Independent Reading Assignment #3 - Fiction Free Choice

Independent Reading Assignment #3 – Book Review

For your first Independent Reading assignment, you will write a review of the book you’ve been reading over the last month. A review gives a reader a sense of whether this book might be right for him or her. Your review needs to include specific examples and direct quotes from the book. In order to help you organize this review, I’ve broken down the steps for completing this assignment.

1. Context
The first step is to give the reader the background they need to understand the book. So, in your opening paragraph you should include the basic background information. What kind of book is it? Does it take place in a particular time in history? Is it part of a series? Think of any basic information the reader of your review needs to know beforehand.

2. Description
A short description (but not a summary) should be given so that the reader, as he or she reads the review, will have some understanding of the overall plot. In a detailed paragraph, include an overview of the story. What events set the story in motion? If, for example, the book is about a journey, what leads the main character(s) to begin it? Knowing what gets the story going is most important because it will give the reader of your review a sense as to whether they will be interested in the book without giving away too many of its secrets.

3. Evaluation
This is the section where you discuss what you think the author was trying to get across in the book. Was the book supposed to be funny? Sad? A nail-biter? This is also the place where you review, writing first about what you think the author was
trying to do, then giving your opinion. The evaluation section also a good place to recommend this book to a particular reader. “If you love _________ books, ________ might be the one for you.”

4. Conclusion
Finally, sum up the main ideas you have about the book. Do you recommend it? Why or why not? Who seems to be its intended audience? Restate the major points you had about the book.

This review needs to be two pages long. Ideas, grammar, and organization all count, so please type it if you are able to and proofread! Let me know if you have any questions.