Characteristics of Effective Book Reviews
- Engaging hook/lead-in
- Plot summary (for fiction)
- Context and background information)
- Character analysis
- Reader commentary
- Discussion of thematic ideas
- Connections (text, self, world)
- Concluding remarks
Holistic Scoring
4 = “A” Advanced – 95% or 100% Based on Quality
3 = “B” Proficient – 85%
2 = “C” Partial Evidence of Proficiency – 75%
1 = “D” Incomplete or Containing Serious Errors – 65%
*A response may be graded “in between” two scores. For example, a paper marked “2/3” means the student is between a “2” and a “3,” and they will receive an 80%.
Student Example Scored 2
A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer
A Child Called It is a very sad book about a boy where he gets treated badly. He gets treated like a maid. He always has to clean and he has to take care of his baby brother. His mom sometimes didn’t even feed him. He was kind of like a homeless person even though he had a home. His dad didn’t even care about him either. He was mostly never there.
One day when his mom was changing his baby brother he said he was hungry and so his mom made him eat his little brother’s poop out of the diaper. That was really messed up. It made me feel sad. I am happy that I have a family that at least feeds me and loves me. It pretty much made me value my family more.
But then when he got older he became something and then he wrote this book A Child Called It, which was really sad but interesting. The good thing was he became someone in life. I wonder why his mom treated him like that. He never did anything to her. Even most teenage moms treat their kids better.
If she knew she was going to treat him bad she should’ve never even had him. The kid should’ve done something too, like tell a social worker or something so he and his brother could’ve been taken from her and taken to a better home. The dad too. He didn’t care about them either. He should’ve thought twice before having a child.
Student Example Scored 3
Angel by James Patterson
There seems to never be an end to Max’s destiny to save the world. In James Patterson’s seventh book in the Maximum Ride series it all turns bad. Angel is about a time in Max’s life where not only does she have to deal with saving the world, she also has to deal with normal everyday things that humans have to deal with.
Max was told by her father Jeb that she has to lead a group of millions of genetically enhanced kids. You could say that is a pretty big task but being a teenage girl she has other problems too. The love of her life Fang has left her and the Flock because he thought he was bringing them danger. On top of that someone has come in Fang’s place who Max thinks she likes but doesn’t want to betray Fang.
The rest of the Flock also has their own problems. As of now Iggy and Ella are hypnotized by some villain into thinking he is the leader and can save the world. Gazzy and Nudge has some virus and Max can’t quite figure it out. The only normal people are Max and Angel. They need to save the Flock before it’s too late.
While the Flock is worrying about that stuff Fang is on his own searching for his own team. He is trying to recruit other genetically enhanced kids for a team he is trying to assemble. So far he has gotten a group of four other people that have raptor vision, super speed, and super strength. His plan is to turn everyone on his side and defeat whoever is trying to take over and destroy the world.
James Patterson really went off on this book. He made many different groups all trying to do the same thing, which is saving the world. His style seems to be making everything very intense and hectic to keep you on the edge and make you want to finish every last page. He accomplishes this by letting you get to know the characters and then putting them in harm and bone breaking battles. He writes about characters in such a way that lets you relate to them and feel their pain. James Patterson did not let me down on this book. This really turned out great and I can’t wait to read the last book in the series.
Student Example Scored 4
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Life for a teen can be hard and very confusing. There are the struggles to be outgoing and participate in life, as well as the challenges of growing up and finding friends that love you at your best and at your worst. In The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Charlie must face all these challenges and even more.
The story is written by Charlie himself, in the form of letters. He always begins with “Dear Friend” and ends with “Love Always, Charlie.” By the end of the novel, Charlie doesn’t say who he is writing to. He writes about starting high school, making friends, going to parties, but he also writes about some very intimate moments. He writes about his friend Sam, who he thinks is the most beautiful girl in the entire school. He talks about his family and how they don’t understand him.
Charlie is a strange boy. From the beginning of the novel he is a loner, even in his own family. He has a very short temper. For example, when his friend Patrick gets beat up for being gay, Charlie fights the attackers and seriously injures two of them. I believe that Charlie has had a rough life as it is. Before starting high school, his best friend Michael committed suicide. Then after that Charlie becomes severely depressed. This is the reason why Charlie is so emotional and quick-tempered.
Charlie’s life revolves around his school, his friends, and his family. In parts of the book Charlie is on the edge of sadness and depression. Sometimes Charlie’s friends are the ones that bring him into situations that end up making him more depressed than he was before but they also pick him up when he is in a dark place. The help shape him into the man he is now.
Charlie’s family is not really “there” for him. They love him and want the best for him, but they never know the right way to deal with him and help him through his struggles. This shows how family may want to help you, but they may not fully understand you.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a wonderful book for young adults. It reveals the life of a teen through Charlie’s words. This book could help adults better understand the inner life of teenagers. Recently, the book was adapted into a movie that has been praised in several newspapers and magazines and attracted greater attention to the novel.
Student Example Scored 4
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
As a teenager I know what it is like to have people constantly telling you what to do, and constantly telling you what is right and what is wrong. As rebellious teenagers, we wish for independence from these authority figures. For the boys in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, this wish becomes a reality.
The novel begins when a group of boys crash-land on a deserted island and are left to fend for themselves. With no adults, the boys create their own social hierarchy and rules. They elect twelve year old Ralph as their chief and all is well. Unfortunately, the good times come to an end when the adventure-seeking Jack challenges Ralph’s authority.
Ralph is a complex character with clear goals. He wants to be rescued and he wants the boys to stick together. The others, convinced he will do what it takes to be rescued, choose him to be their chief. As time passes he realizes that many of the boys don’t believe they are going to be rescued and only continue for the sake of living. Their hopes of being rescued are further diminished when Jack, the leader of the hunters, tells them to enjoy their position instead of standing around waiting for something that isn’t coming. The group is then divided between the hunters and the ones still hopeful for rescue.
In one scene Ralph sees a ship in the distance and his hope greatly increases. He runs to the top of the mountain where there is a fire burning to create smoke. To his horror he finds the fire is out and the ones he assigned to keep it going nowhere in sight. He becomes even more furious when he realizes that Jack had taken the two fire watchers with him on his hunt. This part of the book clearly shows the priority rescue is for Ralph and Jack.
A major theme in this book is human nature, and how a group of well taught British boys can turn into a group of hunters and killers. The events on this island mirror that of a fallen society. Differences between people and their motivations create an environment broken beyond repair.