lesson plan for writing a book review

How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide

WHAT IS A BOOK REVIEW?

Traditionally, book reviews are evaluations of a recently published book in any genre. Usually, around the 500 to 700-word mark, they briefly describe a text’s main elements while appraising the work’s strengths and weaknesses. Published book reviews can appear in newspapers, magazines, and academic journals. They provide the reader with an overview of the book itself and indicate whether or not the reviewer would recommend the book to the reader.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A BOOK REVIEW?

There was a time when book reviews were a regular appearance in every quality newspaper and many periodicals. They were essential elements in whether or not a book would sell well. A review from a heavyweight critic could often be the deciding factor in whether a book became a bestseller or a damp squib. In the last few decades, however, the book review’s influence has waned considerably, with many potential book buyers preferring to consult customer reviews on Amazon, or sites like Goodreads, before buying. As a result, book review’s appearance in newspapers, journals, and digital media has become less frequent.

WHY BOTHER TEACHING STUDENTS TO WRITE BOOK REVIEWS AT ALL?

Even in the heyday of the book review’s influence, few students who learned the craft of writing a book review became literary critics! The real value of crafting a well-written book review for a student does not lie in their ability to impact book sales. Understanding how to produce a well-written book review helps students to:

●     Engage critically with a text

●     Critically evaluate a text

●     Respond personally to a range of different writing genres

●     Improve their own reading, writing, and thinking skills.

Not to Be Confused with a Book Report!

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BOOK REVIEW AND A BOOK REPORT?

While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are clear differences in both the purpose and the format of the two genres. Generally speaking, book reports aim to give a more detailed outline of what occurs in a book. A book report on a work of fiction will tend to give a comprehensive account of the characters, major plot lines, and themes in the book. Book reports are usually written around the K-12 age range, while book reviews tend not to be undertaken by those at the younger end of this age range due to the need for the higher-level critical skills required in writing them. At their highest expression, book reviews are written at the college level and by professional critics.

Learn how to write a book review step by step with our complete guide for students and teachers by familiarizing yourself with the structure and features.

BOOK REVIEW STRUCTURE

ANALYZE Evaluate the book with a critical mind.

THOROUGHNESS The whole is greater than the sum of all its parts. Review the book as a WHOLE.

COMPARE Where appropriate compare to similar texts and genres.

THUMBS UP OR DOWN? You are going to have to inevitably recommend or reject this book to potential readers.

BE CONSISTENT Take a stance and stick with it throughout your review.

FEATURES OF A BOOK REVIEW

PAST TENSE You are writing about a book you have already read.

EMOTIVE LANGUAGE Whatever your stance or opinion be passionate about it. Your audience will thank you for it.

VOICE Both active and passive voice are used in recounts.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF TEXTS

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ELEMENTS OF A BOOK REVIEW

As with any of the writing genres we teach our students, a book review can be helpfully explained in terms of criteria. While there is much to the ‘art’ of writing, there is also, thankfully, a lot of the nuts and bolts that can be listed too. Have students consider the following elements before writing:

●     Title: Often, the title of the book review will correspond to the title of the text itself, but there may also be some examination of the title’s relevance. How does it fit into the purpose of the work as a whole? Does it convey a message or reveal larger themes explored within the work?

●     Author: Within the book review, there may be some discussion of who the author is and what they have written before, especially if it relates to the current work being reviewed. There may be some mention of the author’s style and what they are best known for. If the author has received any awards or prizes, this may also be mentioned within the body of the review.

●     Genre: A book review will identify the genre that the book belongs to, whether fiction or nonfiction, poetry, romance, science-fiction, history etc. The genre will likely tie in, too with who the intended audience for the book is and what the overall purpose of the work is.

●     Book Jacket / Cover: Often, a book’s cover will contain artwork that is worthy of comment. It may contain interesting details related to the text that contribute to, or detract from, the work as a whole.

●     Structure: The book’s structure will often be heavily informed by its genre. Have students examine how the book is organized before writing their review. Does it contain a preface from a guest editor, for example? Is it written in sections or chapters? Does it have a table of contents, index, glossary etc.? While all these details may not make it into the review itself, looking at how the book is structured may reveal some interesting aspects.

●     Publisher and Price: A book review will usually contain details of who publishes the book and its cost. A review will often provide details of where the book is available too.

BOOK REVIEW KEY ELEMENTS

As students read and engage with the work they will review, they will develop a sense of the shape their review will take. This will begin with the summary. Encourage students to take notes during the reading of the work that will help them in writing the summary that will form an essential part of their review. Aspects of the book they may wish to take notes on in a work of fiction may include:

●     Characters: Who are the main characters? What are their motivations? Are they convincingly drawn? Or are they empathetic characters?

●     Themes: What are the main themes of the work? Are there recurring motifs in the work? Is the exploration of the themes deep or surface only?

●     Style: What are the key aspects of the writer’s style? How does it fit into the wider literary world?

