difference between book review and book report

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Book Review vs Book Report: Here’s How They Compare

by Antony W

April 19, 2023

In this post, we do a front to back comparison on book review vs book report.

In particular, we’ll look at the differences between the two so that you can easily tell them apart and have an easy time writing.

Let’s get started.

Key Takeaways

A book review and a book report have aspects that easily overlap. For example, they both give a summary of a book to help readers determine the value of a book.

What is a Book Review?

A book review is an assessment of a literary work, typically written by a critic or reviewer.

It aims to provide a detailed analysis of the book's content, quality, and style, and may take various forms such as opinion pieces, scholarly reviews, or summary reviews.

Book reviews can be found in a variety of outlets, including newspapers, magazines, online directories, academic journals, and websites.

They serve as valuable resources for readers seeking to make informed decisions about what to read, and for authors seeking feedback on their work.

In both high school and college, teachers often assign book reviews as a way to assess students' ability to analyze the complexities of scholarly texts and synthesize research to demonstrate their understanding of the book's content.

You have the responsibility to read the book and provide a thorough and critical evaluation of its significance.

The length of your review will vary, ranging from a few paragraphs to an average of 2,000 words, depending on the instructor's guidelines or the complexity of the book.

It is important to remember that a book review reflects your personal opinion and taste, and what you think about a particular work of literature may differ from someone else's perspective.

What is a Book Report?

A book report is a comprehensive summary of a book's key elements, including its title, setting, plot, characters, and author.

It should also indicate the publication year and genre.

When writing a book report, it's important to focus on the most important points and key ideas addressed by the author.

Including relevant quotations from the book can also support your general observations, as long as you properly cite them.

In addition to summarizing the book's content, a good book report should also include your personal response to the material.

You may also need to evaluate the book's strengths and weaknesses to help potential readers decide whether to read it.

Book Review vs Book Report: What are the Differences?

It's common for students to conflate book reports with book reviews, which can result in poor grades if not properly understood.

Although there are similarities between the two, it's essential to differentiate their purposes and formats.

The following table provides a concise overview of the key differences between a book review and a book report.

Structure of a Book Review

A book review requires a sophisticated and elaborate structure, involving an in-depth examination of the book's elements to assist potential readers in making an informed decision about whether to read it or not.

Typically, book reviews range between 500 and 2,000 words, although the length can vary depending on the book.

The Structure of a Book Report

In contrast, a book report has a more straightforward structure and only provides a basic summary of the book's content.

Due to its simplicity, book reports are usually shorter, spanning between 200 and 500 words.

Writing a Book Review

When writing a book review, the focus should be on shedding new light on the book for the target audience and providing reasons to read or not read it.

While it is acceptable to discuss the plot, climax, biography, and characters of the story, the review should primarily focus on the author's intent, symbols, and thematic elements.

It should also evaluate the relevance of the story to its historical context and the author's effectiveness in covering the subject matter.

While it is optional to discuss the tone of the author and look at whether it is sympathetic or biased, it is not necessary.

In addition to discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the book, the review should help potential readers determine the value of the book.

Writing a Book Report

A book report typically includes biographical information about the author, such as their place of birth, education, residence, and family.

This information helps readers understand the author's perspective in writing the book.

The report should also include a summary of the book, covering important details such as the main characters, setting, plot, and climax.

While it is uncommon, some instructors may ask students to identify and discuss relevant symbols and themes in the book report, which can help readers understand the book better.

Get Help with Book Review Writing

Despite having a clear understanding of the distinction between a book review and a book report, completing the assignment can still be a challenging task.

If you find yourself struggling with a book review project, there's no need to worry.

Our team of book review writers is available to assist you in completing the task within the shortest possible time.

Simply reach out to us, and our team of professional writers and editors will guide you in the right direction.

About the author

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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Difference between a book review and book report

Imagine you work really hard to produce a good book review : it seems like you are doing everything diligently to present all the points that seem relevant to you. So you obviously expect the “A” grade for the assignment. But what you get is not an “A” and not even “B” or “C”. The shock can be too overwhelming when such things happen. There are a lot of students who find themselves in the situations like this simply because they fail to understand the difference between a book review and a book report. In most cases when students get low grades for a book review, the issue is that they actually turn in a book report which is different from a book review. So the reason why students receive such low grades is sometimes because they never take time to check and understand book review requirements which should be the number one step when writing any type of assignment. In this article we are going to talk on the difference between a book report and book review and also where a book summary falls in between these two.

Book Report vs Book Review

First of all, a book report is simpler in its structure and it doesn’t require any deep text analysis as opposed to a book review. That is why professors and teachers grade papers very low when they receive reports instead of reviews. They take it as a student choosing a shortcut to make his/her job easier when in fact one may simply have not understood the difference between the two assignments. Well, in order to prevent that from happening we would like not simply to list the characteristics of a good book review but rather to approach these assignments at a very practical angle. Below you can find some insightful tips on how to write both a book report and book review from scratch. Before we do that, let us briefly explain the terms and how they are different.

Whenever you are asked to write a book report, all you need is to explain the topical details about the author of the book and its plot. Usually book reports present biographical data about the author in order to establish a background for the book. This should also help the reader understand the perspective the author had when he/she approached writing the novel. After the bio goes the summary of the story (the plot, setting, climax, etc.) along with the list of main characters. So as you can see, book report requirements are not that demanding as opposed to those of a book review.

When you are required to write a book review, you are basically asked to analyze the story. Students always have to fight the temptation to simply retell the story in their own words as this is not what a book review requires of a student. The whole point of this assignment is to bring some new light or perspective to the people reading, let’s say, the novel. This paper may still present the information about the plot, main characters and the bio of the author but these sections have to be very brief because they are not the main focus of the writing. The core of every book review is to discover the intent of the author, specific symbols that have significant meaning in the interpretation of the story and thematic elements contributing to the overall purpose of the work. A good review would also discuss where the novel fits in the historical context and whether the author has fully covered the chosen subject. This assignment should also dwell on the limitations of the book discussing whether or not it will have value in the generations to come. As you may have noticed, a book review is all about the in-depth analysis of the literary work.

How to Write a Book Report?

Before you sit to read the book, note down and consider the information about the author, title, publisher and number of pages.
As you read, take note of the main characters, main ideas, and the quotes that appear interesting to you.
Start your report from introducing the general information about the book and its author.
Explain what happens in the book and you also can discuss a few things that you believe require special attention.
Answer the questions “What did you like the most?” and “How would you evaluate the book in general?” That is where you have to dwell on the themes, motifs and different terms of the novel.
End with your recommendations for those willing to read the book. Even if you didn’t like it, still explain why.

Further reading: 7 Effective Tips on How to Write a Book Report

How to Write a Book Review?

Before you get down to writing, you need to consider some of the elements that you will need to include into your review. These elements include but are not limited to:
Author (Who is the author and what is his/her writing style? What works of this author do you know were written before this particular book?)
Genre (Fiction, romance, poetry, etc. – which genre does the book belong to and what makes you think so?)
Title (Why do you think the author came up with this title? Does it reflect the main message of the book?)
Preface (Is there any important information here that helps us understand the author’s intent?)
Take notes of the characters, themes, key ideas and style of the book when reading.
Determine how you will structure the summary/background information section first. Don’t list too much information here, this is not a report after all.
Establish a background for the readers – make sure that everybody will be engaged with your review even those who have never read the book.
Then talk on the most important ideas of the text. Choose those that seem to be the most pressing ones.
Keep in mind that your evaluation should be in the center of the entire project. Pick a few points to discuss about the text.
Include the information about the publisher and price of the book.

Comparison of Book Reviews and Book Reports

Book summary vs book review.

The difference between a book review and summary is something we would like to close the article with. There are those who confuse two terms and as a result don’t know which of the two requires what. Well, we have already covered what a book review is – an in-depth analysis of the book. While a review gives an evaluation of the book along with the background information about the author, a summary is to describe what the book is all about. A summary usually presents the main idea of the book and may list one or two intrigues developed in the text. The purpose of a summary is to help people who have never read the book, understand what it is all about, how the author developed his/her thought, and what are the key ideas that are interwoven within the text. Summaries can be a part of book reviews as well as autonomously stand alone. The requirements of a summary are similar to the book report requirements although they have some substantial distinctions that keep them as separate assignments.

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Book Review vs. Book Report: Understanding the Key Differences

Brandon Kingsman
March 30, 2024

Introduction:

Discussing literature is an enjoyable adventure that fosters intellectual development and provides doors to new worlds for both book lovers and pupils.

Reviewing books and report writing are two different sorts of tasks that students frequently encounter within the framework of the scholastic process.

Despite their apparent similarity, these phrases really refer to various analyses.

By highlighting their unique goals, frameworks, and writing styles, this article seeks to shed light on the major distinctions between book reports and book reviews.

What is a Book Review?

A book review is an in-depth examination of a piece of literature that offers readers a perceptive study of its subject matter, tone, and significance.

Book assessments are more frequently seen in magazines, newspapers, and sites than book reports, which are typically needed in educational contexts. They are employed to assist readers with deciding whether a certain book is worth their cash and time.

Purpose of a Book Review:

The main goal of a book review is to give an unbiased evaluation of the book’s virtues and defects while also offering prospective readers a sneak preview of what to anticipate.

A good book review aims to arouse interest in the subject, spark discussion, and create a sense of anticipation.

Structure of a Book Review

A standard book review often includes several important elements:

The review opens with a brief introduction that includes information on the author, publisher, title, and broad objectives and themes of the book.

By reading a brief summary of the book’s primary ideas or storyline avoiding major spoilers, readers can better appreciate the book’s significance.

The analysis and assessment are the two main parts of the review. The reviewer examines the pros and cons of the work, going into great length about the author’s writing style, character development, plot coherence, and topical relevance. A few sentences from the text are used to support opinions in order to lend the analysis some credibility.

When appropriate, reviewers may make parallels between the book being discussed and other books by the author or books in the same genre.

Reviewer’s overall opinion is succinctly summarized in the conclusion, along with a suggestion for the intended audience.

What is a Book Report?

A book report, on the opposite hand, provides a more frank and impartial review of the material in the book. It is frequently given to learners as a test of their comprehension of the text and literary knowledge.

Purpose of a Book Report

A book report’s objective is to show that the person who reads it has read the work in question and is capable of providing an accurate summary of its major themes.

Book reports are frequently used in educational contexts to evaluate students’ comprehension of character, story, and topic analysis.

Structure of a Book Report

A typical book report has the following format:

Introduction: Much like a book review, the report starts out with some background information on the book, such as its name, author, and year of publication.

Summary: The primary portion of the report is on giving a thorough synopsis of the story, lead characters, and major themes in the book. The report strives to stay away from critical analysis and personal judgments, unlike a review.

Character Analysis: Book reports may have a part devoted to evaluating the characters and how they change during the narrative.

Theme Analysis (Optional): Students may also examine and debate the major topics of the novel in their theme analyses.

Conclusion: An overview of the book’s main themes serves as the report’s conclusion.

Writing Style Differences

Between book reports and book reviews, there are certain key differences in writing style.

Reviews of books frequently take on a more entertaining and opinionated tone, letting the reviewer’s character and thoughts shine through.

Alternatively, book reports take on a formal, objective tone and convey the facts without making any subjective judgments.

Finally, despite the fact that both book reports and book evaluations center on literary scrutiny, they perform different functions and have different formats and writing styles.

In contrast to book reports, which are objective summaries meant to show comprehension, book reviews are personal appraisals aimed to spark readers’ interest.

For both readers and students, being aware of these distinctions is essential because it helps them to tackle each assignment with the proper attitude and approach.

People can improve their experiences and develop a greater appreciation for literature by becoming experts at writing book reports and reviews.

How to write a book review and a book report

A book review is a descriptive and critical/evaluative account of a book. It provides a summary of the content, assesses the value of the book, and recommends it (or not) to other potential readers.

A book report is an objective summary of the main ideas and arguments that the book's author has presented. The purpose of the report is to give enough information to help decide whether the book will be of use or interest to any potential readers.

Common points that both book reviews and book reports share are presented below. The last point, Critical Comments, is intended only for those writing book reviews.

Bibliographical Information

Give the author's name; full title of book including subtitle; editor, if any; place, publisher and date of publication; edition, if necessary; and the number of pages - all this in the appropriate bibliographical style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) under the title of the review or report.

Background information

Supply any information about the author which shows their credentials for writing in this field or which reveals any influences which may have affected the author's point of view. Note any interesting circumstances that led to the writing of the book.

Intended audience

The author's intention may be apparent by the way the subject of the book is treated. Is the material meant for specialists, students, or the general public? Is it focused on a specific subject or is it a general survey of a wider subject? Several areas may provide clues: appendices, bibliographies and general indexes usually accompany scholarly works; prefaces and introductions often contain an author's explicit statement of intention; the content and style of expression will be a good indication of the intended audience.

Subject and thesis statement

What is the book about? Tell your reader not only the main concern of the book in its entirety (subject) but also what the author's particular point of view is on that subject (thesis statement). If you cannot find an adequate statement in the author's own words or if you feel that the stated thesis statement is not that which the book actually develops (make sure you check for yourself), then you will have to compose a thesis statement that does cover all the material. This statement must be brief (a sentence or a paragraph), accurate and comprehensive.

Summary of content

The summary is based on your reading notes, follows the author's order, and consists solely of the main ideas which advance the author's argument. It may be presented with the analysis of structure or discussed separately.

Critical comments (book reviews)

Critical comments should form the bulk of the book review. State whether or not you feel the author's treatment of the subject matter is appropriate for the intended audience. Ask yourself:

Has the purpose of the book been achieved?
What contribution does the book make to the field?
Is the treatment of the subject matter objective?
Are there facts and evidence that have been omitted?
What kinds of data, if any, are used to support the author's thesis statement?
Can the same data be interpreted to alternate ends?
Is the writing style clear and effective?
Does the book raise issues or topics for discussion?

Support your evaluation with evidence from the text. In conclusion, you may want to state whether you liked or disliked the book.

Sources on writing book reviews

Concordia Library sources:

Buckley, J. (2013). Fit to print: the Canadian student's guide to essay writing . (see pages 180-185).
Drewry, J. E. (1974). Writing book reviews .

Sources on writing book reports

Northey, M. & McKibbin, J. (2010). Making sense: A student's guide to research and writing .
Teitelbaum, H. (1982). How to write book reports .
Purdue Online Writing Lab. (2011). Writing a Book Report

For more information, ask a librarian

Difference Between Book Review And Book Report?

Imagine you try to pull off a great book report. So you expect a perfect A+ grade. But you couldn’t even get ‘B’ or ‘C.’ It’s no wonder that some students get help with assignments to ease this overwhelming shock.

There are good numbers of students who find themselves in a similar situation. It’s not because they don’t understand the subject matter. It’s a question of structure. They cannot differentiate a book report from a book review.

Tutors must have provided some requirements tailored to book reviews or reports on the instruction board. Hence, most students get bad grades because they don’t pay attention to these details. In any case, the first step in getting an assignment right is by following simple instructions.

This article will walk you through how you can tell the difference between a book report and a book review.

1.1 Elements of a Book Review
2.1 Parts of a Book Report
3 Key Differences between a Book Review and Book Report
4.1 Scope/Purpose
4.2 Word Count
4.3 Perspective
5 Conclusion

What is a Book Review?

A book review is an illustrative, subjective, evaluative, and critical account of a book. It typically describes a book based on style and content.

Book reviews typically range from 600 to 2,000 words. However, it could be more depending on the assignment requirements.

Elements of a Book Review

You may think that a book review is all about a brief opinion of a book. No more, no less. That’s not true. This is not only the piece of information that your tutor wants from you.

A resourceful book review comprises four elements. They are as follows:

Short Summary

It’d best to assume that your audience does not know what the book is about. This way, you can summarize the book better. A good summary requires you to map out the main ideas and why they are essential.

Another information to include in a book review is the book’s background. A solid background requires comparing the author’s argument to related historical information. This applies to both fiction and non-fiction works.

Author’s Information

It’s also essential to incorporate the author’s information into the review. For instance, what is the author’s educational background? Does it influence his beliefs? This way, your reader can understand why the author has raised a specific argument.

Evaluation is the conclusive part of the review. It’s an appraisal of the strengths and pain points of the book. An evaluative account also shows how the book has achieved its purpose.

Note that book reviews may also include your opinions. However, you should reread your assignment instructions to determine whether it’s part of its requirements.

