Outline For a Winning Book Report: Use These Simple Tips to Get a Great Grade

Choosing a Book

The first step in writing a winning book report is, of course, selecting a good book. Look for a book that is going to fit with some or all of these points:

• A book which is about a topic that interests you.
• A book that is a length you feel sure you can finish.
• A book that is written at the right level for your reading ability.
• A book that is not being read by everyone else in your class.

Once you have selected your book, your next job is to read it!

Make sure you read it early so you have lots of time to use this book report outline to prepare your book report for class.

Using the Book Report Outline

Once you have finished reading, use this book report outline to enter your ideas to prepare a rough draft.

• Author details: Who he or she is, what else they’ve written.
• Illustrator details: How well did the illustrations work with the text?
• Page length: You might also add details about the number of chapters, or how the book was constructed - prologue, epilogue, part of a series, etc.
• Key characters and their main features: Male or female, age, type of role they played in the book, personality, relationship to other characters.

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2.

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• At least two minor characters:

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• Plot outline: Divide the book into sections and briefly explain what happened in each one, using dot points to keep your ideas flowing: Section 1: Section 2: Section 3: Section 4: Section 5: (Add more sections as needed.)

• What was your first impression of the book? Write a sentence or two.

• How did your impression change once you had finished reading? Write another sentence or two.

• Would you recommend the book to another reader?

• Who do you think would really love to read this book, and why?

Going for a Great Grade

Don’t neglect these tips to help you get a fabulous grade using this book report outline:

• Read the book early
• Read the book report outline template before you start reading the book; that way you will know what to pay close attention to as you read.
• Take notes as you read - especially about the plot and the characters.
• Try using a notepad with a page for each character and a page for each section of the story. Fill your ideas in as you read and then transfer them to your book report outline. Then you will be ready to begin work on your final draft for delivery to your teacher. Aim to do this at least three days before your book report is due.

Follow these basic tips each time you prepare a book report, and you’ll be handing in papers that earn you high grades without a lot of stress and struggle.