children's book reviews template

• TemplateLab

Book Review Templates

50 best book review templates (kids, middle school etc.).

A book review template enables you to illustrate the intentions of the author who wrote the book while creating your own opinions and criticisms about the written material as a whole. By writing this template, you formulate your own opinions about the ideas presented by the author. In some cases, teachers assign students with the task of writing a book review template too. Through this, the teachers can determine how well the students understood the book.

Table of Contents

• 1 Book Review Templates
• 2 How long should the book review template be?
• 3 Book Review Templates For Kids
• 4 Parts of a book review template
• 5 Book Review Templates Middle School
• 6 Planning to write your book review
• 7 Book Review Templates High School
• 8 Starting to write your book review
• 9 Book Review Templates for College
• 10 What to include in your book review?

How long should the book review template be?

One main purpose of a book review template is to help other people determine whether or not they would feel interested to read a book . A book review worksheet serves as a “sneak peek” at a book. Written well, it can encourage others to read the same book to see what all the fuss is about.

Just don’t make your review too short as it might not serve its purpose. Conversely, a review that’s too long might bore the reader, thus, prompting them not to finish reading all the way to the end. Instead of focusing on the length of your review, focus on what you want to say in it.

Book Review Templates For Kids

Parts of a book review template

If you’re a student, all you have to do is give your own opinions and thoughts about the book you have read. But if you want your review to stand out, you may want to include more information:

• A brief summary When writing a book review template, include a brief summary along with some background information about the topic and the author. As you write, don’t assume that the readers have already read the book. This is why you should explain the main ideas and topics you have read and their significance.
• Background information about the topic As you write the background information, do a lot of research about the main topic to provide comprehensive data. Even if it’s a fictional story, doing research is essential. That way, the opinions and evaluations you share about the book come from your own good understanding of what you have read. For non-fiction, you may choose to include studies or research about the topic of the book to come up with a comprehensive review that your readers will appreciate.
• Your evaluation Conclude your book review worksheet with an evaluation of what you’ve read. More than just your opinions, provide an evaluation of the strong points, weaknesses, and even the objectives of the book and if the author met these objectives. After this evaluation, you can include your opinions. Explain your reactions and the reasons for these reactions. Don’t just say “I didn’t like the book.” Specify the parts you didn’t appreciate and your reason why. This makes your review more believable, especially when you’re writing for a book that’s available for purchase.

Book Review Templates Middle School

Planning to write your book review

You can write a book review template for books of all genres and for different purposes. Of course, writing a book review template for different genres requires skill. While you would follow a single format for these reviews, the content varies greatly. Part of the writing process is to plan what to write in your review. Here are some tips to guide you:

• Create an outline that includes all of the most important points that you want to include in your review. In the outline, include information about the plot, the characters, and other important details in the book.
• For each point in your outline, create a paragraph that talks about it.
• You should have a good understanding of the plot so that you can write your review effectively.
• Analyze the writing techniques that the author used. This makes it easier for you to understand why and how the author wrote the book.
• Analyze the characters of the book to see if they seem realistic, believable or even logical, especially in terms of the roles they play in the plot of the story.
• Decide whether you would recommend the book you’ve read to other people. If you want to recommend it, explain why. If not, provide an explanation for this decision too.

Book Review Templates High School

Starting to write your book review

Most book review templates start with a brief summary of the book. If you decide to start the “traditional” way by writing a summary, make sure that you don’t give away too many details about the book. You shouldn’t retell the story or share too much information that the reader won’t even bother to read the book because they already know what it’s about. More importantly, people don’t appreciate it when reviews include spoilers.

When it comes to reviews, you can also begin in different ways depending on your preference or the requirements given to you by your teacher. Here are some suggestions for you:

• Provide background information about the book Here, you share what makes the book interesting or important. It might have a well-known author, it may be part of a series of books or it may even be a bestseller. The background information you provide should hook the reader and make them feel curious.
• Explain an important term used in the book If you think that an important term or phrase in the book might confuse the readers, you can start your review by providing a short explanation for it. This makes it easier for readers to understand the book and not feel intimidated by it.
• Share an interesting fact about the book This way of starting your review is particularly effective for nonfiction books. By sharing an interesting fact that you have taken from the book, you will catch the interest of your readers.
• Start with a quote Finally, you can also begin your review using a striking quote you’ve taken from the book. This is a powerful way to begin your review and it also makes the whole document more interesting to read.

Book Review Templates for College

What to include in your book review?