Now that you know what a book review is let’s get to a book report.

What is a Book Report?

Unlike a book review, a book report discusses a book from an objective and informative perspective. People often interchange with book reviews. But it tilts toward a book summary than a critical account of it.

Book reports give a concise account of what happened in a book. They navigate through the thesis and characters of a work.

Most book reports stretch from 250 to 500 words.

Parts of a Book Report

Introduction

The first part of a book report should include the title of the work and the author’s name. After that, you may open with an exciting extract from the creation to grab the reader’s attention.

If it is a story, you should introduce the specific place where it takes place. For non-stories, we recommend that you include the integral setting. Integral setting means the societal elements in work, such as language.

Introduce the main ideas

It’d be best to mention every character in your report.

Evaluation/Recommendation

Key Differences between a Book Review and Book Report

Now that we’ve walked you through the basics let’s get to business. , scope/purpose.

A book review analyses the work. It encompasses the main ideas in a piece of work critically. Hence, a book review aims to shed new light on the readers.

On the other hand, a book report rehashes the work. The purpose of a book report is to give information about the work. In any case, a book review takes a diagnostic approach that tests the significance of the text.

A book review typically ranges from 600 to 2,000 words. It’s because teachers expect students to write as much as possible in book reviews. However, it would help if you stuck to the word count in your assignment instructions.

On the other hand, a book report typically stretches from 250 to 500 words. It’s because your teachers don’t expect you to write beyond what happened in a book. However, you may highlight your recommendations.

Perspective

A book report requires you to write from an objective perspective.

On the other hand, a book review requires you to write from a subjective perspective. That is to say, your opinions matter.

It can be challenging to strike a balance between opinion and facts. However, mastering them will go a long way in helping you to differentiate a book review from a book report.

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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Book Report Vs. Book Review (Differences and Similarities)

Many of us become accustomed to writing book reports at a very young age. Elementary classrooms are often decorated with templates for this paper: author, title, characters, setting, problem/conflict, main events, conclusion, etc. These common stepping stones are in place to prepare students for years of formal book reporting. The good news is that they actually do represent the necessary components. If this is what a book report entails, what sort of things the review will offer?

A book review is an analysis or critical review of a story that evaluates how well it achieves its purpose. Ultimately, did the author accomplish what they set out to do?

Did they efficiently convey their argument to the reader?
Were you convinced by their evidence and support statements?
Was their writing organized?
How well did they compare to similar pieces in the same category?

In this article, we will look at the key elements of and the difference between a book report and book review and how to avoid confusing the two. We will also provide a guide to writing a paper that will fit all the needed criteria.

Book Report: Main Characteristics

A book report is primarily a factual account of the contents of a story. Your main goal would be to accurately summarize the information in the piece. You would need to provide the reader with the author's name, title, the number of pages, publication date, author's thesis, main events or main ideas, the organization of the book, and setting and characters (if you can apply it).

The book report should also give the reader a full picture of the story by including an equal summary of each section. Lastly, you are allowed to, and should, insert some of your final thoughts and the opinions of the piece. Your opinion should be small in comparison to your summary but may highlight your recommendations or any particular things that you liked or disliked. You may want to indicate your preferences of a particular genre or writing style. Do you normally prefer fiction books over non-fiction ones? If this is a non-fiction piece, did that aspect influence your opinion about it at all?

Book reports are easy to prepare and straight to the point. Keeping your summary substantial and your final thoughts minimal should ensure you've prepared a suitable paper.

The Tricky Part: Book Review

A book review can be seen as a more sophisticated approach to understanding and relaying the same information presented in a report. It can be described as "sophisticated" in that the work requires a greater level of effort, thoughtfulness, and is an analysis as compared to a book report. As students grow, so does their ability to think critically. The graduation from a report to a review enables an individual to take the information obtained in a report and apply it to higher order thought processes: analyzing, criticizing, persuading, and evaluating.

At times, the greatest challenge for students is establishing solid points of analysis and identifying what aspects of the book are worth exploring. Before attempting to probe any area of the story, students should have:

a precise understanding of the author's main argument (that requires you to read the book);
a preliminary list of issues addressed with appropriate evidence;
a clear position on whether to recommend the novel to others and why.

This is the information about the piece that your review will include. When explaining your position, you can argue about many issues in favor or disfavor of the plot. Examples include the author's voice and writing style. Was it clear? Did you enjoy the style of writing? What changes would you like to see and why?

After reading and identifying these key points, you will hopefully be more prepared to provide a critical assessment. Keep in mind that your end goal is to persuade the audience and provide clear arguments.

Evaluation Areas to Consider

Look for some key points found in an evaluation rubric for a writing assessment.

audience/purpose
organization
elaboration (support details)
use of language

Think of it as "checking" the author's work and reviewing it as you would be a peer or, in some respects, as a teacher would for a student. Though you should not be as much concerned about the technical setup as you should be about how well of a job the author did when writing a book conveying the message and achieving the purpose of their writing.

Additionally, note any significant flaws in the author's general writing ability and highlight their strengths. A strength would be an area in which the author did an exceptional job exhibiting their point to the reader.

Sample Book Review Setup

Introduction/Background. This section of your review is self-explanatory and should contain the title, publication information, author's name and background, category of writing they present, a bit of history, the purpose of the writing, and your main thesis statement.
Short Summary. In this brief section, you will replicate what is done by simply summarizing the piece. Keep it concise. Try to only highlight the main events and noteworthy aspects.
Analysis/Assessment. This is the meat of your paper and the main reason for writing. As stated earlier, your purpose is to analyze and evaluate. Here, you should provide a critical assessment of the story's central argument, evidence to support it, organizational structure, and how well it fulfills its objective.
Conclusion. Sum up what you have been suggesting throughout your review. Restate your opinion in a concise sentence or two and provide a final statement. Would you recommend it or not? How does it fit in on a larger scale as it relates to its impact and contribution to its genre and literature?

Avoiding Confusion

A lot of the confusion usually lies with the book review . It's not difficult for many people to write a report because it is primarily a summary. If asked to write a review, the student may extend the summary section a bit too far and include details that do not support their argument (to persuade the reader one way or the other). Likewise, when doing a report, the writer should be cautious of not inserting too much opinion and losing the focus which is to relay factual information.

Maintaining the needed balance between fact and opinion is one of the best ways to successfully write both book reports and reviews.

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How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide

WHAT IS A BOOK REVIEW?

Traditionally, book reviews are evaluations of a recently published book in any genre. Usually, around the 500 to 700-word mark, they briefly describe a text’s main elements while appraising the work’s strengths and weaknesses. Published book reviews can appear in newspapers, magazines, and academic journals. They provide the reader with an overview of the book itself and indicate whether or not the reviewer would recommend the book to the reader.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A BOOK REVIEW?

There was a time when book reviews were a regular appearance in every quality newspaper and many periodicals. They were essential elements in whether or not a book would sell well. A review from a heavyweight critic could often be the deciding factor in whether a book became a bestseller or a damp squib. In the last few decades, however, the book review’s influence has waned considerably, with many potential book buyers preferring to consult customer reviews on Amazon, or sites like Goodreads, before buying. As a result, book review’s appearance in newspapers, journals, and digital media has become less frequent.

WHY BOTHER TEACHING STUDENTS TO WRITE BOOK REVIEWS AT ALL?

Even in the heyday of the book review’s influence, few students who learned the craft of writing a book review became literary critics! The real value of crafting a well-written book review for a student does not lie in their ability to impact book sales. Understanding how to produce a well-written book review helps students to:

● Engage critically with a text

● Critically evaluate a text

● Respond personally to a range of different writing genres

● Improve their own reading, writing, and thinking skills.

Not to Be Confused with a Book Report!

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BOOK REVIEW AND A BOOK REPORT?

While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are clear differences in both the purpose and the format of the two genres. Generally speaking, book reports aim to give a more detailed outline of what occurs in a book. A book report on a work of fiction will tend to give a comprehensive account of the characters, major plot lines, and themes in the book. Book reports are usually written around the K-12 age range, while book reviews tend not to be undertaken by those at the younger end of this age range due to the need for the higher-level critical skills required in writing them. At their highest expression, book reviews are written at the college level and by professional critics.

Learn how to write a book review step by step with our complete guide for students and teachers by familiarizing yourself with the structure and features.

BOOK REVIEW STRUCTURE

ANALYZE Evaluate the book with a critical mind.

THOROUGHNESS The whole is greater than the sum of all its parts. Review the book as a WHOLE.

COMPARE Where appropriate compare to similar texts and genres.

THUMBS UP OR DOWN? You are going to have to inevitably recommend or reject this book to potential readers.

BE CONSISTENT Take a stance and stick with it throughout your review.

FEATURES OF A BOOK REVIEW

PAST TENSE You are writing about a book you have already read.

EMOTIVE LANGUAGE Whatever your stance or opinion be passionate about it. Your audience will thank you for it.

VOICE Both active and passive voice are used in recounts.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF TEXTS

how to write a book review | movie response unit | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com

⭐ Make MOVIES A MEANINGFUL PART OF YOUR CURRICULUM with this engaging collection of tasks and tools your students will love. ⭐ All the hard work is done for you with NO PREPARATION REQUIRED.

This collection of 21 INDEPENDENT TASKS and GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS takes students beyond the hype, special effects and trailers to look at visual literacy from several perspectives offering DEEP LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES by watching a SERIES, DOCUMENTARY, FILM, and even VIDEO GAMES.

ELEMENTS OF A BOOK REVIEW

As with any of the writing genres we teach our students, a book review can be helpfully explained in terms of criteria. While there is much to the ‘art’ of writing, there is also, thankfully, a lot of the nuts and bolts that can be listed too. Have students consider the following elements before writing:

● Title: Often, the title of the book review will correspond to the title of the text itself, but there may also be some examination of the title’s relevance. How does it fit into the purpose of the work as a whole? Does it convey a message or reveal larger themes explored within the work?

● Author: Within the book review, there may be some discussion of who the author is and what they have written before, especially if it relates to the current work being reviewed. There may be some mention of the author’s style and what they are best known for. If the author has received any awards or prizes, this may also be mentioned within the body of the review.

● Genre: A book review will identify the genre that the book belongs to, whether fiction or nonfiction, poetry, romance, science-fiction, history etc. The genre will likely tie in, too with who the intended audience for the book is and what the overall purpose of the work is.

● Book Jacket / Cover: Often, a book’s cover will contain artwork that is worthy of comment. It may contain interesting details related to the text that contribute to, or detract from, the work as a whole.

● Structure: The book’s structure will often be heavily informed by its genre. Have students examine how the book is organized before writing their review. Does it contain a preface from a guest editor, for example? Is it written in sections or chapters? Does it have a table of contents, index, glossary etc.? While all these details may not make it into the review itself, looking at how the book is structured may reveal some interesting aspects.

● Publisher and Price: A book review will usually contain details of who publishes the book and its cost. A review will often provide details of where the book is available too.

how to write a book review | writing a book review | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com

BOOK REVIEW KEY ELEMENTS

As students read and engage with the work they will review, they will develop a sense of the shape their review will take. This will begin with the summary. Encourage students to take notes during the reading of the work that will help them in writing the summary that will form an essential part of their review. Aspects of the book they may wish to take notes on in a work of fiction may include:

● Characters: Who are the main characters? What are their motivations? Are they convincingly drawn? Or are they empathetic characters?

● Themes: What are the main themes of the work? Are there recurring motifs in the work? Is the exploration of the themes deep or surface only?

● Style: What are the key aspects of the writer’s style? How does it fit into the wider literary world?

● Plot: What is the story’s main catalyst? What happens in the rising action? What are the story’s subplots?

A book review will generally begin with a short summary of the work itself. However, it is important not to give too much away, remind students – no spoilers, please! For nonfiction works, this may be a summary of the main arguments of the work, again, without giving too much detail away. In a work of fiction, a book review will often summarise up to the rising action of the piece without going beyond to reveal too much!

how to write a book review | 9 text response | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com

The summary should also provide some orientation for the reader. Given the nature of the purpose of a review, it is important that students’ consider their intended audience in the writing of their review. Readers will most likely not have read the book in question and will require some orientation. This is often achieved through introductions to the main characters, themes, primary arguments etc. This will help the reader to gauge whether or not the book is of interest to them.

Once your student has summarized the work, it is time to ‘review’ in earnest. At this point, the student should begin to detail their own opinion of the book. To do this well they should:

i. Make It Personal

Often when teaching essay writing we will talk to our students about the importance of climbing up and down the ladder of abstraction. Just as it is helpful to explore large, more abstract concepts in an essay by bringing it down to Earth, in a book review, it is important that students can relate the characters, themes, ideas etc to their own lives.

Book reviews are meant to be subjective. They are opinion pieces, and opinions grow out of our experiences of life. Encourage students to link the work they are writing about to their own personal life within the body of the review. By making this personal connection to the work, students contextualize their opinions for the readers and help them to understand whether the book will be of interest to them or not in the process.

ii. Make It Universal

Just as it is important to climb down the ladder of abstraction to show how the work relates to individual life, it is important to climb upwards on the ladder too. Students should endeavor to show how the ideas explored in the book relate to the wider world. The may be in the form of the universality of the underlying themes in a work of fiction or, for example, the international implications for arguments expressed in a work of nonfiction.

iii. Support Opinions with Evidence

A book review is a subjective piece of writing by its very nature. However, just because it is subjective does not mean that opinions do not need to be justified. Make sure students understand how to back up their opinions with various forms of evidence, for example, quotations, statistics, and the use of primary and secondary sources.

EDIT AND REVISE YOUR BOOK REVIEW

how to write a book review | 9 1 proof read Book review | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com

As with any writing genre, encourage students to polish things up with review and revision at the end. Encourage them to proofread and check for accurate spelling throughout, with particular attention to the author’s name, character names, publisher etc.

It is good practice too for students to double-check their use of evidence. Are statements supported? Are the statistics used correctly? Are the quotations from the text accurate? Mistakes such as these uncorrected can do great damage to the value of a book review as they can undermine the reader’s confidence in the writer’s judgement.

The discipline of writing book reviews offers students opportunities to develop their writing skills and exercise their critical faculties. Book reviews can be valuable standalone activities or serve as a part of a series of activities engaging with a central text. They can also serve as an effective springboard into later discussion work based on the ideas and issues explored in a particular book. Though the book review does not hold the sway it once did in the mind’s of the reading public, it still serves as an effective teaching tool in our classrooms today.

how to write a book review | LITERACY IDEAS FRONT PAGE 1 | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com

Teaching Resources

Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.

BOOK REVIEW GRAPHIC ORGANIZER (TEMPLATE)

how to write a book review | book review graphic organizer | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com

101 DIGITAL & PRINT GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS FOR ALL CURRICULUM AREAS

how to write a book review | digital graphic organizers 1 | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com

Introduce your students to 21st-century learning with this GROWING BUNDLE OF 101 EDITABLE & PRINTABLE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS. ✌ NO PREP REQUIRED!!! ✌ Go paperless, and let your students express their knowledge and creativity through the power of technology and collaboration inside and outside the classroom with ease.

Whilst you don’t have to have a 1:1 or BYOD classroom to benefit from this bundle, it has been purpose-built to deliver through platforms such as ✔ GOOGLE CLASSROOM, ✔ OFFICE 365, ✔ or any CLOUD-BASED LEARNING PLATFORM.

Book and Movie review writing examples (Student Writing Samples)

Below are a collection of student writing samples of book reviews. Click on the image to enlarge and explore them in greater detail. Please take a moment to both read the movie or book review in detail but also the teacher and student guides which highlight some of the key elements of writing a text review

Please understand these student writing samples are not intended to be perfect examples for each age or grade level but a piece of writing for students and teachers to explore together to critically analyze to improve student writing skills and deepen their understanding of book review writing.

We would recommend reading the example either a year above and below, as well as the grade you are currently working with to gain a broader appreciation of this text type .

how to write a book review | book review year 3 | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com

BOOK REVIEW VIDEO TUTORIALS

how to write a book review | 2 book review tutorial28129 | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com

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How to Write Excellent Expository Essays

Book Reviews

A book review addresses the subject matter of a literary work, and assesses effectiveness and value. Book reviews keep publishers and the public aware of what is being thought and written in a wide range of subjects. When a new book is issued, copies are sent to reviewers; subsequent reviews appear in literary magazines, academic journals, newspapers, and other periodicals. People everywhere depend on book reviews to direct them in their reading; many readers buy what commentators give particular attention. Competent reviewers are the best counselors for readers attempting to keep up with intellectual and aesthetic developments in the literary arts.

Scope: What a Book Review Is and Is Not

Book reviews vary widely. A review does not simply summarize book material, and should not be substituted for the original book. The purpose of a book review is to make known what a literary work purports to do and be, as a publication for both general and specialized readers. Essential components to be taken into account include concerns of subject matter and style. A review is a critical essay, a report and an analysis. Whether favorable or unfavorable in its assessment, it should seem authoritative. The reviewer's competence must be convincing and satisfying. As with any form of writing, the writer of a book review is convincing through thorough study and understanding of the material, and opinions supported by sound reasoning; the reviewer achieves reader satisfaction upon by giving justice to the subject, the book being reviewed, and connecting it with vital human concerns. A review may be limited in its scope due to length requirements, whether those are set by an instructor or an editor. How thoroughly and with respect to what aspects a book is reviewed also depends on instructor or editor preferences, or simply the attitudes and qualifications of the reviewer.

Essential Objectives

A book review should address three issues:

Contents, or what is said in the book.
Style, or how it is said.
Assessment, or analysis of how true and significant the book is.

The most essential preparation for review writing is of course a complete, thoughtful reading of the book. After reading, the reviewer should have a sound, integrated idea of the book contents, and begin to develop attitudes toward style, purpose, and value. As the reviewer forms ideas for the review, certain influences and motives should be considered:

The interests, general or special, of the readers: Are they looking to the review for an elementary, informational report? A more advanced, technical, scholarly address?
The reviewer's own particular interests and purposes: Does the reviewer want to remain primarily a fact-finding reporter? Or are there more specialized ideas and principles of art and ideology the reviewer wants to advance?
Contemporary social, economic, political, and aesthetic issues: Do one or more of these affect the aim or emphasis of the book review? How does the incorporation and interpretation of these issues in the book review further discussion of the book's contents and style?
Required treatment and length requirements: What requirements for the review, emphasis and length, have been set by the instructor or editor?

Material for the Review

As the reviewer decides the scope and content of the review, there are various critical considerations to keep in mind. In addition to content and style, information about the publication and category of the book, and the author and author purpose, may be helpful with analysis. Not all material needs to be included in the final review, but the reviewer should be aware of any relevant issues.

Bibliographical Data

Bibliographical data includes the publisher, place and date of publication, and book price. This information is important for readers who want to buy the book. It may also raise questions: Is the book newly issued? Or is it being reissued? If reissued, is it only a new printing or has it been revised? If revised, what is the nature of the revision? Answers to these questions often can be found in a preface to the book by the author. Consult the front matter of the book, the title and copyright pages, for basic publication information. Often, price, publisher, and page count are listed separately at the beginning or end of a book review; this is the case with the example reviews accompanying this guide.

Classification

There are various categories, or genres, to which a book is assigned: fiction, poetry, travel and adventure, mystery, children's literature, biography, history, and contemporary thought, among others. A reviewer analyzes a book's conformity to a genre with attention to the author's approaches, methods, materials and coverage, and the outcomes of the book as to information, judgments, or interest value. For example, in her review of John D'Agata's Halls of Fame , Wendy Rawlings discusses how D'Agata experiments with the form of the essay: "If you're accustomed to reading essays organized around a clearly articulated theme and guided by a single narrative voice that signposts its intentions along the way, D'Agata's methods may frustrate. His essays are disjunctive agglomerations of excerpts from texts of all sorts (literary and otherwise), lists, transcripts from tape-recorded conversations, and, often, long passages of direct quotes from people he meets . . . Reading D'Agata's essays, I felt the strain of someone experimenting with the democratization of a form that, in America, has perhaps been colonized, or at least overpopulated by the ironic and the smug." Rawlings further compares and contrasts D'Agata's methods to those of David Foster Wallace, another contemporary writer of essays. When analyzing a writer's approach to form, some questions to consider are: How does the book differ from previous works in the same field? Has the author written previous books, in this genre or others? How has the author changed or developed? To what extent does the book being reviewed offer anything new its genre? How might it influence later works in the same genre?

Author and Author Purpose

Depending on the genre of the book, the background and purpose of the author may be relevant to the analysis of the book. Refer to the book jacket and biographical notes on the author. Further research may be helpful; read interviews, essays, and, if available, previously written biographies. In John Calderazzo's review of Ken Lamberton's Wilderness and Razor Wire , biographical data about Lamberton proves relevant: "Lamberton had an uncommon resume for someone doing serious jail time: no grinding poverty, no drugs or violence. He grew up in Arizona as an avid collector of wild things, a self-taught naturalist . . . He earned a bachelor's degree in biology, married Karen, a fellow lover of the wild, had kids, and decided to share his passions for science and nature in the public schools . . . He became infatuated with a student and, incredibly, ran off with her to Colorado. Soon someone from Mesa recognized them in Aspen and called the police." This background information provides the reason for Lamberton's incarceration as well as the basis for Calderazzo's discussion of the writer's "microscopically detailed prose" and "the single-mindedness of his gaze." The following is a list of possible biographical data about an author to reference in a review:

Race, nationality, and origins-social, cultural, religious, economic, political, environmental.
Training and affiliations-literary, scholastic, religious, political, etc.
Schooling, travel, or other formative influences.
Personal experiences-general or specific.
Career and/or professional position.
Other literary or scholastic works.
Stimulus or occasion for writing.
Special writing aids-illustrations, photographs, diagrams, etc.
General attitude-objective/subjective, formal/informal, authoritative/speculative, etc.
Purpose-as described in a preface or other formal statement, or in some key phrase.
Audience-who the writer hopes will read the book.

Subject Matter

The subject of a book is what the book is about, an idea or ideas explored in the book's contents. In a nonfiction book, the subject should be fairly explicit, in the author's own words. With fiction, however, a reviewer must interpret the subject through analysis of character, setting, plot, and symbolism. A discussion of the subject of a book might begin with its title: From where did the author derive the title? What is the title's meaning or suggestiveness? Is the title an adequate heading for the contents of the book? Or is it ambiguous or false in some way? Other questions regarding the exploration of a book's subject by its author include: What areas of the subject are covered? (In fiction, areas of subject may be considered character concerns, setting, and plot.) What areas of the subject are left uncovered? Is this intentional, or the result of oversight or failure, on the author's part? To what degree is the author thorough or negligent in addressing the subject? In his review of Wilderness and Razor Wire , John Calderazzo comments that writer Ken Lamberton avoids discussion of personal motivation: "Perhaps to spare his wife further humiliation and pain, Lamberton has decided not to belabor his motive for his one act of insanity. He talks vaguely of immaturity, but that's about it . . . [T]he single-mindedness of his gaze [has] implications he either doesn't recognize or won't fully discuss . . . Fixating on the near at hand may be a necessary metaphor and an undeniable fact of prison life, a way to cope with an existence that certainly scares the hell out of me. Maybe, though, Lamberton's fierce gaze derives from something he'll always carry within him: this edgy and impulsive but obviously grateful husband who knows he's not free to teach again for a living . . ."

The contents of a book revolve around the subject, and develop one or more central ideas. For nonfiction, a reviewer analyzes how well the contents of a book address the central idea, the strength or weakness of supporting ideas, and the relevancy of collateral ideas or implications. In fiction, themes develop through character, setting, and plot; a reviewer evaluates the relative success or lack thereof of these fictional elements. Think about these questions: What is the setting, or place and time, of the story? Does the setting reflect or contrast with characters and plot? Are characters fully or minimally developed? Does character development increase or deteriorate as the action proceeds? Is the plot sequenced chronologically, or otherwise? Does tension build or deflate as the story progresses? Note how David Milofsky discusses the effectiveness of the contents of Reynolds Price's Noble Norfleet : "Although there are spots of lyricism-and for the first third of the book, Price's narrative has the drive and tension of some of his better work-overall, Noble Norfleet sags beneath its unlikely premise and even more unlikely hero . . . It seems likely that Price was trying to say something here about the relationship between sexuality and madness, about the necessity not only of nursing others but of caring for oneself, of showing Noble as some kind of paradigm, hence his name. But, sadly, the novel succeeds in none of these aims." Remember that details about the plot and characters in a book are revealed by the reviewer only to support the purpose of the review. Certainly, a review should not give away a book's ending, nor should it be a simple summary of events and characters. The reviewer's job is not only to report highlights but also to respond to the ideas and techniques evident in the book.

Style refers to how an author relates content through writing. This is an important aspect of a book to review. While initially reading the book, and in any subsequent reads, a reviewer should mark passages of particular resonance and reflection of the author's style. These passages help the reviewer form ideas as to whether or not the style is effective in conveying content, and pleasing to the reader. One or more of these passages may be cited within the review itself in order to both exemplify the author's style and provide basis for the reviewer's response. The following is excerpted from Wendy Rawlings' discussion of John D'Agata's poetic, associative essay-writing style in Halls of Fame: "Juxtaposing so many voices and kinds of language . . . can allow the reader to create exciting associative links between texts and ideas, but it can also, when overused, begin to feel somewhat arbitrary. In the book's title essay, for instance, single sentences and sentence fragments form choppy narratives composed of statements that seem, at times, cruelly separated from each other by the portentous silence of white space. This narrative strategy prevails throughout most of the twenty-four sections of the essay, and as a result, the sentences take on a stilted self-importance, like a poem written by someone as yet unschooled in enjambment." A passage from the essay follows this description. When responding to a literary work, consider these aspects of style:

Logical and reasoned (objective), or imagined and emotional (subjective).
Dramatic and gripping, or pedestrian and level.
Epic and far-reaching, or lyrical and infused with personal poetic emotion.
Solemn and serious, or comic and entertaining.
Spiritual or vulgar or both.
Formal, or familiar, informal.
Simple, or complex.
Broad, or specific.
Abstract, or concrete.
Direct, or implicational.
Figurative, or literal.
Use of detail, sense appeal-the look, sound, smell, taste, feel.
Balance, parallelism, and contrast of exposition, scene, and dialogue.
Allusions, quotations, aphorisms, etc.
To the subject.
To the purpose of the author.
To the reader.

Form and Technique

An author carefully chooses the form and various writing techniques to use to develop ideas. A book reviewer decides whether or not these choices are appropriate and effective. Do certain techniques aid or impede the author's purpose? What passages from the book best exemplify these techniques?

Form and Technique in Nonfiction

Use of source material and authority.
Use of definition; illustrations and examples; comparison and contrast; cause and effect.
Use of generalization and subsequent conclusions.
Tone; authority; approach to subject and audience.
Degree of convincingness.
Worth of proposal; practicality; need.
Comparison with other possible policies.
Costs or difficulties involved.
Ultimate promise, solution, or plan
Methods of deduction or induction.
Synthesis; formation of separate elements into a coherent whole.
Syllogism; major premise, minor premise, and conclusion.
Dialectics; arrival at truth through conversation involving question and answer.
Casuistry; determination of right and wrong by applying generalized ethics principles.
Fallacy; begging the question, ignoring the question, etc.

Form and Technique in Fiction

Dominant impression; vividness of final impression.
Selection of details to support a single effect.
Appeal to sight, sound, smell, taste, and feel; imagery.
Directness; implication and suggestion.
Point of view; first, second, third; limited or omniscient.
Establishment of setting.
Smoothness of transitions in time sequence.
Use of flashback.
How presented or introduced.
Motivations; sources for feeling and/or drives to action.
How described; direct or implied; revealed through description or dialogue.
Purposes; heroic or villainous; tragic inner flaws; revealing traits.
How credible and consistent.
Opening situation and/or conflict.
Obstacles and complications.
Tension and suspense.
Turning point, or climax.
Resolution.
Degree of inventiveness and/or plausibility.
Final philosophy or view of life derived from characters and action.

Depending on the author's purpose, a book's realism, or truth to life, may need assessment. If a book of fiction is meant to be realistic fiction-is it? Is it logical, natural, plausible? To what extent does the author rely on coincidence or accident to propel the plot? Is there adequate evidence of character motivation? Or a lack of sufficient urges and drives? Is the story infused with a quality of normalcy, or abnormality? Remember, if a book of fiction is to be successful according to a reviewer, it is not necessarily realistic fiction; a book's realism, or lack thereof, need be addressed by a reviewer only as it compares to the author's intention for the story. See here how David Milofsky addresses the realism of William Trevor's novel The Story of Lucy Gault : "It seems unlikely, to say the least, that longtime residents of a place (going back several generations, we're told) would cut off contact so completely as the Gaults do, but, of course, if this isn't the case there would be no novel. Similarly, it's hard to believe that the lawyer wouldn't be able to contrive a way to contact the absent parents . . . It's a tribute to Trevor's genius that these objections are largely overridden and storytelling takes over."

Form and Technique in Poetry

Received (given) forms; sonnet, quatrain, villanelle, sestina, haiku, etc.
Free verse forms.
Lyric; narrative; dramatic; prose; ballad (folk, literary, popular).
Point of view; persona or apparently personal.
Dramatic monologue.
Tone; irony, satire, etc.
Intensity, atmosphere, mood.
Concrete or abstract.
Denotation, connotation, implication.
Vulgar, colloquial/informal, formal.
Syntax, or sentence structure.
Amount and type of sensory detail.
Metaphor; simile; personification; allusion.
Synesthesia; describing a sense impression using words that normally describe another.
Hyperbole or understatement.
Metonymy; substituting one word/phrase for another, closely associated word/phrase.
Synecdoche; using a part to refer to the whole, or the whole to refer to a part.
Alliteration; repetition of an initial sound in two or more words of a phrase.
Assonance (repetition of vowels) and/or consonance (repetition of consonants).
Onomatopoeia; using a word that is defined through both its sound and meaning.
Euphony (smooth, pleasant sound) vs. cacophony (rough, harsh sound).
Rhythm (pattern of beats in a stream of sound)-appeals t
The line; end-stopped (self-enclosed) or enjambed.
Feet; iambs, trochees, anapests, dactylics, etc.
Meter; mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, hexa-, etc.
Repetition.
Rhyme (corresponding terminal sounds)-appeals t
True; words sound nearly identical and rhyme on one stressed syllable.
Slant (near/off); words do not exactly rhyme, but almost rhyme.
End rhyme (at end of line) and/or internal rhyme (similar sounds within one line).
Masculine (lines end w/ stressed syllable); feminine (lines end w/ unstressed syllable).

View of Life

It is common for an author to express a view of life through ideas and themes developed in a book. A reviewer identifies and comments on the author's stance. Does the book hold to and/or further develop views apparent in past works? Or make a new statement? Below is a list of popular attitudes, or schools of thought:

Idealism-emphasis on enduring spirituality as opposed to transient values of materialism.
Romanticism-focus on emotion and imagination as freedom from the strictly logical.
Classicism-intellectuality; dominance of the whole over its parts, and form over impulse.
Realism-adherence to actualities, the logistics of everyday life; objectivity.
Impressionism-intuition; sense responses to aesthetic objects.
Naturalism-humans as part of nature; adaption to external environment.

In response to Wilderness and Razor Wire , John Calderazzo discusses the importance of nature in Ken Lamberton's life and writing: "[I]n the prison of his days (to paraphrase W. H. Auden), Lamberton is helped . . . by nature, by the winds and dust and sweet-smelling raindrops that blow down from the nearby mountains, which he sees framed in barbed wire. This is nature unbound, not just out there beyond the walls but slipping in through the bars, swirling around his cell, penetrating even his skin . . . [Swallows] migrate, then return to raise new young in their mud-packed homes, lending solace-and spice-to the impossibly slow turning of the seasons . . . The swallows and many other break-ins from the natural world are also resources of rehabilitation, which Lamberton says is absent from all other aspects of prison life." If comparisons are to be made between a book being reviewed and its predecessors, a reviewer should be familiar with the basic forms and techniques prevalent in works expressing similar viewpoints. Further research and reading are necessary for the reviewer to form intelligent analysis of views of life expressed through writing.

