Book Review Worksheet
This work sheet will help you gather the information necessary to write a review essay. A book review is not just a book report. It includes both a description of the work and an evaluation of its merits. This opinion needs to be supported by evidence, often in the form of a brief quotation from book. It should generally follow the traditional essay form, with a thesis (topic paragraph), body (arguments or evidence), and conclusion.
Boldface indicates "how to" advice while plain type relates to content.
Use bibliographic information as a title, usually in
the following form:
Author’s name. Title: subtitle. Place: Publisher, copyright.
Other information that may be useful:
¨Fiction ¨ Biography ¨Non-fiction #_______ pages. Appendix, maps and illustrations, etc? Author: brief biography, other works. Place of the book in the established literature on the topic.
In a sentence or two:
What is the main idea of the book? Use
this as the core of your thesis paragraph.
Also include the author’s name and the title of the book in the first
paragraph. Items from the
“Other information” line may or may not be useful to include.
Write a one or two page summary of the book. Use the material on this page as an aid to developing the body of your review essay. However, avoid giving a chapter-by-chapter replay of the book in your review. Try to give a general description.
Points to consider including in the body of your essay, along with reasons or evidence to support them::
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Do you strongly agree or disagree with any points in the book? |
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Are there serious errors? |
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Are there new and unusual ideas? |
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How does this book relate to your course? |
The conclusion of your review essay will point out the way in which the items you included in the body will come together to support your views on the book. It must contain a statement relating to the value or usefulness of the book.
Things to avoid:
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Rating the book by number scores, stars, etc. (I give this book a thumbs-up, a grade of 85, 3 out of 5 stars, etc.) |
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Discussing your feelings (I hated this book) as opposed to ideas (This book failed to make its case for three reasons….) |
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Referring to adults by a given name, except where it is necessary to avoid confusion between two persons with the same last name. |
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Calling any big book a "novel." If you don't know it, look up the definition of "novel." |
Link to How to write a book review page