Indpendent Reading

Step 1 - Choose a book. This is the most important part of the assignment. Students often think that choice is good, but when you can choose absolutely any book, it can become overwhelming. 

•  Decide what topics you like. What movies and television shows do you like? What do you do in your free time? What is the latest web searches you have done?

  • Don't 

    • Pick the skinniest book.

    • Pick a book that you partially or completely read for another class.

    • Pick a book with a movie so you don't have to read it.

• Consult friends, family, experts, or Google. The book will not just fall into your lap. You must now research. Ask a teacher or librarian about _____________________. Google, "books about _________________." 

• Locate the book. Read the back. Read the first few pages. Judge the cover. Google reviews. Goodreads.com is a good place to look for reviews by your peers. 

• Read the first fifty pages. If you are not hooked, consider changing books

Step 2 Read

• Carry the book with you everywhere you go. Every time you consider looking at your phone to fill time, read the book instead.

• Set realistic goals. When do you need to finish the book? Divide the number of pages in the book by the number days you have to read it.

• Since you have to write a review, take notes of interesting scenes and powerful quotes. You can do this on Goodreads.com or a notebook.

Step 3 Write and Publish Your Review

• Form an opinion about the book. Assuming that you would have only picked a book that you like, your opinion is most likely, "This book is good"

• Using this opinion create a thesis. "This book is good because (three to four reasons)."

  • Possible reasons are the characters, the plot, the authors style, the setting,  and the theme.

• Collect supporting details from your notes and text to prove your point.

• Review the outlines

  • Fiction

  • Non-Fiction

• Write review. Have the teacher or a peer check it.

• Rewrite review.

• Publish review on Goodreads.com

Examples

Catch by Will Leitch (Sam Watts)

Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Ashley Hayes)

The Revenant by Michael Pulke (Holden)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Holden)

Outside Resources

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/704/01/

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/book_reviews.shtml

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/bookrev.html