How
to Write a Book Review
(Adapted from advice from Rodman Philbrick http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/bookrev/tips.htm)
- Before you begin writing, make a few notes about the points you
want to get across.
- While you're writing, try thinking of
your reader as a friend to whom you're telling a story.
- Mention the name of the author and the book title in the first
paragraph — there's nothing more frustrating
than reading a review of a great book but not knowing who wrote it and
what the title is!
- If possible, use one paragraph for each point you want to make
about the book. It's a good way to emphasize
the importance of the point. You might want to
list the main points in your notes before you begin.
- Try to get the main theme of the book across in the beginning of
your review. Your reader should know right away what he or she is getting into should they choose
to read the book!
- Think about whether the book is part of a genre. Does the book fit into a type like mystery, adventure,
or romance? What aspects of the genre does it
use?
- What do you like or dislike about the book's writing style? Is it funny? Does it give you
a sense of the place it's set? What is the author's/narrator's
"voice" like?
- Use a few short quotes from the book to illustrate your points.
- Make sure your review explains
how you feel about the book and why, not just what the book is about. A good
review should express the reviewer's opinion and persuade the reader to
share it, to read the book, or to avoid reading it.
- Optional: Do research about the author and incorporate what you
learn into the review. Biographical information
can help you formulate your opinion about the book, and gives your review
a "depth." Remember, a book doesn't
come directly from a printing press, it's a product of an author's mind,
and therefore it may be helpful to know something about the author and
how she or he came to write the book. For instance,
a little research will reveal the following about author Harper Lee:
- To Kill a Mockingbird, which won the Pulitzer Prize, is the only
book she's ever published.
- The town she called Maycomb
is really
- Some people think she based the character Dill
on Truman Capote, a famous writer who was her childhood friend.