Book/Film Reviews

Each student will be responsible for three book and one film (or four book) reviews.  One will be due each quarter.  Students may choose their own books and/or films.  The film review can be done during the quarter of the student's choice. 

Reviews are worth 100 points.

The due date for the first review will be given after school starts.  You may turn it in at any time. 

When choosing books:  Please try to choose a book that is at or above your current reading (grade) level.  Students in pre-AP courses should choose adult level books, rather than young adult level books.  Books can be fiction, non-fiction, or a poetry anthology.  Students in English 301 must choose at least two books from the American Classics list.  See me if you have questions or for recommendations.  Try to challenge yourself.

When choosing films:  Films MUST be chosen from the AFI's top 100 list.  No exceptions.  

Nuts and bolts:  This is NOT a book report!  I do not want a lengthy, detailed summary of the work.  See the questions to consider below.  The report must be typed, double-spaced, in 12 point Times New Roman font, and printed in black or dark blue ink with one-inch margins.  This report should be between two and four typed pages in length and in MLA style, including a full book citation at the top of the first page.  Please remember to type your full heading at the top of the page. 

Format:  Begin with an introduction that gets the reader's attention and states the title and author of the book (or the title, director, and major stars for films).  Then give a ONE PARAGRAPH summary of the plot (by one paragraph, I mean a normal paragraph, not a two-page paragraph).  More than one paragraph of summary will result in a grade deduction.  Then answer as many of the questions to consider below as you need to give a detailed and organized analysis of your book or film.  Note that some questions are required; some are optional.  End with a conclusion.  Note also that this should be written in ESSAY FORMAT.  Questions are just a guideline. 

Questions to consider:

*indicates a required question

*What was your opinion of the work?  Why?

*Would you recommend it to others?  Why or why not? 

*What is the author/director's purpose?  Did he/she achieve it?

Do you agree with the views the author or director expressed in the work?  Explain.

Did you identify with the characters? Why or why not?

What did you feel was the tone or atmosphere of the work?  How did the author or director achieve this? 

For whom would this work be appropriate? (ex.  kids, teenagers, families, people who like science fiction, etc.)  For whom would it not be appropriate?

What do you feel are the major themes of the work?  Explain.

What is your opinion of the author's writing style?  What did you like or dislike about the language, tone, and structure of the work? 

Is there anything here that you would like to imitate in your own writing?

Has this work enriched your life in any way?  What new ideas (if any) can you take away from it?

Has this work inspired you to seek out similar works or sequels?  Why or why not?

Do you think this work would be appropriate for a class?  Why or why not?

Did this work remind you of your own life in any way?  How?

What ideas put forth in this work apply to our society as a whole?  For example, is the author or director critical of anything that is going on the world outside the story?  What can we as people learn from this work?