-arrange your paragraph sentences. Always check your thesis sentence last.

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WTO / Education / 30 Free Book Report Templates – How to Outline (Format)

30 Free Book Report Templates – How to Outline (Format)

A book report template is a document that contains a general layout or format that your book report fits into efficiently and it facilitates you in completing it by following the correct pattern that is required for it to be considered of a credible nature.

It is a written essay that summarizes a specific book’s contents and composition, such as the plot, characters, title, tone, and setting of the story.

A template for it may also contain information about the author or an evaluation of the good and bad aspects of the book.

A book report is a typical assignment for students throughout their school years, whether in elementary, middle, or high school. The report serves as a method to show that the students have read the book adequately and in its entirety.

Free Book Report Templates

Book Report Template 01 - Printable - PDF

Book Report vs. Book Review

A book report is an objective view of a specific book where you will be describing the general plotline without giving extensive details, analysis, or opinions of the student. It usually only states facts about the book’s contents without the need to assess this content.

On the other hand, a review is a subjective view. It will require evaluating the main ideas contained within the book and analyzing them, giving their ideas and thoughts about the plot. A review serves to give an idea of whether the book would interest prospective readers.

The book report and review are similar in certain aspects, such as

Background information

  • Target audience

Subject and thesis statement

  • Summary of content

Bibliographical information

Essentials of a book report.

Regardless of the type or subject of the book that the report is written about, certain elements are required in each template.

The elements of a good template are:

The template will need to contain information about the author’s work to write the book. This information includes the author’s name, the title of publication, the book’s date of publication, the place of publication of the book, the publisher of the book, the volume of the book, and page numbers.

The background information is the main bulk of the book, which gives it its unique aspects and drives the readers to be interested in the book.

The background information includes:

An exploration of the characters is required for the report; the significance of the characters and how they affect the plot should also be stated. A brief exploration of their personalities and actions might be required.

The setting refers to the time and place where the events occur. The setting is an integral part of the plot and is essential in driving the story forward, so the author needs to pick the setting carefully. Therefore, the writer of the report needs to inform the reader about the setting and give an idea of how it improves upon the story.

The theme is the idea that recurs within the book, and it is the idea that the author focuses on throughout the plot. The theme of the book needs to be broadly explained. Discuss the aim of the book and the prevalent ideas within. It is preferable if you use sections and examples to reinforce it.

A book report will require a summary of the plot. The summary will retell the story more concisely while explaining the main points of the plot. In addition, the teacher might require an analysis of the events of the plot to show an adequate understanding of the events. The use of examples taken from the book during the analysis will improve its quality.

Compare and contrast

Compare the book to other books within the same genre. Show how the settings, characters, and themes might mimic or contrast against each other. Elaborate on how this might enrich the content. Also, mention what your thoughts are regarding both and which combination works best.                                               

Intended audience

Each book has an intended audience that the author wants to appeal to, inspire, and talk to. Mention who the intended audience is and how you came to this information. The audience can be directly stated by the author or can be concluded from the manner of writing. It is essential to know who the audience is, as they will affect how the books are received, the themes and setting of the book , and the level of sophistication of the language used.

The overall subject of the book should be mentioned, indicating what it aims to deliver by the end of it. The author’s thesis statement, which is usually a brief paragraph, should be written either in the author’s own words or from your conclusion.

Summary of the content

The summary is a brief retelling of the most important events, ideas, and characters within the book. The summary usually doesn’t need to exceed 300 words.

Free Templates

Book Report Template 09 - Customizable - Word

Types of Book Reports

The type depends on the focus of the report and on which aspects of the book you will focus on. You can sometimes choose the type, or it is assigned to you by the teacher.

There are three main types of book reports, and these are:

Plot summary

A plot summary is an analytical method of retelling the story. Analyze the events and give your ideas on how the plot is improved or rendered worse by the different elements of the plot. Always quote parts of the book and give examples to reinforce your points about the plot.

Character analysis

This takes a character (or multiple characters) and shines the spotlight. Analyze the character, their personality traits, and how they interact with other characters. The importance of character in the story and how it drives the plot forward. Also, analyze how the character talks and acts and what their goals are. Give criticism of whether this character is relatable, which aspects improve the character, and any other personal opinions you may have.

Thematic analysis

Writing an analysis of the book’s theme can be a difficult task. It will require a deep understanding of the overarching narrative and the ability to see what the author is attempting to convey through the book. Write an exact explanation of the theme of the book, explaining it thoroughly. Then, please write your personal opinions regarding the theme, how it adds or subtracts from the book, and whether you found it fitting. Bring in examples from the book and explain them one by one to make your point even clearer.

How to Outline a Book Report Template

The outline is the frame of the report you will write down your information in according to the outline.

