Embedded Files
Any book selected for this assignment either 1) be on the NCYA current list or 2) be a title available to be nominated for the 2015 award. Copyright date can be earlier than 2012. If the book is on the list, you may vote for the book if you desire for the 2014 award year. If you would like to nominate the book you read, you may do so as well.
Format: Assignment Guidelines
For additional format specifics, please see example below for a fiction title:
Sorceress
by Celia Rees
Call Number: F REE Genre: Historical Fantasy
Double space in between the title and the text of the review.
Part One: This first paragraph (at least 5 sentences long) should be a brief and engaging plot
summary. This part is designed to convince your fellow classmates to read the book, so it
must be engaging but without giving away too much of the story. DO NOT USE “YOU” IN YOUR
REVIEW. Always refer to the reader or the audience.
WARNING Plagiarism (copying any part of the material from another source) will result in any automatic zero.
Part Two: The second paragraph should consist of comments on the book and the elements
of the story, the good, the bad, and the ugly with examples from the story to support your
comments. HOWEVER, the commentary must be written in the 3rd person; in other words, DO
NOT begin your comments with the word “I.” Instead, begin your comment with whatever you
are commenting on. For example, if you thought one of the characters was particularly funny
you could say, “Roger, the older brother, was very funny and kept the story going with his antics
like getting stuck in the toilet.” Note that the comment does not begin with “I” and that an
example or reason for the comment/opinion is provided. You would NOT say, “I really liked
Roger because he was so funny”--- one because the comment starts with “I” and two because no
reason or example from the story is given to support the comment. You may also speak about
other elements of the story, such as certain scenes or events, or a technique the author used like
flashbacks or flash-forwards. Your review does not have to be all positive, you may write about
those elements which you did not like as well----just be careful NOT to say, “I think” or “I liked”
or “I didn’t like” etc. The review should end with a recommendation for or against the book
and the reason why. “This book is not/recommended for/because….
Book review may be turned in early for critique and resubmitted for a grade.
Rees, Celia. Sorceress. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2002. Print.
(THE BOOK MUST BE NO OLDER THAN 3 YEARS FROM THE CURRENT YEAR)
(Don't forget that in a citation, if there is more than one line, the second line should have a hanging
indent - like this line)
Robin Jordan
Page footer:
Rev. 8/2013 R. Jordan
Educational Media I, Page 10 of 16
Rubric for grading the Fiction Book Review
Fiction Book Review
Name ______________________
Grade _____
For a Non-fiction title:
NCYA Non-Fiction Book Review Guidelines
Format: see specifications in Assignment Guidelines
For additional format specifics, please see example below:
Forever Outsiders
by Linda Jacobs Altman
Call Number: 940.53 ALT
Content:
The purpose of the non-fiction review is to let other students know whether or not
this particular book would be helpful for doing research on the subject it’s about. For
example, if you were to review a non-fiction book on teen suicide, your review would
focus on how useful the book is for research on teen suicide. Do not use “I” or “YOU”
in the review.
Part One: This is a brief summary of what the book covers or the content of the book.
Explain WHAT the main topic is, HOW the author covers the topic (in what main
sections), and indicate any special FEATURES that book includes like a list of helpful
organizations or websites, etc.
WARNING Plagiarism (copying any part of the material from another source) will result in any automatic zero.
Part Two: Use the specific terms on the Information Problem Solving: Evaluation of
Sources handout to evaluate how useful this book is for research. You do not have
to discuss Availability since you will only be able to review books that are available
in our Media Center. You may choose to discuss either Appropriateness or Relevance
since they mean essentially the same thing. If there are illustrations, comment on
whether or not they are helpful and why/not. Think about what you would want to
know if you were doing a research paper on the topic. For example, if the book is
about a disease, you will definitely want to know about the causes, symptoms, and
treatments. If any of these topics are not addressed or can’t be easily found, you
should comment on that. If you cannot find all of the information you would expect
or need, state what type of information you would add. At the end of the section,
indicate whether or not the book is recommended and why.
Altman, Linda Jacobs. Forever Outsiders. Woodbridge, CT: Blackbirch Press, 1998
Bobby Jameson
(THE BOOK MUST BE NO OLDER THAN 3 YEARS FROM THE CURRENT YEAR)
Non-Fiction Book Review Rubric
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