Thinking about what you want to say in your book review template can feel like a challenge. But it doesn’t have to be. As long as you have an idea of the content to include in your review, the words may start flowing easily. Here are some ideas of what your book review may contain:

• General information Talk about what kind of book is it – is it an adventure book, a fantasy book, a nonfiction book, a novel, and more. State if it is a standalone book or if it’s part of the series. You can even share interesting facts about the author of the book if you feel like this information can help your readers. Here, you can also compare the book to others of the same genre or topic. Talk about the style of the book and the language the author used for it. You can even recommend the age groups the book is most recommended for.
• Plot Writing this part is the most challenging since you want to provide your readers with a taste of what the book is all about without divulging too many details or spoilers. When writing a book review for stories, never give away the ending!
• Characters Your review should provide good information about all the characters in the story. You can learn more about the characters by analyzing their dialogues, actions, and how they interact with the other characters in the story. When talking about the characters, you can share some examples of instances that stood out in your mind. But again, don’t give away too much.
• Theme Here, you talk about what the book is really about. Apart from the plot, you should also try to share the ideas behind the story that you’ve read. For instance, is the book about hope, love, friendship, the triumph of good over evil, and so on. This is another important piece of information that your readers may appreciate.
• Setting This refers to the place and time when the story happens. When including this information, don’t just share the location. You can even add descriptions to make this part more interesting to read.
• Opinions and analyses Finally, this is where you would share your reactions to the book. After giving the facts, it’s time to talk about how the book moved you, what you thought about it, and how you interpreted everything you’ve read. This would be the “meatiest” part of your book so you should spend more time on it. This also happens to be the main purpose of the book – your review – which is why it’s called a review!

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Book Review Template for Kids (Tips & Activities)

• July 21, 2019
• Kids Printables

Aren’t your kids interested in reading more books? How can you enhance their understanding skills after reading a book? 

Here is a solution ! How about asking them to write a review? Don’t be funny you say ! No, I am just saying if you have colorful “ Book Review Templates” for kids , you can actually ask them to write what they understood.  

Ask your kids to share their point of view and discuss about it with their friends and family. While this is a small circle, writing a review about the book will help them introduce it a bigger circle or people, at the same time improve their thinking and writing skills.

You might want to check out book templates for kids , who are interested in compiling or writing a book. 

Your kids read books? Do they have the habit of sharing their view about the books? Do they share their review about every book they read? Or do you want your kid to write review about the books they read? Do you want to teach them on how to write a book review? Well, this topic is help and satisfy all the above needs.

Yes, In this article we are going to see in detail about what is book review and how to make your kids write a book review. We are here to help you with the wonderful set of templates that will help teach your kids and encourage them write review about books. All you have to do is just a click away, select the template you like from here, download it, print and teach your kids on how to write a book review with the help of it. All these templates are available for free and you can download and use it anytime, anywhere.

What are Book Review Templates?

First of all let us see what is book review template and what are the components in it to be filled. As the name says, it is nothing but the template to write review about books, which will help you teach your kids on how to write a book review and what all needs to be included/excluded while writing a book review. Below are some of the components that needs to be filled in order to complete a Book review.

• Title – Name of the book
• Author/Illustrator – Name of the Author and/or Illustrator of the book
• Word difficulty – They need to predict the difficulty level they had while reading the book. For Example, Too easy, Just right, Medium, Too hard,
• Did your like the book/Rating – This is to rate the book. As it is for kids, it can be represented with the STAR rating. If not, by numbers. For example, 4.2 out of 5. Or you can ask them to describe the book in one word by proving them a set of words to choose. For example, Exiting, boring, impressive, stupid, funny, sad, heart warming, interesting, excellent, entertaining, educational and so on.
• Summary in one sentence – Ask them to summarize the story of the book in a sentence, that needs to be short and crisp.
• Characters – Describe in brief about the character involved in the book.
• What was your favorite part of the book? / What I liked best – This will help them recollect the memories of reading the book and describe their favorite part in the book.
• What I didn’t like – Ask them to summarize the part of book which the kids did not like
• Draw your favorite character from the book – If it is a picture book or activity book that would contain more pictures and images, then you can guide them to draw their favorite character from the book.
• Draw your favorite scene from the book – every kids will have a favorite part from the book and you can encourage them to visualize their favorite scene, which in-turn will develop their drawing skills also.
• Recommendation – They can tick mark the box. For example, Highly Recommended, Reasonable, Not recommended.
• Reviewer Name – Your kids name who is writing the review.
• Date – date on which the review was written.

These are few of the points that must be covered as part of a book review. Apart from this the kids can add anything extra as part of the template while writing the review.