It is made up of three parts, and they are

The introduction

Start by introducing the title and the author. You can mention‌ a brief history of the author, such as their previous publications. You should also introduce the theme and ideas that the book aims for and give any reasons why you chose this book to write a report about. You can also add information regarding the publication of the book, how it was received by the readers, whether the book is famous or not, and so on.

The main body

This is the most critical part, where you’ll need to describe the plot of the book and set it concisely, focusing on the important events and characters while analyzing them. Give your personal opinions to make the report more specialized. You can even give examples and comparisons taken from other books.

The main body of a template will include:

  • Summary:   a description of the events of the book, the characters, the setting, and the plot of the book. The reader should have a clue of what the story will provide by the end of this summary.
  • Character details: talk about the characters, the relationships between them, and any conflicts.
  • Plot analysis: Explain the main events of the plot without going into extensive details. Explain the strengths and weaknesses of the plot while also mentioning any literary devices.

Conclusion and personal evaluation

Write down your final thoughts and ideas regarding the book: how it made you feel, how it can be improved, and what ideas it gave you. Reading a book can leave an impression on a person; talk about the impression you received from the book and your evaluation.

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Book Report Template 19 - Editable - Word

How to Write a Book Report

There are steps to be taken before writing the report to facilitate the process and improve the overall result of the work that you put into the report.

These steps are:

Pick the book carefully

If you choose to pick which book to write the report about, choose one that connects to you and interests you the most. Choosing one you’re passionate about will aid in the process of writing the report. But if you were assigned the book and are unable to change it, then keep an open mind. Maybe you will like it.

Proper reading of the book

Read the book thoroughly and with focus; writing the report will require a good understanding of various parts to explain them within the report. Therefore, it is important to give it a proper read, as you will not write a good report without knowing it well. Consider reading complicated sections more than once for a more proper understanding.

Jot down notes

While reading, note the important events, characters, and plot points you would want to discuss. This will help make writing faster and easier and encompass the book’s various parts.

Organize your notes

Choose which of your most important notes you will be talking about first. The book report is usually of a limited length, so you will probably need to cut back on some notes. Give priority to the most important notes that you think will help you stand out, such as the ones that talk about significant events or the ending as an example.

Create an outline 

The outline is similar to the frame of a painting. It will help you stay focused on the essential parts. Therefore, you must create an outline before you start working. You can write down the outline on paper or within the document itself before working. This will give you a clear idea of what you’re going to write about and facilitate the process of writing.

Begin reiterating the story

One of the most critical aspects is how you retell and summarize the story. First, decide how you will approach the story, its length, and which events are discussed. Secondly, decide on your approach to these events and how you’ll describe them, whether in detail, from the point of view of a particular character, or as an observer.

Be creative with the way you reiterate the story and add your personal touch whenever possible to help the report stand out.

Write your book report

Finally, you can start writing your report. Focus on your notes and follow the outline. Finish writing the main body, then give your analysis.

Tips for Writing a Book Report

There are a few aspects of writing a book report that are only learned with practice and experience. Unfortunately, new writers make common mistakes.

Follow these tips to avoid such common mistakes :

Avoid cramming

Writing is a time-consuming process that is better done slowly. Cramming and forcing yourself to write the report on short notice will negatively affect the report and be noticeable. Instead, plan your time and work while you are relaxed and have plenty of time.

Get a dictionary

Reading with a dictionary by your side will help you with those pesky words that you don’t know the meaning of. It is important to have a better understanding of the story and the author’s method of writing, which in turn helps improve your report.

Read existing reports on the book

Sometimes, if the book is incredibly daunting to tackle for writing about, you should check other reports regarding it; doing this type of research will give you an idea of what points you should discuss and might even give you some insight that you have missed during your reading.

Get professional writing assistance

Using a writing service that will follow your notes and write a report made just for you can help you when you cannot write it yourself.

Use a template

Using a template like the one we offer will help you make the process faster. You will avoid the need to outline yourself and save time to focus on the other parts of the report.

Format of the Book Report

A specific format should be followed to ensure that the report covers all the necessary aspects. Learn this format and make your notes to improve it and reduce the need for a secondary reading of the book.

This format includes

  • The title, the author’s name, and the number of pages.
  • The genre and the general theme
  • The characters with a brief description of each.
  • The setting of the book
  • The plotline, the critical events, and a summary.
  • Theme and message.
  • Your evaluation and opinions.

Frequently Asked Questions

To write one for high school, you need to give a brief introduction of the author, explain the plot and the major characters and events, and give a brief evaluation of the book.

