Writing Literature paper 4
The books to choose from
The Jim Crow Guide: The Way It Was by Stetson Kennedy. (This book may be in print, but it is not available at the bookstore. You can find it the complete book online
at The Way It Was
If you prefer, there is also a PDF version: https://muse.jhu.edu/book/1052
Best. State. Ever.: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland by Dave Barry (any edition)
The Prince of Los Cucuyos by Richard Blanco
A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith
Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
Book Review
Assignment: Write a book review for one of the books from the Reading Assignment for Project 4.
Word Count: 600-700 words (Be sure to observe theword count.)
Audience: Friends and Classmates
Content:
Support your statements with examples and/or facts from the book or from real life. Avoid generalized statements.
Format:
MLA Style
Include the headings listed below:
• Introduction• Content• Ideas• Strengths and/or Weaknesses• Recommendation
The Review: (Be sure to use the headings listed below for each section. If you do not include the headings, I will not read your paper. The grade is 0.)
• Introduction: o Make this appealing so your audience wants to read the review. Give the name of the book and author. o Explain briefly what kind of book it is (genre). For example, is it fiction, nonfiction, humor, essays, etc.?
• Content: Give a brief summary of the content, 4-5 sentences maximum.
• Issues/Ideaso Answer these questions: What issues/ideas does the author explore and what is his/her position on these issues? How do these issues and/or ideas relate to current issues or issues in the past? Note: all of these books explore issues and/or ideas. They may be world issues or personal issues, but each author reveals a position and/or idea.
• Strengths and/or Weaknesses: o Discuss the writer’s approach, style, and the tone of the book. For example, is the tone comic, serious, satiric, etc.? Does the author mix styles and tones?o Evaluate the quality of the writing and the writer’s ability to engage the reader. o Note any weaknesses or strengths in descriptions, character, setting, etc.
• Recommendation: Would you recommend your classmates and/or friends and family read the book? Why or why not?
In your review, it is acceptable to use quotations to illustrate a point. No more than about 10% of your paper should be direct quotations.