Are your kids exited to write a book review? Wondering how to guide them on it? Then we are here to help you, as we have provided wonderful set of book review templates for kids in this page that will attract your kids. Do you want to make one on your own? Well, that is allowed as well. All you have to do is to just chose your template from here and download it for free. As we have designed it for your ease, you can just edit the template as per your need by changing the font, background, borderline of the template etc and create/make your own Book review templates within seconds,without spending even a single penny from your pocket. Is it not amazing? Create one instantly and help your kids write a book review.

Uses of Book review template?

Let us see below the uses of writing a book review.

• Will help the kids to improve their creative writing skills and reading comprehension.
• Will encourage the kids to share their opinion
• Will help others to decide on whether to read/purchase the book or not.
• Will provide the in-depth analysis of the story and content of the book.
• Will capture the main theme of the book and help readers understand the author’s style.

These are few of the benefits of writing a book review. Apart from these it will improve their book reading skills and increase their interest to read more books and write review for those.

How to use – Book review template for teaching in classroom

In order to help teachers with book review templates and few sample activities that would help them teach in the classroom,we have listed few activities as below to make their work easy:

• Providing Sample Book review – You can take few sample reviews written by others for a book and share it in the classroom for the kids to basically understand what is a book review and what are the basic elements and points to be captured while writing a book review. Best source to teach them is from the famous/favorite magazine or even newspaper.
• Together read a book review – Pick up an appropriate and favorite book review and read it aloud along with the students in the classroom. Cover everything from title of the book, author, brief summary of the book, strengths and weakness and your own personal opinion about the book.
• Provide a book to review – Provide a book or a short story to read in the classroom and write their review about it. Encourage them to make note of the key points of the story Post which you can read the review they have written and correct those along with the students.
• Questions about the book – Provide a book review template template and guide them with few questions that will help them recollect the incidents in the story and come-up with a good review. Questions should cover on the genre of the book (whether it is Comic or fantasy or detective or humor),  about the favorite part of the book, likes and dis-likes, about the main characters of the book, briefly about the author of the book, did they enjoy reading the story, etc. Also ensure to have their reviews explained in details. 
• Classroom flip book review activity – Prepare a flip book with an interesting topic and introduce it to the students. Provide them with a book review template from him as per your wish and let them write review on the flip book. This will help them improve their thinking capacity as well.

  How to use – Book Review template for students

Making children write a book review is a great way to motivate them to read lot of books. Having said that let us see few activities  that will help them learn and write a good and perfect book review.

• Book review activity Packet – You can choose a sample book for the students to read, be it a short-story or fun book or a comic story. To start with you can provide them a book under their favorite genre which will help them read it with full involvement and write a good review. Then you can choose a template from here for there to express their thought and opinion about the book and write a review.
• Character book review Activity – Decide a book for the student to read, preferably a picture book or fun book. Later you can collect the pictures of the different characters in the book and make cards out of it. Once the student completes the book, you can provide these cards carrying different characters in the book and as them to write review about each character. This will help children to understand and judge themselves with how much involvement they have read the book.

All the activities listed above looks awesome right? Waiting to involve your kids/students in reading books and write a review for the book? Then you can involve them in any of the above activities. To start with, you can make them read a book of their favorite genre, which will help them practice writing a book review at initial times.

Can Book Review Template help kids to learn science?

In order to make students develop their interest towards science, you can introduce it to them through book review activity as well. Wondering how? Here is an example for you to help them develop their interest towards science. You can create a Flip book with different forms of energy (like heat, sound,chemical,thermal etc) or any other science related topics like state of matter or chemical changes, with the pictures related to it. You can ask students to make a research on each of the picture in the flip book, hence introducing science to them.

Help them in understand it which in-turn will make them write good reviews. Later, once they complete the flip book, provide them with few book review templates and as them to write their opinion about each science topic in the flip book, that will help them know their understanding about the science and develop interest towards science. Similarly you can make them read various science related fun books (like 11 Experiments That Failed or Ada Twist – Scientist) which will introduce science to them and ask them to write review for the same.

Tips to help your kids write a book review

Writing a book review is not an easy task for the children at initial times. Below are you tips which will help you guide your children to write a good book review.

• Motivate them to make note of the important points while reading the books. This will help them remember the favorite characters and scenes in the book.
• Make them ask questions about the book to come-up with an perfect book review.
• Guide them to have a structure for the book review they write. For example , starting from the Author to the strength and weakness of the book.
• You should be ready to proofread it at the end. Once the kids complete writing a review, you should have a check on it for any spelling mistakes, meaning of the phrases and help them correct their mistakes in the next review.

Do’s and Don’ts of a Book review

Having discussed in details on how to write a book review, we shall now see the do;s and dont’s while reviewing a book.

