Goodreads Book Review Assignment – Choice Book

Due Friday, February 3, 2017

50 points

Directions: You will write about your independent reading in the style of the Goodreads website or app, then submit a copy to me via Google Drive. Remember, spelling and grammar count! Your review should be three or more paragraphs in length, and to earn full credit, your review must include in the following three components:

*Opening statements/Synopsis (Summary): Include title, genre, and author, as well as main characters and brief overview of main plot. Be careful not to give away too much (think cliffhanger)!

*Opinions on Characters, Setting, Theme, etc.: Choose one or more areas to critique. You could also compare your book to others in the same genre or make a connection to your life or something in the real world.

*Overall impression: This is where you give your personal impression of the book. Choose what you want to say about the book.

When you are ready to submit your work, share your review on Google Drive. In addition, you will make a Goodreads account in class, then post your finished review to our class thread. We will be using this account for our book clubs, too, so you will need to remember your login and password!Warning: Goodreads.com is a PUBLIC website, so you need to remember that people other than your teachers and classmates may see your writing and comment on it.

In addition:

Post/Share your review on time. This means you were DONE typing your review BEFORE the start of your class on the due date. You MAY NOT complete the assignment during class!

Post in the correct discussion thread of our class group on Goodreads.com.

Your review should be at least 12 –15 sentences long OR 3 paragraphs or more.

It should make connections, tell what you think and how you feel, and/or make predictions about what you read.

It should NOT be only summary. Include opinions supported by text evidence.

Your review should communicate clearly without too many mechanical errors.

Questions to Prompt Your Thinking:

Were the characters believable? Who was your favorite character, and why?

What problems did the main character(s) encounter?

Could you relate to any of the characters in the story?

What was your favorite part of the book? Do you have a least favorite part of the book?

If you could change something, what would it be? (If you wish you could change the ending, don’t reveal it!)

What type of reader would enjoy this book?

Sample Goodreads Review

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater is part fantasy, part mythology, and has a whole bunch of horses. Yes, the main characters are teenagers, but there is nothing silly or trivial about their problems. Puck has lost her parents and is about to lose her older brother. She rashly decides to enter a horse race that happens once a year; a race that claims the lives of many of the participants. Sean has also had loss in his life. He races every year and he wins. This story is set in Thisby, a small imaginary island with unknown history and one extraordinary feature--water horses.

This story captured my imagination through Stiefvater’s ability to transform the landscape and the natural elements into characters. We know about the wind, water, and cold. We know about the possibility of island life leaving us feeling claustrophobic. These elements create an atmosphere thick like the early fall mists that cover our fields and roads.

So many characters in this novel are starting over, or desperately want too. Gabe, Puck’s older brother, is determined to leave the island, to start his life on the mainland. Sean is offered an opportunity to move to the States, and Puck needs to find a way to reconcile the loss of her parents, and of Gabe. Stiefvater creates characters who struggle and fail, but who strive with all their might to make their new start happen.

What I love about this book is its honest exploration of trust and loyalty. There are many dilemmas, and Stiefvater does not set out to tell her readers what to do. Rather, she tells a compelling story and leaves it to us to draw our own conclusions.

Goodreads Book Review Rubric

Name of writer:______

Category / Highest Possible Score / Score Earned
Synopsis:
Summary consists of a focused discussion of major themes, ideas, and/or characters from the work. It combines information and ideas from the book using a personal tone. / 10
Literary Analysis or Connection:
Many vivid, descriptive words and sensory details are used to describe the characters, settings, themes, or to make a connection. The analysis or connection is logical and appropriate to the subject matter. The material is fully developed and presented in an original and interesting way. / 10
Critique/Response:
Critique consists of thoughts, responses and reaction to the novel. The student reviewer reacts to the themes, the author's aims or intent, the subject of the book, how well it is written and overall success or failure of the book. / 10
Style:
The choice of words is mature and appropriate. There is clear and varied sentence structure, and the tone is appropriate for the audience and subject matter. Sentence starts are varied. / 10
Conventions:
There is correct use of grammar, mechanics, spelling, and sentence formations. Heading is appropriate and follows the MLA format given. A creative title is used. Text is typed. / 10

Final Grade:______/50______