book review ks3

Author Luisa Plaja offers her top tips for how to write a brilliant review of the latest book you read – whether you liked it or not.
Focus on your thoughts and feelings about the story and the way it was told. You could try answering a couple of the following questions:

• Why do you think other readers would enjoy it? Why did you enjoy it (if you did) or why didn’t you (if you didn’t).
• What ages or types of readers do you think would like the book?
• How does it compare with other books that are in the same genre or by the same author?
• Does the book engage your emotions? If a book made you laugh or cry or think about it for days, be sure to include that.
• What do you like or dislike about the author’s writing style? Is it funny? Is it hard to follow? Is it engaging and conversational in tone?
• How well do you think the author achieved what s/he was going for in the writing of the book? Do you think you felt what the author was hoping you would feel?
• Did the book feel complete, or did it feel as though key elements were left out?
• How does the book compare to other books like it you’ve read?

When reviewing a book of nonfiction, you will want to consider these questions:

Use concrete examples to back up your points, such as describing a scene that really moved you or using a couple of short quotes from the book.
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At the Cathedral, our tour guide (a volunteer, and allegedly nearing 80, though looking and sounding far younger) took a small group of us around the Cathedral, using stories to engage his group. The students were especially excited by the “ghost of Thomas Becket” seen from a certain angle. In the afternoon, they settled onto the grass around the Cathedral to begin to plan their own pilgrimage story, complete with moral aspect.
The basic plot-line is that a tree-monster wakes a child up and scares him lots, but also teaches him lots, especially about the very difficult trials he is going through with an extremely ill mother. This isn’t a book about death though, or really even suffering. It’s a book about resilience and faith against the odds.

You’ll not only be engaging your pupils with digital literacy but also immersing them in the text of your chosen book, exploring storylines, authorial intent and opinions.
Click here to watch an example of what your pupils could make!

References:

http://www.mensaforkids.org/teach/lesson-plans/book-review-guide/
http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/tips-howtos/help-child-write-book-30292.html
http://readingallthebooks.com/tag/ks3/
http://litfilmfest.com/shop/reading-rocks-reviews-ks3-4/
http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/tips-howtos/help-child-write-book-30292.html