• Provide a short phrase/title that will explain your review’s content.
• Be very specific in describing what you liked or did not like in the book. Do not generally say “it was bad”,”not satisfactory”. Describe why was it bad and not satisfactory.
• Do not drag the review too long. Make it crisp and brief. Do not completely summarize the book.
• Do not criticize it badly just because it was not as how you expected.
• Describe your favorite character and be very careful and conscious in what you say about the story to avoid controversies.

Following these  points along with the tips, you can select any of the activities along with the book review template from our page and teach your kids on how to write a good book review.

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18 Free Book Review Templates (Kids, Middle School Students, etc.)

“This is going to be a great read,” said every reader after combing through a brilliantly written book review. In the advent of content writing, book reviews are pivotal to point you to the next read; alternatively, avoid. Sharing insightful information about a book is a worthwhile activity for both the reviewer and the reader. We delve into writing captivating and aboveboard book reviews to identify a top-line review.

What Is a Book Review?

A book review is a thorough evaluation of a book highlighting the book’s plot, quality, and significance. Book reviews vary from succinct descriptions to lengthy reviews. In schoolwork, professors assign book reviews to students to form opinionated evaluations that depict the ability to synthesize research and creativity.

What Is a Book Review Template?

A book review template is a structured fillable form that offers a sneak peek of the book. Book reviewers fill the template with their book analysis, customize it, and print it or form digital copies. The essence of a book review template is to help the reviewer write a professional book review without the hassle of crafting a book review from scratch.

Book Review Templates & Examples

How Can a Book Review Example Help You?

• Book review examples enable you to develop a unique writing style. Compare the styles of other writers and craft your distinct yet alluring style.
• If you are writing about a popular book, then examples from other writers provide insightful information pivotal to writing a top-notch review. Only source information from reputable book reviewers if you use their thoughts to form the framework for your review.

Essential Elements of a Book Review Template

• Introduction. It features the author’s name, book title, and any subtitles.
• Thesis. A concise summary of the main elements of the book.
• The body. Narration, setting, genre, theme, and evaluation go into the body. Develop each paragraph to its point.
• Conclusion section

How to Write a Book Review

Most book reviews take the critical approach, which entails providing a summary of the book’s ideas compared to other scholarly texts. While maintaining objectivity, you evaluate whether the reader has met or surpassed similar genre books and how. Follow our steps to writing an in-depth book review.

Identify the central thesis of the book and the main elements the author intends to pass across. You want to summarize the main points that tell us the book’s significance. Understand the plot, protagonists, and ending of the book.

While planning, you can ask yourself these questions to guide you:

• What does the writer want to accomplish?
• What is the plot of the book?
• What tone and style do the author use to add extra panache?
• Would you recommend the book?

Scribe the relevant information on a piece of paper. The note will serve as an initial draft.

Introduction

Write the author’s name and book. Briefly write the central thesis and the intention of your review, whether critical or descriptive.

The body of your review is where you write the plot summary, main thoughts, conclusion, and recommendation. Write a concise summary and if there are characters that will elicit the reader’s reactions, include them. Dedicate separate paragraphs to different aspects of the book.

Tip: To make your review more interesting, insert quotations from the book and controversial topics the book addresses.

Conclude the book review

When concluding, answer the question, “Is the book worth reading?” Summarize the principal elements and restate the thesis while stating if it has accomplished it.

Finally, provide a rating for the book and inform readers where to access the book. A rating from one to five stars is the conventional rating.

Warning ⚠️ : Do not include book spoilers without a spoiler alert atop the review. Don’t spoil the fun for your readers.

Types of Book Reviews

• Endorsement reviews
• Trade reviews
• Editorial reviews
• Reader reviews

How long should a book review template be?

Typical book reviews range from 500-2000 words. However, the length is immaterial compared to the core content of the analysis.

What should I title my book review?

You can employ a captivating title that ensembles the book’s ideas or the author’s name (in possessive form) followed by the book title.

What are the four stages in writing a book review?

The four stages are: reading and establishing an assessment approach, introducing the book, delineating its contents, and finally providing an evaluation and recommendation.

What should be included in the first paragraph of a book review?

A summary of the book, usually kick-started by an intriguing quotation from the book.

What is the difference between a book report and a book review?

A book report is the objective summary of the main points and plot of the book. In contrast, a book review is a critical evaluation of the book’s contents concerning similar texts and recommends whether to read or avoid it.

Is a book review written in the first person?

Generally, you should not use the first person. However, if you are an acclaimed reviewer, you may use the first person.

Does a book review need a bibliography?

If your book review is for academic purposes, you need a bibliography. Cite the book using APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, or the citation style your professor requires.

What benefits will you most likely get from writing a book review?