●     Plot: What is the story’s main catalyst? What happens in the rising action? What are the story’s subplots? 

A book review will generally begin with a short summary of the work itself. However, it is important not to give too much away, remind students – no spoilers, please! For nonfiction works, this may be a summary of the main arguments of the work, again, without giving too much detail away. In a work of fiction, a book review will often summarise up to the rising action of the piece without going beyond to reveal too much!

The summary should also provide some orientation for the reader. Given the nature of the purpose of a review, it is important that students’ consider their intended audience in the writing of their review. Readers will most likely not have read the book in question and will require some orientation. This is often achieved through introductions to the main characters, themes, primary arguments etc. This will help the reader to gauge whether or not the book is of interest to them.

Once your student has summarized the work, it is time to ‘review’ in earnest. At this point, the student should begin to detail their own opinion of the book. To do this well they should:

i. Make It Personal

Often when teaching essay writing we will talk to our students about the importance of climbing up and down the ladder of abstraction. Just as it is helpful to explore large, more abstract concepts in an essay by bringing it down to Earth, in a book review, it is important that students can relate the characters, themes, ideas etc to their own lives.

Book reviews are meant to be subjective. They are opinion pieces, and opinions grow out of our experiences of life. Encourage students to link the work they are writing about to their own personal life within the body of the review. By making this personal connection to the work, students contextualize their opinions for the readers and help them to understand whether the book will be of interest to them or not in the process.

ii. Make It Universal

Just as it is important to climb down the ladder of abstraction to show how the work relates to individual life, it is important to climb upwards on the ladder too. Students should endeavor to show how the ideas explored in the book relate to the wider world. The may be in the form of the universality of the underlying themes in a work of fiction or, for example, the international implications for arguments expressed in a work of nonfiction.

iii. Support Opinions with Evidence

A book review is a subjective piece of writing by its very nature. However, just because it is subjective does not mean that opinions do not need to be justified. Make sure students understand how to back up their opinions with various forms of evidence, for example, quotations, statistics, and the use of primary and secondary sources.

EDIT AND REVISE YOUR BOOK REVIEW

As with any writing genre, encourage students to polish things up with review and revision at the end. Encourage them to proofread and check for accurate spelling throughout, with particular attention to the author’s name, character names, publisher etc. 

It is good practice too for students to double-check their use of evidence. Are statements supported? Are the statistics used correctly? Are the quotations from the text accurate? Mistakes such as these uncorrected can do great damage to the value of a book review as they can undermine the reader’s confidence in the writer’s judgement.

The discipline of writing book reviews offers students opportunities to develop their writing skills and exercise their critical faculties. Book reviews can be valuable standalone activities or serve as a part of a series of activities engaging with a central text. They can also serve as an effective springboard into later discussion work based on the ideas and issues explored in a particular book. Though the book review does not hold the sway it once did in the mind’s of the reading public, it still serves as an effective teaching tool in our classrooms today.

Teaching Resources

Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.

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Book and Movie review writing examples (Student Writing Samples)

Below are a collection of student writing samples of book reviews.  Click on the image to enlarge and explore them in greater detail.  Please take a moment to both read the movie or book review in detail but also the teacher and student guides which highlight some of the key elements of writing a text review

Please understand these student writing samples are not intended to be perfect examples for each age or grade level but a piece of writing for students and teachers to explore together to critically analyze to improve student writing skills and deepen their understanding of book review writing.

We would recommend reading the example either a year above and below, as well as the grade you are currently working with to gain a broader appreciation of this text type .

BOOK REVIEW VIDEO TUTORIALS

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Book Review Writing Examples

Examples: learn from the efforts of others.

Learning how to write strong reviews takes time and not a little effort. Reading the reviews others have done can help you get a feel for the flow and flavor of reviews.

If I Never Forever Endeavor Review by Hayden, age 4, Southeast Michigan Mensa

This book was about a bird who didn't yet know how to fly.

The bird has to decide if it will try to fly, but it was not sure if it wants to. The bird thought, "If I never forever endeavor" then I won't ever learn. On one wing, he worries he might fail and on the other wing he thinks of how he may succeed. He worries that if he tries, he may get lost in the world. That makes him want to stay in his nest where he's safe.

I think this book would help other children to learn that trying new things can be scary, but sometimes when we try, we can find things that make us happy too. And this book will help others know that mistakes are okay and part of learning.

My favorite part is that the bird tried and learned that she could fly. I also liked that I read this book because it gave me a chance to talk to mom about making mistakes and how I don't like making them. Then I learned they are good and part of learning.

Boys and girls who are 3 to 8 years old would like this book because it teaches about trying a new thing and how it's important to get past being scared so you can learn new things.

I give the book 5 stars since I think it's important for other children to learn about courage.

Flesh & Blood So Cheap Review by Umar B., age 8, Central New Jersy Mensa

I liked this book. People who are interested in national disasters and US history as well as immigration will most probably be interested in reading this book.

