BOOK REVIEW
ASSIGNMENT
Book Reviews
• “A review is a formal written expression of the critical assessment,
generally published soon after the book under consideration has
been published. Good reviews help readers create a mental picture
of the book by briefly describing it and presenting an assessment of
its quality” (Horning, p. 2).
Citations (APA modified)
• Isaacs, Anne. (1994). Swamp Angel. Illus. by Paul Zelinsky. New
York: Dutton. Unp.
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Spell out first name.
Title in italics; only first word or proper nouns capitalized
Provide illustrator if applicable.
Provide number of pages (unp. = unpaged).
Writing a Book Review
• Descriptive & analytical
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What makes this book unique?
Grab reader’s attention with the first sentence.
Your opinion supported with examples
Who is the audience for this book? Including age range.
What applications would this book have in classrooms?
Preparing to write the review
• What was your first reaction to the book?
• Why?
• Counter negative reactions with consideration of audience
• Do you need outside information?
• Opinions of young readers or listeners
• Fact check
“Writing evaluative book reviews”
• Courtesy of Library Media Connection (now School Library
Connection).
• 12 step checklist with guiding questions.
• Use this to think through your review.
Rubric Target
• Opening hook. Brief summary includes genre & unique features.
• Evaluation of literary and/or artistic content with specific examples.
Overall assessment of book includes recommended age and
curriculum connections.
• 200-250 words. Full citation in modified APA format. Review is free
of grammatical or spelling errors.
Book
Review
Descriptive
(2 points)
Target
Acceptable
Unacceptable
Opening hook. Brief
summary includes
genre & unique
features.
Summary includes
genre.
Summary is too
brief or generic with
incorrect or missing
genre.
Analytical
(2 points)
Evaluation of literary
and/or artistic content
with specific examples.
Overall assessment of
book includes
recommended age and
curriculum
connections.
Evaluation of literary
and/or artistic content.
Overall assessment of
book includes
recommended age or
curriculum
connections.
Evaluation is
missing or too
general.
Assessment fails to
include audience.
Technical
(1 point)
200-250 words. Full
citation in modified APA
format. Review is free of
grammar or spelling
errors.
200-250 words.
Citation is provided.
Review is mostly free
of grammar or
spelling errors.
Too long or too
short. Key
components missing
from citation.
Distracting or
careless errors.
Comments:
An example of a book review from Booklist Magazine:
like it
This one has a good hook, is a little heavy on the summary, but notice that the genre, writing
format (verse), and type of illustrations (black-and-white photographs) are addressed.
Reviewer’s opinion and evaluation of the writing is given with the phrase “agreeable biography”
and later described as “highly readable and distinguished”, as well as “a treat” in the final
sentence. This review example is 176 words long, so your review could be one sentence longer
than this.
Borden, Louise. (2018) Ski Soldier: a World War II biography. Illus. with photographs.
Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills/Calkins Creek. 176 p. Grades 5-8.
Pete Seibert was seven years old in 1931 when he found an old pair of his mother’s skis and fell
in love with skiing. “There was nothing else like it in the world,” Borden writes in this agreeable
biography of Seibert, who grew up to enlist in the U.S. Army when he was 18 and was assigned
to the famous 10th Mountain Division. After training in Colorado and Texas, he shipped out to
Italy to fight the Germans who still controlled large parts of the Apennine Mountains in the
northern part of the country. There he was seriously wounded in battle, and with his legs badly
injured, it appeared he might never walk again. But he rallied and not only walked but skied and
subsequently realized the dream of a lifetime when he founded the now famous ski resort of
Vail, Colorado. Borden’s insightful biography, written in verse form, is highly readable and
distinguished by the generous collection of period black-and-white photographs that illustrate
it. It’s a treat for both ski buffs and military history fans.
Sample Book Reviews
Below are reviews written for Library Media Connection (now School
Library Connection). They are provided so you can better understand what
is expected of you in the book reviews assignment. Please note that
Library Media Connection does not use APA format for its citations. When
you write your reviews for the book review assignment, you should use the
APA citation format used in this course.
Book Information:
Mullenbach, Cheryl. Industrial Revolution for Kids,The: The People and
Technology that Changed the World. 2014. 144pp. $16.95 pbk. Chicago
Review Press. 9781613746905
Review:
From the dangerous, unsavory conditions of sweatshops, tenements, and
meatpacking plants to the racism and scorn faced by new immigrants, this
title offers an unwavering look at the Industrial Revolution that readers are
not likely to find in history textbooks. Seven chapters are organized around
topics like working conditions, child labor, living arrangements, social
reform, and the technological changes that characterized American life in
the 19hand early 20thcenturies. While well-known figures like Andrew
Carnegie and J.D. Rockefeller are noted, much of the book emphasizes
the lives of ordinary workers and addresses topics typically receiving little
attention in children’s titles or textbooks (e.g., the successes and failures of
labor strikes and the shunning of Chinese immigrants). However, the
stories of minority groups and figures like Lewis Latimer are relegated to
separate sections in the chapters as though they are “add-ons” to the
primary narrative. Photographs and illustrations appear in each chapter
along with activities that children can try at home such as making an
assembly line sandwich and calculating inflation rates. Source notes and a
bibliography provide evidence of the author’s research, and a timeline
of historical and cultural events at the book’s beginning offers a quick
reference for readers. Though some potentially unfamiliar vocabulary is
defined in the text, this title would have greater utility with the inclusion of a
glossary. Librarians and teachers would do well to include this book in their
collections as a curricular supplement or a resource for student research.
Grade level:5-8
Rating: Recommended
Byline:
Danielle E. Forest, Assistant Professor of Elementary Education &
Literacy, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS.
Book Information:
Byrne, Richard. This Book Just Ate My Dog!. 2014. 32 pp. $16.99 hc.
Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. 9781627790710.
Review:
When Bella takes her dog for a walk, he suddenly disappears into the
centerfold of the full page spread. The same thing happens when Bella’s
friend Ben comes by and when a fire truck and a police car arrive at the
scene. As Bella tries to get to the bottom of the disappearances, she
vanishes into the centerfold herself! The culprit? The very book that
readers are holding in their hands. In this brightly illustrated picture book,
Bella appeals to readers for help with rescuing her and her dog from
the pages of the “naughty” book. Bella’s instructions to turn the book
around and shake it, along with the author’s playful humor, are likely to
make this a book that readers will reach for again and again. The
limited amount of text and clear, predictable sequence of action in the
illustrations would make this a good choice for a shared reading between a
young child and adult. This Book Just Ate My Dog! will build readers’
confidence and engagement with reading.
Grade level: PreK-K
Rating: Recommended
Byline:
Danielle E. Forest, Assistant Professor of Elementary Education &
Literacy, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS
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