Apart from stacking sales in your favor, writing a review generates new insights and improves your writing style.

How many pages should a book review be?

Your professor will instruct on the number of pages required. However, anything less than two pages is short, and anything exceeding seven pages is too long.

How long does it take to write a book review?

Assuming you have read the book, it will take you 3-5 hours to write a professional review.

How do you write a critical review without reading the book?

While it’s not advisable, source the reviews of other writers, obtain the main points, and paraphrase them to write your book review.

Book reviews provide creative outlets to share with the world about a good read. Detailed book reviews are every reader’s delight. Use the above tips to write a brilliant book review for your schoolwork or editorial purposes.

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Book Review Template Printable for Kids and Adults

Sharing is caring!

Use our simple book review template as an easy way to critique your book club favorites or to help kids log and track what they are reading. 

If you are an avid reader, you may be in the midst of several different books at one time. This is where a good review printable really helps. Not only do you get to express your thoughts, but it’s also an excellent way to keep a reading log. We have found that this template is best for adults and upper grades (even high school), while a young reader and those in lower grades may benefit from a shorter version. 

Book Review Template for Kids

This cute template is a fun way to make younger children’s reading project more interactive! It comes in a colored version and black white.

Printable Book Review Template (Also Fillable with Adobe)

Our book review templates are delivered in a PDF format. Once you have purchased you will receive a download link via email. Simply print off how many you need. 

If you would like to fill in the template digitally, you can use the free version of Adobe Reader, then save to your computer (and/or) print when you are finished. 

Our printables are PDF files that are delivered as an instant download. These are for personal use only. No physical products will be shipped.

What’s Included: 

Each of the printable templates include: 

• Start and Finish Dates 
• Pages, Chapters, and Series 
• Star Rating 
• Title of the book, Author of the book, and Genre 
• Favorite Chapter and Favorite Character 
• An area to write a brief summary of the book. 
• Boxes to document your favorite moments and quotes. 
• Final thoughts – a great way to document highlights and other information that a book report would contain like main character, plot, etc. 

These are in US Letter size. You can also use this file format digitally using apps like Goodnotes (iPad) and fill them in with an Apple pencil. The download process is the same, simply download on your iPad instead and import it into your note taking software.

There are also 6 colors to choose from, including a black and white printer friendly version. 

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

Book review:.

Purpose:  A book review is a critical evaluation of a book, expressing the reviewer’s opinion on its strengths, weaknesses, and overall quality.

Focus:  Reviews often highlight the reviewer’s personal reactions, feelings, and recommendations for potential readers.

Style:  They are subjective, allowing for personal opinions and impressions (think essay-style reviews).

Length:  Reviews are typically shorter and concise, aiming to provide a brief overview without revealing major plot spoilers.

Book Report:

Purpose:  A book report is a more comprehensive summary of a book, aiming to provide an objective overview of the content.

Focus:  Reports focus on the book’s plot, characters, setting, and other key elements without expressing personal opinions in the same way as reviews.

Style:  They are more objective and factual, often requiring a more formal tone. 

Length:  Reports tend to be more detailed and longer, covering various aspects of the book in a structured manner.

While both involve the discussion of a book’s content, the emphasis and style of presentation distinguish a book review from a book report.

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So, there you have it – the ultimate guide to crafting an engaging and fun book review using our handy template. Remember, a good book review isn’t just about summarizing a book; it’s an opportunity to share your thoughts, connect with fellow readers, and maybe even discover a new favorite.

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• Book Review Templates Ks1 Ks2

Book review template – Free printable resources for KS1 & KS2

Think Fantastic Mr Fox is, well, fantastic? Wish Gangsta Granny could be retired? Help children express their views on fiction and non-fiction alike with these book review templates, worksheets and resources…

A book review is a great way for children to learn to communicate their thoughts and ideas about books they read. These book review template resources will help make students’ reviews the best they can possibly be.

You shouldn’t require children to write a book review every time they finish a book (this can be seen as punishing them for reading ). However, these templates will make it easy for children to write their review in a succinct and structured way.

Why not keep the book reviews in your classroom reading corner or library to help children choose a book based on their peers’ recommendations?

Free book review templates

How to write a book review, alternatives to writing book reviews.

Writing book reviews enables pupils to offer opinions based on first-hand experiences. This free download, most suitable for KS1, contains three separate book review templates to choose from.

Use these free ‘My Favourite Book’ review worksheets to encourage children to talk about and recommend their favourite book to others. At the same time they’ll be improving their language and writing skills.

With this adaptable resource you can choose how many worksheets you use. Use only the first page to create a brief overview of a book. Alternatively, extend the activity by looking at character descriptions and developing higher-order thinking.

