Writing a great book review!
A book review is both a description and an evaluation of a book. At the end
of reading your book review, we should know WHY you think the book is important
(or, in some cases, not important), HOW WELL you think the author has presented
his/her ideas, and WHETHER OR NOT this book would be something others should
read.
Before beginning to read, consider the following:
- Title - What does it suggest about the story?
Make notes about why you think the author titled a book in a certain way.
- Cover art – Does the cover art reveal something
important about the book? What do you expect from the book based on the
cover art? Do you think the cover art is effective? This is a
fun place to make predictions about the book.
- Chapter titles (if applicable) - Tells you how
the book is organized and will aid in determining the author's main ideas
and how they are developed. Do the chapter titles keep you interested in
the story? Why or why not?
ALL of the above impressions can be helpful when writing
your book review. Keep notes on what first impressions you have of your book.
While reading, take notes on the following ideas:
- What is the genre of the book? Is it:
--fiction (science fiction, romantic fiction, a western, historical fiction, a young adult book, a novel from a series
such as
Lemony Snicket or Harry Potter)
--nonfiction
(history, science, sports, music, biography, autobiography)--remember,
nonfiction is based on real events and real people
--poetry
(what kind? riddles, limericks, haiku? If you don't know, ask Mrs.
Gann or Mrs. Hanlon to help you)
--drama (short
plays, full-length plays)
- From what point of view is the work written?
(who in the book is doing the speaking? First person, second person, third
person?)
- What is the author's style? Is it formal or
informal? Does it suit the intended audience? If a work of fiction, what
literary devices does the author use?
- If a work of fiction, make notes on such elements as
character, plot, and setting, and how they relate to
the theme of the book. How does the author delineate his characters?
How do they develop? What is the plot structure?
- If the book is nonfiction, how accurate is the
information in the book? Check outside sources if necessary.
- Are there maps or illustrations in the book? Do they
aid understanding?
- Finally, what has the book accomplished? Was this
book satisfying to read? Would you recommend it to a friend? Who else
would be interested in reading it and why (or why not?)
After reading, put all your notes together and use the writing process
that you already know and love to create a book review in essay form.
Your book review will be in essay form and MUST include the following:
- Introductory paragraph- Try to capture the
reader's attention with your opening sentence. The introduction should state
your central thesis about the book. Remember, your introduction sets the
tone of the review.
- Paragraph development (as
many paragraphs as you need...three is always a magic number) - Develop your main idea
about the book using supporting examples from the book itself. Use
description, evaluation, and if possible explanation of why the author wrote
as he/she did. If necessary, use quotations from the story to illustrate
important points about the book.
- Concluding paragraph - If your review has been
clearly written, the concluding paragraph will “wrap up” your ideas. It can
include a final assessment of the book or simply restate your thesis. Do not
introduce new material at this point.
- You must also include the following information
about the book:
1.
Author’s name
2. Year
published (in parentheses)
3. Title
of book
4.
Publisher and city of publication
I want your information about
the book to look like this:
Silverstein, S. (1974).
Where the sidewalk ends. Harper and Row: New York.
NAME (YEAR)
TITLE PUBLISHER CITY
I should be able to walk into
any library or bookstore and find your book from your bibliographic information.
Info for this page courtesy of:
http://library.queensu.ca/inforef/bookreview/write_review.htm
Helpful websites:
http://www.lkwdpl.org/study/bookrep/
http://www.infoplease.com/homework/wsbookreporths.html
I am really interested in reviewing the theme overheads
we did in class!
I want to read some real-life book reviews!