Value and Significance

Often a book review comments on the significance of a new work. This value may be measured in relation to other books in the same genre, works addressing the same subject matter, past and contemporary authors with a similar style, and/or previous works by the same author. In his review of William Trevor's The Story of Lucy Gault , David Milofsky compares the novel to Trevor's past works, and comments on its place in literature in general: "[Trevor]'s been called the Irish Chekhov, but that's not really adequate, since Chekhov never really wrote novels. The truth is that Trevor is sui generis, in a class by himself. While his stories (collected a few years ago in an omnibus volume) are brilliant, novels like The Old Boys and Felicia's Journey are lasting contributions to our literature. He's a literary treasure and never less than interesting reading . . . The Story of Lucy Gault may not be the most accomplished novel of Trevor's distinguished career, but that still places it far beyond most of the fiction that will be written in English this year. It's highly recommended reading." Value is also determined by the universality of application-how and to whom the work applies. Are the book's contents of universal interest? Or does the subject matter limit the book's appeal to a narrow field of individuals? Determining the value and significance of a book depends largely on the knowledge and subjectivity of the reviewer; familiarity with comparable books and authors is required to draw conclusions of this nature.

A book's format, or physical make-up, reflects the ideas of both its author and its publisher. A book reviewer might mention characteristics of format, in relation to suitability and aesthetics. Is the book's size convenient? Is the binding durable? Is the print type legible? Do illustrations, diagrams, and maps, if any, aid the reader's understanding of the material? Is the index correct and complete? Are bibliographies and reference lists present? In response to artwork present in Ken Lamberton's Wilderness and Razor Wire , John Calderazzo comments on both the exactness of the drawings and the possible meaning of this detail-orientedness to Lamberton's life: "[J]ournal entries and small essays [are] complemented by drawings of tarantulas, conenose beetles, horned lizards, and other desert creatures in almost photo-realistic close-up. This is why I suggested that Lamberton may not find himself any closer to 'nature' when he's finally free. How can he get more intimate? . . . All of his drawings, in fact, are rendered in extreme close-up, like visual infatuations writ large. Nothing seems to exist in the distance, which makes me wonder if anything ever does for Lamberton, or ever will."

Planning and Writing

A book review should meet the requirements of any good composition. Clarity, correctness, readability, and interest are very important. A review should give its readers not only an understanding of the reviewer's intellectual response to a book but also an awareness of the basis for this response, through example and analysis. Specific passages from the book are used to exemplify the reviewer's points regarding elements of style, form, and technique. There is no strict pattern for writing book reviews. Guiding the book reviewer's writing process, however, are the three essential objectives of relating what is said in the book, how it is said, and how true and significant it is. As with the planning of a composition, make a list of possible material to use in the review-ideas, responses, information, examples. Study this material to decide what to include in the book review and what proves extraneous. Put the items to include in a suitable order-for instance, from greater to lesser importance. Once the material is organized, a controlling idea for the review emerges; this controlling idea may form the topic sentence of the review, and provides guidance for achieving coherence and focus throughout. Use the topic sentence, in varied forms, in the beginning and end of the review. Once the book reviewer has chosen the proper and adequate material, organized this material effectively, and decided on the main idea and focus to be developed, it is time to write the review.

Like writing the introduction of a composition, there several possible strategies to use for beginning a book review. One type of strategic beginning is prompt definition-assigning meaning to terms in the title of the book, for example, or giving the scope of the review as it relates to the subject and the reviewer's response to the book. Another effective approach is to highlight the origins and past history of the subject treated in the book; this technique may also be used to introduce ideas about genre, style, or view of life, depending on what the reviewer has chosen as the focus of the review. A statement of exclusion shows what will not be addressed in a review and focuses attention on what really will be discussed. At the beginning of his review of Reynold Price's Noble Norfleet , David Milofsky uses a comparison between Price's newest novel and his previous works: "It would be nice to report that Reynolds Price, the distinguished author of more than thirty books, including A Long and Happy Life and Surface of Earth , has added significantly to his oeuvre with his new novel, but such is not the case. Not by a long shot." A reviewer might also quickly catch reader attention by appealing to human interest-perhaps a personal reference or brief anecdote. The anecdote should connect to or exemplify the main focus of the book review. Note the anecdotal technique Wendy Rawlings uses in the introduction of her review of John D'Agata's Halls of Fame : "While on a recent trip to England, I witnessed a cultural exchange that struck me as emblematic of John D'Agata's book of essays, Halls of Fame . An American friend who has spent the past year tolerating a chilly flat in a London suburb for the sake of his British fiancée wanted me to guess the height of the World's Largest Pencil. 'I don't know-eight, nine feet tall?' I said. 'See? See? I knew it!' my friend shouted. He explained that when asked the same question, an English friend had guessed the height of the world's largest pencil to be 'perhaps a foot high, or two.' His modest expectations compared to my great ones (I could not but visualize the World's Largest Pencil as at least a foot taller than an NBA All-Star) represented to my friend something essential about the differences between British and American sensibilities."

Development

The primary focus of a book review is supplied in the beginning paragraph. After this main idea is established, it needs to be developed and justified. Using an organized list of material, the reviewer details the reasons behind the response to the book. References to past history, causes and effects, comparisons and contrasts, and specific passages from the book help illustrate and exemplify this main idea. Personal philosophy and moralization should be kept to a minimum, if included at all; the reader of a book review is interested in unbiased, thoughtful, reasonable, and well-developed ideas pertaining to the book in question. The bulk of a review consists of the development of the reviewer's main idea, the response to the book and the reasons for it. In each of the example reviews that accompany this guide, the reviewers develop their ideas through references to comparable past and contemporary works, analysis of aspects of form and technique, and inclusion of notable passages from the books being reviewed.

Conclusions

The conclusion reflects the focus of the rest of the review, and leaves the reader with a clearly articulated, well-justified final assessment. A restatement of the topic sentence is better than a cursory inspection of less important matters like book format and mechanical make-up. Main emphasis should remain primarily on the qualities and materials of the book being reviewed. At the end of Wendy Rawlings' review of John D'Agata's Halls of Fame , Rawlings summarizes previously stated ideas: "When D'Agata doesn't find the balance, the lyricism borrowed from poetry seems not quite, yet, to fit. I don't wish for D'Agata to join the legions of the smug and ironic, but at certain moments, I begin to wish for authorial presence that will assert itself less forcefully in terms of the arrangement of words on the page, which are often blasted into squadrons separated by asterisks, white space, or unhelpful section headings, and more forcefully on the level of the sentence, as D'Agata does in 'Notes toward the making of a whole human being . . . ,' a five-page essay composed of a single, breathtakingly constructed sentence." The conclusion statement cements the reviewer's recommendation, or lack thereof, of the book. Clearly, this is David Milofsky's aim in the conclusion of his review of Reynold Price's Noble Norfleet : "Even with a failure, it is interesting to read as accomplished a writer as Price, but his new novel cannot be recommended on any other grounds." The final sentence of a review should be both memorable and thought-provoking to the reader. As at the end of John Calderazzo's review of Ken Lamberton's Wilderness and Razor Wire , this final thought might be put in the form of a question: "[R]eading about Lamberton's flawed but exhilarating life makes me wonder about temptation and impetuousness. In light of losing everything, how many of us are still tempted to pursue, just once, some nearby object of desire? And will this constant risk be the prison of all of our days, our lives a landscape of wilderness and razor wire?"

Reviewing Specific Types of Books

The type of book being reviewed raises special considerations as to how to approach the review. Information specific to the categories of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry can be found under the "Form and Technique" heading of this guide. Below are further questions to consider, based on a book's category:

Does the book give a full-length picture of the subject? Focus on only a portion of life?
What phases of the subject's life receive greatest space? Is there justification for this?
What is the point of view of the author?
Are idiosyncrasies and weaknesses omitted? Treated adequately? Overplayed?
Does the author endeavor to get at hidden motives?
What important new facts about the subject's life are revealed in the book?
Is the subject of the biography still living?
What source materials were used in the preparation of the book?
What training has the author had for this kind of work?
What particular historical period does the book address?
Is the accound given in broad outline, or in detail?
Is the style that of reportorial writing, or is there an effort at interpretation?
Is emphasis on traditional matter, like wars, kings, etc.? Or is it a social history?
Are dates used extensively and/or intelligently?
Is the book likely to be out of date soon? Or is it intended to stand the test of time?
Are maps, illustrations, charts, etc., helpful to the reader?
o Who is the author, and what right does he/she have to be writing on the subject? o What contributions to knowledge and understanding are made by the book?
Is the author credible? What is the author's purpose for writing the book?
Does the book contribute to knowledge of geography, government, folklore, etc.?
Does the book have news value?
How effective are plot, pace, style, and characterization? Strengths? Weaknesses?
Is the ending worthwhile? Predictable?
o Children's Literature
o What is the age/interest group for which the book is intended?
o What is the overall experience/feeling of reading the book?
o Is the book illustrated? How? By whom?

Publication

There is a good market for the newcomer in book reviewing. Many editors, including those of big-name magazines, do not like to use the same reviewer too often, and this means unknown, unpublished reviewers have good opportunities to break into the field. Send query letters to editors to find out what their publication needs are. Try smaller, special-interest publications first (ethnic, feminist, religious, etc.); if the reviewer has knowledge or affiliation relevant to the publication, it may increase the chances of a positive response from the editor. Stay current with new books, and read other book reviews. Once an assignment for a review is given, produce timely, quality work, specific to requirements set by the editor. Build publication credits with a variety of periodicals; pursue possibilities of starting a regular column for a single newspaper or magazine. Book reviewing is not generally a highly profitable venture, but money can be made, depending on a reviewer's qualifications, reputation, and dedication to the field.

Cress, Janell. (2003). Book Reviews. Writing@CSU . Colorado State University. https://writing.colostate.edu/guides/guide.cfm?guideid=49

Book Report: Definition, Guidelines, and Advice

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

An Introduction to Punctuation
Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
B.A., English, State University of New York

A book report is a written composition or oral presentation that describes, summarizes , and (often, but not always) evaluates a work of fiction or nonfiction .

As Sharon Kingen points out below, a book report is primarily a school exercise, "a means of determining whether or not a student has read a book" ( Teaching Language Arts in Middle Schools , 2000).

Characteristics of a Book Report

Book reports generally follow a basic format that includes the following information:

the title of the book and its year of publication
the name of the author
the genre (type or category) of the book (for example, biography , autobiography , or fiction)
the main subject, plot , or theme of the book
a brief summary of the key points or ideas treated in the book
the reader's response to the book, identifying its apparent strengths and weaknesses
brief quotations from the book to support general observations

Examples and Observations

"A book report is a way for you to let others know about a book you have read. A good book report will help others decide whether they want to read the book or not." (Ann McCallum, William Strong, and Tina Thoburn, Language Arts Today . McGraw-Hill, 1998)
Contrasting Views on Book Reports - "Keep in mind always that a book report is a hybrid, part fact and part fancy. It gives hard information about the book, yet it is your own creation, giving your opinion and judgment of it." (Elvin Ables, Basic Knowledge and Modern Technology . Varsity, 1987) - "Your instructor may occasionally assign a book report . A book report is to be sharply distinguished from a research paper , for it deals with one book in its entirety—not with certain aspects of several books and documents . . .. The book report is also to be clearly distinguished from a book review or a critical essay , for it merely reports on a book without undertaking to compare it with other books or to pass judgment on its value." (Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren, Modern Rhetoric . Harcourt, 1972) - "A book report is a summary of the contents, plot , or thesis of a particular book, . . . preceded by a full bibliographical citation . The writer of a book report is not required to evaluate the author, although he oftentimes does so." (Donald V. Gawronski, History: Meaning and Method . Sernoll, 1967)
Quick Tips "I'll give you some tips on how to write a good book report right now. "Tell the name of the book. Tell the name of the author. The Wizard of Oz was written by L. Frank Baum. "Tell if you think he's a good writer. Tell the names of all the characters in the book. Tell what they did. Tell where they went. Tell who they were looking for. Tell what they finally found. Tell how they treated each other. Tell about their feelings. "Tell that you read some to your sister. Tell that she liked it. "Read some to a friend. Then you can even tell that your friend liked it." (Mindy Warshaw Skolsky, Love From Your Friend, Hannah . HarperCollins, 1999)
Problems Associated With Book Reports "Typically a book report is a means of determining whether or not a student has read a book. Some teachers also consider these reports as a major part of their composition program. However, there are several problems associated with book reports. First, students can generally find out enough about a book to write a report without actually reading it. Second, book reports tend to be boring to write and boring to read. The writing is usually uninspired because students have no ownership of the task and no commitment to it. Furthermore, book reports are not real-world writing tasks. Only students write book reports." (Sharon Kingen, Teaching Language Arts in Middle Schools: Connecting and Communicating . Lawrence Erlbaum, 2000)
The Lighter Side of Book Reports "I took a speed-reading course and read War and Peace in 20 minutes. It involves Russia." (Woody Allen)
How to Write a Great Book Report
The Definition of a Review in Composition
How to Start a Book Report
What Is a Synopsis and How Do You Write One?
An Introduction to Literary Nonfiction
What Does Critical Reading Really Mean?
Hispanic and Latino Heritage Books for Kids and Teens
Strong Report Card Comments for Language Arts
Third Grade Reading Comprehension Books
10 Steps to Writing a Successful Book Report
50 General Book Club Questions for Study and Discussion
A Review of Accelerated Reader
The Difference Between an Article and an Essay
What Is Prose?
Genres in Literature

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What is a Book Review or Book Report?
What is a Literature Review?

Also referred to as a book report, a book review consists of "critical comments on a book, especially when it is first published" ("Book Review, 2006).

Similar to a short essay, a book review typically includes several of these elements:

• Description of the book's main topic, purpose and/or point of view, answering questions such as:

• What is the genre of the work (i.e. novel, non-fiction, memoir etc.)?

• Who is the intended audience?

• If a fictional work, what are the key themes, motifs, and/or plot devices?

• If a non-fictional work, what are the main arguments and ideas?

• Assessment of the book's main points, biases or flaws

• Critical analysis of the book's strengths and weaknesses, literary value and/or overall quality and contribution to the subject area

• If non-fiction, an explanation of how the book fits into the academic or popular discourse on a topic or subject area

Book Review. (2006). In P. Collin (Ed.), Dictionary of publishing and printing . London, United Kingdom: A&C Black. Retrieved from http://search.credoreference.com

Follow these links to learn more about book reviews:

Book Reviews - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
How to Write Book Reviews - Queens University
How to write a book report and a book review - Concordia University Libraries

A literature review is a "comprehensive study and interpretation of literature that addresses a specific topic" (Aveyard, 2010).

Literature reviews are generally conducted in one of two ways:

1) As a preliminary review before a larger study in order to critically evaluate the current literature and justify why further study and research is required.

In this case, the researcher must "systematically search, critique and combine the literature to demonstrate a gap in the existing research base" while demonstrating "their understanding of both the research and the methods previously used to investigate the area" (Aveyard, 2010).

2) As a project in itself that provides a comprehensive survey of the works published in a particular discipline or area of research over a specified period of time.

Sometimes referred to as a systematic literature review or meta-analysis, this type of literature review is a critical survey that attempts to "evaluate and interpret all available research evidence relevant to a particular question" (Glasziou, 2001).

Aveyard, H. (2010). Doing a literature review in health and social care: A practical guide (2nd ed.). Bershire, United Kingdom: Open University Press.

Galsziou, P. (2001). Systematic reviews in health care: A practical guide . New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Learn more about literature reviews:

Guidelines for writing a literature review - University of Minnesota Duluth A step-by-step guide for writing a literature review
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Reviews and Reaction Papers

Article and book reviews.

Some assignments may ask you to write a review of a book or journal article. Sometimes, students think a book report and a book review are the same. However, there are significant differences.

A  book report  summarizes the contents of the book, but a  book review  is a critical analysis of the book that describes, summarizes, and critiques the ideas in the book. A review is a means of going beyond the literal content of a source and is a tool for connecting ideas from a variety of academic sources. A review provides an objective analysis of ideas, support for opinions, and a way to evaluate your own opinions.

Why are book reviews beneficial to write?

Some instructors like to assign book reviews to help students broaden their view of the subject matter and to give students practice in critically evaluating ideas in the subject area. Instructors often require that students follow existing review formats modeled in the journals in their disciplines.

If you are asked to use such formats, remember that citations for books and journal articles differ from discipline to discipline. Find out which style guide is appropriate for the discipline in which you are writing. (Refer to the discussion of style manuals in chapter 5 of this guide for more information.)

Reviews let you relate to authors and agree or disagree with their ideas. A review allows you to examine your understanding of a subject area in light of the ideas presented in the reviewed book and interact with the author and his or her ideas. Also, a book review helps your instructor evaluate your understanding of the subject matter and your ability to think competently in your discipline.

Here are some questions to keep in mind when you are writing a book review:

What exactly is the subject of the book? What are the author’s credentials to write about this subject? Is the title suggestive? Does the preface contain information about the author’s purpose?