When writing one for the college level, a deeper understanding of the literature is often required. So, first, write down the introduction, including the bibliographic information. Then explain the narrative of the plot, events, twists, and conclusion. Finally, give a summary while also mentioning the strong points or the parts that didn’t work so well.

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The definitive guide to Project 2025

Media Matters presents a close look at Project 2025, from a secretive 180-day plan to a MAGA staffing database to extreme proposals that would turn back the clock on a whole host of issues

Written by Media Matters Staff

Research contributions from Madeline Peltz , John Knefel , Jacina Hollins-Borges , Jack Wheatley , Sophie Lawton , Justin Horowitz , Allison Fisher & Olivia Little

Published 08/08/24 10:36 AM EDT

Project 2025 is an extreme right-wing initiative organized by The Heritage Foundation to provide policy and personnel to the next Republican presidential administration. The effort involves more than 100 partner organizations, a database of potential MAGA staffers, a secret 180-day plan, and its nearly 900-page policy book — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise — represents a major threat to democracy. The below PDF is also available here .

The definitive guide to Pro... by Media Matters for America

New Media Matters research into Project 2025’s extremist goals

Proposals in the Mandate for Leadership would severely inhibit the federal government’s protections for reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, labor and civil rights, and immigrants, as well as its climate change efforts. They would allow Trump to weaponize the justice system as his own personal retribution machine, gut the American system of checks and balances and purge the federal bureaucracy of experienced civil servants who haven’t pledged fealty to Trump. On their own platforms, Project 2025 partners frequently speak in even more draconian terms.

Here’s a sampling of the agenda that the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025 are pushing to implement on day one of a second Trump administration:

  • Reimplementing “Schedule F,” a Trump-era executive order that removes civil service protection for career bureaucrats so they can be fired and replaced with far-right loyalists.
  • Adopting an extreme anti-choice agenda that would restrict legal abortion drugs and emergency contraception, and that could also impact fertility-related health care like IVF and surrogacy services.
  • Undermining checks and balances in the federal government and consolidating the president’s power to weaponize the Department of Justice and law enforcement against his political enemies.
  • Institutionalizing the right-wing movement’s war on LGBTQ communities by promoting conversion therapy and stripping queer people of federal protections.
  • Eviscerating labor rights, including union negotiating rights and protections for overtime pay.
  • Allowing high-income earners to more easily cheat the IRS.
  • Rejecting climate science in favor of Big Oil’s preferred policies by gutting federal agencies that protect the environment and dismantling regulations allowing polluting industries to extract even more oil and gas from federal lands with less protections.
  • Potentially conducting mass deportations of millions of immigrants or those suspected to be immigrants, in part by revoking all Temporary Protected Status designations, which would put more than 863,000 people at risk.
  • Overhauling the American education system by eliminating the Department of Education and making student loans more expensive.
  • Purging the federal government of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
  • Expelling transgender service members from the military and eliminating DEI initiatives from the military to “restore standards of lethality and excellence.”

Key Media Matters research on Project 2025

Media Matters has also recently published thorough research on Project 2025 and the MAGA media universe, including:

  • An exhaustive analysis of Project 2025’s multi-pronged attacks on reproductive rights.
  • A resource guide that outlines the specific policy and personnel priorities of Project 2025.
  • A guide to the MAGA media universe.
  • Deep-dive research on what leading MAGA figures expect from a second Trump term.

A full list of Media Matters content on Project 2025 can be found here .

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Georgia football practice report: Bulldogs get it going under sweltering conditions

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Georgia football preseason practices opened under sweltering conditions Thursday afternoon with a heat advisory in the area.

Temperatures pushed near the mid-90s and the heat index was at 105 as Carson Beck began his first preseason as the established starting quarterback. It wasn't until Aug. 19 last year that the now fifth-year senior was named the starter.

The Bulldogs opened camp with 120 players, according to coach Kirby Smart.

“I’m fired up about that,” Smart said. "That’s a good number for us. As you know in the future, it won’t be that. We’ve got good depth in camp and we’re looking forward to creating some mental and physical adversity through the heat and through practices to kind of start to form our team.”

Roster limits starting next season are set to be at 105 in college football as part of a settlement agreement of three antitrust cases concerning the compensation of college athletes.

Cornerback Daylen Everette seemed to embrace what’s ahead this month.

“This is a time to lock in and really just prepare for the season,” he said.

Observations from Georgia's first day of practice open periods

➤ Watched mostly the offense on this day. Let’s start with the wide receivers since it was announced earlier in the day that Rara Thomas was dismissed.

Here’s how they went through drills.

Dillon Bell went first at the “X” outside receiver position followed by Colbie Young, Nitro Tiggle and walk-on Will Taylor.

On the other side of the field was Arian Smith first, followed by London Humprheys, Michael Jackson III and walk-on Walter Blanchard.

