MONTHLY BOOK REVIEW

IT IS NOT A SUMMARY!

Due: 4/02, 4/30, 5/28 (every four weeks on a Wednesday)

1. 500 to 750 words; ESL, 300 to 750 words

2. Two of the three books you review must be novels (fiction); the third one may be a book of short stories, poetry, non-fiction on a single subject, etc. or a third novel.  You may do these in any order.

3. The book must be more than 250 pages long; ESL, more than 150 pages, or a graphic novel.  It is a good idea to show it to me before you read very far.  You should show the class the book the day that you present it.

3. How do you write a review?  You tell your opinion, clearly, on all of the major elements of the story/book:
- a paragraph to introduce the book and state whether you like it or not
- a paragraph about what you thought of the plot
- a paragraph about what you thought of the characters
- a paragraph about what you thought of the setting or situations
- a paragraph about what you thought of the author's style of writing and genre
- a short reading from the book (#5)
- a paragraph to conclude everything that you have said

4. For the one book that you may choose that is not a novel, we can discuss what you should write about, because each style of book differs.

5. Choose a short interesting passage from the book that you will read to us, that will make us want to read it, or make us agree it is terrible: about fifty words.  Do your reading with appropriate drama.

6. Always edit your writing.  Times New Roman 12, black, double spaced (or 1.5 spaced).

7. You may present it simply as a speech; or you may also record it as an A/V presentation.  The speech should be close to memorized so that you have good eye-contact, etc.; an A/V presentation must be well edited and checked to see that it will play well at school.