English 9D
Choice Book Assignment
This semester, each of you is reading a choice book outside of class, after reading
your book, each of you will be writing a book review, in which you give both your
opinion of the book, and analyze a few of the big ideas found within it.
Formal book reviews are an interesting genre, in that they are both analytic and
conversational in tone. As a writer, you are analyzing a text much as you would in a
formal paper (examining setting, character, conflict, etc), however you are doing so
in a more conversational tone (you can employ first-person and second person in a
review), and with your overall purpose for writing to recommend (or not
recommend) the book you are reviewing. Therefore, your personal opinion does
factor into your writing. However, this opinion should be grounded in thoughtful
analysis.
A book review should include:

Title, Author, and publication information

Interesting attention-getter and introduction to create curiosity and interest in
your book.

A brief summary—enough to give the reader an idea of what the book is about,
but not a re-telling of the whole plot. Within this summary should be a
description of the setting, main characters and general conflicts.

2-4 major ideas or topics you feel are important to address and inform the reader
about, as well as your assessment of them. It is within this portion of the paper
you will apply your analytic skills in examining how these topics are present in
the book, and what the author seems to be trying to explore through characters,
conflict, and other elements of literature and storytelling. A good way to keep
yourself organized is to make each major idea or topic its own paragraph (or
paragraphs).

A thoughtful conclusion, which wraps up your thoughts and gives your final,
overall assessment of the book.
This review should be typed, single-spaced using 12 point Times New Roman font,
and should be apx. 1 page in length.
Due: Monday, November 23
English 9D
Choice Book Assignment
Writing Tips
Before writing, identify 2-4 major topics you feel are important to address and
inform the reader about, this will help you to structure your writing and organize
your thoughts.
Example: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Major Ideas and Topics:
 Motherhood
 Self-discovery
 1960s
 Female bonds and friendship
Example of opinion and analysis:
Throughout The Secret Life of Bees, Lily is looking for her mother. This
manifests itself most literally in her travels to Tiburon, where she searches for any
place her mother might have been, to Lily’s desperate attempts to recollect the
limited memories her mother has left behind. Of course, her mother cannot be
physically found, nor can Lily’s fragmented memories be put back together with any
kind of factual authenticity—any time she receives information, she must question
the reliability of the source. Through this inability to resurrect her mother or her
mother’s memory, Lily must ultimately find the maternal care she craves in the
people and stories around her. This most notably occurs with her connection to
August Boatwright, and the religion of the honey sisters and Our Lady of Chains.
Personally, I found Lily’s discovery of herself and of the support systems around her
to be inspiring, showing that sometimes we must work to create a family out of
those who care about us.
On the surface, it is this desperate search for her mother that drives Lily.
However, as the book goes on, it becomes clear Lily is also desperately searching for
herself. It is this search that gives the book its interest. Certainly the mystery of
Lily’s mother is interesting, but it is the empathetic connection we feel as Lily tries
to understand who she is that keeps the reader going. Lily is a character with faults,
some she realizes (at one point Lily admits that until meeting August, she had
wrongly assumed she was naturally more intelligent than a person of color), others
she remains oblivious of. However, I thought this helped to make the book true to
life: even after drastic self-discovery, we are never developed in to perfect human
beings without flaws.
Book review tips and guidelines adapted from:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/bookrev/index.htm
English 9D
Choice Book Assignment
Below are listed overall descriptions of what an A, B, C, etc., book review looks like.
These are meant to be general descriptions to help guide you in your writing and let
you know what I will be looking for as I grade these assignments.
A
Overall, review is engaging and sophisticated, with a thoughtful and concise
summary introducing major ideas and themes of the text and giving the reader a
sufficient background from which to understand the review. Writing is thoughtful
and inviting, and opinions are grounded in analysis of the text. High-level thinking
about the text is communicated throughout all of the writer’s discussion of major
topics and ideas, with specific evidence and ideas from coursework used to help
support assertions.
B
Overall, review is interesting and solid, with a sufficient and focused summary of the
text, which may be a bit wordy, but does not detract from the overall success of the
review. Writing is conversational with strong connections to the text. High-level
thinking is seen frequently throughout the writer’s analysis of major topics and
ideas, with specific evidence and ideas form coursework used regularly with some
generalizations to help support assertions.
C
Overall, review is clear and covers assignment expectations and requirements.
Summary of text may be too wordy or too brief, either becoming the focus of the
review, or leaving the reader with too little information to work from for the
remainder of the review. Writing is conversational, but may struggle to achieve
credibility with only broad connections to the text. High-level thinking may be seen
occasionally, but is not followed through the entire piece. Writer includes analysis of
major topics, though may only address them at surface level without exploring
further. Little or only passing reference may be made to specific evidence and/or
ideas form coursework.
D
Overall, review is unclear and/or does not meet assignment expectations and
requirements. Summary may be missing, or review may never move past being a
summary of the text. Writing may be confusing or too conversational for a formal
review. Connections to text may be missing or too general, showing a lack of
understand of the text. High-level thinking is not apparent, and analysis of major
topics is lacking. Evidence from the text or coursework may be used in a manner not
fitting to a review.
F—Possible reasons:
 Does not fit review genre (no opinion given)
 Is clear the book has not been read
 No analysis given