Independent Reading Book Review
(Must be attached to back of assignment)
Reading Plan:
I have chosen to read ______
By (author) ______because ______
______
I will set aside time to read (time, place) ______
I should finish this text by (date)______
Book Review Due Date: ______
Student signature: ______Period: ______
Parent signature: ______Date: ______
Book Review Assignment:
Your book review should be at least two paragraphs in length. Use the following guidelines to help write your review.
Paragraph 1:
- Start with an attention grabbing opening. Choose one of the following…
- Start with a question (Ex. Do you like reading books with many twists and turns or action and suspense?)
- Start with a fact about the main character or plot. (Ex. Fighting off tracker jackers and mutant dogs are challenges KatnisEverdean faces in the arena during The Hunger Games.
- Include the title and author
- Mention the main characters, setting, and main conflict.
- Briefly describe parts of the plot (At least two sentences,)
- NEVER tell the ending, but mention the lesson the character learns.
Paragraph 2:
- State your opinion (Don’t say it was interesting or boring. You need to say why or what made it that way.)
- Who would you recommend read this book?
- End with a closing statement. (Ex. If you are looking for a great book to read, pick up ______and start reading today.)
Cover:
- Title, Author, Quote, and Original Picture
- Your name and heading
Unit 1: Stories of Change Independent Reading List
Title - Literature / AuthorWar Dances / Sherman Alexie
Bless Me, Ultima / Rudolfo Anaya
The Dark is Rising (Series) / Susan Cooper
Greek Gods and Heroes / Robert Graves
The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales / Virginia Hamilton
Witness / Karen Hesse
Born Confused / Tanuja Desai Hidier
The Odyssey / Gareth Hinds
Mules and Men / Zora Hurston
African Myths / Gary Jeffrey
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe / C.S. Lewis
The Greatest: Muhammad Ali / Walter Dean Myers
Seesaw Girl / Linda Sue Park
Trickster’s Choice (Daughter of the Lioness, Book 1) / Tamora Pierce
The Red Pyramid / Rick Riordan
World Mythology: Anthology of Great Myths and Epics / Donna Rosenberg
Shooting Kabul / N.H. Snzai
Novio Boy / Gary Soto
Homeless Bird / Gloria Whelan
Title – Nonfiction/Informational Text
Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America / Firoozeh Dumas
Rocket Boys/October Sky / Homer Hickam
Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution / Ji-li Jiang
Breaking Through / Francisco Jimenez
The Story of My Life / Hellen Keller
Eastern Sun, Winter Moon: An Autobiographical Odyssey / Gary Paulsen
When I Was Puerto Rican / Esmeralda Santiago
Book Review Rubric
Name: ______Per. ______Date: ______
Book Title: ______
Points Earned / Total PointsCover:
- Includes the title, author, quote from book, and
- Name and heading
Paragraph 1:
- Attention grabbing opening
- Title and author
- Includes main character, setting, and primary conflict
- Briefly describes plot (rising action and climax)
- Does not give away ending. Mentions theme or lesson learned
Paragraph 2:
- Gives opinion and supports with evidence and explanation
- Gives recommendation
- Closing
- Proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar
- Neatness
100
Comments:
Examples of book reviews to help you with your writing:
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Catherine is an average 12-year-old girl., but it is hard to consider yourself average when your brother, David, has autism. In the novel, Rules by Cynthia Lord, Catherine wants a normal life and to have friends, so she creates “rules” for her brother David to teach him the right way to behave. Some “rules” include “if the bathroom door is closed, knock! (especially if Catherine has a friend over)” and “A boy takes off his shirt to swim, but not his shorts.” For Catherine, David causes embarrassment and this becomes a problem when she tries to become friends with the new girl next door, Kristi. Catherine also meets a boy named Jason who has cerebral palsy, uses a wheelchair to get around and uses a communication book to talk. The two become friends, but Catherine has difficulty choosing between Jason’s and Kristie’s friendships. As a result, Catherine learns the true meaning of friendship.
What I loved about this book is that it had realistic problems that many 12-year-olds face. It was also funny in many parts. For example, when Jason and Catherine talk about the speech lady and how Jason can’t stand her. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever been embarrassed by a younger sibling or those who have found themselves torn between two friendships. If this catches your interest, pick up Rules by Cynthia Lords and start reading.
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
Have you ever wanted to look like someone else? Maybe you want a different hair or eye color? For Andrew Marcus, the main character in the novel Freckle Juice by Judy Blume, freckles are what he wants the most. He wants them so badly that he decides to buy a secret formula from Sharon, a classmate, for fifty cents. He then goes home and mixes grape juice, vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise, juice from one lemon, pepper, salt, ketchup, olive oil, and a speck of onion, and drinks it down hoping to get freckles. The result is only a really bad stomach ache, which keeps him home from school. In this story, Andrew quickly learns not to be so trusting of others and that you should just be happy with what you have.
My favorite part was reading the recipe for freckle juice and thinking this has to be a trick. I also felt that the teacher Miss Kelly was very clever and kind to her students in her class. I would recommend this book to students that have ever been victims of a prank or those that have ever wished they had something someone else has. This book teaches a valuable lesson in the end. If any of this has happened to you or someone you know, try reading Freckly Juice by Judy Blume.