Conducting Book Review

[yuvaraj]

I would like to conduct book review for the students in my Library. How can I conduct book reviews in Architecture Library?

[Sampa Nandy]

Required Elements
1. Author - Last Name First Title - Underlined
2. Illustrator - Last name first, Copyright Date, Number of Pages 
3. Description/Genre - Brief Description of the type of book, ie. Picture Book, Fiction, Nonfiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Biography, Poetry, etc.
4. Review - In as few words as possible, write an evaluative summary including qualifiers such as excellent, humorous, poignant, well researched, etc. Tell what is great about the book. Your review should inspire others to want to read the book. 
5. Suggestions for Classroom Use/ Curriculum Connections - Write all the possible curriculum areas to which this book relates. Tell how this book could be used with students.
6. Awards - If you are aware of any awards the book has won, list them here. If not, omit this category. If the book has received any awards, doing a google search for the title plus the word awards, will often provide you with the information you need .
7. NYS & Commom Core Standards Connections - Use Common Core Standards for Language Arts, Common Core Standards for Mathematics, and New York State Standards for Social Studies, Science, Technology and other subject areas to provide applicable standards connections for the book.
8. Recommended Grade Level(s) - Although most books are suitable for more than one grade level, we need to know where we should post your review. Be specific when you write the grade level. You could say, for example, Grade 2, but also appropriate for grades 1 and 3.
9. Reviewed by - Your Name, School, Position, Date (M/Y)

Format Models Sample #1 Van Draanen, Wendelin - Secret Identity (Shredderman 1) Illus. by Brian Biggs, c2004, 138 p. Description - Realistic Fiction (First Person), Intermediate Grade Chapter Book Review - What a great book! Nolan (aka Nerd) Byrd adopts a secret identity in order to seek revenge on the 5th grade class bully...Alvin (aka Bubba) Bixby. The story is a little far fetched, but believable and the outcome will make you want to stand up and cheer for Nolan and his terrific teacher. The pen and ink illustrations are a plus. Curriculum Connections - Great read-aloud for intermediate grades. Character Education is a natural connection as teasing and bullying are the main themes of the book. Could also serve as a springboard to writing a newspaper article or other creative writing assignment. Standards - Personal Health and Fitness - HPF1.IFC1C, HPF2.I.HE1B Awards - 2005 Maine Student Book Award  Grade level - The story takes place in a fifth grade classroom, but 3rd and 4th graders would also enjoy this book.  Reviewed by - Beth Disque, Birchwood Elementary School, Media Specialist, 2/06 Sample #2 Swinburne, Stephen R. - Turtle Tide: The Ways of Sea Turtles Illus. by Bruce Hiscock, c2005, unp Description - Picture Book/Nonfiction Review - A mother sea turtle swims to shore to lays her eggs. Nature then takes its course as the eggs incubate and hatch. Filled with detail about the life cycle of the turtles, readers will understand why people decide to rescue these creatures. Hiscock's vivid watercolors depict the perils these creatures encounter. Appended is a 2 page spread giving more details about sea turtles and their endangered status. Curriculum Connections - Read-aloud for primary grades studying endangered animals; Research book for older students studying endangered animal or sea creature projects; A read-aloud text for teaching note taking techniques and information organization as a whole class demonstration lesson; model for writing about a process and/or cycle; model for showing how illustration represents text. NYS Standards - Science Performance Indicators MST4.E.LE1B, 2, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 5A, 5B Grade Level - Reading level grade 3 but useful for a variety of levels Reviewed by - Cheryl Cufari, Glencliff Elementary School, Media Specialist 2/06

[yuvaraj]

Thanks for your Guidance 

[Siddhartha Shankar Ray]

Dear Sri Yuvaraj,

Thanks for your post. In plain words, reviewing a book essentially requires reviewer's understanding of the subject.

In case you know the subject you have mentioned, you can follow Ms. Sampa Nandy's well structured format.

However, I disagree with very first sentence in the 4th. point in her post!!

Writing a review is an academic discourse. and a book review is regarded as an equivalent of a journal article. You can consult any issue of NYRB/LRB and see by yourself.

In Humanities & Social Science M.Phil, writing book reviews as a term paper is somewhat essential. It is an indicator of the one's personal understanding of an issue/theme and the ability to analyze certain issue/theme Unless, you are able to do this job, all other issues will be futile!! As I understand, there are several sites where you can get requisite inputs.

.For example, I have with me a book Principles of Neural Science; 5th. Ed. McGraw-Hill, 2013 Edited by Eric J. Kendel etal. 1709p., illus. 28.00 cm (ISBN:9780071390118) I am virtually sure that unless, one has good understandings of the subject, it is impossible to write a review of this book.One can however structure it physical entities, but if  one does not have background of the subject,it will be noting but a sort of what is called  "Gallery Show"

That's all!!

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray