Free Choice Book Review Assignment
Each marking period, you will choose one book to read independently. After reading, we want to
hear what you think of it in the form of a book review.
You may choose a book from the IMC or any other source. Please remember to bring your book to
class each day as some days will be quiet reading days.
Requirements:
 Book must be at least 100 pages but can be either fiction or nonfiction
 Review must be at least one page typed.
 Review must be your original work. Please review the NP plagiarism policy.
 Reviews are due one week before the end of the marking period.
Point Value – 40 points graded using the PSSA Writing Domains Rubric (Focus, Content,
Organization, Style, and Conventions)
TIP! Here are some questions you may want to consider as you write your review:
 Why did you choose this book? What drew you to it?
 What did you like or dislike about the book?
 Did it change your perspective or help you understand something better?
 Were you able to relate to the subject matter, characters, and/or plot? How so?
 Can you compare it to something else you have read or seen?
 Who would you recommend this book to? What age group or type of person might
enjoy this book?
Reader Review Example 1
"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck remains properly on the reading lists of high school students because of
the regional imagery through succinct dialogue. Unlike "Grapes of Wrath," Steinbeck brings us swiftly into
each moment, never letting us linger too long before walking us to the next place.
The American Dream has many variations, but always, it is about independence and the pride of being one's
own man. Lennie and George want this independence more than most men, but have less than most men to
get there. In their case, it isn't a white picket fence, but a farm where they can raise rabbits.
Lennie is not a bright man. He desires to care for someone and to be loved, but is unable to think past his own
fear. George tries to protect him, but he too, although smarter than Lennie, is managed by his insecurity and
foolishness.
The story surrounds Lennie and George's efforts to get and retain work on ranch near Soledad, and more so,
toward their American Dream. The big picture is always with them, but it is the day-by-day difficulties they
have with being outsiders. Their intrinsic inability to be free is sheer tragedy, as they both fail again and again
to make the right decision.
It's a lonely story about two men who hope more than they can think, who are destined by their misery never
to enjoy true companionship and happiness.
Few books are as thematically pure as "Of Mice and Men," which follows Man's search for self and meaning
carefully. It is harsh in language and image, and the abstract ideas might be too much for younger readers to
comprehend, but any intelligent teen will gain from it where John Knowles' "A Separate Peace" and J.D.
Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" leave off.
I fully recommend "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck.
Reader Review Example 2
I am a tenth grade student and I recently read "Of Mice and Men" for a school project. I thought it was an
excellent book. I felt that the author, John Steinbeck, did a first class job with this novel. It portrayed the
relationship between George and Lennie in a way that made you become very attached to the characters. You
wanted to read more to find out if they ever accomplished their goals and to see if their dreams became a
reality. George and Lennie are complete opposites; George is a small, quick intelligent man, while Lennie is a
man of huge dimensions but has the brain of a child. Throughout the story Lennie acts in ways that infuriate
George, but George will always be there for his friend because he knows Lennie needs him to survive. Lennie
can buck barley like no one else because of his pure strength, but would probably starve to death if he didn't
have George to provide his daily meals. I think that has to do with why this book has been banned in the past
by schools across the country. Some people may be offended by how the mentally challenged person is shown
in this story. It seems as though the view being expressed is that people with mental problems can't do
anything for themselves. They are also a constant threat to others because they cannot control themselves.
Lennie didn't realize what he was doing was wrong until it had gone too far. These are stereotypes of
mentally retarded people that some people may believe are reinforced by this novel. They are lead to believe
that this book is discriminatory towards the mentally challenged. Parents whom believed this did not want
their children reading this book because they did not want them to be exposed to these types of ideas. Also,
Curly's wife does not fit the traditional mould. She is unhappy with her marriage and is not completely loyal
to her husband like a conventional wife should be. She is always flirting with the men that work on the farm.
Some adults believed that this was unacceptable behavior to expose to children. I don't think that a school
today would even consider banning this book because cultural standards have changed greatly from when
this book was first published in 1937. I also don't believe that this book should have ever been banned. It is a
great book that takes you on an emotional roller coaster. Once you get started it is almost impossible to put
down. The ending is also written to perfection. It is unpredictable and is incredibly moving. I really enjoyed
reading this book and would recommend it anyone.
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” ~Joseph Addison