Book review templates from Plazoom

Create a love of reading in your school by using this set of fantastic free book review templates from literacy resources website Plazoom.

There are three templates in all – suitable for KS1, LKS2 and UKS2. Use them to create a class or school collection of book reviews. This will encourage discussion about book choices and help pupils develop a love of reading.

Also included is a ‘Fantastic Reads!’ bookmark. Students can write on these and place them inside books on display in your classroom or school library. This will highlight books to pupils that are recommended by their peers and create a real buzz around reading in your school.

Reading comprehension worksheet pack

These reading comprehension worksheets from Oxford University Press help pupils to track the plot of whatever book they’re reading and take note of new vocabulary. They can also note down characters’ emotions, attributes and relationships.

Use the free worksheets to:

• create a ‘fact file’ of a book’s characters
• write a book review
• chart conflict in a story
• plus lots more

Five-word review

This five-word format is perfect for KS1 but you can also use it to encourage book cover creativity in KS2. 

One-page template

One for younger students, this nifty one-page review template asks children to fill in the key information, recap the plot and talk about what they liked and disliked. They can tick whether the reading difficulty was too easy, hard or just right.

Plus, they can draw the main character and say whether they would recommend the book to others.

Book report framework

On the other end of the scale, this seven-page PDF framework helps children go into greater detail with their review. It asks about things like setting, tone, who the protagonist is, and personal things like why the child chose this book.

It also asks questions like ‘How did the story make you feel?’. Would children read other books by this author?

For a handy and concise list of things to consider when writing a book review, check out this BookTrust post . In it, author Luisa Plaja offers her top tips for how to write a brilliant review of the latest book you read – whether you liked it or not.

• Offer more opportunities for peer-to-peer recommendations , including book talk sessions. These should be child-led and allow for spontaneous recommendations.
• Help your class to create their own book trailers – these are short, animated adverts designed to encourage people to read a certain book.
• Write book reviews but give them a purpose by publishing them in your school newsletter , or similar.
• Try filming each other giving book reviews and share them with other classes in school.
• Make a ‘Book Talk’ wall in your classroom and add pictures of authors, ‘wow’ words and reviews so that anyone who’s stuck for what to read next can easily find some ideas.

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HodgePodgeDays

things we think – things we do – things we love

Literacy: Simple Children’s Book Review Template

Last Updated on August 11, 2018 by HodgePodgeDays

Over the summer it’s been my mission to get my son reading more. Part of that is also getting him to think a little more about what he’s been reading. Asking questions about the story and getting him to write a simple review. It’s the summer, I don’t want him to do anything too taxing, but some gentle critical thinking is a good thing. With that in mind, I’ve put this simple children’s book review template together.

This book review template is incredibly simple and great for emerging readers. My son who admittedly has been a bit slow off the mark when it comes to writing finds it simple to use and it’s really helpful in getting him to focus his thoughts after he’s finished his book.

Completing this Book Review Template would be a lovely activity to do if you get a group of children together and form a junior book club. This way they can easily share their thoughts with the group.

You can download this book review template for free here .

When your child is reviewing a book, the following questions could help them write an interesting and useful review – 

What did you think of the book? Was it funny or sad, exciting or adventurous?

What did you learn from reading this book? 

Where was the book set? What was it about? Was this interesting?

Was this book easy or hard for you, or just right?

Were there pictures in the book? Were there chapters? Did it take you long to read it from start to finish?

Would recommend this book to your friends? If so, why?

Would you read any other books by this author? 

This book review template also asks you to score your book out of 5 and gives you the option to choose a smiley face to sum up your thoughts about the book you’ve read.

As I said, it’s a very simple activity to do with your children which will help to encourage critical thinking about what they’re reading.

If you enjoyed this, you can find more book reviews and book themed selections here .

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Last updated on Nov 08, 2023

Children's Book Template: Create a Perfect Layout (+ Download)

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Dario Villirilli

Editor-in-Chief of the Reedsy blog, Dario is a graduate of Mälardalen University. As a freelance writer, he has written for many esteemed outlets aimed at writers. A traveler at heart, he can be found roaming the world and working from his laptop.

You’ve penned a children's book and you need illustrations to bring scenes and characters to life. If you’ve successfully pitched your manuscript to traditional publishers, they’ll take care of everything. But if you’re going about it solo , you'll need to brainstorm how your words and illustrations will complement each other on the page. 

Crafting a storyboard, often called a dummy book, allows you to map out your story page-by-page, giving a tangible glimpse of the final illustrated product. Importantly, using a template will help you think about story pacing, giving you a sense of where your story is strong or falls short. 

