Bookmark

19 Writing About Books

Page
089
from
Write Away

Start-Up Activity

Bring to class a few short reviews of favorite books. Read them aloud to your students and ask if the review makes them interested in the books. Why or why not?

Then ask students to share what their favorite books are. Display their suggestions.

Afterward, ask if students could write a review that would make others want to read their favorite books? This chapter will help them.

Think About It

“It's important to try to write something every day, your diary, a letter, a book review.”

—Nancy Garden

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 090 from Write Away

SAMPLE Book Review

Read the two questions at the top of the page and let students know that each paragraph in the sample answers one of the questions.

Then have volunteers read each paragraph. Afterward ask your class the questions:

What is the book about? (Julius, the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes, in which Lilly is mad at her little brother)
Why did the writer like the book? (It made her laugh a lot, and she sometimes feels the way Lilly does.)

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

LAFS.2.RL.1.1

TEKS Standard:

110.4.b.6.B, 110.4.b.8

NE ELA Standard:

LA 2.1.6.i

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:

Grade 2

Mode:

Response to Literature

Form:

Book Review

Theme:

Books

English Language Arts:

Reading Writing

Page 091 from Write Away

SAMPLE Book Review

Have volunteers read the two paragraphs in the nonfiction book review. Then ask students the question that each paragraph answers:

What is the book about? (More Simple Signs by Cindy Wheeler, which teaches how to do American sign language)
Why does the writer like the book? (She likes to learn things and is excited to have her gym teacher teach her more signs.)

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

LAFS.2.RI.1.2

TEKS Standard:

110.4.b.9.D

NE ELA Standard:

LA 2.1.6.e

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:

Grade 2

Mode:

Response to Literature

Form:

Book Review

Theme:

Books

English Language Arts:

Reading Writing

Page 092 from Write Away

Prewrite and Write

Ask students to think about a book they recently read. The book can be fiction or nonfiction. Have them quickly jot down what happened in the book or what the book was about. If they don't remember enough about the book, have them choose another book to write about.

Then, have students create a first draft of their reviews by answering the two questions:

What is this book about?
Why do I like this book?

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

LAFS.2.RL.1.1

TEKS Standard:

110.4.b.6.B, 110.4.b.8

NE ELA Standard:

LA 2.1.6.i

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:

Grade 2

Mode:

Response to Literature

Form:

Book Review

Theme:

Books

English Language Arts:

Reading Writing Process Prewriting Writing

Page 093 from Write Away

Revise and Edit

After students finish their first drafts of their book reviews, lead them through the material on this page. Provide the revising and editing checklists to help them improve their work.

Downloads: