1. Before you begin writing, plan it out. Put your ideas in a graphic organizer with paper and pencil.
2. Remember your audience is other kids like you who want to check out your book.
3. Always mention the name of the author and the book title in the first paragraph — don't drive people crazy by forgetting that information.
4. Stay organized! Use one paragraph for each point you want to make about the book. Your points are your topic sentences. You might want to list the main points in your notes before you begin.
5. Try to get the main theme of the book across in the beginning of your review. Your reader should know right away what he or she is getting into should they choose to read the book!
6. Think about whether the book is part of a genre. Does the book fit into a type like mystery, adventure, or romance? What aspects of the genre does it use?
7. What do you like or dislike about the book's writing style? Is it funny? Does it give you a sense of the place it's set? What is the author's/narrator's "voice" like?
8. Try using a few short quotes from the book to illustrate your points. It's a good way to give your reader a sense of the author's writing style.
9. Make sure your review explains how you feel about the book and why, not just what the book is about. A good review should express the reviewer's opinion and persuade the reader to share it, to read the book, or to avoid reading it.
10. Do research about the author and incorporate what you learn into the review. This strategy gives your review a "depth." Remember, a book doesn't come directly from a printing press, it's a product of an author's mind, and therefore it may be helpful to know something about the author and how she or he came to write the book.