Dom Lovett was the top slot receiver, followed by Anthony Evans III, Sacovie White and walk-on Brandon Moody.

➤ Stanford transfer tight end Ben Yurosek is starting as the No. 3 tight end behind Oscar Delp and Lawson Luckie.

They were doing a drill that ended with tight ends diving on the ground to secure a loose ball.

Maybe I was a little too close to the action when viewing the tight ends. Got spritzed by a water bottle on the shirt. Can’t say it wasn’t welcome given the heat.

➤ Watched quarterback Jaden Rashada throw at his first Georgia practice. He had some rough patches, as might be expected since transferring to Arizona State.

He was off target on a throw to Yurosek, connected with Smith, had a wobbly pass on a completion to Luckie and was praised by offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo on a sideline throw when the receiver made a good catch.

“Good throw, Rashada!” Bobo said.

➤ Georgia’s first-team offensive line didn’t have any surprises: Earnest Greene, Dylan Fairchild, Jared Wilson, Tate Ratledge and Xavier Truss.

➤ Smart’s voice could be heard on the mic before reporters took the field.

“You guys are tired as *%&* already,” he said to a group of players.

And it could be heard when heading for the exit.

“Nate Frazier, why are you walking?” he said between drills to the freshman running back. “I thought you told me you wanted to start on punt team?”

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It Ends With Us Cast Drama Explained: What Is Going on with Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni?

As 'It Ends With Us' releases in theaters, there have been reports of a rift between cast members Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni

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It Ends With Us is already creating buzz at the box office — but lately, fans have been curious to know what is going on with the cast. 

Amid the film’s promotional tour, there have been rumors of a rift between the major stars, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni , who play Lily Bloom and Ryle , respectively. Baldoni also served as the director for the project, while Lively was a producer. Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, secured the rights to the book in 2019 and Lively's casting in the film was announced in January 2023.

Gotham/WireImage (2)

Notably, Baldoni has been largely absent from grouped promotional appearances, including at the New York premiere , where he didn’t pose with his costars and didn't introduce the film ahead of the screening. Additionally, Lively, Brandon Sklenar and author Colleen Hoover don’t appear to follow Baldoni on social media. 

There have also been reports of creative clashes behind the scenes, which allegedly led to two different cuts of the movie emerging, according to The Hollywood Reporter .

Here’s everything to know about the reported cast drama and what everyone has said about working together. 

Why are there rumors of a rift between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni? 

Nicole Rivelli

Rumors of a rift between Lively and Baldoni first sparked as the cast embarked on the official press tour for the movie. Notably, throughout the film’s promotion, Baldoni has been largely absent from group appearances, including Book Bonanza and a surprise screening in June with Lively, Sklenar, Hoover and Isabela Ferrer, the latter of whom plays young Lily . Around the same time, Baldoni revealed he was recovering after being hospitalized with an infection for a week.

Speculation grew as the film held its New York premiere on Aug. 6. While Lively appeared to pose alongside all of her main costars , including Sklenar and Jenny Slate , Baldoni walked the red carpet with his wife Emily and his family. He also didn’t introduce the film ahead of the screening with Lively and Hoover, despite being the director of the project. 

Additionally, fans have noticed that none of the main cast members nor the author follow Baldoni on social media, while Lively follows Sklenar, Hoover and Slate. 

What has the It Ends With Us cast said about working together? 

John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images

Throughout the film's press tour, Baldoni has spoken highly of his costars. Ahead of the release, he praised Sklenar’s performance in an Instagram Stories post and during a conversation with PEOPLE, he said he was “mesmerized” by Lively during filming. 

In addition to acting, he noted that Lively was “involved in every area of production” and was “a creative force” amid filming. “She's an executive producer on the film, and she is so brilliant,” he continued. “And I believe that her performance is going to help so many women feel seen and showcase this unique experience in a way that I don't believe I've seen in another film.”

During an interview for PEOPLE in 10 , Sklenar opened up about working with Baldoni, noting he did a “great” job balancing his duties as a lead actor in the movie as well as director and producer. “The entire crew that he ensembled was so incredible,” he added. “Everybody in this film is just on the top of their game across the board. It was a really pleasant environment to work in.” 

However, eyebrows were raised when Slate, who plays Baldoni’s sister Allysa, was asked about working with him during the film’s premiere and seemingly side-stepped the question. “What an intense job to have to do so many things,” she told Deadline , adding in her career, she would rather have one job when she’s doing projects. 

What happened behind the scenes of It Ends With Us production?

Jojo Whilden

Ahead of the release, there have also been various reports about creative clashes behind the scenes . While Baldoni served as the director and producer for the project, Lively, who was also a producer, praised her husband Ryan Reynolds for his creative contributions at the premiere, saying that he wrote the pivotal rooftop scene between Lily and Ryle. 