In this post, we’ll offer a downloadable template you can edit, and guide you through the process of laying out your book.  

How to lay out a children’s book: 

1. Polish your story beforehand

2. define your book’s length , 3. mark the spreads and page turns , 4. finalize your illustrations, 5. get a cover design that sells.

FREE RESOURCE

Children's Book Storyboard Template

Bring your picture book to life with our 32-page planning template.

When editing the template, it’s best to work with the final version of your manuscript. This means that you've gone through a few rounds of copy and developmental editing to refine aspects like vocabulary, dialogue, and rhyming; as well as theme, characters, and structure. Without a polished story you might find yourself oscillating between story layout and revisions, which can muddle the process. 

If your manuscript is ready, set up your template based on your book’s length and preferred layout. 

As with all forms of art that are intended for a mass audience, picture books must often conform to established printing and publishing rules, particularly concerning length.

A standard picture book typically ranges from 400 to 800 words and is usually 32 pages long, though you’ll find variants of 24, 40, or 48 pages. When in doubt, sticking to the industry standard is the best course. 

Self-publishing and print-on-demand ( POD ) services offer greater flexibility, though you’ll need to research the specific printing options of the platform you choose. For instance, IngramSpark mandates a minimum of 16 pages, whereas Amazon KDP sets its minimum at 24 pages for paperbacks and 75 for hardcovers.

Consider the front and back matter

Regardless of your total page count, remember it should include both front and back matters , which are integral parts of every book. If you’re working towards a 32-page book, you’ll actually only have 30 pages or less to tell your story.

The front matter typically includes elements like the title page, copyright information, and a book dedication, while the back matter is often reserved for a short author bio. 

⚡ Pro tip. Create your copyright page in less than 5 minutes using our free writing tool, Reedsy Studio .

Your choice about the front matter will determine whether your story starts on a single page or on a two-page spread, so consider what’s best for your narrative. Does your first scene stand on its own? Or does it need a full spread to get the story going? 

Depending on your needs, adjust the template to have more or fewer pages. Then you can focus on the story. 

Like any other narrative, a children’s book follows a story arc, starting with some expository scenes, rising action, a climax, and a resolution. You’ll want to think about the significance of each scene in your story and determine how many pages it should occupy. 

Insert your text into our children's book template. If it helps, add sketches, photos, or simple text to represent the illustrations you envision. Gauge if the layout reflects their importance. 

As an example, consider this story about Tara, a baby tiger navigating the rite of passage of losing her first tooth. You might establish the story with two separate scenes 一 one which describes her everyday life in the jungle, and another in which she feels a wobbly tooth, the hook that sets the story in motion.  

Save double-page spreads for your big moments

Later in the story, Tara loses her tooth. She’s concerned, but also hopeful noticing the new one peeking through. All her friends gather to celebrate the important milestone. It’s a special moment about friendship and growth which you might want to highlight with a full spread. 

Next, think critically about page turns and pacing. Given the short attention span of 4-6 years old children, each page or two-page spread should be strong on its own and serve as a hook for the following one. Also, as a rule of thumb the word count should not exceed 30 words per page.

Tweak the layout until each page and spread feels right. Then you can start thinking about actually creating the illustrations. 

Unless you’re a designer, the final illustrations for your book will be done by a professional you choose to collaborate with. But before you hire someone , it's ideal to create art notes detailing the number and type of illustrations you want. This will serve as a starting point, the illustrator will then infuse their expertise and creativity into your ideas.

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Create your art notes

Review your children's book template and tally the number of illustrations required. Each illustration should feel unique, necessary, and sized to match the importance of the plot point.  For each, provide a description of what you envision 一 a sentence or two should be enough, but don’t be afraid to go more in detail. 

As children’s book illustrator Sara Kuba points out, art notes can be very helpful. “It's great when authors have a clear vision for their book. It also saves time, as there's less guesswork to do when sketching pages and designing characters.”  

🎨 The advantage of self-publishing is the extent of creative control it affords. In contrast, when pursuing traditional publishing, it's advisable to minimize art notes. Illustrators at publishing houses have more autonomy in steering the book's creative vision.

There are different types of illustrations for picture books, from vignettes to full-page images. Different scenes of your story may require a different style, which you can specify in the art notes too. 

Find an illustrator whose work you love

The illustration style will largely depend on the children's book illustrator you select. Every artist possesses a unique flair — from simplistic sketches to watercolor images to Pixar-esque renderings, you should choose someone whose art resonates with your vision for the book. 

As Sara Kuba suggests, if you’re unsure what art style will look good on your book, you can ask the illustrator for an art test (like designing a character, or doing a spot illustration.) This will help you both visualize the story, and get a feel for how it’s like to collaborate with them. 

