Student Writing Handbook Fifth+Edition

Book Report / 161

Conclusion. The final paragraph summarizes the book’s contribution to the subject
area and includes the reader’s reaction to the book, particularly as it relates to the
subject matter. This paragraph should be arranged so that the report’s most impor-
tant evaluative comment is the final one, a kind of concluding remark for the entire
report.

STEP 5: Writing—Following the Plan

Write your book report based on the organizational plan spelled out in Step 4. Pay
attention, also, to the following general guidelines:

• Make the synopsis concise.


• Include sufficient supporting details from the book to develop your two or
  three subject-related paragraphs. [See Sample Revision for Specific Detail in
  Chapter 3, Revising.]


• Provide adequate transitions to help the reader move easily from sentence to
  sentence and idea to idea. [See Sample Revision for Transition in Chapter 3,
  Revising.]


• Maintain unity within each paragraph and within the report as a whole. Omit
  irrelevant details. [See Sample Revision for Unity in Chapter 3, Revising.]


• Use vocabulary and sentence structure appropriate for the subject and the
  audience.


• End with an effective clincher. [See Writing a Multi-Paragraph Paper in
  Chapter 2, Writing, for a discussion of effective conclusions.]

STEP 6: Revising—Checking the Content

When you have finished the first draft, check the content of your book report against
the following guidelines:

• Does the first paragraph include the basic information: the book’s title, author,
  and topic or theme?


• Does the first paragraph include a thesis sentence [see thesis sentence in
  the Glossary and Writing a Multi-Paragraph Paper in Chapter 2, Writing]
  and any pertinent information about the book’s preparation or the author’s
  background?


• Is the one-paragraph synopsis concise?


• Are the two or three subject-related ideas developed in separate paragraphs?


• Are the subject-related ideas supported by details and quotations from the
  book?


• Are all details relevant to your thesis? [See Sample Revision for Unity in
  Chapter 3, Revising.]