BOOK REVIEW

typically evaluatetypically evaluatess recently-written works recently-written works offerofferss a brief description of the text’s key a brief description of the text’s key

points points often provideoften providess a short appraisal of the a short appraisal of the

strengths and weaknesses of the workstrengths and weaknesses of the work

isis most often a college assignment, but most often a college assignment, but itit also appearalso appearss in many professional works: in many professional works: magazines, newspapers, and academic magazines, newspapers, and academic journalsjournals

typically rangetypically rangess from 500-750 words, but from 500-750 words, but may be longer or shortermay be longer or shorter

BOOK REPORT

discussdiscusseses a book from an objective stance a book from an objective stance, i.e. , i.e. commonly describecommonly describess what happens in a work what happens in a work

focusfocuseses more on a summary of the work than an more on a summary of the work than an evaluation of itevaluation of it

itsits focus is primarily on giving an account of the focus is primarily on giving an account of the major plot, characters, and/or main idea of the major plot, characters, and/or main idea of the workwork

mmost oftenost often rangerangess from 250 to 500 words from 250 to 500 words

Writing a Book Review

Before You Read

Before you begin to read, consider the Before you begin to read, consider the elements you will need to include in your elements you will need to include in your review. The following items may help:review. The following items may help:

Author:Author: Who is the author? What else has Who is the author? What else has s/he written? Has this author won any s/he written? Has this author won any awards? What is the author’s typical style? awards? What is the author’s typical style?

Genre:Genre: What type of book is this: fiction, What type of book is this: fiction, nonfiction, romance, poetry, youth fiction, nonfiction, romance, poetry, youth fiction, etc.? Who is the intended audience for this etc.? Who is the intended audience for this work? What is the purpose of the work? work? What is the purpose of the work?

Title:Title: Where does the title fit in? How is it Where does the title fit in? How is it applied in the work? Does it adequately applied in the work? Does it adequately encapsulate the message of the text? Is it encapsulate the message of the text? Is it interesting? Uninteresting? interesting? Uninteresting?

Preface/Introduction/Table of Contents:Preface/Introduction/Table of Contents: Does the author provide any revealing Does the author provide any revealing information about the text in the information about the text in the preface/introduction? Does a “guest author” preface/introduction? Does a “guest author” provide the introduction? What judgments provide the introduction? What judgments or preconceptions do the author and/or or preconceptions do the author and/or “guest author” provide? How is the book “guest author” provide? How is the book arranged: sections, chapters? arranged: sections, chapters?

Book Jacket/Cover/Printing:Book Jacket/Cover/Printing: Book jackets Book jackets are like mini-reviews. are like mini-reviews.

Does the book jacket provide any Does the book jacket provide any interesting details or spark your interest in interesting details or spark your interest in some way? Are there pictures, maps, or some way? Are there pictures, maps, or graphs? Do the binding, page cut, or graphs? Do the binding, page cut, or typescript contribute or take away from the typescript contribute or take away from the work?work?

As You Read

As you read, determine how you will structure As you read, determine how you will structure the summary portion or background structure the summary portion or background structure of your review. Be ready to take notes on the of your review. Be ready to take notes on the book’s key points, characters, and/or themes.book’s key points, characters, and/or themes.

Characters: Characters: Are there characters in the work? Are there characters in the work? Who are the principle characters? How do they Who are the principle characters? How do they affect the story? Do you empathize with them? affect the story? Do you empathize with them?

Themes/Motifs/Style:Themes/Motifs/Style: What themes or motifs What themes or motifs stand out? How do they contribute to the work? stand out? How do they contribute to the work? Are they effective or not? How would you Are they effective or not? How would you describe this author’s particular style? Is it describe this author’s particular style? Is it accessible to all readers or just some? accessible to all readers or just some?

Argument:Argument: How is the work’s argument set up? How is the work’s argument set up? What support does the author give for her/What support does the author give for her/his his findings? Does the work fulfill its findings? Does the work fulfill its purpose/support its argument? purpose/support its argument?

Key Ideas:Key Ideas: What is main idea of the work? What is main idea of the work? What makes it good, different, or What makes it good, different, or groundbreaking? groundbreaking?

