APUSH Summer Book Review Guidelines

A book review tells not only what a book is about but also how successfully an author has achieved his or her goals in writing. Book reviews are a step in analytically reading a book. Your book review will bring together both your reading of the book and your response to the book. In writing your review, you will combine a description of the contents of the book, your analysis of that content, and your reaction to the book.

Ask yourself these questions as you read your book:

What are the author's purpose and point of view?

What are the author's main points?

What evidence does the author use to support those points?

How effectively does the author support his or her main points?

Does the author present a unique perspective on the topic?

What personal/professional experience does the author have in writing this book?

Procedure

1. Identification: Identify the book by author, title, and publishing information.

2. Introduction: Introduce to your readers the content of your review. Include the author's name and title of the book again, a brief overview of the book and theme, the type of book, the purpose or intended audience for the book, and a brief reaction to the book.

3. Background: Set the context of the book.

4. Summary: Briefly summarize the content of the book, providing an overview of the book's thesis and supporting ideas providing, when appropriate, specific references to the content of the book.

5. Evaluation: Provide your evaluation of the book, its effectiveness at addressing the topic, points convincing and lacking in support. How effective is the format of the book?

6. Reaction: This is where you give your response to the book and convey any personal experiences you have had related to the subject.

7. Conclusion: This last portion of the review should summarize and tie together the main ideas raised in your book review. This would be an appropriate place to offer advice to potential readers.

The review should be one seamless essay of two to four pages in length (not broken up into Q&A format).

Due Date: August 25th, 2014

Choose ONE of the following to read:

Patriots: The Men Who Started the American Revolution by A. J. Langguth

Men to Match My Mountains by Irving Stone

Wait Till Next Yearby DorisKearns Goodwin

Born for Liberty: A History of Women in America by Sara Evans

Infamous Scribblers by Eric Burns