How to Write a Book Review- 4th Grade

A book review in the fourth grade shows how well a child understands a book and his or her thoughts about the story. This type of review gives more students experience with expressing his or her opinion and critiquing a piece of literature. A book review assignment also can help hone a child’s writing skills. In addition, a book review can encourage a child to read more.

Introduce the book to your reader. Mention the title of the book and underline it, and tell the reader who authored the book. Describe the type of story it is--whether it is nonfiction or fiction; a make believe tale or scary story.

Write what the story’s theme and setting is. This will be the first paragraph of the body of your fourth grade book review. For the theme, explain what the main purpose or idea of the story is -- whether it involves being brave in a hard situation or the value of being kind to one another.

Describe the setting, or the time and place of the story. This could be a long time ago, such as in the 16th Century, or the present day. The setting also could be an imaginary place or a distant country. Mention how much time passes in the story -- whether it is a day or 50 years.

Explain what happens in the story in the second paragraph of your book review's body. In this section, called the plot, tell the reader what the main event or conflict is about and what events lead up to it. Avoid giving away the ending of the story. Also, do not give too many details about what happened in the book so that you will have room to describe your feelings about the book in your review as well.

Explain who the characters in the book are in the third paragraph of your book review's body. Point out the protagonist -- or the main character -- and explain how the other characters in the book help or harm the protagonist. Also, describe who the antagonist is -- the opposing character with whom the protagonist must contend. Describe how the characters look.

Give your opinion about the book in the fourth paragraph of the body of your book review. It is OK to use the pronoun, “I.” Mention whether you liked the story or not and why, and explain whether you learned anything new from the book. Describe what your favorite scene was and who your favorite character was, and why. Explain how the story made you feel at various points -- whether it was funny or sad, for example. Also, write whether you would recommend this book to someone else, and if you would read other books written by the author.

Write your conclusion. The conclusion is just a couple of sentences in which you make a final mention of your overall view of the book. In addition, explain the most important facet of the book you want your readers to know about. Read through your fourth grade book review and check for any spelling or grammar errors.