What is the author’s thesis? Is it clearly stated, or do you have to dig it out of the facts and opinions? Does the author present the ideas in a balanced way? What are the author’s biases?

What organizational approach does the author use? Does the chosen organization support the author’s thesis effectively?

What conclusion or conclusions does the author draw? Does the conclusion agree with the thesis or stated purposes? How does the conclusion differ from or agree with your course textbook or other books you have read?

How has this book helped you understand the subject you are studying in the course? Would you recommend the book to your reader?

As you write your review, ask yourself these questions:

Have I represented the author and the ideas presented in the book in a fair and balanced way?

Does the ethical tone of my review prompt the reader to trust my judgment? (You may want to review the discussion on writing arguments in this chapter.)

Does my review reflect the interests of my readers and fulfill my reasons for writing the review?

Have I demonstrated my understanding of the content of the article or book I’m reviewing? Have I clearly addressed the major issues in the subject area?

Have I clearly stated my own biases as a reviewer?

Have I clearly expressed my position about how much or how little the author has contributed to my understanding of the subject in question? Have I recommended or not recommended the book to other prospective readers?

Have I checked my review for organizational, grammatical, and mechanical errors?

Key Takeaway

A book review or article review is a critical analysis of the material that describes, summarizes, and critiques the ideas presented. The purpose of a book or article review assignment is to broaden your knowledge base and understanding of a topic.

Mailing Address: 3501 University Blvd. East, Adelphi, MD 20783 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License . © 2022 UMGC. All links to external sites were verified at the time of publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or integrity of information located at external sites.

Table of Contents: Online Guide to Writing

Chapter 1: College Writing

How Does College Writing Differ from Workplace Writing?

What Is College Writing?

Why So Much Emphasis on Writing?

Chapter 2: The Writing Process

Doing Exploratory Research

Getting from Notes to Your Draft

Introduction

Prewriting - Techniques to Get Started - Mining Your Intuition

Prewriting: Targeting Your Audience

Prewriting: Techniques to Get Started

Prewriting: Understanding Your Assignment

Rewriting: Being Your Own Critic

Rewriting: Creating a Revision Strategy

Rewriting: Getting Feedback

Rewriting: The Final Draft

Techniques to Get Started - Outlining

Techniques to Get Started - Using Systematic Techniques

Thesis Statement and Controlling Idea

Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Freewriting

Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Summarizing Your Ideas

Writing: Outlining What You Will Write

Chapter 3: Thinking Strategies

A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone

A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone: Style Through Vocabulary and Diction

Critical Strategies and Writing

Critical Strategies and Writing: Analysis

Critical Strategies and Writing: Evaluation

Critical Strategies and Writing: Persuasion

Critical Strategies and Writing: Synthesis

Developing a Paper Using Strategies

Kinds of Assignments You Will Write

Patterns for Presenting Information

Patterns for Presenting Information: Critiques

Patterns for Presenting Information: Discussing Raw Data

Patterns for Presenting Information: General-to-Specific Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Problem-Cause-Solution Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Specific-to-General Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Summaries and Abstracts

Supporting with Research and Examples

Writing Essay Examinations

Writing Essay Examinations: Make Your Answer Relevant and Complete

Writing Essay Examinations: Organize Thinking Before Writing

Writing Essay Examinations: Read and Understand the Question

Chapter 4: The Research Process

Planning and Writing a Research Paper

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Ask a Research Question

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Cite Sources

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Collect Evidence

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Decide Your Point of View, or Role, for Your Research

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Draw Conclusions

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Find a Topic and Get an Overview

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Manage Your Resources

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Outline

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Survey the Literature

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Work Your Sources into Your Research Writing

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Human Resources

Research Resources: What Are Research Resources?

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found?

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Electronic Resources

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Print Resources

Structuring the Research Paper: Formal Research Structure

Structuring the Research Paper: Informal Research Structure

The Nature of Research

The Research Assignment: How Should Research Sources Be Evaluated?

The Research Assignment: When Is Research Needed?

The Research Assignment: Why Perform Research?

Chapter 5: Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity

Giving Credit to Sources

Giving Credit to Sources: Copyright Laws

Giving Credit to Sources: Documentation

Giving Credit to Sources: Style Guides

Integrating Sources

Practicing Academic Integrity

Practicing Academic Integrity: Keeping Accurate Records

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Paraphrasing Your Source

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Quoting Your Source

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Summarizing Your Sources

Types of Documentation

Types of Documentation: Bibliographies and Source Lists

Types of Documentation: Citing World Wide Web Sources

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - APA Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - CSE/CBE Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - Chicago Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - MLA Style

Types of Documentation: Note Citations

Chapter 6: Using Library Resources

Finding Library Resources

Chapter 7: Assessing Your Writing

How Is Writing Graded?

How Is Writing Graded?: A General Assessment Tool

The Draft Stage

The Draft Stage: The First Draft

The Draft Stage: The Revision Process and the Final Draft

The Draft Stage: Using Feedback

The Research Stage

Using Assessment to Improve Your Writing

Chapter 8: Other Frequently Assigned Papers

Reviews and Reaction Papers: Article and Book Reviews

Reviews and Reaction Papers: Reaction Papers

Writing Arguments

Writing Arguments: Adapting the Argument Structure

Writing Arguments: Purposes of Argument

Writing Arguments: References to Consult for Writing Arguments

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Anticipate Active Opposition

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Determine Your Organization

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Develop Your Argument

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Introduce Your Argument

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - State Your Thesis or Proposition

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Write Your Conclusion

Writing Arguments: Types of Argument

Appendix A: Books to Help Improve Your Writing

Dictionaries

General Style Manuals

Researching on the Internet

Special Style Manuals

Writing Handbooks

Appendix B: Collaborative Writing and Peer Reviewing

Collaborative Writing: Assignments to Accompany the Group Project

Collaborative Writing: Informal Progress Report

Collaborative Writing: Issues to Resolve

Collaborative Writing: Methodology

Collaborative Writing: Peer Evaluation

Collaborative Writing: Tasks of Collaborative Writing Group Members

Collaborative Writing: Writing Plan

General Introduction

Peer Reviewing

Appendix C: Developing an Improvement Plan

Working with Your Instructor’s Comments and Grades

Appendix D: Writing Plan and Project Schedule

Devising a Writing Project Plan and Schedule

Reviewing Your Plan with Others

By using our website you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more about how we use cookies by reading our Privacy Policy .

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Assignments

Annotated Bibliography
Analyzing a Scholarly Journal Article
Group Presentations
Dealing with Nervousness
Using Visual Aids
Grading Someone Else's Paper
Types of Structured Group Activities
Group Project Survival Skills
Leading a Class Discussion
Multiple Book Review Essay
Reviewing Collected Works
Writing a Case Analysis Paper
Writing a Case Study
About Informed Consent
Writing Field Notes
Writing a Policy Memo
Writing a Reflective Paper
Writing a Research Proposal
Generative AI and Writing
Acknowledgments

A book review is a thorough description, critical analysis, and/or evaluation of the quality, meaning, and significance of a book, often written in relation to prior research on the topic. Reviews generally range from 500-2000 words, but may be longer or shorter depends on several factors: the length and complexity of the book being reviewed, the overall purpose of the review, and whether the review examines two or more books that focus on the same topic. Professors assign book reviews as practice in carefully analyzing complex scholarly texts and to assess your ability to effectively synthesize research so that you reach an informed perspective about the topic being covered.

There are two general approaches to reviewing a book:

Descriptive review: Presents the content and structure of a book as objectively as possible, describing essential information about a book's purpose and authority. This is done by stating the perceived aims and purposes of the study, often incorporating passages quoted from the text that highlight key elements of the work. Additionally, there may be some indication of the reading level and anticipated audience.
Critical review: Describes and evaluates the book in relation to accepted literary and historical standards and supports this evaluation with evidence from the text and, in most cases, in contrast to and in comparison with the research of others. It should include a statement about what the author has tried to do, evaluates how well you believe the author has succeeded in meeting the objectives of the study, and presents evidence to support this assessment. For most course assignments, your professor will want you to write this type of review.

Book Reviews. Writing Center. University of New Hampshire; Book Reviews: How to Write a Book Review. Writing and Style Guides. Libraries. Dalhousie University; Kindle, Peter A. "Teaching Students to Write Book Reviews." Contemporary Rural Social Work 7 (2015): 135-141; Erwin, R. W. “Reviewing Books for Scholarly Journals.” In Writing and Publishing for Academic Authors . Joseph M. Moxley and Todd Taylor. 2 nd edition. (Lanham, MD: Rowan and Littlefield, 1997), pp. 83-90.

How to Approach Writing Your Review

NOTE: Since most course assignments require that you write a critical rather than descriptive book review, the following information about preparing to write and developing the structure and style of reviews focuses on this approach.

I. Common Features

While book reviews vary in tone, subject, and style, they share some common features. These include:

A review gives the reader a concise summary of the content . This includes a description of the research topic and scope of analysis as well as an overview of the book's overall perspective, argument, and purpose.
A review offers a critical assessment of the content in relation to other studies on the same topic . This involves documenting your reactions to the work under review--what strikes you as noteworthy or important, whether or not the arguments made by the author(s) were effective or persuasive, and how the work enhanced your understanding of the research problem under investigation.
In addition to analyzing a book's strengths and weaknesses, a scholarly review often recommends whether or not readers would value the work for its authenticity and overall quality . This measure of quality includes both the author's ideas and arguments and covers practical issues, such as, readability and language, organization and layout, indexing, and, if needed, the use of non-textual elements .

To maintain your focus, always keep in mind that most assignments ask you to discuss a book's treatment of its topic, not the topic itself . Your key sentences should say, "This book shows...,” "The study demonstrates...," or “The author argues...," rather than "This happened...” or “This is the case....”

II. Developing a Critical Assessment Strategy

There is no definitive methodological approach to writing a book review in the social sciences, although it is necessary that you think critically about the research problem under investigation before you begin to write. Therefore, writing a book review is a three-step process: 1) carefully taking notes as you read the text; 2) developing an argument about the value of the work under consideration; and, 3) clearly articulating that argument as you write an organized and well-supported assessment of the work.

A useful strategy in preparing to write a review is to list a set of questions that should be answered as you read the book [remember to note the page numbers so you can refer back to the text!]. The specific questions to ask yourself will depend upon the type of book you are reviewing. For example, a book that is presenting original research about a topic may require a different set of questions to ask yourself than a work where the author is offering a personal critique of an existing policy or issue.

Here are some sample questions that can help you think critically about the book:

Thesis or Argument . What is the central thesis—or main argument—of the book? If the author wanted you to get one main idea from the book, what would it be? How does it compare or contrast to the world that you know or have experienced? What has the book accomplished? Is the argument clearly stated and does the research support this?
Topic . What exactly is the subject or topic of the book? Is it clearly articulated? Does the author cover the subject adequately? Does the author cover all aspects of the subject in a balanced fashion? Can you detect any biases? What type of approach has the author adopted to explore the research problem [e.g., topical, analytical, chronological, descriptive]?
Evidence . How does the author support their argument? What evidence does the author use to prove their point? Is the evidence based on an appropriate application of the method chosen to gather information? Do you find that evidence convincing? Why or why not? Does any of the author's information [or conclusions] conflict with other books you've read, courses you've taken, or just previous assumptions you had about the research problem?
Structure . How does the author structure their argument? Does it follow a logical order of analysis? What are the parts that make up the whole? Does the argument make sense to you? Does it persuade you? Why or why not?
Take-aways . How has this book helped you understand the research problem? Would you recommend the book to others? Why or why not?

Beyond the content of the book, you may also consider some information about the author and the general presentation of information. Question to ask may include:

The Author: Who is the author? The nationality, political persuasion, education, intellectual interests, personal history, and historical context may provide crucial details about how a work takes shape. Does it matter, for example, that the author is affiliated with a particular organization? What difference would it make if the author participated in the events they wrote about? What other topics has the author written about? Does this work build on prior research or does it represent a new or unique area of research?
The Presentation: What is the book's genre? Out of what discipline does it emerge? Does it conform to or depart from the conventions of its genre? These questions can provide a historical or other contextual standard upon which to base your evaluations. If you are reviewing the first book ever written on the subject, it will be important for your readers to know this. Keep in mind, though, that declarative statements about being the “first,” the "best," or the "only" book of its kind can be a risky unless you're absolutely certain because your professor [presumably] has a much better understanding of the overall research literature.

NOTE: Most critical book reviews examine a topic in relation to prior research. A good strategy for identifying this prior research is to examine sources the author(s) cited in the chapters introducing the research problem and, of course, any review of the literature. However, you should not assume that the author's references to prior research is authoritative or complete. If any works related to the topic have been excluded, your assessment of the book should note this . Be sure to consult with a librarian to ensure that any additional studies are located beyond what has been cited by the author(s).

Book Reviews. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Book Reviews. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Hartley, James. "Reading and Writing Book Reviews Across the Disciplines." Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 57 (July 2006): 1194–1207; Motta-Roth, D. “Discourse Analysis and Academic Book Reviews: A Study of Text and Disciplinary Cultures.” In Genre Studies in English for Academic Purposes . Fortanet Gómez, Inmaculada et al., editors. (Castellò de la Plana: Publicacions de la Universitat Jaume I, 1998), pp. 29-45. Writing a Book Review. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing Book Reviews. Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University; Suárez, Lorena and Ana I. Moreno. “The Rhetorical Structure of Academic Journal Book Reviews: A Cross-linguistic and Cross-disciplinary Approach .” In Asociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines Específicos, María del Carmen Pérez Llantada Auría, Ramón Plo Alastrué, and Claus Peter Neumann. Actas del V Congreso Internacional AELFE/Proceedings of the 5th International AELFE Conference . Zaragoza: Universidad de Zaragoza, 2006.

Structure and Writing Style

I. Bibliographic Information

Bibliographic information refers to the essential elements of a work if you were to cite it in a paper [i.e., author, title, date of publication, etc.]. Provide the essential information about the book using the writing style [e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago] preferred by your professor or used by the discipline of your major . Depending on how your professor wants you to organize your review, the bibliographic information represents the heading of your review. In general, it would look like this:

[Complete title of book. Author or authors. Place of publication. Publisher. Date of publication. Number of pages before first chapter, often in Roman numerals. Total number of pages]. The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party's Revolution and the Battle over American History . By Jill Lepore. (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2010. xii, 207 pp.)

Reviewed by [your full name].

II. Scope/Purpose/Content

Begin your review by telling the reader not only the overarching concern of the book in its entirety [the subject area] but also what the author's particular point of view is on that subject [the thesis statement]. If you cannot find an adequate statement in the author's own words or if you find that the thesis statement is not well-developed, then you will have to compose your own introductory thesis statement that does cover all the material. This statement should be no more than one paragraph and must be succinctly stated, accurate, and unbiased.

If you find it difficult to discern the overall aims and objectives of the book [and, be sure to point this out in your review if you determine that this is a deficiency], you may arrive at an understanding of the book's overall purpose by assessing the following:

Scan the table of contents because it can help you understand how the book was organized and will aid in determining the author's main ideas and how they were developed [e.g., chronologically, topically, historically, etc.].
Why did the author write on this subject rather than on some other subject?
From what point of view is the work written?
Was the author trying to give information, to explain something technical, or to convince the reader of a belief’s validity by dramatizing it in action?
What is the general field or genre, and how does the book fit into it? If necessary, review related literature from other books and journal articles to familiarize yourself with the field.
Who is the intended audience?
What is the author's style? Is it formal or informal? You can evaluate the quality of the writing style by noting some of the following standards: coherence, clarity, originality, forcefulness, accurate use of technical words, conciseness, fullness of development, and fluidity [i.e., quality of the narrative flow].
How did the book affect you? Were there any prior assumptions you had about the subject that were changed, abandoned, or reinforced after reading the book? How is the book related to your own personal beliefs or assumptions? What personal experiences have you had related to the subject that affirm or challenge underlying assumptions?
How well has the book achieved the goal(s) set forth in the preface, introduction, and/or foreword?
Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not?

III. Note the Method

Support your remarks with specific references to text and quotations that help to illustrate the literary method used to state the research problem, describe the research design, and analyze the findings. In general, authors tend to use the following literary methods, exclusively or in combination.

