Would you like to write a book review for the Quilchena library website? If you’ve read a book you’d like to share with our book-loving community, follow the directions and tips below. When you have worked through the writing process, or if you want some help, send it to Mme Brogan.
People read book reviews to find out if a book might be one they want to read. Generally, people do not want to know everything about the book. They just want to learn enough to know if the plot, genre and author’s style are a good fit for them as a reader.
Whether long or short, your book review should have four sections:
- General*: This book is about…
- Specific: a favourite character/part/element was…
- Opinion: I liked (or didn’t like) this book because…
- Connection: You will like this book if…
Try to write at least one sentence for each section - Make a note of where you found this book. Was it one you had at home or is it a library book? Did you read it online, and from which site? Was it an audio book? Others might want to read this book and you can help them find a copy.
* Make sure to mention the title and the author of the book either in the title of your review, or in the first section.
Always imagine that you are writing for someone specific, like a friend. This someone, or group of someones, is your audience. Imagine you are telling your audience about a great book: what do they want to know? How will you convince them that they should read this book? Remember: don’t just tell them it was exciting or funny, show your reader how exciting or funny the book is by describing a part.
Shorter example: one sentence per section.
Ash, by Malinda Lo, is a retelling of the fairy tale Cinderella. The story tells more about Ash’s (Cinderella’s) relationship with the fairies – and the bargain she makes. I love reading different versions of traditional fairy tales and I especially liked this one because Ash had a very strong personality. You will like this book if you enjoy stories about fairy magic and if you have ever wondered if maybe Cinderella didn’t really need to end up with a prince.
Longer example: multiple sentences per section.
Ash, by Malinda Lo, is a retelling of the fairy tale Cinderella. It is no ordinary retelling, though; this one has a twist. The story tells more about Ash’s (Cinderella’s) relationships with characters other than her stepmother and stepsisters. She has a strange connection to the fairies – one fairy in particular – and the bargains she makes have serious consequences. There is another character who isn’t in the original tale, the King’s Huntress, who plays a very important role in the choices Ash makes. I love reading different versions of traditional fairy tales. I especially liked this one because Ash has a very strong personality and stays true to herself in the choices she makes. You will like this book if you enjoy stories about fairy magic and if you have ever wondered if maybe Cinderella didn’t really need to end up with a prince.
Some online resources:
The Scholastic website has tips on writing reviews and has many student-written reviews to read.