Claims, Evidence, Analysis Jean Wolph Louisville Writing Project

What Makes a Book GOOD?

Analyzing a Book  Covers:  Flaps:  Story:  Author’s Note:  Covers:  Flaps:  Story:  Author’s Note:

Covers  Think about the criteria we’ve listed for a GOOD BOOK.  Look at the front and back covers.  What do you notice about the covers?  Is there any evidence that it might meet one of our requirements for good books? Or that it DOES NOT meet them?  Make a note on your table sheet.

Flaps  Think about the criteria we’ve listed for a GOOD BOOK.  Look at the flaps (inside the dust jacket).  What do you notice?  Is there any evidence that it might meet one of our requirements for good books?  Or that DOES NOT meet them?  Make a note on your table sheet.

Text (Story)  Think about the criteria we’ve listed for a GOOD BOOK.  Listen as the book is read.  What do you notice?  Is there any evidence that it might meet one of our requirements for good books? Or that it DOES NOT meet them?  Make a note on your table sheet.

Making a Claim  Review our criteria  Review your notes  As a table, draft a claim about the book which supports your group’s opinion about the quality of the book. SHOULD IT WIN?

Sample Claims  Barnum’s Bones should win the 2015 Kentucky Bluegrass Award because it brings history to life.  The Incredible Ivan is a powerful book because it makes readers think about animal rights.  Wonder is a book all kids should read because it helps us understand people who are different from us.

Try It!  ____________________________________________________________ should (or should not) win the 2015 Kentucky Bluegrass Award because ____________________________ _________________________________________ ________________________________(criterion). For example, __________.(evidence).

Finding Evidence  Skim or re-read the pages your group has been assigned.  Try to find evidence to support your claim.  Either quote it or describe it.  Explain HOW and WHY it helps prove your claim.

Student Sample  Last Laughs is a great book because it makes you think. For example, Katydidn’t was a bug known as a katydid. She tried to jump the car but it turns out she could not and got smashed. You had to think to get the joke.

PQP: Praise, Question, Polish  Did your partner take a position as to the quality of the book?  Did your partner base that position on a quality indicator of a good book?  Did your partner provide specific evidence from the text to support the position?

Next Steps: Developing a piece from claims ReviewLiterary Analysis Judgment and recommendation based on criteria that are discussed by the reviewer, with specific evidence from the subject of the review to support the claim about the subject’s (performance, book, product, etc.) quality Insight or perspective for interpreting and evaluating a literary piece; not a summary, but rather an explanation of “how” and “why.” Sample guiding questions: What theme or main idea did the author want the reader to understand after he or she had finished reading? What devices or tools help ensure that the reader "gets" this meaning? Why did the author choose to use these devices, in these particular ways? How do they help the reader understand the theme?