Book Reviews as Book Marks
I was recently strolling through my local super department store when I came across these notecards.
They are book mark cards.
As you can see, they have a flap on top. It allows you to slide the card onto a book jacket or a page.
They come in five colors, fifteen cards in each color.
I think these book mark cards would be great for writing book reviews. Students could get blank cards from their school librarian or from their teacher.
Before they had a card in their hands, it would be wise to model how to write a book review. For me, I like to keep reviews short and reveal just enough to tempt the potential reader. Brevity is a virtue.
My present format for a quick book review:
I (liked, really liked, loved) the book (the title) because (give reason to support opinion).
For instance, (use evidence from the book to support your opinion).
To differentiate for students who struggle with writing, the bolded words could be provided on the cards as prompts.
Here is an example of what a book review could look like on one of these cards, using the excellent Wonder by R.J. Palacio:
Books with attached student reviews coud be displayed on the top of the book cases. Featured books could also have their own shelf in the library or classroom. It would be similar to how book stores designate an area for staff to attach reviews for their favorite reads.
How do you a) encourage students to recommend what they read, and b) celebrate your students' writing? Your comments are appreciated!
