Activities and Games, Online Learning Activities, Writing Activities
Write a Book Review with Rodman Philbrick: A Writing with Writers Activity
In this five-step online workshop, a well-known children’s author helps students learn to analyze and write about books.
- Grades: 3–5, 6–8, 9–12
In Scholastic’s interactive “Write a Book Review with Rodman Philbrick” workshop (grades 4–12), students learn to analyze and write about books. Acclaimed author of Freak the Mighty, Rodman Philbrick, shares a sample book review, plus writing tips, strategies, and challenges to help students develop their own reviews.
Rodman Philbrick shares his review of the classic book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, for students to use as a model.
The author shares 10 tips, including: Try to mention the name of the author and the book title in the first paragraph, and try using a few short quotes from the book to illustrate your points.
Each book review should include a couple key elements – by completing these three elements, students will tell their readers what’s most important.
While students work on their second drafts, they should keep these three tips in mind, including: Read through each paragraph and make sure the main point is clear.
Once students have completed their final drafts, they can publish their work online here!
Plus, students can read book reviews written by their peers with Scholastic’s What Other Kids Are Reading online activity.
Learning Objectives
While participating in the “Write a Book Review with Rodman Philbrick,” students will:
- Follow the writing process to create original writing.
- Use web technology to post original writing online.
- Understand how to review and revise their own writing.
- Learn to think critically and objectively about their reading.
- Learn to review and revise their own writing.
- Produce written work to show evidence of knowledge of the different genres.
- Subjects:Language Arts, Main Idea and Details, Reading Comprehension, Summarizing, Writing, Proofreading, Revision, Literary Response, Writing Process
- Skills:Reading, Reading Comprehension, Main Idea and Details, Summarizing, Language Arts, Writing, Persuasive Writing