Which children's book illustrator is the best fit for your book?

It'll only take a minute!

Choose a book size

Do you prefer a square, portrait, or landscape layout for your book? The trim size you choose will influence the illustration design . This is not so essential when creating your storyboard, which you can do using simple slides like with our template. But when you collaborate with an illustrator, you'll need to express your preference 一 ideally before they start working on any art.  

With your input and vision, the illustrator will take care of illustrations, text, page layout, etc., delivering a PDF file that can be uploaded and printed through the major POD platforms. But before you do that, you’ll need to wrap things up with a beautiful cover.

The final touch to your layout will be designing the front and back cover. You may be tempted to design it yourself, perhaps taking one of the illustrations and sticking the title and author name on top of them. But just like for the illustrations, it’s better to hire a professional designer to do it. 

Consider the story of K.A. Leigh and Derek Roberts, the creators of Brudders Learns How to Make Friends . Even though Derek illustrated the book himself, it was only by consulting with designer David Miles that they were able to turn their DIY cover into a professional-grade product. 

The new design better conveyed Brudders’ personality, the message of the story, and the book’s adventurous nature. In addition, it featured elements that the authors could use for future books in the series, like the wavy banner.

As Derek reflected afterwards, “Your book can have many wonderful, well-intentioned selling points, but the cover is the first and sometimes only thing people will actually see. They will make up their minds instantly (even if they didn’t mean to), so our advice is to make your cover a priority as early as possible in your self-publishing journey.”

We hope this post and our free template will help you map out your children's book page-by-page before you add illustrations, and help you get closer to your dream of self-publishing your picture book.

In the next post of our guide, we look more in detail at how to find an illustrator to bring your book to life. 

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All About Book Reviews – How to write a book report

Kids enjoy reading books. Writing book reviews after reading each book is an excellent way to self-indulge kids in learning and writing activities. As soon as kids complete a book, their heads often start to wander with thoughts. Book reports are the best way to nourish them in forming their imagination. At the same time, it aids in sharpening their literacy skills. Kids create visual images of the characters and scenes of the book in their minds. It helps kids ponder about the book plot and develop their own opinion. Book review templates are a great learning resource.

What is a book review template?

A book review template is a template in which children shares their opinion about a book. They can share their thoughts about the characters, plot, strengths, and weaknesses of the book. They are also motivated to rate the book and draw an illustration of their favourite scene in the book.

How do book review templates help kids develop literacy skills?

Through book reviews, kids grasp narrative skills as they get to describe the book plot in their own words. Sharing about the characters helps them flourish a good vocabulary. There are several benefits of writing a book review. Use a fun book review template to motivate kids to savour more in critical thinking.

How to write a book review?

Writing a good book review is a skill as you need to understand the plot. Here are some steps to help kids write good book reviews.

1) Firstly, pick out the important points from the beginning, middle and end of the book. 

2) Secondly, write a summary using the key points. Describe what the book is about!

3) Now, imagine characters in your mind and identify the characters traits.

4) Explain which part you like the most. Identify the lesson in the book and things that could be improved in the book.

5) In the end, share your final thoughts about the book and provide a rating. You can also find the same genre books that are like this book and recommend it based on them.

Following are some amazing book review templates for kids

Book Reviews Examples or Templates

Book Reports for Kids

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Book Report Templates | Simple Book Review Templates | 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th

Subject: English

Age range: Age not applicable

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

13 September 2024

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Ensure children comprehend the content they are reading by using these worksheets for book reports. These enjoyable printable book report template pages are ideal for older children enrolled in second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade classes. These book report forms, which require no prep, aid in making sure that readers comprehend the material they are reading. Just print the book report template, fill it out, and write down details about the book, such as the title, author, setting, main characters, and resolution.

These book report templates are ideal for parents, teachers, and homeschoolers of students in grades 3 through 6. They require no preparation . Instead of staring at a blank page, children should practice writing, summarizing the main ideas of the book, and confirming that they understand what they are reading. This will help your early reader succeed! A book report form, such as these worksheets, can assist kids in recalling the key elements of the literature they read and help them create an engaging report on any book they have been reading.

The activities on these book reports include:

• Title of Book
• Describe the setting of the book
• Describe the main characters of the book
• Write a short summary of the book
• My Opinion of the book
• Main conflict in the story
• The solution to the conflict
• Recommendation
• Number of Pages
• Design a new cover
• Favourite part of the book
• Rate the book
• Draw your favorite part of the book
• Write a new ending
• What changes would you make to the story
• Interesting facts about the story/book
• New words that were learned and their definitions

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