Quotes:Quotes: What quotes stand out? How can What quotes stand out? How can you demonstrate the author’s talent or the you demonstrate the author’s talent or the feel of the book through a quote?feel of the book through a quote?

When You Are Ready to Write

Begin with a short summary or background Begin with a short summary or background of the work, but do not give too much awayof the work, but do not give too much away, , i.e. give information about i.e. give information about the first couple the first couple of chapters or lead the reader up to the of chapters or lead the reader up to the rising action of the workrising action of the work..

The final portion of your review will detail The final portion of your review will detail your opinion of the work.your opinion of the work.

When you are ready to begin your When you are ready to begin your review, consider the following:review, consider the following:

Establish a Background, Remember your Establish a Background, Remember your Audience: Audience: Remember that your audience has not Remember that your audience has not read the work; with this in mind, be sure to read the work; with this in mind, be sure to introduce characters and principles carefully and introduce characters and principles carefully and deliberately. deliberately.

What kind of summary can you provide of the What kind of summary can you provide of the main points or main characters that will help your main points or main characters that will help your readers gauge their interest? Does the author’s readers gauge their interest? Does the author’s text adequately reach the intended audience? Will text adequately reach the intended audience? Will some readers be lost or find the text too easy? some readers be lost or find the text too easy?

Minor principles/characters:Minor principles/characters: Deal only Deal only with the most pressing issues in the book. with the most pressing issues in the book. You will not be able to cover every You will not be able to cover every character or idea. character or idea.

What principles/characters did you agree or What principles/characters did you agree or disagree with? What other things might the disagree with? What other things might the author have researched or considered? author have researched or considered?

Organize:Organize: The purpose of the review is to The purpose of the review is to critically evaluate the textcritically evaluate the text, not just inform , not just inform the readers about it. Leave plenty room for the readers about it. Leave plenty room for your evaluation by ensuring that your your evaluation by ensuring that your summary is brief. Determine what kind of summary is brief. Determine what kind of balance to strike between your summary balance to strike between your summary information and your evaluation. Often the information and your evaluation. Often the ratio is half and half. ratio is half and half.

Your Evaluation:Your Evaluation: Choose one or a few Choose one or a few points to discuss about the book. points to discuss about the book.

What worked well for you? How does this What worked well for you? How does this work compare with others by the same work compare with others by the same author or other books in the same genre? author or other books in the same genre? What major themes, motifs, or terms does What major themes, motifs, or terms does the book introduce, and how effective are the book introduce, and how effective are they? Did the book appeal to you on an they? Did the book appeal to you on an emotional or logical way? emotional or logical way?

Publisher/Price:Publisher/Price: Most book reviews Most book reviews include the publisher and price of the book include the publisher and price of the book at the end of the article. Some reviews also at the end of the article. Some reviews also include the year published and ISBN.include the year published and ISBN.

Final Copy

When making the final touches to your When making the final touches to your review, carefully verify the following:review, carefully verify the following:

Double-check the spelling of the author Double-check the spelling of the author name(s), character names, special terms, name(s), character names, special terms, and publisher. and publisher.

Try to read from the vantage point of your Try to read from the vantage point of your audience. Is there too much/enough audience. Is there too much/enough summary? Does your argument about the summary? Does your argument about the text make sense? text make sense?

Should you include direct quotes from the Should you include direct quotes from the reading? Do they help support your reading? Do they help support your arguments? Double-check your quotes for arguments? Double-check your quotes for accuracy.accuracy.

Writing a Book Report

Before You Read

Before you begin to read, consider what Before you begin to read, consider what types of things you will need to write your types of things you will need to write your book report. First, you will need to get some book report. First, you will need to get some basic information from the book:basic information from the book:

Author Author Title Title Publisher location, name of publisher, year Publisher location, name of publisher, year

published published Number of Number of ppagesages

You can either begin your report with some You can either begin your report with some sort of sort of quotationquotation, or you can incorporate , or you can incorporate some of these items into the report itself.some of these items into the report itself.