Description : The author depicts scenes and events by giving specific details that appeal to the five senses, or to the reader’s imagination. The description presents background and setting. Its primary purpose is to help the reader realize, through as many details as possible, the way persons, places, and things are situated within the phenomenon being described.
Narration : The author tells the story of a series of events, usually thematically or in chronological order. In general, the emphasis in scholarly books is on narration of the events. Narration tells what has happened and, in some cases, using this method to forecast what could happen in the future. Its primary purpose is to draw the reader into a story and create a contextual framework for understanding the research problem.
Exposition : The author uses explanation and analysis to present a subject or to clarify an idea. Exposition presents the facts about a subject or an issue clearly and as impartially as possible. Its primary purpose is to describe and explain, to document for the historical record an event or phenomenon.
Argument : The author uses techniques of persuasion to establish understanding of a particular truth, often in the form of addressing a research question, or to convince the reader of its falsity. The overall aim is to persuade the reader to believe something and perhaps to act on that belief. Argument takes sides on an issue and aims to convince the reader that the author's position is valid, logical, and/or reasonable.

IV. Critically Evaluate the Contents

Critical comments should form the bulk of your book review . State whether or not you feel the author's treatment of the subject matter is appropriate for the intended audience. Ask yourself:

Has the purpose of the book been achieved?
What contributions does the book make to the field?
Is the treatment of the subject matter objective or at least balanced in describing all sides of a debate?
Are there facts and evidence that have been omitted?
What kinds of data, if any, are used to support the author's thesis statement?
Can the same data be interpreted to explain alternate outcomes?
Is the writing style clear and effective?
Does the book raise important or provocative issues or topics for discussion?
Does the book bring attention to the need for further research?
What has been left out?

Support your evaluation with evidence from the text and, when possible, state the book's quality in relation to other scholarly sources. If relevant, note of the book's format, such as, layout, binding, typography, etc. Are there tables, charts, maps, illustrations, text boxes, photographs, or other non-textual elements? Do they aid in understanding the text? Describing this is particularly important in books that contain a lot of non-textual elements.

NOTE: It is important to carefully distinguish your views from those of the author so as not to confuse your reader. Be clear when you are describing an author's point of view versus expressing your own.

V. Examine the Front Matter and Back Matter

Front matter refers to any content before the first chapter of the book. Back matter refers to any information included after the final chapter of the book . Front matter is most often numbered separately from the rest of the text in lower case Roman numerals [i.e. i - xi ]. Critical commentary about front or back matter is generally only necessary if you believe there is something that diminishes the overall quality of the work [e.g., the indexing is poor] or there is something that is particularly helpful in understanding the book's contents [e.g., foreword places the book in an important context].

Front matter that may be considered for evaluation when reviewing its overall quality:

Table of contents -- is it clear? Is it detailed or general? Does it reflect the true contents of the book? Does it help in understanding a logical sequence of content?
Author biography -- also found as back matter, the biography of author(s) can be useful in determining the authority of the writer and whether the book builds on prior research or represents new research. In scholarly reviews, noting the author's affiliation and prior publications can be a factor in helping the reader determine the overall validity of the work [i.e., are they associated with a research center devoted to studying the problem under investigation].
Foreword -- the purpose of a foreword is to introduce the reader to the author and the content of the book, and to help establish credibility for both. A foreword may not contribute any additional information about the book's subject matter, but rather, serves as a means of validating the book's existence. In these cases, the foreword is often written by a leading scholar or expert who endorses the book's contributions to advancing research about the topic. Later editions of a book sometimes have a new foreword prepended [appearing before an older foreword, if there was one], which may be included to explain how the latest edition differs from previous editions. These are most often written by the author.
Acknowledgements -- scholarly studies in the social sciences often take many years to write, so authors frequently acknowledge the help and support of others in getting their research published. This can be as innocuous as acknowledging the author's family or the publisher. However, an author may acknowledge prominent scholars or subject experts, staff at key research centers, people who curate important archival collections, or organizations that funded the research. In these particular cases, it may be worth noting these sources of support in your review, particularly if the funding organization is biased or its mission is to promote a particular agenda.
Preface -- generally describes the genesis, purpose, limitations, and scope of the book and may include acknowledgments of indebtedness to people who have helped the author complete the study. Is the preface helpful in understanding the study? Does it provide an effective framework for understanding what's to follow?
Chronology -- also may be found as back matter, a chronology is generally included to highlight key events related to the subject of the book. Do the entries contribute to the overall work? Is it detailed or very general?
List of non-textual elements -- a book that contains numerous charts, photographs, maps, tables, etc. will often list these items after the table of contents in the order that they appear in the text. Is this useful?

Back matter that may be considered for evaluation when reviewing its overall quality:

Afterword -- this is a short, reflective piece written by the author that takes the form of a concluding section, final commentary, or closing statement. It is worth mentioning in a review if it contributes information about the purpose of the book, gives a call to action, summarizes key recommendations or next steps, or asks the reader to consider key points made in the book.
Appendix -- is the supplementary material in the appendix or appendices well organized? Do they relate to the contents or appear superfluous? Does it contain any essential information that would have been more appropriately integrated into the text?
Index -- are there separate indexes for names and subjects or one integrated index. Is the indexing thorough and accurate? Are elements used, such as, bold or italic fonts to help identify specific places in the book? Does the index include "see also" references to direct you to related topics?
Glossary of Terms -- are the definitions clearly written? Is the glossary comprehensive or are there key terms missing? Are any terms or concepts mentioned in the text not included that should have been?
Endnotes -- examine any endnotes as you read from chapter to chapter. Do they provide important additional information? Do they clarify or extend points made in the body of the text? Should any notes have been better integrated into the text rather than separated? Do the same if the author uses footnotes.
Bibliography/References/Further Readings -- review any bibliography, list of references to sources, and/or further readings the author may have included. What kinds of sources appear [e.g., primary or secondary, recent or old, scholarly or popular, etc.]? How does the author make use of them? Be sure to note important omissions of sources that you believe should have been utilized, including important digital resources or archival collections.

VI. Summarize and Comment

State your general conclusions briefly and succinctly. Pay particular attention to the author's concluding chapter and/or afterword. Is the summary convincing? List the principal topics, and briefly summarize the author’s ideas about these topics, main points, and conclusions. If appropriate and to help clarify your overall evaluation, use specific references to text and quotations to support your statements. If your thesis has been well argued, the conclusion should follow naturally. It can include a final assessment or simply restate your thesis. Do not introduce new information in the conclusion. If you've compared the book to any other works or used other sources in writing the review, be sure to cite them at the end of your book review in the same writing style as your bibliographic heading of the book.

Book Reviews. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Book Reviews. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Gastel, Barbara. "Special Books Section: A Strategy for Reviewing Books for Journals." BioScience 41 (October 1991): 635-637; Hartley, James. "Reading and Writing Book Reviews Across the Disciplines." Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 57 (July 2006): 1194–1207; Lee, Alexander D., Bart N. Green, Claire D. Johnson, and Julie Nyquist. "How to Write a Scholarly Book Review for Publication in a Peer-reviewed Journal: A Review of the Literature." Journal of Chiropractic Education 24 (2010): 57-69; Nicolaisen, Jeppe. "The Scholarliness of Published Peer Reviews: A Bibliometric Study of Book Reviews in Selected Social Science Fields." Research Evaluation 11 (2002): 129-140;.Procter, Margaret. The Book Review or Article Critique. The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Reading a Book to Review It. The Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of Wisconsin, Madison; Scarnecchia, David L. "Writing Book Reviews for the Journal Of Range Management and Rangelands." Rangeland Ecology and Management 57 (2004): 418-421; Simon, Linda. "The Pleasures of Book Reviewing." Journal of Scholarly Publishing 27 (1996): 240-241; Writing a Book Review. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing Book Reviews. Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University.

Writing Tip

Always Read the Foreword and/or the Preface

If they are included in the front matter, a good place for understanding a book's overall purpose, organization, contributions to further understanding of the research problem, and relationship to other studies is to read the preface and the foreword. The foreword may be written by someone other than the author or editor and can be a person who is famous or who has name recognition within the discipline. A foreword is often included to add credibility to the work.

The preface is usually an introductory essay written by the author or editor. It is intended to describe the book's overall purpose, arrangement, scope, and overall contributions to the literature. When reviewing the book, it can be useful to critically evaluate whether the goals set forth in the foreword and/or preface were actually achieved. At the very least, they can establish a foundation for understanding a study's scope and purpose as well as its significance in contributing new knowledge.

Distinguishing between a Foreword, a Preface, and an Introduction . Book Creation Learning Center. Greenleaf Book Group, 2019.

Locating Book Reviews

There are several databases the USC Libraries subscribes to that include the full-text or citations to book reviews. Short, descriptive reviews can also be found at book-related online sites such as Amazon , although it's not always obvious who has written them and may actually be created by the publisher. The following databases provide comprehensive access to scholarly, full-text book reviews:

ProQuest [1983-present]
Book Review Digest Retrospective [1905-1982]

Some Language for Evaluating Texts

It can be challenging to find the proper vocabulary from which to discuss and evaluate a book. Here is a list of some active verbs for referring to texts and ideas that you might find useful:

account for
demonstrate
distinguish
investigate

Examples of usage

"The evidence indicates that..."
"This work assesses the effect of..."
"The author identifies three key reasons for..."
"This book questions the view that..."
"This work challenges assumptions about...."

Paquot, Magali. Academic Keyword List. Centre for English Corpus Linguistics. Université Catholique de Louvain.

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Last Updated: Mar 6, 2024 1:00 PM
URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/assignments

A Book Report vs. a Book Review

The difference between book report and book review is critical, so you have to pay close attention to what you are expected to come up with: if you need to sum up and enumerate, you’re in for a book summary (book report), but if you need to analyze, you want to write a book review.

There is a great deal of confusion when it comes to discussing book reports and book reviews. As a matter of fact, these two terms keep used quite interchangeably, while a deeper dig-in shows some principal differences between the two.

If you submit a book report and you were asked to write a book review, your grade is most likely to go down. The opposite situation, i.e. when you submit a book review instead of a book report, may also entail adverse consequences. Book review writing is believed to require greater intellectual effort than book reports, that’s why your marker will most likely ‘forgive’ you this mistake.

Speaking of differences, first of all, you will have to understand that a book report is simpler (a more primitive if you will) kind of writing, where you have to narrate & re-tell the story.

A book report is practically identical to a book summary and they can be used interchangeably. In contrast, a book review requires you to analyze the book and see beyond the obvious. In it, you will need to examine its contents, understand the plot, the main message of the book, see if the author has managed to convey the message to the reader; you will also have to state strong and weak sides of the book and say whether or not you like it. More differences between the two terms are as follows:

LENGTH. Book report will usually take 200-250 words. Book reviews will range from 200 words if it’s a simple book to 1000+ words if it’s a piece of scholarly literature that needs thorough analysis and evaluation.

ACADEMIC LEVEL. Book report is considered to be a K-12 level assignment. Book review is more of a college-level type of assignment.

STRUCTURE. The structure of two papers resemble one another: first off, you would need to introduce the author, the book, state when and who the book was published by. You would need to mention characters, mention the plot, genre, and major themes.

MESSAGE. If you write a book report, you would need to simply sum up the book plot, characters, state major themes and say a few words about the major characters. If you are writing a book summary, the main idea is to say whether or not you like the book, whether or not you would recommend this book to other readers and why.

HOW TO WRITE A BOOK REPORT

Either of these assignments is generally easy to write, however, each has its own nuances that you need to know. If you have either a book report or a book review to write, feel free to contact us for assistance and we will be happy to help. Our team of professional writers will be glad to help you through book report or book review writing. In the end of our cooperation, you will have learned how to tackle these assignments effectively and ace your assignments.

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The primary purpose of persuasive essay is to persuade or convince the reader that a certain claim or viewpoint is right. A persuasive essay can be written from either a subjective or an objective point of view simply because persuasion is found in a variety…

Full list of the most trending argumentative essay topics

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Book Reports vs. Book Reviews: An Important Distinction

There's nothing quite as frustrating in academia as earning a low score on an assignment not because we didn't do a good job but because we misinterpreted the rules. Sometimes we think we have a solid grasp on details only to learn – too late and to our chagrin! -- that we spent hours meticulously writing something our instructors never wanted. One of the most common examples of this wavelength malfunction comes in the form of book reports versus book reviews. It's not just a change in word. It's a change in meaning. Let's dive in and see why full knowledge of the distinction can save the grade.

Book reports

When it's a book report on your teacher's mind, it's a topical overview of the source material and its writer that needs to be on yours. Your goals are twofold: paint a clear image of the author and then explain the story he or she has published. You'll spend at least a full paragraph on that author, describing where they were born, how they were raised, which schools they attended, so on and so forth. You have limited window for implication in this section, so don't take too many liberties. If it's deemed rather common knowledge that something influenced a writer's creative output, though, do be sure to note it. For example, Edgar Allan Poe was infamous for his rough life and difficult interpersonal relationships. This can be seen pretty clearly (no offense, Edgar) in the beautifully haunted style he so perfected.

Once you've gotten that out of the way, the rest of your paper will be spent summarizing your reading. Pay attention not just to the characters and setting but to the sequence and tone. Clearly distinguish the beginning of the story from its middle and climax and resolution, but try to carry the information across so neatly that readers don't require you actually pointing out these segments. In other words, don't open a paragraph with, "and then, in the middle of A Christmas Carol..." when you can instead convey the summary capably enough that it feels like the middle of A Christmas Carol just from reading your paper. It's a fine line, but practicing this will go a long way with your teachers.

Here's a quick checklist:

Information on the author.
Great representation of each section of the story.
Make sure that it flows and is fun to read. Your reader should recognize when the story's plot tension rises and descends.

Book reviews

So the #1 issue that students have when confusing these two assignment types is that they pen book reports when a book review is needed. Reviews are far more in-depth and require more brainpower to really master; a comparatively simpler book report is probably more likely to elicit eye rolls from a disappointed teacher than if you made the opposite mistake. (Hand in a sterling book review when all she wanted was a summary and you'll be commended for your wholly unnecessary hard work, at least.)

Thus, the remainder of this article will be spent helping you to recognize what magic a review needs to truly shine. You're analyzing a story with this format, which means you need to understand the themes on a far deeper level. You need to be able to explain to your teacher what exactly the author seems to have wanted to convey. Emotional resonance like a character losing a child and finding it in themselves to carry on? Political commentary like a government on the verge of crumbling over bureaucratic squabbles? Messages of hope or of love lost or of new beginnings – or perilous ends. Stories have it all and it's up to you, the student, to identify with your assigned text. Search for symbols within the various chapters. Is there any deeper meaning behind a gangster wearing a holy cross around his neck? Latch on to that and describe your thoughts.

Closing thoughts

You can also analyze whether or not a particular story is reasonable, in your estimation, about its subject. You can even spend some time telling your teacher just what you think about the author's approach. Maybe you feel an element was unfairly represented or insensitively handled. Tell your teacher. Do it in an academic and grammatically sound format, and they will very likely be impressed you took the time to develop those feelings. These are the kinds of things that elevate a decent review into a great one. And now that you're sure you'll never confuse them with reports, you're ready to get out there and begin writing proudly!

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Book Report: Different Formats, Types, and Book Review

Introduction to book report.

A book report is of different types and formats.

A most common form of book reports are

Plot summaries
Theme and character analysis.

How to write a book report?

Specify the kind of book report
Include the title of the book
Put the name of the author
Indicate the time when the story takes place.
Mention the location of events taking place in the book.
List the names of the characters briefly describing each one of them.
Add quotations in order to back up your opinions.

Book Report Format:

1. Introduction (2-3 sentences , including a “topic” sentence) Include:

The title (underlined) and author of the book

Why did you choose the book (if this applies) or how it fits into our history program this year (if this applies)?

What kind of story is it?

Fiction (made up): Fantasy, Science fiction, Realistic fiction, Historical fiction, Mystery, or Traditional Literature (folktale, myth, fable, fairytale)?

Non-Fiction (true) Narrative nonfiction , Biography, Expository nonfiction, or Informational?

2. Body (1-2 paragraphs supporting the topic and including the following):

In this section you want to describe the main parts of a story: theme, setting, characters, and plot (not necessarily in that order – paragraph 1). Then you give your opinions about the book (paragraph 2).

The Theme is the main idea of the story. Some examples might be the importance of friendship/hope/honesty/integrity/etc. or how to be courageous in a difficult situation. Tell what you think the theme is and how you know (example from the book).

The Setting is the time and place of the story. Is it set a long time ago or now? Does it take place in another country or in an imaginary place? How much time passes in the story – a day? a year? A lifetime?

