Doing Book Reports as an Adult

Doing Book Reports as an Adult

By : Mariah V

Do you remember in school when book reports were a big part of your grade, and completing one could determine whether you moved on to the next grade? In my school, book reports were very important either you did one or you repeated the grade.

I remember staying up late at night, finishing my book reports the day of their due date. My sisters and I became experts in the art of book reports, especially my oldest sister. When it came to presentations, she was the most imaginative. Our book reports couldn’t just be typed pages; they had to include our own critical thinking and creativity.

Thinking about it now kind of makes me miss those days, but it also makes me realize how important book reports were especially throughout high school and college. Doing book reports helped prepare me for research papers and deeper analysis. I’m not sure if schools still focus on book reports as much, but I truly believe they are more important now than ever. We still have kids who struggle to read or comprehend what they’re reading, and many adults in this country read below a sixth- or eighth-grade level.

Book reports help develop critical thinking, comprehension, and analysis. They improve writing skills and strengthen reading skills overall.

As I got older and spent more time out of school, I noticed that the skills ingrained in me for years weren’t as sharp as they once were. I think that’s one of the reasons I started this blog. In a way, this blog is my book report. It helps me improve my writing, critical thinking, and comprehension while allowing me to voice my opinions in my own way. The only difference is, I’m not getting graded.

With technology becoming our main source of learning, it’s easy for us to rely less on our own brainpower. In my opinion, this can lead to less thinking, weaker comprehension, forgetfulness, and sometimes just plain laziness. If you’re a heavy reader, someone who reads 50, 100, or even more books a year, it can become difficult to remember details from everything you’ve read. Writing things down and summarizing them makes it much easier to remember.

I think the best part of doing book reports as an adult is that you can’t really fail. You can report on a book in your own way without a teacher marking errors. There’s no pass or fail.

When you think about it, if you’re someone who writes reviews on Amazon or Goodreads after finishing a book, you’re already doing a short version of a book report. Writing this blog helps me break down and analyze a story or an author’s point of view. It has even inspired me to start my own writing.

If you’re in a book club, this could be a great activity to share with friends, or you can do it on your own. I usually grab a journal or use Canva for my book reports. After each book, I write down my summary, my thoughts, whether I enjoyed it, if I’d read it again, and my analysis. It doesn’t have to be a 15-page report, just something to help you later and make your reading experience more enjoyable.

Who knows where it might lead? You might be like me and start a blog, post reviews on social media, or even become an author.

Maybe doing book reports can be your new hobby in 2026 ✨📖