Name of Reviewer:
Period:
Number of stars you give this book:
Big Mouth and Ugly Girl by [adjective] author Joyce Carol Oates is a/an[insert adjectives expressing your opinion] novel that begins when an eleventh-grader named Matt Donaghy[what happens to Matt?].AlthoughMattis a smart, funny, and fairly popular kid in the [adjective[s] describing town] town of Rocky River, New York, he has another side to his personality he calls [??]. While this alter ego definitely gets him into trouble, it doesn’t stop [who?](aka, Ugly Girl), a/an[adjective, adjective] girl with a split personality of her own, from helping him.As the story moves forward, it tackles themes like [??? list some big ideas the book covers???].
One reason I really [liked/disliked] the book was [???????].For example, [describe a scene or use some quotes to make your point].This shows that the book is [adjective for good or bad] because it [did what to you as a reader?].
Another reason I [loved/hated]thisnovel was [???????]. It was so [positive or negative adjective] when [describe a scene or use a quote].
It is [blank] like this/these that makes Big Mouth and Ugly Girl a truly [negative or positive adjective] book that I think you should [recommended action].
WORD/IDEA BANK
You can use all, some, or none of these words and ideas.They are just here to help get you unstuck or get the ball rolling.
bestselling • acclaimed award-winning • renowned • prolific • overlong • emotional • dull • rich • affluent • big • athletic • horsey confident • suburban • mostly white • touching • tender • heartwarming exciting • believable • terrific • enjoyable • miserable • reading experience • ridiculous • dreadful • dialogue • language • similes • point of view • perspectives • short chapters • symbolism • eventful • action-filled • superb • unrealistic • relevant • irrelevant • idiotic • unbelievable • irritating • aggravating • weak • wonderful • tiresome • suspenseful • dramatic • well-written • sloppy • silly • suicide • coming of age • teen troubles • freedom of speech • first love • fate • family issues • peer pressure • cliques • depression • the importance of true friends • romance • young love • alter egos • girls and body image
Sample reviews from GoodReads.com
Rubric: I will give your review 1 through five points and multiply by twenty. Best possible score = 5 x 20 or 100. If your review falls in between the rubric numbers, I will give you a fractional score (For example, you might get a 3.5 if it is between a 3 and a 4.)
5 (Great):Convincingly makes your case about howyou felt about the book • Excellent, accurate use of quotes/evidence from the book to make your point • Fresh ideas • Very few grammar/spelling mistakes
4 (Very good): Clearly states what your opinion of the book is • Uses good quotes and accurate support from the book • Some original ideas • Carefully proofread without many errors
3 (Just OK): Generally clear what your opinion is • Some quotes or support • Flashes of originality • Some spelling or grammar errors but not enough to be confusing
2 (Not very good):It is confusing what your opinion is • Insufficient or inaccurate use of quotes or support from book • Unoriginal or factually incorrect interpretations • Sloppy spelling, many grammatical errors
1 (Really bad): No clear idea what is being expressed • No quotes or evidence from book • Plagiarized ideas/words of another writer without citation • So many mistakes in spelling or grammar, reading is almost impossible