How to write a book review

I have always wanted to learn how to write a book review. If I can teach myself to Tweet, I should be able to teach myself how to do this as well.

According to the authors of the website “How to Write a Book Review”, it is a 10-step process.

1. Don't read the book. At least, not yet. Instead, start by looking at it. Look for clues to the nature of the book you'll be reading. Is it a richly manufactured item aimed at collectors? What does the cover illustration indicate the book will be about? What sort of blurbs are included? How is it categorized by the publisher? All of these will tell you the book's target audience.

Too late. I read and am going to review Milo: Sticky Notes & Brain Freeze written and illustrated by Alan Silberberg. I checked it out of the library because the cartoon drawings reminded me of Daniel Pinkwater. There is a drawing of a dog on the back cover peeing on one of those tree-shaped car fresheners. I found it in the teen section and next to the dog in little tiny type are the words “ages 9-13”.

2. Don't read the book. At least, not quite yet. Instead, open the book and flip through it. Look at how the words are arranged on the pages. Start with the largest distinctions—the number of pages, the number of chapters, and so on. Then move to the size of paragraphs, how much of the book is dialogue, etc. This will tell you about the book's readability and how the author structured the book.

275 pages, a bunch of chapters (they aren’t numbered and I am not going to count them), the paragraphs are short and to the point, realistic dialogue, lots of great illustrations – some of which are actually part of the story itself.

3. Build a framework for taking notes. You always focus better if you have something specific to look for and markers to pay attention to along the way. Start with the simplest things—the number of chapters, for example—and then move on to more complex tasks, such as questions you'll want to answer: "What makes this book a classic?" or "What made this book 'speak for a generation' like the introduction said it did?"

The blurbs on the back of the book indicates that it won the 2011 Sid Fleischman Award for Humor, the New York Public Library’s 100 Books for Reading and Sharing 2010, and was a 2010 Cybil Awards Finalist. The illustrations, along with these accolades, make you think it is going to be light and full of silly situations. But when you actually read the one-paragraph synopsis on the cover, you get clues like “lived in 5 different houses”, “have to start the 7^th grade in a brand-new school”, and “My dad thinks everything is going to be okay – but I don’t think that’s possible. How can it be when my mom isn’t around to fill the house with noise anymore?” and realize it is going to be a lot more serious than you first thought.

4) Read the book. And as you do so...

Done.

5) Pay attention. That isn't a disciplinary command like, "Don't let your mind wander!" Instead, pay attention to your reading experience. This is the first real challenge for most people. What caught your attention, and when were you bored? When was the book suspenseful? Which characters did you like, and why?

I certainly wasn’t bored. From the first paragraph, I was anxious to know more about Milo and his friends, Marshall and Hillary. Summer Goodman, Sylvia Poole, Mr. Shivnesky and Milo’s alias, Dabney St. Claire, are all essential to moving the story forward. So is Milo’s dad – he is there but not really present.

6) Review the book and take notes that let you explain its effects. This is the second tough step for most people. Remember that note-taking framework you built earlier? Now's the time to fill it in. Flip back through the book and write brief, purposeful notes. What happens in the first chapter—and what was its effect on you as a reader? When you passed from one part of the book to the next—chapter, section, or setting—what kept your attention? This is the part most people neglect, but it lays the foundation for the rest of the book review, so keep at it until you can do the following:

Explain how the book as a whole affected you.

Very moving
Explain how the author achieved the effects he or she did.

Alan Silberberg strikes a balance between funny, awkward situations that anyone can relate to – since we’ve all been an outsider at one time or another - and the pain of losing your mother.
Explain the relationship between form and content.

The goofy cartoon illustrations draw you in, making you feel as if you know each of the characters, and help you see the world from Milo’s point-of-view. Without them, and the clever handwritten chapter headings, the topic would be much more difficult to handle.
If it is fiction, explain the function of each character in the novel.

Dabney St. Clair: Milo’s alias who is cool, calm, collected, smart and popular. This voice in Milo’s head is who he wants to be and he offers advice about social situations.

Summer Goodman: a blond and beautiful 7^th grader. Milo has a crush on her and she doesn’t know he exists – or does she?

Hillary Alpert: a girl in Milo’s grade who lives next door and is as different from Summer as one can get. A real friend though it takes him a while to realize it.

Marshall Hickler: a cool kid in Milo’s grade who passes the Friend Test right away. You just know that the two of them are going to end up college roommates and buddies for life.

Sylvia Poole: a woman who lives down the street that Milo mistakes for a very uncool, very old lady who turns out to be the opposite. She gives him sage advice based on her own experiences.

Mr. Shivnesky: the math teacher who cares enough about Milo to tutor him after school two days a week. His bald head really bothers Milo – you find out why toward the end of the book. When looking back on middle school, Mr. S. will be one of those teachers Milo thanks for changing his life. Hey, he may even learn to like math!

Milo’s dad: he doesn’t know how to handle his own grief, let alone Milo’s. He has withdrawn, causing great pain to those around him – the silence in the house is deafening.
Explain the characters' relationships to one another.

Friends, potential friends, acquaintances, mentors, family figures, family.

7) Sum up the book. This is the easy part, and half of what most people think a book review is. Put the book in a nutshell. Keep summarizing it until you've got everything covered clearly. Use that to start your review.

Milo Cruikshank tries to find his way after losing his mother to cancer. He is supported in his search by friends, neighbors and teachers. He learns how to reconnect with his father and keep his mother’s spirit alive.

8) Pass judgment. This is the other half of a book review for most people. Is this book good or bad? This is the time for you to say so. Put that second in your review—but use your notes from earlier to explain why and to make your judgment persuasive. Give specific examples, and move from passing judgment to explaining the book. That comes third.

I would recommend this book to teens and up (including adults) who have lost their mother, find themselves in a new situation, feel alone, and/or estranged from a family member. The author hits all of the right notes. For a sense of his style, click here.

9) Put the book in context. You might have been able to get this information from looking at the book's cover and introduction, or you might need to do a little research. What categories does this book fall into? Is it science fiction or fantasy? Is it the first of its kind or an imitation? The author's first book or fifteenth? Spend some time relating this book to others in its category to further explain the book and your judgment of it.

There are books that explain death to very young children (The Tenth Good Thing About Barney, The Giving Tree) and for adults. This is an important, contemporary book for teens – especially boys - who are experiencing, or have a friend who is experiencing, profound loss.

10) Check your aim. You've written your review. Now's the time to step back and apply this sort of reasoning to your own review. Did you explain every major aspect of the book? What was your target audience? Did you write this for a class with specific criteria—or for a fan magazine whose audience already knows this type of book well? If so, you might have to edit your review to add or remove details. If you don't...you're done!

Hmm…this was fun. But Kirkus Reviews said it all in two words: painfully funny. Can’t add anything to that.