Readers can gain knowledge of what it was like to work in New York City in the early 1900s. One of the things that was especially interesting was that there were no safety laws at work. Also, there was a big contrast between the rich and the poor. Some people may not like this book because it is very depressing, but it is an important event in history to remember.

This book was very well written. It has black and white photos along with descriptions of the photos. These photos give us a better idea of what people's lives were like. This book is suitable for 9-20 year olds.

I give this book 5 stars.

Galaxy Zach: Journey to Juno Review by Young Mensan Connor C., age 6, Boston Mensa

Journey To Juno is the second book of the Galaxy Zack series. It is just as good as the first one. It's awesome!

Zack joins the Sprockets Academy Explorers Club at school. They fly on a special trip to Juno, a new planet no one has ever visited. Zack gets paired up with Seth, the class bully, and that's dreadful but Zack is excited when he finds a huge galaxy gemmite. A gemmite that large had not been found in 100 years! Kids will love this book!

Boys and girls will both like it. It's an easy chapter book with pictures on every page. I love the illustrations. I think ages 6-8 would like this but younger kids would like the story being read to them.

My favorite parts are the galactic blast game (it is similar to baseball except there are robots playing), recess at Zack's school where everything is 3-D holographic images, the rainbow river in a crystal cave on Juno, and the galaxy gemmite that Zack finds on Juno. I also loved when a life-size holographic image of his Earth friend appears in Zack's room because he calls him on a hyperphone. I give this book one hundred stars! There is a "to be continued" at the end so you have to read the next book see what's in store. I can't wait to find out what happens!!!

I Capture the Castle Review by Lauren W., age 17, Mensa in Georgia

Dodie Smith's novel I Capture the Castle is a journey through the mind of a young writer as she attempts to chronicle her daily life. Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain has recently learned to speed-write, and she decides to work on her writing skills by describing the actions and conversations of those around her.

Cassandra lives in a fourteenth-century English castle with an interesting cast of characters: her beautiful older sister, Rose; her rather unsociable author father and his second wife, artist-model Topaz; Stephen, the garden boy; a cat and a bull terrier; and sometimes her brother Thomas when he is home from school. One fateful day they make the acquaintance of the Cotton family, including the two sons, and a web of tangled relationships ensues.

While I definitely recommend this book to other readers, I would recommend it to older teenagers, mainly because it will resonate better with them. The writing is tame enough that younger teens could also read it, but most of the characters are adults or on the verge of adulthood. Older readers would take the most from it since they can not only relate, but they may also better pick up on and appreciate Cassandra's sometimes subtle humor.

Over the course of the novel, Cassandra undergoes a definite transformation from child to mature young adult, even though it's only over the course of several months. I love that I could see into her mindset and read exactly what she was feeling when she thought out situations. Her thoughts flowed well and moved the book along very quickly.

Cassandra's narrative voice is wonderful. She is serious at times, but also very witty, which makes for an engaging read. It feels absolutely real, as though I'm reading someone's actual journal. Sometimes I forget that I am reading a story and not a real-life account. Her emotions and the dialogue are so genuine, and they are spot-on for a seventeen-year-old girl in her situation.

Cassandra has many wonderful insights on life, on topics ranging from writing to faith to matters of the heart. I personally have had some of the same thoughts as Cassandra, except Ms. Smith was able to put them into words.

Capture the Castle should be essential reading for aspiring writers, those looking for historical fiction or romance, or anyone who loves reading amazing classic books. Dodie Smith is an exceptional writer, and I Capture the Castle is a book that will never become obsolete.

Frankenstein's Cat Review by Zander H., age 12, Mid-America Mensa

I appreciated Frankenstein's Cat for its fascinating explanation about the often baffling subject of bioengineering and its sister sciences. Emily Anthes explains the many sides of today's modern technology, such as gene modification, cloning, pharmaceutical products (from the farm), prosthesis, animal tag and tracking and gene cryogenics. This book provides a well-rounded summary of these complicated sciences without being boring or simply factual. Her real world examples take us on a journey from the farm, to the pet store and then from the pharmacy to the frozen arc.

Have you ever wondered if the neighborhood cat is spying on you? Read about Operation Acoustic Kitty and find out if this feline fantasy fiction or fact. Do you think bugs are creepy? What about a zombified cyborg beetle? Is Fido so special that you want two of him? Money can buy you an almost exact copy of your pooch BUT don't expect the same personality. Emily Anthes makes you crave more information. She makes you want to know the future of Earth's flora and fauna, as well as humanity itself.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who desires a guide to the future of biological science and technology. Frankenstein's Cat is best read by the light of a glow-in-the-dark fish, while cuddling your favorite cloned dog and drinking a glass of genetically modified milk.

About Marsupials Review by Connor C., age 6, Boston Mensa

About Marsupials is the title so the book is about...marsupials, of course. It's non-fiction. I really think everyone would like the book. I think someone who likes animals would especially like to read it.

The glossary of facts in the back of About Marsupials is the most useful part. I thought the most interesting parts were that some marsupials have their pouch at their back legs and one marsupial, the Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby, is very small but can jump 13 feet wide!

Kids in the 4-8 age range would like this book. Even though it's not a story book, 4 year olds would like the few words on each page and they would love the beautiful pictures. But older kids would like it because of all the facts in the back of the book. There's a lot of information for each animal. I think boys and girls (and parents) would enjoy reading it. This book is very interesting. I give it 4 stars.

Mapping the World Review by Umar A., age 10, Central New Jersey Mensa

Every day, people around the world use maps. Whether it is an airplane pilot or businessman, housewife or museum group, maps have always and will continue to provide useful information for all.

Mapping the World talks about the uses of maps, as well as how to differentiate between the type of map projection and type of map.

In this series, we travel to the past and learn about historical mapmakers, from Claudius Ptolemy (who stated the idea that the Earth is at the center of the universe) to Gerardus Mercator (who created one of the most widely used map projections) and more. This series goes into tremendous detail on the cartographer's life and maps. We then journey to the present era to learn about map projections and the diverse types of maps used today. You might ask, "What is the difference between the two? They sound the same to me." No map projection is perfect, because you cannot really flatten a sphere into a rectangle. An uncolored projection could be used in many ways. We could use it for population concentration, highways, land elevation, and so many other things!

For example, we could make a topographic map of the U.S., which shows land elevation. We could make it a colorful map that shows the amount of pollution in different areas, or it could be a population map, or it could even be a map that shows the 50 states, their capitals and borders! Our last step in this amazing excursion is the near future, where we see some hypothetical solutions as to what maps will be used for. Currently, we are working on better virtual map technology.

Now, scientists have been able to put maps on phones. Back in the early 1900s, people had to lug a lot of maps around to find your way from place to place, or just keep asking for directions. Now, all the information is on a phone or global positioning system (GPS). It is amazing how much maps have changed technology and the world in this century.

The Mapping the World 8-book set goes into amazing levels of detail. It is a long read, but it gives an immense range and amount of information that you would not find in any other book or series on maps. The flowing way the chapters and books are organized makes it easy to link passages from different books in this series together. Mapping the World is a treasure box, filled with the seeds of cartography. Collect and plant them, and you soon will have the fruits of cartography, beneficial to those who want to be cartographers. Use this series to the utmost, then the fruits of mapping will be sweet for all who endeavor to succeed in cartography.

This series of lessons was designed to meet the needs of gifted children for extension beyond the standard curriculum with the greatest ease of use for the educator. The lessons may be given to the students for individual self-guided work, or they may be taught in a classroom or a home-school setting. Assessment strategies and rubrics are included at the end of each section. The rubrics often include a column for "scholar points," which are invitations for students to extend their efforts beyond that which is required, incorporating creativity or higher level technical skills.

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CAE writing a book review

Before you use these materials, why not check out our new podcast for learners and teachers alike? It’s called 2Ts in a Pod, have a listen here:

This is a lesson plan to set up students for the review writing task in part 2 of the CAE writing paper.

To begin with go through the following conversation questions either as a class or split into small groups.

Did you enjoy reading when you were growing up?

Which book made the biggest impression on you when you were younger?

Where / When did the events of the book take place?

Describe the plot.

Describe the characters.

Why did you enjoy the book so much?

Have you reread the book now that you are older? What did you think?

Will people still be reading books in 50 years?

How do you think reading culture will change?

Ask students for the titles of some of their favourite books, put them on the board and brainstorm the plot, characters etc.

Tell students that for home work this week they are going to write a review of a book which had a profound affect on them when they were growing up. It could be a children’s book or a book they read when they were a teenager. A review is always in part 2 of the writing paper so the word limit is 220 – 260 words. Their review should include:

• a brief description of the story / plot
• the reasons why they enjoyed it / why it had such an impact on them
• who they would recommend it to

Here is a link to my prezi which will talk the students through how to go about it.

http://prezi.com/tvjva9mynbsj/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Here is a link to the handout that goes with the prezi:

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=79CFF252BEEA0A7D!423&authkey=!AAw6I4WaWW6ghR0

The prezi contains references to the text book I am using with my students: Spotlight on CAE.

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Author: Tim Warre

Barcelona based English Teacher, blogger and sometime actor and director. View All Posts

3 thoughts on “ CAE writing a book review ”

Thank you for sharing your Prezi and Handout – wonderful that teachers are willing to share resources and provide some lessons. In fact a colleague asked if I had my book review lesson (which I created earlier this year) for my Thai learners but as was expected, I didn’t have it to hand. Luckily I came across your website and lesson plan, printed your handout and gave it to the teacher. So many thanks for the lesson idea – a definite thumbs up!

• Pingback: http://freeenglishlessonplans.com/2013/11/07/cae-writing-a-book-review/?blogsub=confirming#subscribe-blog | mararejanemar

Thank you so much for all your hard work.

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#4299. Book Reviewer

Lesson Plan Title: Book Reviewer Concept / Topic To Teach: Understand and comprehend as they read a book. The student will be able to write and understand how to do a basic book review. Standards Addressed: 3.4 The student will use strategies to read a variety of fiction and nonfiction materials. a) Preview and use text formats. b) Set a purpose for reading. c) Apply meaning clues, language structure, and phonetic strategies. d) Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words. e) Read fiction and nonfiction fluently and accurately. f) Reread and self-correct when necessary. General Goal(s): Reading and Book Reviews The student will read a book of their choice. They will then learn how to use and complete a book reviewer worksheet so that other students who want to find out what the book is about can go to this work sheet and know what it is about. Specific Objectives: The student will use strategies to read a variety of fiction and nonfiction materials. g) Preview and use text formats. h) Set a purpose for reading. i) Apply meaning clues, language structure, and phonetic strategies. j) Apply these skills in a book review for a fellow student. Required Materials: � A book that the student/s have read. � Pencil � Clip Board � Book Reviewer Paper � Sheet Protector Anticipatory Set (Lead-In): � Read Book: Annie's Pet by: Barbara Brenner � Ask students questions to spark their interest such as: 1) What was Annie looking to buy in the story? 2) How much money did she have in order to buy the pet that she wanted? 3) What item did she buy that was not a very good choice? 4) What two animals did Annie want to buy, but were not for sale? 5) What kind of pet did she get in the end? � Have students go back to their own desks and re-read the book they chose. � Have them come up with 5 questions that they could ask about the story and write them down on a separate sheet of paper. Step-By-Step Procedures: 1. Read Annie's Pet to all students on the carpet and show them how to write out their questions using chart paper. 2. Students will go back to their seats and re-read the story that they chose to do a book review on. 3. The students will then write down at least 5 questions on a piece of paper and answer them. They will be using this in order to do the book review as a tool to remember what happened in the story. 4. Once the students are done with their questions they will get a clip board with the Book Reviewer worksheet on it and start filling it out and drawing pictures in where they are needed. 5. We will come together on the carpet once everything is filled out and completed and briefly share what their book was about. 6. The students will then put their finished book review in a sheet protector and then into a binder where any student could look it up to find out what that particular book is about.  Kinesthetic Learners: They will be able to share what their book was about by showing what they book looks like.  Visual Learners: As I go along with the lesson I will model everything as I go. For example, with the book reviewer worksheet I will make a transparency of the worksheet so that they will know how to fill it out. Plan For Independent Practice: Have the students come up with the questions and write them down on their own. They will also be picking a book of their choice on their own. Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set): � Students will come together and share a little bit about their story and review. � Students will talk about how the assignment went. � I will share my book Annie's Pet and my entire review of this book. Assessment Based On Objectives: � The student will pick a book on their reading level. � They will write at least 5 questions about the book. � The student will fill out a Book Reviewer sheet and turn it in with the sheet protector (given by teacher). Adaptations (For Students With Learning Disabilities): � Help them pick out a good book for that student. � Help them come up with 5 questions. � Help them fill out their Book Reviewer sheet so that they can share their sheet with their fellow classmates. Extensions (For Gifted Students): I would have these students do a compare and contrast book review with two different books. Possible Connections To Other Subjects: Reading comprehension (compare and contrast), Use of Grammar (when writing review), Good citizens (having to share information with other).

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How to Write a Book Review in 7 Steps

Book reviews are a great way to connect with fellow bibliophiles. A well-written review can help you discover new books, find bookish communities, and spark cultural conversations. When writing a book review, you want to share what you felt about a particular work—why you liked or disliked it—without spoiling it for future readers. Ultimately, the goal of writing a book review is to help readers decide whether to read the book themselves.

Let’s take a look at seven steps to help you write a reliable book review.

1. Read the Book

How can you write a review of a book you’ve never read? Alternatively, why would someone want to read a review by someone who has never read the book? The first and arguably most important first step to writing a book review is to read the entire book. Be attentive to your reading experience and note what captured or lost your attention.

2. Take Notes

Once you’ve finished reading the book, go back and take brief, purposeful notes. What are the major events of the book and what were their effects on you as a reader?

Here are some guidelines that can help lay the foundation for your review:

• Explain how the book as a whole affected you.
• Explain how the author evokes an emotional response.
• Explain the relationship between form and content.
• Explain the function of each character in the novel.
• Explain the characters’ relationships to one another.

3. Summarize the Book

All book reviews should include some kind of summary. You’ll want to inform readers of what the book is about without giving too much away. To accomplish this, here are some things to include in your summary:

• How is it categorized by the publisher?
• How is the book structured?
• Who is the target audience?

4. Form an Opinion

Your opinion is the crux of your book review. Be specific! Don’t just say if the book was good or bad, but explain why . Support your opinion with specific examples from the text and move from passing judgement to a thorough explanation.

5. Contextualize the Book

You can often obtain this information from looking at the book’s cover and introduction. Otherwise, you may need to do a little research. Spend some time relating this book to similar works by the author or from the same genre to further your explanation and judgement of it.

Some important questions to consider include:

• What genre does the book fall into?
• Is it the first of its kind or an imitation?
• Is this the author’s first book or fifteenth?

6. Avoid Spoilers

Please, for the love of literature, don’t ruin the book for others. A good book review does not give away the book’s plot twists or endings but piques the interest of future readers. If you absolutely have to give something away about the book, at least mark your review with a fair warning.

7. Review Your Review!

Hooray! You’ve finished writing your review. Now’s the time to step back and revisit your work. You may have to edit your review to add or remove details. Here are some questions to ask during your revisions:

• Did you explain every major aspect of the book?
• What was your target audience?
• Did you write this for a class with specific criteria—or for a fan magazine whose audience already knows this type of book well?
• Did you make a clear claim about your opinion of the book? Do you support your claim with evidence?

For a more in-depth review on how to write a book review, visit eNotes’ How To Series .

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Writing a Book Review Lesson Plan and Other Resources

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

30 May 2022

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Writing a Book Review - Fiction

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Fifth graders write a fiction book review. In this response to literature lesson, 5th graders read a story and share their understanding and opinion of the book. They write what the book is about, what they like about the book, and what the theme or message is. 

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Professional Writing in Action! Publishing Student Reviews Online

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

In this lesson, students will develop their reading, critical thinking, and persuasive writing skills by writing reviews for publication on Amazon.com . Using Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper to write a review as an in-class exercise, this lesson prepares students to write their own reviews of other texts by following online guidelines for producing and publishing. The lesson emphasizes the writing process and develops students' writing skills to include both academic and professional writing. It may also be expanded to include video reviews as well as reviews of products, technology, movies, and other items (all of which are featured on Amazon.com ).

Featured Resources

• The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (available in book format or online )

From Theory to Practice

Knowledge of multiple literacies is a must in today’s reading and writing classrooms. When teachers incorporate lessons using blogs, wikis, websites, videos, and social networking sites, they are teaching reading and writing in our modern age, and in the process maintaining student interest. As Cathy Fleischer writes, “Students seem more connected to literacy activities when they can find things to read and write that connect to the issues and concerns that are part of their larger lives” (Fleischer 6). This lesson uses writing for online publication to engage students in the process of reading texts critically for plot and meaning, analyzing its audience, writing a review about it, and following the formatting conventions needed to publish that review in an online medium. The result is context-specific writing in the classroom that “provides an awareness of genres that is transferable to genre understanding outside of the classroom” (Dean 29).

Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
• 7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

• Computers with Internet Access
• Document Camera, Overhead Projector, or LCD Projector
• Copy of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• Selection of other books/novels students may read to review
• Large sticky note sheets
• Audience Brainstorming Worksheet
• Analyzing a Text Worksheet
• The Yellow Wallpaper Reading Guide
• Writing Your Own Professional Review Assignment
• Writing a Review Checklist

Writing with Writers , namely the “Write a Book Review with Rodman Philbrick” page, provides a comprehensive guide for beginning writers of book reviews.

This site shares reviews written by and for teens.

This site offers books reviews by and for teenagers as well as information on news and events, homework help, and preparing for college and careers.

This site provides reviews of several genres of books.

This is a monthly online book review publication offering reviews of fiction, history, science fiction, children’s books, and others.

Enotes is an educational resource available for teachers and students providing literature study guides, lesson plans, and literary criticism.

Project Gutenberg is a free site where readers may view over 33,000 e-books. This site provides a complete copy of The Yellow Wallpaper for teachers and students.

This site provides reviewers with the guidelines for writing and publishing a review on amazon.com.

Preparation

• Teachers should select one text that all students will read (such as Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper , the example used for this lesson).
• Teachers should also have a selection of other books on hand, or have generated a suitable list, for students to choose from to do their own reviews in the second part of this lesson.
• Teachers need access to computers with Internet capabilities for the days needed to work through the lesson.

Student Objectives

Students will:

• learn to read a text critically for basic elements including plot, characters, setting, etc.
• develop advanced reading skills by reading for themes, patterns, meaning, and connections to the past and present.
• become critical reviewers by offering a personal critique of the text.
• analyze a text for various intended and unintended audiences.
• analyze existing reviews to determine what makes an effective/ineffective review.
• write professional reviews by following publication guidelines.

Session One

• Introduce the lesson by asking students what was the last book or article they read that they thought was “good.” Then ask them about one they read that they would consider “bad.” Ask students to make a list of those texts and then explain what they think made them good or bad.
• Introduce the idea of Audience and what makes a certain book more appealing to some than to others. Take this a step further by asking students to consider the various audiences for the list of texts they created. For example, if they liked the book Twilight , who else would like it and who would possibly not like it? Use age, religion, race, sex, education, location, etc. as potential limiters for the audiences being considered. Students will use the Audience Brainstorming Worksheet to make their own notes during the discussion. (Students will also use this worksheet in later sessions when preparing to write their own professional reviews. Doing it as a class here will help familiarize students with how to fill it out so they are more successful on their own later.)
• Why is it important to consider who the reader is?
• Why is it important to think about who the reader is sharing their opinion with?
• What might the reader say to different audiences about the book? (for example, children, teenagers, adults, elderly people)
• What kind of information would different audiences want to know about the book? (length, level of difficulty, size of text, cost, genre, etc.)
• Assign students to read The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman for the next session. (Teachers may choose to review the context of the story either before or after the students read it. Some teachers may want their students to have the context before reading so they may better understand it. Other teachers may not want to discuss too much context before reading so as to evaluate students’ ability to read and understand the text on their own. Similarly, teachers may wish to provide students with a reading guide to improve their understanding while they read. See The Yellow Wallpaper Reading Guide . Teachers should base this decision on their assessment of the students and the class as a whole.)

Session Two

• Students will get into groups and write a very basic plot summary of the assigned reading. They should also make a list of the characters, setting, action, and other elements of the book (see Analyzing a Text Worksheet ).
• Return as a whole class and share students’ plot summaries. Guide the class to a general understanding of the plot, including the speaker’s mental condition, how she feels about her situation and the other characters in the book, what is happening to her, and what happens at the end. Also introduce some of the history behind the text. For additional information about the text, teachers may choose to consult The Yellow Wallpaper , Bedford Critical Edition, edited by Dale M. Bauer, or for a more brief account of the text, an online summary on enotes.com.
• Students will then individually reflect in writing about their reading/understanding of the text. See questions for guiding understanding on the Analyzing a Text Worksheet .
• Who would like it?
• Who would not like it?
• What would people like/dislike about it?
• Is it a book meant for children, young adults, teenagers, or people in different age categories?
• Assign students to write a 3 paragraph mini review: 1-paragraph summary of the book, 1-paragraph personal reaction to it, and 1-paragraph encouraging others to either read or not read it. Ask them to identify who they are writing to in the last paragraph (their audience). If time, students may begin drafting this in class. A draft of this will be due in the next session.

Session Three

• Begin a discussion about book reviews by comparing/contrasting them to book reports (something students may be more familiar with). Share an example of a book report and then an example of a book review. Ask students to label which is the report and which is the review.
• Book reports are usually written for school assignments. Teachers want to see that the student has read/understood the book.
• Reviews are usually written for a professional audience. The writer is trying to promote certain information to the reader.
• Book reports are very factual, usually describing only what happened in the book, themes, characters, etc.
• Reviews blend facts about the item with the writer’s opinion.
• Provides a brief summary that does not reveal too much.
• Shares critical comments on what the book is trying to do and if it is successful.
• Responds to who would like it or who would not and why.
• Shares whether the review writer would recommend it to others or not.
• Ask students to take out their 3-paragraph assignment from the previous session. Talk about this as a working draft of a professional review
• Next, students can work on revising their 3-paragraph assignment to incorporate the characteristics as discussed above. (Teachers may choose to collect students’ reviews and return in later sessions. This may dissuade students from looking up and copying information about the story from the Internet. Teachers may also choose to assess/offer points on the paragraphs assignment.)

Session Four

• Length of the review
• Language that may/may not be used
• Type of item that can be reviewed
• How much information can be included (is the writer allowed to give away the ending of a book or movie, for example)
• Writer wants to persuade someone to see the movie, eat at the restaurant, buy the book, etc.
• Likewise, the writer may be trying to dissuade someone from doing any of the above.
• Writer may be trying to show similarities and differences between the item being reviewed and other similar things.
• Writer may be trying to sell more magazines or newspapers.
• Share the information from the website Writing with Writers , “ Write a Book Review with Rodman Philbrick ”. (If internet access is not available, the teacher may print this information along with the sample reviews in Session 6 and share paper copies with the students.)  Discuss Rodman Philbrick’s suggestions for writing a good review.
• Reviews Written by and for Teens
• Teens’ page of the Escondido, CA Public Library
• www.washingtonpost.com
• www.newyorktimes.com
• www.boston.com
• www.allreaders.com
• www.bookpage.com
• www.chicagotribune.com
• How do reviews from each of these sites differ?
• Are some reviews more “professional” than others? Why or why not? If so, how?
• What do we know about the writer of the review?
• Who is the audience for each review? How can you tell?
• Assign students to write a review for The Yellow Wallpaper . They will need to select their audience—for example, children, high school students, parents, teachers, grandparents, administrators, or others as determined by teacher and students. (At this time, students should not look at any sample reviews of The Yellow Wallpaper because the class will look at those after students have drafted their own reviews; as a result, it may be useful to provide time in class for writing these reviews and then collect them at the end of class. They may use their 3-paragraph assignment to complete this review.)
• Show students the  Writing a Review Checklist which the teacher will use to assess their review.  Allow time for student questions.
• Students may choose to use ReadWriteThink’s Notetaker to focus and organize the main points for their review.
• Give students time to brainstorm/begin drafting their reviews. Collect students’ drafts at the end of class. The teacher may choose to comment on these early drafts or not, depending on his/her time/goals for the assignment.

Session Five

• Return students’ early drafts of reviews and give them time to complete their reviews.
• In small groups, students will exchange drafts of their reviews of The Yellow Wallpaper to see how others approached the text.
• Using large sheets of sticky paper, in their groups, students will make a list of the different audiences suggested by their peers for the story and any audiences mentioned as those who would not like/appreciate the book.  They will also list how many people recommended it and did not recommend it as well as different reasons why. Post these in their group stations around the room. (This also allows students to record their notes and the teacher to save them for future classes, if needed.)
• Discuss their findings as a class, noting each of the above elements.
• Students may need to continue working on their drafts in class (depending on time). They will turn these in at the end of the class.  
• Assign students to locate two different online reviews of The Yellow Wallpaper and bring them to the next session.

Session Six

• Return students’ reviews to them with the Writing a Review Checklist and comments. (If this will count as a final grade for this assignment, include a grade. If the teacher would like to encourage revision, he/she may wish to write revision notes in the grade categories and include an “If this was graded now” assessment.) Students will compare the reviews they brought to class with the reviews they wrote. They should note similarities, differences, what worked well, what did not, and what, if anything, they would do differently in their own review.
• As a class, make a list of common things students saw happening in the published reviews they found online.
• Discuss the Writing Your Own Professional Review Assignment , which asks students to select their own book to write a publishable review for a real source. Share the list of possible books the teacher has compiled. (This may be based on curriculum standards/requirements, availability at the school, length, level of difficulty, etc. The list of choices should reflect the needs and abilities of the students.)
• Assign students to select and locate one of the texts they will use to write their reviews. Review the Audience Brainstorming Worksheet and Analyzing a Text Worksheet with students again to prepare them for completing them for their books.
• As they read, students will fill out the Audience Brainstorming Worksheet and Analyzing a Text Worksheet for their book selection as they did when reviewing The Yellow Wallpaper .

Session Seven

(The remaining activities will take place once students have read their books. This portion of the lesson involves more in-class writing, peer reviewing, and conferencing time.)

• Begin a discussion of turning book reviews into published reviews. The teacher will discuss what the website Amazon.com is and what it does (if students are unfamiliar) and then review the Amazon.com General Review Creation Guidelines from the website.
• As a class, note which of those items are particularly important for them to be aware of when writing a review of their book and considering it for publication.
• Assign students to use these guidelines to write a first draft of their review and allow class time for students to begin writing. Students should use their Audience Brainstorming Worksheet and Analyzing a Text Worksheet to help them with this.  The first draft of the review needs to be completed before the next session.

Session Eight

• Have students get into small groups and exchange their first drafts of their review. Each group will summarize for the class what they discovered by reading each other’s reviews.
• Spend time conferencing with each student to read and respond to their drafts while other students continue to work on revising/improving theirs.
• If students to not finish revising their review in class, they will need to finish it outside of class before the next session.
• Collect the final copies of their reviews. The teacher will grade the reviews using the Writing a Review Checklist , and return to students at the next class.

Session Nine

• Students will receive their assessed reviews. (Teachers may choose to assign students to revise reviews as needed.)
• Once both teacher and students are satisfied with the reviews, students will go to Amazon.com and type/submit their book review. (This may be done in class if computers with internet access are available. Otherwise the teacher might model how to do this with written directions and students can complete it at home or in the library.)
• Once this review appears on Amazon.com , students should print off their final copy. Teachers may elect for students to showcase these around the room, prepare a printed collection of book reviews by the class for future use when having other students select books to read, or have students include these in a portfolio of their work for the course.
• Teachers/Students may also choose for students to create Video Reviews using available technology such as webcams or digital recording devices (digital cameras, cell phones, Flip, etc.) to create and upload. Amazon.com offers video reviews as an alternative to written reviews.
• Students may use ReadWriteThink’s Profile Publisher to create profiles for themselves as professional writers/reviewers.
• ReadWriteThink Printing Press may be used for students to create their own class or school newspaper showcasing their reviews.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Students will be assessed on how well they follow the assignment directions for writing a review along with the publication guidelines as found on amazon.com.
• Students will also be assessed on how well they address the elements of a review as discussed in class: brief summary, critical commentary on topic and success of book, desired audience, overall assessment of book for its audience.
• A Writing a Review Checklist is provided for teachers to assess student reviews.
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