Next, try to answer the following Next, try to answer the following questions to get you started thinking questions to get you started thinking about the book:about the book:

Author:Author: Who is the author? Have you read Who is the author? Have you read any other works by this author? any other works by this author?

Genre:Genre: What type of book is this: fiction, What type of book is this: fiction, nonfiction, biography, etc.? What types of nonfiction, biography, etc.? What types of people would like to read this kind of book? people would like to read this kind of book? Do you typically read these kinds of books? Do you typically read these kinds of books? Do you like them? Do you like them?

Title:Title: What does the title do for you? Does it What does the title do for you? Does it spark your interest? Does it fit well with the spark your interest? Does it fit well with the text of the book? text of the book?

Pictures/Book Jacket/Cover/Printing:Pictures/Book Jacket/Cover/Printing: What does the book jacket or book cover What does the book jacket or book cover say? Is it accurate? Were you excited to read say? Is it accurate? Were you excited to read this book because of it? Are there pictures? this book because of it? Are there pictures? What kinds are there? Are they interesting?What kinds are there? Are they interesting?

As You Read

While reading a work of fiction, keep While reading a work of fiction, keep track of the major characters. You can track of the major characters. You can also do the same with biographies. When also do the same with biographies. When reading nonfiction works, however, look reading nonfiction works, however, look for the main ideas and be ready to talk for the main ideas and be ready to talk about them.about them.

Characters:Characters: Who are the main characters? What Who are the main characters? What happens to them? Did you like them? Were there good happens to them? Did you like them? Were there good and bad characters? and bad characters?

Main Ideas:Main Ideas: What is the main idea of the book? What What is the main idea of the book? What happens? What did you learn that you did not know happens? What did you learn that you did not know before? before?

Quotes:Quotes: What parts did you like best? Are there parts What parts did you like best? Are there parts that you could quote to make your report more that you could quote to make your report more enjoyable?enjoyable?

When You Are Ready to Write

Announce the book and author. Then, Announce the book and author. Then, summarize what you have learned from summarize what you have learned from the book. Explain what happens in the the book. Explain what happens in the book, and discuss the elements you liked, book, and discuss the elements you liked, did not like, would have changed, or if did not like, would have changed, or if you would recommend this book to you would recommend this book to others and why. Consider the following others and why. Consider the following items as well:items as well:

Principles/characters:Principles/characters: What elements did you What elements did you like best? Which characters did you like best like best? Which characters did you like best and why? How does the author unfold the story and why? How does the author unfold the story or the main idea of the book? or the main idea of the book?

Organize: Organize: Make sure that most of your paper Make sure that most of your paper summarizes the work. Then you may analyze summarizes the work. Then you may analyze the characters or themes of the work. the characters or themes of the work.

Your Your eevaluation:valuation: Choose one or a few Choose one or a few points to discuss about the book. points to discuss about the book.

What worked well for you? How does this What worked well for you? How does this work compare with others by the same work compare with others by the same author or other books in the same genre? author or other books in the same genre? What major themes, motifs, or terms does What major themes, motifs, or terms does the book introduce, and how effective are the book introduce, and how effective are they? Did the book appeal to you on an they? Did the book appeal to you on an emotional or logical way? emotional or logical way?

Recommend:Recommend: Would you recommend this Would you recommend this book to others? Why? What would you tell book to others? Why? What would you tell them before they read it? What would you them before they read it? What would you talk about after you read it?talk about after you read it?

Final Copy

Do a quick double check of your paper:Do a quick double check of your paper:

Double-check the spelling of the author Double-check the spelling of the author name(s), character names, special terms, name(s), character names, special terms, and publisher. and publisher.

Check the punctuation and grammar slowly. Check the punctuation and grammar slowly.

Make Make sure sure you gave enough summary so that your you gave enough summary so that your reader or instructor can tell you read the book. reader or instructor can tell you read the book.

Consider adding some interesting quotes from the Consider adding some interesting quotes from the reading.reading.

Adopted from: The Owl at PurdueAdopted from: The Owl at Purdue

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/704/01/http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/704/01/http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/703/01/http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/703/01/