The Characters are who the story is about. The main character is called the protagonist. Who are the other important characters? Do they help or hinder the protagonist?

The Plot is what happens. You want to briefly tell what the story is about. What is the main event or conflict? What things led up to it? What happens as a result? How does the story end?

Conclusion (2 sentences)

This is just a sentence or two, to sum up your report. Give your overall opinion of the book and the most important thing you want other people to know about it.

Difference between Book Report and Book Review:

Book review.

A book review is more about analysis and evaluation where students are required to identify the author’s main message and ideas as well as to understand the meaning of symbolic elements present in the text.

Book Report

Book reports are all about explaining topical details and the storyline of the book. Those writing this type of assignment are to present biographical information about the author of the book (year of birth, marital status, his/her education and worldview, etc.). After the biographical information, there should be a brief summary of the book content – the main characters and the development of the plot.

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Differences Between a Book Review and a Book Report

Book Review
What is a book review?
How to Write a Book Review
What is the purpose of a book review?
Book Report
What is a book report?
How to Write a Book Report
What is the purpose of a book report?
Book Review vs. Book Report
When are the book report and book review usually assigned?
Book review and book report writing service for students

There are many different types of written projects, but some of their aspects tend to overlap. As with the case on term papers and research papers , students find it hard to distinguish the differences between a book review and a book report. For instance, most written projects are composed of the same basic elements, like the introduction, body, and conclusion. Most of these, too, require you to do a ton of research. Say you’ve been assigned to do a review on The Catcher in the Rye by your instructor, and upon passing the paper, you feel good – your analysis of each of the characters was spot on, with themes identified clearly – you beam at that “A” grade looming across the horizon. To your shock and disappointment, however, that supposed “A” merely translated to a “D”. The pit of your stomach sinks; you’ve worked so hard for it and spend much of your free time pondering over the novel. And it’s only until you’ve spoken to your instructor that you realized that you’ve made a book report, not a book review.

At some point in your academic life, you have been asked to write either a book report or a book review, and many of times we interchange the two writing projects. Despite their seemingly similar purpose, there is a difference between the two. Simply put, a book report is much less complex than a book review, as it does not require an in depth analysis of the text at hand. To further understand their distinctions, we have gathered everything you need to know about that book review and that book report in this master post.

Book Review

A book review is an incisive assessment of a text, object, event or phenomenon. These reviews can encompass more than just books and written texts – it can also be written for architecture, art, fashion, and food, among others. An important component of a book review is the argument, followed by the commentary, which should be more than a summary. Here, you are enabled to enter into a dialogue that centers on a discussion with the author and the intended audience. You are free to either agree or disagree, and identify which aspects in the text are exemplary or lacking. With this in mind, your opinion should be clearly stated. Usually, however, reviews are brief. While some may require an extensive analysis, such as journals and newspapers, they seldom exceed a thousand words. In whichever case, remember that reviews are always succinct. To illustrate the composition of a book review, here are its features:

It must have a concise summary of the content. This concise summary should include an appropriate description of the topic, along with its general perspective, argument, or purpose.
It should offer an in-depth assessment of the content. This pertains to your feedback directed towards the book under review. Here, you are free to point out which parts strike you as notable, its effectiveness or persuasiveness, and how it has helped further your understanding of the issues tackled.
It should suggest whether or not the audience would appreciate the written work.

In addition, there are generally two approaches to writing a book review:

Descriptive review – Here, the content and structure of the book is presented as objectively as possible. Only the essential information about the book’s purpose is needed.
Critical review – A critical review evaluates and describes the chosen book with relevance to literary and historical standards. It should include a statement on the author’s purpose and technique, along with how (in your perspective) the author has succeeded in doing this.

As soon as you’ve gathered and made your assessments and observations of the written work, ensure that you survey your notes accordingly. This will help you combine all your impressions into statements that would best describe the purpose of your review, as well as the thesis. After doing this, the next step is to outline your entire framework according to the following:

Introduction

Due to its brief and concise nature, people usually begin their reviews using anecdotes and catchy quips, so long as it effectively delivers their proposed argument. This approach varies according to the audience and argument, however, although in general, you should include the following elements:

Author’s name, the book title, and main theme
Relevant details about the author, such as his identity and stand on the issue.
The context of the book and/or your review, as your choice of context supports your argument.
The book’s thesis. If you are reviewing fiction, however, this may be difficult since they rarely display obvious arguments. But the process of identifying the book’s angle can allow you to show what specific contribution the book is trying to make
Your own thesis about the book
Summary of the content

This part of the book review should be brief, as your analysis is of utmost importance. As you begin writing your assessment, remember to support your arguments with concrete evidence directly taken from the book; this means that parts of the summary will be dispersed throughout your review.

Your analysis and evaluation of the book

The book review’s analysis and evaluation should be organized into paragraphs in accordance with the subdivisions of your argument. This is particularly challenging when you’re considering the entire book as a whole, but it will aid in differentiating the many elements of your arguments, which could then allow you to provide supporting evidence much clearly. As you cite evidence, make sure that you avoid the excessive use of quotations.

The basic purpose of a book review is to help the audience or readers decide whether or not they should dedicate some time to read the book. As such, a book review should be able to identify the book’s central idea, along with the author’s approach and style, followed by a complete evaluation of its entirety.

By textbook definition, a book report is a written composition that summarizes, describes, and at times, evaluates a written work, which can be fiction or nonfiction. While this applies, to the academe, a book report is primarily used as a school exercise, usually determining whether or not a student has indeed read and understood a book. It discusses the contents of the book, which includes the title, plot, characters, and author, as this also shows that the student understands the text at hand. To reiterate, a book report is not a book review, because the latter requires the writer to give personal critique regarding the book. A book report usually follows a basic format, which includes the following details:

Book’s title and year of publication
Author’s name
Book’s genre
The book’s primary subject, plot, or theme
Concise summary of all the key points or ideas incorporated in the book
The reader's reaction to the book, which can include the identification of its obvious strengths and weaknesses
Quotations from the book used to support general observations

To further understand what comprises a book report, its many forms should be taken into consideration. Book reports can be written in different forms, such as the plot summaries, theme analyses, and character analyses. No matter which type of book report you wish to write, necessary are the key elements which help you convey why the book should be read or not. In any book report, the following elements should always be present:

Book report type
Setting, which includes both place and time
Character names and description
Quotations and passages from the books as supporting evidence

Writing a book report can be fun and exciting, but its framework can make things quite difficult. Here’s a simple guide to help you with the process:

Choose the book you wish to work on

Should you be allowed to choose your book, choose a title that truly evokes enthusiasm in you. It could either be a work of fiction or nonfiction, so long as the subject remains appropriate according to the classroom setting. In case you find yourself without the luxury of that choice, try to be open-minded. Although skeptical at first, perhaps you’ll find yourself enjoying the book if you give it a chance.

Read the book religiously

While much too obvious to point out, reading the book from cover to cover is essential to the process of making a book report. Some students choose to just skim over the book, reading only certain parts. Others resort to information already available online. To truly understand the book, though, you must read the book religiously, even to the point of rereading it. As you read the book, remember to take down notes. This will help you later as you begin the actual writing part.

If you’re reading fiction, try to ponder on the following elements of a story:

Story plot - what is it about?
Setting - where do the events take place in the book?
Characters – who are the significant characters? Identify their relationships with each other.
Themes - what are the main ideas about society and life that the characters and plot symbolize?
Symbols – Are there any symbols the writer used to convey abstract concepts?

For non-fiction books, consider the following:

What is the topic of the book?
Identify the relevant events
List down all the important people described in the text
What have you learned?
Work on your outline

An outline serves an important purpose, as it helps you ease into the writing process quite well. It works as a sort of framework, which will give you a clear picture of what your successful book report will look like. Organize all the information you have gathered into sections that flow logically, including the introduction, body, and conclusion. Your ideas must also be included here, closely followed by your supporting evidence.

Ask for help. If you're in need of a book report writing service , don't hesitate to reach out.

A book report serves an objective summarization of the arguments and main ideas presented in the book. The report, then, should give enough information to help decide the level of interest the book evokes.

The two written projects are often confused with one other, and it happens so often that their respective definitions get blurry. To emphasize once more the differences between a book review and a book report, a book review is an in-depth analysis of the book in question. It requires the writer’s critique and rigorous analysis. On the other hand, a book report is an objective summarization of the book. Here, its different components are cited, such as the plot, themes, characters, and overall main ideas of the book.

It varies depending on your school’s curriculum; also keep in mind that you may be asked to accomplish this task more than once. Academic institutions usually require students to hand in their book reviews and book reports to check if one has read the book or not, as well as to evaluate how clearly they have understood the book’s message.

Although both the book review and book report come with some sense of familiarity (you’ve been doing it for quite sometime, we suppose), writing it can still be complex. The mere fact that students often think that there aren’t many differences between a book review and a book report already qualifies as a problem, thus resulting to a less than ideal grade, no matter the effort. There’s also the issue that not all students are readers, and discerning the differences between a book review and a book report becomes an even bigger obstruction. This prompts students to resort to writing services available online, such as CustomEssayMeister. As the premier academic writing service, we’ve dedicated ourselves to helping students like you. Even better, though, we can make more than your book reviews and book reports for you; our writers are more than capable of taking on your other writing projects – custom essays, custom research papers and even custom term papers. If you’re interested and truly in need help, don’t hesitate to contact us!

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Book Reviews, Annotation, and Web Technology

Resources & Preparation
Instructional Plan
Related Resources

Students work in groups to read and discuss a book, keeping track of their feelings and opinions about the book, as well as facts and quotations, as they read. After reading, each group goes through their notes on the book, marking items they want to include in a book review. They look at sample book reviews and discuss the common elements of book reviews. Next, each group works together to write a review of their book and use Web-authoring tools to publish the review onto a Web page. Students then decide which parts of their review they wish to annotate, with each student in the group responsible for one topic. Students research their topics, taking notes. Each student writes about his or her topic, including bibliographic information. The writings are then peer-reviewed by the group, published to the Web, and hyperlinked back to the group's book review.

Featured Resources

The Annotated Book Review Project : This handout for students provides all the necessary details about the annotated book review project.

Student Annotated Book Review Rubric : Use this rubric to assess the book review project, including the graphics and layout, group book review, student research, navigation and links, and how well students worked together and followed guidelines.

From Theory to Practice

Patricia Webb suggests that using the Web supports "collaboration" and "opened up engaging discussions about audience, writing, and texts." Dean Rehberger emphasizes the importance of annotation when he states, "We do, after all, read texts as hypertexts. Rarely reading a book from cover to cover, we use tables of contents, indexes, footnotes, and endnotes to make links from passage to passage, text to text, idea to idea. We collect and catalogue information-building bibliographies, resources, and libraries-and then turn around and deploy the information-paraphrases, quotations, and imitations-finding "originality" often in synthesis and syncretism. To this end, in my classes I use the Internet to emphasize these older rhetorical arts to create what I have come to call living texts" (194).

Emphasizing the connection among reading, writing, and Web page design, this lesson combines collaborative, small-group, and individual learning activities using literature circles and group investigations as suggested by Harvey Daniels and Marilyn Bizar.

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

Materials and Technology

Assorted books for literature circles (to be read and discussed before this project)

Reflective Journal Instructions
The Annotated Book Review Project
Microsoft Frontpage 2000 ®

Preparation

Prepare mini-lessons to review the elements of fiction and on the differences between book reviews and book reports.
Test the Story Map student interactive on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tool and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

Student Objectives

Students will

read, discuss, and keep a journal on a book in literature circles.
understand the elements of and collaborate on a book review.
create a Website based on their book review.
learn to use parenthetical references and a works-cited page in a research paper.
use the Internet for research and write an individual research paper.
hyperlink their research papers (annotations) to their book review.

Group Reading and Discussion

Select groups or let students select groups of 3 to 5 to work together. Often groups will be formed by the books they choose for their literature circles.
Review the elements of fiction with students.
Students read their book together and keep notes of discussions and of important things they notice in their reading journals as they read. Have them keep track of their feelings and opinions as they read and discuss the book. Ask them, too, to keep track of things such as main characters, conflicts, settings, and quotations that they think might be important; what they think the author's purpose might be; and whether or not the author achieves his or her purpose. They will use these ideas when they write their book review.
When they have finished discussion, the groups should read through their journal notes and put a check next to the details they want to include in their review. Be sure that they don't give away too much of the story in their review.

Group Reviews

After they have finished gathering details, the students will write a group book review.
Explain the difference between a book report and a book review. Reviewers express their opinion of the book. It isn't enough, however, to say that a book is good or bad. They have to support their opinion with explanations and specific references to the book itself, including quotations, rather than give a synopsis of the book. Refer to Writing Book Reviews and Write a Book Review with Rodman Philbrick for tips and strategies for writing book reviews.
Look at and compare the three sample reviews in this article from the University of North Carolina Writing Center . Most reviews name the title and author, include a brief summary of the book without "spoiling" the book for the reader, comment on the book's strengths and weaknesses, and include a personal response.
Working together, students write their first drafts using the details that they checked. (Remember that reviewers comment on the important parts of the book but do not give away too much of the story. Here is a sample book review of To Kill A Mockingbird and some ideas for ways to write one.)
Once they have their final review written, they copy and paste it into a Web page using Web-authoring software such as Microsoft FrontPage® . This is the homepage that they will hyperlink to their annotations.

Group Annotations and Web Work

Students will each write short research pieces on the areas they want to annotate in their review. Possible topics could include the author, the setting, connections with history, and other topics mentioned in their book. For example, if they were writing an annotated review over the book Night by Elie Wiesel, they might want to do research on the author, on Sighet in Transylvania (Wiesel's hometown), on the Talmud, on the cabbala, on Zionism, on Auschwitz, on the Resistance, on the liberation of Buchenwald, or on any other topics they notice while reading.
If desired, students can use the Literary Elements Map to gather additional details on the text they've read.
Students use the notes that they took on topics for research while reading the book. They then read over their review to see which they included.
Let them decide which parts of the review they want to annotate and assign topics to group members.
Using the Internet and other library resources to research their topics, students take notes on index cards or in a note file on their computer. Be sure to have them get complete source information for all written sources and URLs of all Internet sites used.
Students then word-process their research topics. Be sure that they use parenthetical notation for any quoted or paraphrased sections of their report and include a works-cited page at the end of their report, using an agreed-upon style (e.g., MLA). This Annotating resource from Colorado State University may help students to determine what should be annotated.
As a group, students review and edit each piece.
Finally, they copy and paste each report to a new Web page. Have them add pictures and graphics that complement their writing and then hyperlink their reviews to each report and hyperlink the reports back to the review. (Be sure that they check all of their links to make sure that they work.)

Student Assessment / Reflections

Much of the assessment of the project is teacher observation and anecdotal note taking . It is a good idea to have students do a reflective journal over the process of putting together the project. You may also choose to use a rubric for student annotated book reviews .

Students can map out the key literary elements of character, setting, conflict, and resolution as prewriting for their own fiction or as analysis of a text by another author in this secondary-level interactive.

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A black-and-white photograph of a man in an officer’s uniform with a saber on his belt, his hat in his left hand and his right hand tucked into his jacket like Napoleon.

Maybe Erik Larson Should Have Left the Civil War Alone

In “The Demon of Unrest,” present-day political strife inspires a dramatic portrait of the run-up to the deadliest war on American soil.

Maj. Robert Anderson in 1860. Credit... George S. Cook, via Library of Congress

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By Alexis Coe

Alexis Coe is a fellow at New America and the author, most recently, of “You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington.”

April 30, 2024
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THE DEMON OF UNREST: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War, by Erik Larson

The Civil War is one hell of a drug. It’s plentiful and Main Street-legal, but can induce hallucinatory visions when mixed with inflammatory substances. “I’m so attracted to seeing it,” former President Donald J. Trump confessed at a rally this past Jan. 6, three years after his “Big Lie” inspired followers to storm the Capitol — a feat the Southern Confederacy and its campaign to preserve slavery were unable to accomplish, even as the effort left more than 600,000 people dead in its wake.

In “The Demon of Unrest ,” Erik Larson recounts being “appalled” but also “riveted” by Jan. 6 and by “today’s political discord, which, incredibly, has led some benighted Americans to whisper of secession and civil war.”

When Larson, the reigning king of Dad History, drops a new book on the Civil War a month and a half before Father’s Day in a pivotal election year, he knows what he’s doing. Sort of. “The Demon of Unrest ” is Larson’s first book on the Civil War. And his green horns show.

