You will write a book review about your book. You will write a variety of non-stop writings that will help you complete the task. Use the information below to put the review together.
After you have finished reading the novel, you will be asked to write four separate non-stop writings (ten minutes each) about the it to prepare you for the book review. These are
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a summary (10 points) -- revise this to meet academic standards -- |
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what worked well (10 points) |
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what could have been better (10 points) |
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your recommendation (10 points) |
You will also write a 30 minute non-stop writing discussing your successes and/or failures in terms of your book.
| Did you allow enough time? |
| Were you engaged in the topic? |
| Was the book a good choice? |
| Did the author give you enough details so that you can see what the author is writing about. |
These are just a few of the questions that you could respond. The point is to write about your feelings throughout the time you read the novel.
All of these non-stop writings will be put together will create a book review that adheres to the following format.
Audience Awareness: Elements of the Book Review
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A thesis is a must in a successful book review.
The thesis expresses
the main idea; it contains a fact and your opinion about that fact. The thesis is very
specific. In the case of the book review, the thesis tells the book's moral or theme. Thus, for
the novel, Raisin in the Sun, we could use this thesis: "Being part of the family often means putting aside one's own desires." | ||||||||||
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An introduction to contain the thesis is also needed; also remember to include the author and title in the introduction. The thesis should be the last sentence in your introduction. Look to the 30 minute non-stop and the preview sheet to find information that might be included in your introduction. | ||||||||||
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Once the thesis is established, it's time to add development and support. In the case of
the book review, you will have from four to five body paragraphs:
You will now take the ten minute non-stop writings and turn them into body paragraphs. You should then go back and add at least one specific quotation from your novel in each body paragraph to support your ideas. | ||||||||||
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A successful book report ends well. Be sure to tell us whether you recommend your book or not in your recommendation as your conclusion. |
If you learn this basic format, you will have an excellent model form for any book review you have to do in college, whether you are in Ecology 101 or History 560. Also, by breaking down such a large project into smaller tasks, you save much time and energy.
Read book reviews by other students.