"The iconic rooftop scene, my husband actually wrote it. Nobody knows that but you now," Lively told E! News on the red carpet. "We help each other," she added. "He works on everything I do. I work on everything he does. So his wins, his celebrations are mine and mine are his. I mean, he's all over this film."

Speaking with PEOPLE, the film's screenwriter, Christy Hall, noted that the specific scene was "probably the trickiest one to tackle" because it is "perfect in the novel." She also said she wasn't aware Reynolds had contributed to the dialogue used in the final version of the sequence, but noticed a few new additions.

"There were a couple of little things that I thought had been improvised. Like when he says, 'Pretty please with a cherry on top,' and she talks about the maraschino cherries. When I saw a cut, I was like, 'Oh, that's cute. That must have been a cute improvised thing.' So if I'm being told that Ryan wrote that, then great, how wonderful," she said. 

"There were a few little flourishes that I did not write, but I assumed that they had been improvised on set,” she continued. “But, again, like I said, the moments that I felt like needed to be honored are there. So I recognize the scene and I'm proud of the scene. And if those flourishes came from Ryan, I think that's wonderful."

According to The Hollywood Reporter , “there was a fracture among the filmmakers” during the post-production process as two “different cuts of the movie emerged.” A source notes to PEOPLE that it’s typical to have many cuts of the film during post-production, and everyone agreed on the final cut.

What is the other controversy surrounding the It Ends With Us adaptation? 

The cast drama rumors aside, the movie has also faced backlash as some fans criticized the portrayal of intimate partner violence. In both the book and the film adaptation ( warning: spoilers ahead ), the story revolves around Lily Bloom as she embarks on a romance with Ryle. However, over time, he becomes emotionally, sexually and physically abusive towards Lily. Though they ultimately part ways in the end, she allows him to continue to co-parent their daughter.

This has been a point of contention for readers, as some question Lily's choice to keep Ryle around while others praise the realistic nature of the relationship. Hoover has candidly opened up about how watching her own parents' relationship influenced the story. 

“One of my earliest memories was him throwing a TV at her,” she told Today in 2023. “We grew up in an abusive household up to that point. There were no resources for women to leave situations like that,” she continued, adding her mother divorced her father when she was 2. “She was able to get out of that relationship. And then from then on, I just remember growing up with a mother who was so strong and independent.”

Hoover recalled that she "would ask her mother all the time about how she was able to leave her father and ended up writing a book inspired by her mother’s courage."

What has the It Ends With Us cast said about the story?

Both Lively and Baldoni have emphasized the importance of the film’s subject material and how they hope it helps people who are victims of domestic violence. 

“I think what's really beautiful about this movie is I think that it is told with empathy, and that speaks to how Colleen wrote this book, because she lays out such a clear emotional roadmap for Lily,” Lively told PEOPLE of the source material. “And Lily isn't just multifaceted and dynamic and has highs and lows and light and darkness, but all the characters surrounding her do as well. They're not just one color.” 

“This will hold your empathy,” she continued of the film. “Hindsight is 20/20, right? So it's very easy to look back and see red flags. But I think that it's more about giving yourself grace for not seeing things, or seeing them and wanting to believe the best in a person, because a beautiful attribute to want to believe the best in person, in people, but it can also get you into really painful, traumatic situations, and sometimes you don't even realize it. I think that it's about having empathy for yourself and then also knowing your strength and your value. Hopefully, seeing a film like this and then having a story like this will remind people that there is a way out. There can be a way out, always.” 

A source told PEOPLE that Baldoni has also been passionate about spreading that narrative. “In every bit of press he has done, he has placed an emphasis on the importance of spotlighting this issue and breaking the cycle of violence,” the source said. “Though this is Justin’s biggest directing and acting role to date, this film has never been in the interest of self-promotion. It has, and will continue to be about the message with the goal of touching real lives and inspiring people to speak out against DV. Ultimately, it is about the survivors and hope.” 

Will the cast return for an It Ends With Us sequel? 

Nicole Rivelli/SONY PICTURES 

Seeing that It Ends With Us has a follow-up book, It Starts with Us , fans are curious to know if there will be a movie sequel — and who from the original cast will make an appearance. Though the book largely centers on Lily and Atlas, Ryle is still a central character. 

While Baldoni hasn’t confirmed whether he’ll return as one of the film’s stars, he has weighed in on whether he’d return as director . “You’re gonna have to ask me in a little while. We’re gonna take a vacation after this,” Baldoni quipped to Entertainment Tonight .

“I think there are better people for that one,” he added. “I think Blake Lively is ready to direct. That’s what I think.”

