7 elements of a good book review

Looking for elements of a good book review? Try the folks at Scholastic (How to Write a Book Review by Rodman Philbrick). Seven elements for book reports include:

1. Identify title, author, genre, and theme.
2. Share your personal reactions (what it made you feel and think).
3. Summarize what happened and what it meant (but don’t spoil the ending for the rest of us!).
4. Note characters or points that you loved or hated and why.
5. Describe the writer’s style (descriptions that pulled your senses into the story, the moral, character or argument development, dialogue, etc.).
6. Reflect on the time, culture, or perspective in which is was written or set.
7. Conclude why it is or is not worth reading.

These tips work whether you’re writing for school, for your personal journal, or for widespread publication (such as a print magazine or even blogging). I’ve been a fan of Scholastic and its selection since I was in school. It’s nice to see some really good resources from this company online. Philbrick starts with an example to elicit discovery, then lists some excellent, concrete writing tips, some questions to elicit deeper thought, guidelines for revision or checks for success, and how to publish it.