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Read some great book reviews!

 

Have you read an interesting book and want to share your opinions about it?

Are you interested in writing a book review for YARA?

Do you have a different opinion about a book that has already been reviewed? 

Then we would love to hear from you.  Just follow the guidelines below - it is that simple !

 

 

Books to be reviewed for YARA must
  • be written by an Australian author
  • and/ or illustrated by an Australian artist
  • have a publication date of 2001or 2002 unless specifically waived by a YARA Committee Member

 
They may be supplied by the YARA Committee, be a library copy or the personal property of the reviewer.

Students in Kindergarten to Year 12 (or the state equivalent) may submit reviews independently of their school following  these guidelines. Students in home-school situations are also welcome to participate.
Reviews of books suitable for younger students and done by younger students may be submitted as a picture done in felt tip pen, scanned and saved in .gif format.  If a scanner is not available, hard copies of pictures may be sent to the YARA committee c/- Palmerston District Primary School, PALMERSTON ACT 2913.

 
All other reviews should be typed and emailed to either
Barbara Braxton (barbara@austarmetro.com.au) - younger readers

Stephen James_Smoult (sjsmoult@austarmetro.com.au) - older readers

 
They may be emailed directly or composed in Word using either Arial 12 or TNR 12 and sent as an attachment.  Please include “review of …” in the subject line.
Reviews must include the title, author and publisher and date of publication at the beginning and a brief synopsis of the story. If the book clearly fits a particular genre, please indicate this.

If the reviewed book is a personal or library copy, please include a copy of the cover, scanned and saved as a gif file.
Consideration should be given to

  • ·         appeal to its intended audience  

  • ·         choice of topic and its suitability for the intended age group  

  • ·         quality of the story 

 Plot
-are you hooked from the very beginning?
-can you see, hear and smell the background setting?
-can you feel the atmosphere the author is trying to create?
-is the plot plausible and easy to follow?
-does the story build to a climax?
-are you waiting for the climax?
-is there a satisfying ending?
-is it hard to put the book down?
-is it worth getting into trouble for reading it under the covers with a torch?

Characters
-are the characters credible?
-can you envisage them?
-do they have a real personality?
-can you form a bond with them?
-do you care about what happens to them in the end?
-are the relationships between them realistic?
-are the things they do in keeping with their personalities?
-is the dialogue realistic and natural and appropriate to the character?
-can you hear them talking?
-do you feel like an eavesdropper on their conversations?

Purpose
 -is the purpose of the story merely to entertain you?
-is the author trying to convey a message?
-is this subtle or does it intrude on the entertainment?
-how does the author's bias influence his/ her writing?
-does the story leave you with issues you want discussed or questions you would like answered?
-did you discover the message by yourself or did another person highlight them  for you?
-what are the main issues raised?
-are they appropriate for the intended audience and the format of the book?
-why has the author 'disguised' the issues within the context of a story?
-if you could talk to the author, what opinions would you offer about the issues raised? What other questions would you have?

  • quality of the illustrations, if any, and their integration with the text  
          -do the pictures help the reader understand the     story?
      -do they help to build up a sense of atmosphere and anticipation?

  • readability
     -is the language appropriate for the audience?
     -is the language rich and original and interesting?
    -are the words well to build up the atmosphere and to create images in your mind?
    -does the language and sentence structure contribute to the atmosphere?
    -is the style and size of print easy to read?
    -does the layout assist the reader?
    -is it a read-aloud, read-along or read-alone book?

  • offering a personal opinion of the book
     -is this is book you would like to receive or give as a gift?
     -is it a book you would spend your pocket money on?
     -would it be one that you would like to keep for your children to read?
    -would you recommend it to other students of your age?
    -have you been changed by reading this book?
    -are you glad that you read it?

 
Reviews should be about 250 words and be proof-read and edited before submission. A date for review returns will be given with the books.

To ensure safety, students may either supply

  • name, age and region (eg rural NSW) or

  •  nom-de-plume, age and school but the nom-de-plume must not refer to anyone else at the school.  For instance, if a student chooses Genevieve, then there must be no other students of that name at the school.
Other reviews of books already featured on the YARA site are very welcome as we want to provide as wide a range of opinions as possible
Review copies of books may be kept by the school in exchange for agreeing to ensure that reviews are sent to the Y.A.R.A. Committee by the due date.
Reviews will be posted on the Y.A.R.A. website as soon as possible after they are received.  Schools will be notified of their publication.

 


©Barbara Braxton
August  2001