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Reports tie JD Vance to more extremists, conspiracy theories

The week in extremism, from usa today.

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Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance has connections to at least two more extremists, according to reports this week. That’s in addition to being friendly with a far-right commentator who was exposed for his racist writings. Meanwhile, Elon Musk is reaching more than a billion people with his misleading election claims, a study shows. And federal prosecutions of public threats are on track to hit another high in 2024.

It’s the week in extremism.

JD Vance and the extremists

Former President Donald Trump’s running mate was in the news twice this week for his connections to extremists. The revelations come a week after USA TODAY reported that Richard Hanania, a far-right commentator unveiled last year as the writer of racist essays on white supremacist websites, was one of the contributors to the conservative manifesto Project 2025 – while also having a friendly relationship with Vance. 

  • On Wednesday, the Washington Post reported on Vance’s 20 months of messages to Charles Johnson, a conspiracy theorist who has doubted the Holocaust and was banned from Twitter for veiled threats against an organizer of the Black Lives Matter movement.
  • The same day, it was revealed Vance endorsed an upcoming book authored by another far-right conspiracy theorist, Jack Posobiec. Posobiec was a major promoter of the discredited “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory. The book praises fascist dictators and describes the far-left as “unhumans.”
  • Vance wrote the foreword for another forthcoming book written by Kevin Roberts, one of the key architects of Project 2025, the Associated Press reported. The publication of that book was postponed this week until after the election. 

Trump has repeatedly distanced himself from Project 2025, a sweeping conservative policy effort decried by many experts as detrimental to Americans of color. Last week, the director of the effort stepped down amid criticism from the Trump campaign.

Report: Elon Musk spreads election falsehoods to a billion people

False or misleading statements about the U.S. election posted by Musk on his social media platform X have reached more than a billion people, according to a new analysis from the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate, as reported by NBC News on Thursday.

  • Musk, who last month endorsed Trump for president, has spread at least 50 false election posts, according to the center’s analysis. The posts include claiming that non-citizens are voting in elections and posting a video of Vice-President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris that featured a “deepfake” of Harris’s voice.
  • Musk has also come under fire from five state secretaries of state who wrote X a letter this week urging Musk to fix the platform’s AI-generated misinformation. X’s AI chatbot Grok had falsely told users that Harris had missed the deadline to join the presidential election ballot in nine states.

The Center for Countering Digital Hate, which has been highly critical of Musk’s management of X, was sued by the platform last year.  A federal judge threw out the case in March.

Threats against public officials set to hit record 

Late last week, a Virginia man was arrested and charged by the Department of Justice with threatening to kill Harris. So far this year, 69 people have been federally charged with threatening public officials, according to research from the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, and Chapman University provided to USA TODAY.  

  • This year is on track to exceed 2023 for the total number of such prosecutions. In 2023, there were 77 federal arrests for threats against public officials, according to the researchers.
  • Threats were focused on federal law enforcement including the FBI, but were also made against politicians, election officials and other public workers.
  • “Continuing a disheartening upward trend line, this year is on track to break yet another record for the number of federal arrests involving threats to public servants,”  Seamus Hughes, a senior researcher on the University of Nebraska team, told USA TODAY. “It’s disconcerting, and there appears to be no end in sight for the sad normalization of violent rhetoric.”

Statistic of the week: 20 years

That was the sentence handed down to David Nicholas Dempsey of California Friday for his assault on police officers at the Capitol on January 6.

Dempsey, who has a history of political violence, attacked officers using a metal pole and a crutch. His is the second-longest sentence for a Jan. 6 participant after Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, the former national leader of the Proud Boys, who received a 22-year term for seditious conspiracy.

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How Disinformation Fed a Far-Right Riot After a Deadly Stabbing in England

More than 50 police were injured in an outbreak of violence driven by false reports that the suspect in the stabbing attack on a children’s dance class was a migrant.

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Police officers in riot gear line up on a street with a fire burning behind them.

By Megan Specia

Reporting from London and Southport, England

Less than two hours after mourners gathered in Southport, England, on Tuesday evening to honor three children killed in a brutal stabbing attack, hundreds of rioters flooded the streets of the already traumatized town.

More than 50 police officers were injured in the ensuing violence, as demonstrators threw bricks at a mosque, attacked the police, set cars on fire and damaged a convenience store.

Although some details of the unrest remain opaque, one thing is clear, according to the police, lawmakers and experts in online extremism: Disinformation and far-right agitators fueled the violence.

Supporters of the English Defence League, an extremist anti-Islam organization, were part of a large group that attacked a mosque in Southport around 7.45 p.m., according to a statement from the Merseyside Police Service , which covers the region.

