For 6-8-year-olds: Dictate to a grownup or write it yourself.
9 and above: Write it yourself!
We write book reviews to help other readers find good books (and avoid bad ones). Nobody has time to read everything. Why should they read this book? Your book review does not have to be long (three sentences to three paragraphs is good), but try to answer some of the following questions, especially the ones marked with an asterisk *.
*Think of a title for your review. Sometimes the best title will come to you after you’ve written the rest.
*What is the book about? Don’t give away the whole plot, but give your readers an idea of whether the subject will interest them.
Did you share the book with anyone? For example, did you read it with a friend or family member?
*What is something special or different about this book?
(Illustrations, subject matter, characters, etc.)
What kind of book is it? Is the book funny, sad, informative, comforting, scary, fascinating?
Did you especially like or relate to any of the characters? Did you feel as if you’ve been in a situation similar to one of the characters?
Name something special or surprising you learned or thought about because of this book.
Did the book make you want to learn more about any particular subject?
Were there ways you wish the book had been different? For example, shorter, scarier, or you wish it had more giraffes in it.
*What kinds of readers will most like this book? For example, kids who love animals, kids who like math, kids who dream of going to space.
*What is your overall rating of the book? Amazon has a 5-star rating system. Remember, 5 stars doesn’t have to be the best book you ever read, just a book you really like and think others will too.
5 stars: I really liked it, and you probably will too.
4 stars: I liked it, but it wasn’t one of my favorites. Maybe I wish a couple of things had been different.
3 stars: It was just okay.
2 stars: I didn’t like it.
1 star: It was terrible. Don’t read it.
