Book Review Template

Please use the template below to complete your book review.

As you go through the book you may wish to jot notes to help you compile the reader's review. Please use the following headings and submit your report on paper and in electronic format using MS Word (email to:< info@meta.ie>)

Bear in mind that the book will have to serve a number of needs:

· The audience - what is the age, gender composition and ability level of the group?

· Reading level - what is the reading ability range of the group? What is the reading difficulty level of the book?

· Relevance -How relevant is the book to the audience in terms of their interests? Is this an issue?

· Thematic integration - how can this text be integrated into a broader teaching programme? What range of resources is available to support the text?

· Methodology - what methodologies can be considered in the teaching of this book?

· Assessment - how will you assess the learning outcomes of the book? What methods and instruments would be appropriate.

The points raised above are general in nature. You may not necessarily have to consider them all in the case of each text.

Use the notes prompted by the headings below to write a fluent paragraph(s) of 250 - 300 words.

Enjoy a good read!

Use these headings in organising your book review

1. Book: Title, Author, Publisher and priceYour name, school and class (if applicable)**

2. Theme: what is the book about?What questions does the book address and discuss?Does the author take sides? Does the author sympathise with a particular viewpoint?

3. Characters: who are the main characters and what are their interests and relationships?How does the central character change and develop through the novel?

4. Style: comment on the author's written style. e.g. use of language quality of narrative, description, dialogue, evocation of place, mood , atmosphere etc.

5. Personal Response:What did you enjoy (or dislike) about the book? Pick a scene or an example to illustrate your comment.Would you recommend the book to someone else? If so, why?

6. Audience and RatingWhat audience would you recommend this title for?

Rate the book on a scale of 1 - 4 where 1 = dead boring and 4 = interesting and fascinating reading material 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Comment: the template proved very successful in producing standardised book reviews which could be read and compared. This allowed students to compare books on the basis of the ratings as well as the specific comments.

The template can be downloaded in its original form by clicking on this link: download reading template ( saved in Acrobat {pdf} format )

click on this button to download the free reader