The targeting of the mosque, and the subsequent riot, came after false rumors circulated on social media on Monday, soon after news emerged that a man had stabbed multiple children and two adults at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

The rapid spread of misinformation about the attacker’s identity left the authorities fighting a two-pronged battle on Tuesday: one on the streets of Southport, where the police were pelted with bricks and other objects, and another online, where lawmakers, local officials and the police seemed powerless to halt viral falsehoods.

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Maine Lobster Festival, Smashing Pumpkins and actress Kathleen Turner are all here this weekend

You can also enjoy an epic ice cream sandwich and some local hazy IPAs.

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Still from Cat Video Fest. Contributed/Cat Video Fest

Hello, August!

The dog days are summer are here, so let’s celebrate with the Cat Video Fest at Portland Museum of Art and Strand Theatre. Or head to the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland. Those are just a few of the choices in this week’s events roundup .

Maine Lobster Festival, Wild Blueberry Weekend and Lyle Divinsky

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Lily Philbrook, Kathleen Turner and Colin Anderson in the Ogunquit Playhouse production of “A Little Night Music.” Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Actress Kathleen Turner is one of the stars of “A Little Night Music” at Ogunquit Playhouse,  playing through Aug. 17. You’ll recognize her from her many film roles, including “Peggy Sue Got Married,” or maybe as Chandler Bing’s father in “Friends.” Here’s an interview with Turner, who unpacks how she got the role and how the show is going.

Actress Kathleen Turner, now performing in Ogunquit, on being in her first musical

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Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins in Memphis, Tennessee in 2022. L Paul Mann/Shutterstock.com

There are still tickets left to see The Beach Boys at Snow Pond Center for the Arts in Sidney on Friday and the Smashing Pumpkins at Maine Savings Amphitheatre on Sunday. We’ve got details on these and dozens of other upcoming concerts .

See The Beach Boys or Smashing Pumpkins in Maine this weekend

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Styx. Left to right Todd Sucherman, Lawrence Gowan, Chuck Panozzo, James “JY” Young, Tommy Shaw, Terry Gowan and Will Evankovich. Photo by Jason Powell

Two other notable shows are Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) with Adrian Belew tonight in Portland and Styx with Foreigner on Saturday in Bangor. Here are interviews with Harrison and Lawrence Gowan from Styx. Tickets are still available for both shows.

Members of Talking Heads, Styx and Foreigner all perform in Maine this week

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Twin Tin ice cream sandwich. Photo by Peggy Grodinsky

Sweeten up your weekend with a quintessential summer treat. The Twin Tin Ice Cream Sandwich combines ice cream from Twin Swirls with cookies from neighbor Tin Pan Bakery. Find them at the ice cream shop on Brighton Avenue in Portland.

Twin Tin Ice Cream Sandwich is the taste of summer

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Hazy IPAs from Allagash, Fogtown and Rising Tide. Photo by Ben Lisle

Fans of hazy IPAs have reason to celebrate because Allagash has finally come out with its own take on the style. Want more options? Beer writer Ben Lisle also recommends a couple from Fogtown and Rising Tide. Read his tasting notes on all three.

Allagash has finally joined the hazy IPA party, and it was worth the wait

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  1. Book Report Templates for 2nd

    With this 6-8th grade template, students write a two-sentence summary, important quotes and whether they recommend the book and why. 6th - 8th Grade Book Report Activity #2. Students explain, in two sentences, what the text is about, identify three important events in the text, and choose one quote they think is most important and then analyze ...

  2. WriteApp.co

    How It Works. Step 1: Input Your Book Details Start by entering the details of the book you need a report on. This includes the title, author, and any specific aspects you want the AI book report writer to focus on, such as themes, character analysis, or plot summary. Step 2: Set Your Parameters Next, set your preferred word count and choose ...

  3. How to Write a Book Report

    Develop the body: You can follow your outline or a book report template to write the body of your report. Discuss each element (plot, characters, themes, etc.) in separate paragraphs or sections. Conclude your report: Summarize your main points and offer your final thoughts and evaluation of the book. Review and revise: Finally, review and ...

  4. How to Write a Book Report

    The body paragraphs of your book report accomplish several goals: they describe the plot, delve more deeply into the characters and themes that make the book unique, and include quotations and examples from the book. Below are some resources to help you succeed in summarizing and analyzing your chosen text.

  5. 15 Creative and digital book report ideas that will get your students

    Click to open. 7. Book cover. Here, students get to be creative and invent their own book cover (front and back) of the book they just read. Or maybe just a cover for of a piece of text you've read out loud. They can use the whiteboard tools: pencil, type tool, switch colors, add images, etc. Click to open. 8.