Ostensibly, it mirrors his best-selling books — among them, “ The Splendid and the Vile ” and “ The Devil in the White City ” — with the same pulpy, black-and-white cover treatment and bulky page count, satisfying the collect-them-all, size-matters kind of reader.

The drama unfolds between Abraham Lincoln’s election in November 1860 and the following April, when Confederate troops in Charleston, S.C., shelled Fort Sumter and started the Civil War. During those tense five months, Lincoln hoped, despite a pro-slavery mob’s attempt to stop Congress from tallying the vote and decades of physical violence within the Senate and House chambers , that the war might narrowly be avoided.

At the start the outgoing president, James Buchanan, is maddeningly passive in the face of cabinet resignations and seceding states, including South Carolina, where Confederates would see federal forces arriving at Fort Sumter as nothing short of a foreign incursion. “They ought to hang him,” an astonished Lincoln privately remarks, bewildered by Buchanan’s talk of surrendering federal forts.

Publicly, Lincoln maintains a determined yet conciliatory posture even as Larson’s other hero, Maj. Robert Anderson, a former enslaver and the fort’s commander, is under siege by thousands of better-armed Confederate soldiers and running out of supplies. Anderson and his 80 or so men pray for the best while cornered by the worst.

The book cover for “The Demon of Unrest” shows a fort under siege.

The stage is set. “I invite you now to step into the past,” Larson writes, and he means it. He wants you not just immersed, but engulfed. A Larson book is like the Dead Sea: The extraordinarily dense level of details — “On the stillest nights, at 9 o’clock, Major Anderson could hear the great bells in the distant witch-cap spire of St. Michael’s Church, bastion of Charleston society where planters displayed rank by purchasing pews” — usually allows readers to float on his narrative without much effort.

I tried my best not to swim, but on more than one occasion, I almost drowned from exertion, especially in the incredibly banal final stretch. And still there was something lacking in the book’s 565 pages: Nary a Black person, free or enslaved, is presented as more than a fleeting, one-dimensional figure. Frederick Douglass, a leading abolitionist and standard of histories of the era, warrants no more than a mention.

Black people are primarily nameless victims of an antagonistic labor system that’s causing a political crisis among white Americans. At one point, to differentiate this near monolith, Larson employs the term “escape-minded Blacks,” a curious turn of phrase that suggests there were “bondage-minded Blacks.”

The flattening is all the more noticeable because so many other characters are given shape. Larson offers a cradle-to-coffin biography of the South Carolina congressman-turned-Confederate James Hammond. Lengthy passages on Hammond’s “five-way affair” with (read: sexual abuse of) four teenage nieces are followed by a short, unnervingly euphemistic account of the enslaved women he (and his son) raped and impregnated: Hammond made Sally Johnson “his mistress,” and when her daughter Louisa turned 12, he “made her his mistress as well.”

Larson’s magnolias-under-the-moonlight word choice is inadequate. Sally and Louisa were damned to Hammond’s forced labor camps, along with more than 300 enslaved people who “had a penchant for dying.” But they got Christmas off, Larson notes; Hammond “held a barbecue” and, on one occasion, “gave a calico frock to every female who had given birth.”

“Cotton is king,” Hammond declared in 1858. The phrase would come to epitomize the newly minted Confederacy’s misguided confidence in both its economic domination and the war. The greatest echo of the present day in “The Demon of Unrest” may be Larson’s newcomer ego, a swaggering disregard for the difference between the shopworn and the truly complex that leads straight into the pitfalls of nostalgia and hubris.

At his Jan. 6 anniversary rally, a century and a half after the Civil War ended, Trump suggested that Lincoln could have negotiated his way out of the conflict and avoided the killing — but only at great personal cost. “If he negotiated it,” Trump observed, “you probably wouldn’t even know who Abraham Lincoln was.” What better reason could there have been to fight?

THE DEMON OF UNREST : A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War | By Erik Larson | Crown | 565 pp. | $35

Explore More in Books

Want to know about the best books to read and the latest news start here..

The complicated, generous life of Paul Auster, who died on April 30 , yielded a body of work of staggering scope and variety .

“Real Americans,” a new novel by Rachel Khong , follows three generations of Chinese Americans as they all fight for self-determination in their own way .

“The Chocolate War,” published 50 years ago, became one of the most challenged books in the United States. Its author, Robert Cormier, spent years fighting attempts to ban it .

Joan Didion’s distinctive prose and sharp eye were tuned to an outsider’s frequency, telling us about ourselves in essays that are almost reflexively skeptical. Here are her essential works .

Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world. Listen here .

Den of Geek

Shardlake Writer Explains Major Character Change from the Book

Jack Barak isn’t in the first Shardlake novel - here’s why he was drafted in.

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Anthony Boyle as Jack Barak in Disney+/Hulu series Shardlake

New four-part historical murder-mystery Shardlake is adapted from Dissolution , the first novel in CJ Sansom ’s seven-book crime series about 16 th century lawyer/investigator Matthew Shardlake. Dissolution sees Shardlake sent by religious reformer Thomas Cromwell to investigate a killing at an English monastery.

In the novel, Shardlake is accompanied to the monastery by his young assistant Mark Poer, the son of his father’s farm steward. As a teenager, Mark came to live with Shardlake, who secured him junior legal clerk positions in the London courts.

In the TV adaptation, written by The Last Kingdom and Baghdad Central ’s Stephen Butchard , there is no Mark Poer. His character has been cut entirely and replaced by that of Jack Barak, played by Masters of the Air and Ordeal by Innocence ’s Anthony Boyle. Jack, a henchman of Thomas Cromwell’s with an eye for the ladies, is a returning character first introduced in book two of the Shardlake series, Dark Fire .

Speaking exclusively to Den of Geek , Butchard explains the swap:

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“Mark Poer wasn’t a challenge for Shardlake. He effectively worked for him. He’d come to him as a boy and he’d helped him out and was kind of a servant, so besides telling him off, there was nothing for Shardlake to do with him. If you’re looking for drama, Mark wasn’t the place to go. He serves a purpose in the book because there are a lot more internal things you can do in a book, but when you want something on screen, you very much need two people to butt up against each other. It felt the correct thing to do from a dramatic point of view.”

Not only was Mark too submissive to Shardlake, but their views were also too similar, Butchard continues:

“Shardlake is very much a reformer, but he wants to reform in the proper way. He’s a very honest man and doesn’t like corruption. Mark was kind of against the augmentations [reallocation of land and wealth confiscated from religious houses dissolved in Henry VIII’s reformation] and there were elements of Mark that didn’t like the corruption, so that stole from Shardlake’s character.

“Bringing Jack Barak in sooner allowed a bit of antagonism between the two, they made more of a couple, more of a duo really, there was friction between them but there was a direction and a friendship there to grow.”

Far from going against the wishes of Shardlake novelist CJ Sansom, who sadly died this week following a long illness, Sansom would likely have welcomed the change. Speaking to The Guardian in 2010, he explained that he “soon realised Mark wasn’t going to be a successful character.”

“He was a bit wet, really; I had to get rid of him. And I enjoyed creating Barak, whom I like enormously. He stands up to Shardlake; they’re very different but they get on despite their quarrels.”

The differences between Barak and Shardlake are a key driver in the TV series, says Butchard. “From a dramatic point of view, it was better for Shardlake as a character to have someone to butt up against and also someone who was different to him, with Jack Barak being confident and attractive. He’s got the thing with the codpiece and all that. It was almost as though they’re entirely different men but at the same time they could admire what the other person had.”

Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

The Matthew/Jack pairing reminds Butchard of a key duo in his previous historical TV adaptation.

“Like The Last Kingdom , I was looking at the pairing of [King] Alfred and Uhtred, and for me that’s what that was all about. It’s similar here when I’m describing Barak and Shardlake. They’re different people like Alfred and Uhtred are different people, but they each admired what they lacked in the other person. If we go forward and we’re lucky enough to get a series two, I’d love to grow that relationship.”

Shardlake is streaming now exclusively on Disney+ in the UK, and on Hulu in the US.

Louisa Mellor | @Louisa_Mellor

Louisa Mellor is the Den of Geek UK TV Editor. She has written about TV, film and books for Den of Geek since 2010, and for…

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How to write a book review
How Book Report Is Different From Book Review
Comparison of main features of book review vs. a book report
Book Review vs Book Report: Here’s How They Compare
Book Review Vs Book Report
How Book Report Is Different From Book Review

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How To Write a Book Report
how to write a book review
Differences Between Book Reports and Book Reviews
How to Write a Book Review
How to Write a Book Review
Guide to Academic Book Reviews

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Book Review vs Book Report: Here's How They Compare
Structure of a Book Review. A book review requires a sophisticated and elaborate structure, involving an in-depth examination of the book's elements to assist potential readers in making an informed decision about whether to read it or not. Typically, book reviews range between 500 and 2,000 words, although the length can vary depending on the ...
Difference between a book review and book report
Book Summary VS Book Review. The difference between a book review and summary is something we would like to close the article with. There are those who confuse two terms and as a result don't know which of the two requires what. Well, we have already covered what a book review is - an in-depth analysis of the book.
Book Review vs. Book Report: Understanding the Key Differences
Reviewing books and report writing are two different sorts of tasks that students frequently encounter within the framework of the scholastic process. Despite their apparent similarity, these phrases really refer to various analyses. By highlighting their unique goals, frameworks, and writing styles, this article seeks to shed light on the major distinctions between book reports and book reviews.
How to write a book review and a book report · Help & how-to
About A book review is a descriptive and critical/evaluative account of a book. It provides a summary of the content, assesses the value of the book, and recommends it (or not) to other potential readers. A book report is an objective summary of the main ideas and arguments that the book's author has presented. The purpose of the report is to give enough information to help decide whether the ...
Difference Between Book Review And Book Report?
A book review analyses the work. It encompasses the main ideas in a piece of work critically. Hence, a book review aims to shed new light on the readers. On the other hand, a book report rehashes the work. The purpose of a book report is to give information about the work.
How to Write the Perfect Book Report (4 easy steps)
The book report is basically a summary of everything about the book. It describes the book from an objective point of view, as impartially as possible. Difference between a Book Report and a Book Review. It's easy to confuse a book report for a book review. After all, they sound similar. But they are really quite different.
How to Write a Book Report
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.
Book Report VS Book Review: Similarities and Differences
A book review can be seen as a more sophisticated approach to understanding and relaying the same information presented in a report. It can be described as "sophisticated" in that the work requires a greater level of effort, thoughtfulness, and is an analysis as compared to a book report. As students grow, so does their ability to think critically.
How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide
The real value of crafting a well-written book review for a student does not lie in their ability to impact book sales. Understanding how to produce a well-written book review helps students to: Engage critically with a text. Critically evaluate a text. Respond personally to a range of different writing genres.
Guide: Book Reviews
Book Reviews. A book review addresses the subject matter of a literary work, and assesses effectiveness and value. Book reviews keep publishers and the public aware of what is being thought and written in a wide range of subjects. When a new book is issued, copies are sent to reviewers; subsequent reviews appear in literary magazines, academic ...
Book Report: Definition, Guidelines, and Advice
The book report is also to be clearly distinguished from a book review or a critical essay, for it merely reports on a book without undertaking to compare it with other books or to pass judgment on its value." (Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren, Modern Rhetoric. Harcourt, 1972) - "A book report is a summary of the contents, plot, or thesis ...
Book or Literature Reviews
Also referred to as a book report, a book review consists of "critical comments on a book, especially when it is first published" ("Book Review, 2006).. Similar to a short essay, a book review typically includes several of these elements: • Description of the book's main topic, purpose and/or point of view, answering questions such as: • What is the genre of the work (i.e. novel, non ...
Foolproof Guide to Writing a Book Review
Find out how a book review is different from a book report and get tips to make your review a success. ... It is important to know the difference between a book report and a book review. If your teacher assigns a book review and you turn in a book report, your grade will probably not be very good. The biggest difference between the two is that ...
Reviews and Reaction Papers: Article and Book Reviews
A book report summarizes the contents of the book, but a book review is a critical analysis of the book that describes, summarizes, and critiques the ideas in the book. A review is a means of going beyond the literal content of a source and is a tool for connecting ideas from a variety of academic sources. A review provides an objective ...
Writing a Book Review
NOTE: Since most course assignments require that you write a critical rather than descriptive book review, the following information about preparing to write and developing the structure and style of reviews focuses on this approach. I. Common Features. While book reviews vary in tone, subject, and style, they share some common features. These include:
3 Differences between a University Book Report and Book Review
The Word Count of a Book Report and Book Review. No much emphasis is placed on the length. However, on average a book review is expected to be no less than 750 words whereas with a book report the minimum word count is 500 words. You're recommended to specify all paper requirements before you settle down to your homework.
A Book Report vs. a Book Review
Book report will usually take 200-250 words. Book reviews will range from 200 words if it's a simple book to 1000+ words if it's a piece of scholarly literature that needs thorough analysis and evaluation. ACADEMIC LEVEL. Book report is considered to be a K-12 level assignment. Book review is more of a college-level type of assignment.
The Difference Between Book Reports And Book Reviews
Book reviews. So the #1 issue that students have when confusing these two assignment types is that they pen book reports when a book review is needed. Reviews are far more in-depth and require more brainpower to really master; a comparatively simpler book report is probably more likely to elicit eye rolls from a disappointed teacher than if you ...
Book report
Book report. A book report is an essay discussing the contents of a book, written as part of a class assignment issued to students in schools. There is a difference between a book report and a book review. A report includes a larger outline, and a review stays on the topic of the book. Teachers frequently give students a list of books from ...
Book Report: Different Formats, Types and Book Review
Difference between Book Report and Book Review: Book Review. A book review is more about analysis and evaluation where students are required to identify the author's main message and ideas as well as to understand the meaning of symbolic elements present in the text. Book Report. Book reports are all about explaining topical details and the ...
Differences Between a Book Review and a Book Report
To emphasize once more the differences between a book review and a book report, a book review is an in-depth analysis of the book in question. It requires the writer's critique and rigorous analysis. On the other hand, a book report is an objective summarization of the book. Here, its different components are cited, such as the plot, themes ...
Book Reviews, Annotation, and Web Technology
Prepare mini-lessons to review the elements of fiction and on the differences between book reviews and book reports. ... Explain the difference between a book report and a book review. Reviewers express their opinion of the book. It isn't enough, however, to say that a book is good or bad. They have to support their opinion with explanations ...
Book Review: 'The Demon of Unrest,' by Erik Larson
When Larson, the reigning king of Dad History, drops a new book on the Civil War a month and a half before Father's Day in a pivotal election year, he knows what he's doing. Sort of. "The ...
Shardlake Writer Explains Major Character Change from the Book
The differences between Barak and Shardlake are a key driver in the TV series, says Butchard. "From a dramatic point of view, it was better for Shardlake as a character to have someone to butt ...
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Book Review vs Book Report: Here’s How They Compare

Key Takeaways

What is a Book Review?

What is a Book Report?

Book Review vs Book Report: What are the Differences?

Structure of a Book Review

The Structure of a Book Report

Writing a Book Review

Writing a Book Report

Get Help with Book Review Writing

Difference between a book review and book report

Book Report vs Book Review

How to Write a Book Report?

How to Write a Book Review?

Comparison of Book Reviews and Book Reports

Book Review vs. Book Report: Understanding the Key Differences

Introduction:

What is a Book Review?

Purpose of a Book Review:

Structure of a Book Review

What is a Book Report?

Purpose of a Book Report

Structure of a Book Report

Writing Style Differences

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How to write a book review and a book report

Bibliographical Information

Background information

Intended audience

Subject and thesis statement

Summary of content

Critical comments (book reviews)

Sources on writing book reviews

Sources on writing book reports

Difference Between Book Review And Book Report?

What is a Book Review?

Elements of a Book Review

What is a Book Report?

Parts of a Book Report

Key Differences between a Book Review and Book Report

Perspective

How to Write a Book Report

Book Report Fundamentals

What Is a Book Report?

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

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

Selecting and Finding a Book

Formats of Book Reports

How to Write an Outline

Plot Summary and Description

Analyzing Characters and Themes

Selecting and Integrating Quotations

How to Be an Active Reader

Assessing Your Reading Comprehension

How to Improve Your Reading Comprehension

Methods of In-text Annotation

Teaching Elementary School Students How to Write Book Reports

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

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Book Report Vs. Book Review (Differences and Similarities)

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