Tips on Choosing a Good Book and Writing a Review Created by: Tammy J. Davis and Joan B. Staton April 13, 2000

Need suggestions on how to choose a good book Need suggestions on how to choose a good book? Do you have to write a review of a book you have read? If you fit into one of these categories, the following two-part slide show will offer suggestions. Part Two: Tips on Writing Good Book Reviews Part One: Suggestions for Choosing a Good Book

PART ONE: CHOOSING A GOOD BOOK

Think about the books you have read in the past.

Decide what kind of book it was. Mystery Realistic Fiction Science Fiction Romance Fantasy Other

Search for other books that fit in the category you like.

If you have a favorite author, search for other books by this author.

Do you have access to the Internet? If so, there are lots of great sites that provide book reviews. Search the World Wide Web to find these sites and read on-line book reviews. You many find a book that is of interest to you using this method.

Still need help? ? ? ? ? ? ? Ask a friend for a suggestion. Ask your teacher for help. ? ? Ask the librarian for advice.

Once you have found a good book, it is time to relax Once you have found a good book, it is time to relax. Read and enjoy the wonderful adventure that awaits you!

PART TWO: WRITING A BOOK REVIEW

You have completed reading your novel. The next step is to write a review of the novel you read. Some tips to keep in mind when writing your review follow.

Don't put off writing your review! If you put off writing it, you will forget what your book was about.

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR NOTES. Make some notes about the book you read. INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR NOTES. Title of book Conclusion Your recommendation Plot Author Main Characters Setting

PLAN YOUR PAPER Arrange your notes in the order in which you will write your paragraphs.

SUGGESTED PLAN: The first paragraph should be the introductory paragraph. It should include the Title of the Book, Author’s Name, Setting, and the Main Characters. The body of the review should consist of two or three paragraphs briefly explaining what the novel was about. The body should be between the introductory paragraph and the concluding paragraph. The last paragraph should be the concluding paragraph. It should include your opinion of the book, as well as your recommendation to others.

FIRST DRAFT: Now you are ready to write your first draft. Remember, this is a draft. This is your “working paper” and is not expected to be perfect. You will write the draft, and then make any necessary changes to it before submitting it as your “end product”.

REVISE FIRST DRAFT: Once you have finished your first draft, it is time to make revisions. This is very important! Follow these suggestions. Try reading your paper out loud to see if it makes sense. Did you include the necessary information? Does the paper flow smoothly in a sequential order? Did you vary your sentence length? Did you use different sentence beginnings? Did you use appropriate vocabulary? If you need to add anything to make it better, now is the time to do that. Also, take out, or delete, anything that needs to be taken out.

Use a dictionary, or thesaurus, to help PROOFREAD AND EDIT: After you have completed revising your paper, now is the time to proofread and edit your paper. Ask yourself the following questions: Did I use correct grammar throughout my paper? Are all my sentences capitalized correctly, and have I used correct punctuation throughout my paper? Do I have any fragments or run-on sentences? Are all my words spelled correctly? Use a dictionary, or thesaurus, to help you with this step!

IMPORTANT TIP: Remember, your assignment is writing a book review. Be sure to check to see that you have capitalized and punctuated the Title of the Book, Author’s name, and the Characters names correctly in your introductory paragraph. EXAMPLE: Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater The main characters in the novel were Mr. and Mrs. Popper, Janie, Bill, Captain Drake, and the penguins.

FINAL COPY: If you have followed all the steps, you are now ready to write your final copy. The final copy is supposed to be the polished piece! It should have no errors, as this is the copy you submit for all to read.

SUBMIT YOUR FINISHED PRODUCT You are now ready to turn in your final copy. Follow the guidelines your teacher sets up. Your teacher may want a hard copy of your review, or she may want you to submit your review on-line to a designated Web site.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this two-part slide show was to provide suggestions for choosing a good novel, and to provide suggestions for writing a book review. The suggested steps for writing a book review could be adapted to fit any writing assignment. The last slide of this presentation will provide a basic list of the writing process steps to be followed in any writing assignment.

WRITING PROCESS: Determine the reason, or purpose, for writing. Jot down notes and develop a basic outline of your ideas. Write your first draft. Be sure to begin the draft with an introductory paragraph to let your readers know what the paper is going to be about. Be sure to “end” your paper. Don’t just stop. This is the conclusion part of your paper. Revise your draft. Be sure to add in or take out whatever is necessary to make your paper flow smoothly and make sense. Proofread and edit your draft. Use a dictionary or thesaurus. Write your final copy. Recheck final copy to be sure it is correct. Turn in your “finished product” in the form requested by the teacher.

Happy Writing! Return to first slide.