  6. How to Write a Book Report: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Include the title and author in your intro, then summarize the plot, main characters, and setting of the book. Analyze the author's writing style, as well as the main themes and arguments of the book. Include quotes and examples to support your statements. Part 1.

  7. Writing a Book Report in Seven Steps

    A book report is an essay in which students explain and support their thoughts and views on a story, novel, or any other literary work. There are several different types of book reports. Regardless of which type you're writing, teachers and professors usually assign book reports as a way to ensure that their students have thoroughly ...

  8. How to Write a Book Report (+ Book Report Example)

    2. Identify the main elements of the book. Scrutinize the book's primary components, including its main themes, characters, setting, and plot. These elements will form the basis of your report. 3. Formulate a thesis statement. Compose a thesis statement that encapsulates your personal perspective about the book.

  9. Free Book Report Templates

    Blank Template. This row should only exist if a blank template is needed at the beginning of the templates. default-create-link-text. { {placeholder-format}} Choose from dozens of online book report ideas from Adobe Express to help you easily create your own free book report. All creative skill levels are welcome.

  10. How to Write the Perfect Book Report (4 easy steps)

    Step 2. Once you have finished reading the book and have taken thorough notes, it is time to start organizing your thoughts. Create an outline to structure your report like the one in the example above. Make sure you over all the necessary components.

  11. 22 Free Book Report Templates and Examples

    To write a book report, you need to follow the steps below: Draft an introductory paragraph. This captures the basic information about the book such as its genre, title, author, year published, number of pages, and the publisher. Include some interesting background information about the author of the book. Next, incorporate a plot summary.

  12. Write My Book Report For Me Online

    4 steps to get your book report done. 1. Submit your instructions. Fill out the information form for our writer, provide all the details. 2. Choose the writer. Look through the list of our writers and choose the one you like best. 3. Deposit your payment.

  13. 42 Creative Book Report Ideas for Every Grade and Subject

    Here are 42 creative book report ideas designed to make reading more meaningful for kids. MiddleWeb. 1. Concrete Found Poem. This clever activity is basically a shape poem made up of words, phrases, and whole sentences found in the books students read.

  14. Book Reports

    They are similar to book reviews but focus more on a summary of the work than an evaluation of it. Book reports commonly describe what happens in a work; their focus is primarily on giving an account of the major plot, characters, thesis, and/or main idea of the work. Most often, book reports are a K-12 assignment and range from 250 to 500 ...

  15. Book Report

    Click the button below to log into Book Report with your Amazon account. Logging in with Amazon does not give Book Report your access to Amazon password, email or any personal information. Please read our privacy policy for more details.

  16. 30 Book Report Templates & Reading Worksheets

    There is more than one way to complete a book report. Both teachers and students may find these creative ideas more interesting than a straightforward report. Write a review of the book. Create the report in the form of a newspaper or blog review. Summarize the book without giving away the plot or the ending.

  17. How to Write a Book Report

    2. Read the Book and Make Notes. Next, you'll need to read the book you're writing about in full, not just skim through or read a synopsis! This means you'll need to leave enough time before the deadline to read the text thoroughly (and write up your report). When you are reading, moreover, make sure to take notes on:

  18. How to Write a Book Report in 4 Easy Steps

    Start as soon as possible once you're given the assignment. As soon as you pick your book,, factor in at least two weeks for writing and wrapping up your report. Divide the number of pages by the remaining days: that will be the number of pages you will have to read per day. Practice narration.

  19. Free Book Report Templates: Easy Book Report Maker

    A book report graphic organizer can also help students structure their thoughts effectively in their own words. By incorporating elements like templates, book report planning forms for grade school, and relevant book report examples, you can design a worksheet that guides students through a comprehensive exploration of the book's content while ...

  20. How to write a book report

    The following list covers the basic elements that should be included in every book report you write, no matter what topic or specific type of book report you're writing: The book's title and author. The historical context of the book (when it was written) The time (s) during which the story is set. The location (s) where the story takes place.

  21. 10 Steps to Writing a Successful Book Report

    Develop paragraph ideas. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence and a sentence that transitions to the next paragraph. Try writing these first, then filling out the paragraphs with your examples (symbols). Don't forget to include the basics for every book report in your first paragraph or two. Review, re-arrange, repeat.

  22. 30 Free Book Report Templates

    Book Report vs. Book Review. A book report is an objective view of a specific book where you will be describing the general plotline without giving extensive details, analysis, or opinions of the student. It usually only states facts about the book's contents without the need to assess this content. On the other hand, a review is a subjective view. It will require evaluating the main ideas ...

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    QuickBooks Online Simple Start costs $30 per month, includes only one account user (plus access for two accountants) and does not offer billable hours tracking, bill pay or inventory management.

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