GoodReads Information

As part of our IR program, you will need a GoodReads account. You can access GoodReads using the iPad app, or by going to www.GoodReads.com. Please use your real first and your last initial only when you sign up so I know who you are (for example, I would be Melissa S). Once you create your account, click “Groups” at the top of the page and search for “Spiegelman Scholars.” Click on our group, then click “Join Group.” I will approve you, and you will be all set to start reviewing your books!

Feel free to explore GoodReads, update your profile (DO NOT use your real picture!), add friends, respond to discussions in our group (sometimes for bonus XP) and sign up for a reading challenge!

GoodReads Book Reviews

To write your book reviews on GoodReads, first search for your book using the search bar at the top of the page. Go to that book’s page and click on the appropriate number of stars under the picture of the book cover to give it a rating. After rating the book, click on the “write a review” bubble that pops up and paste your review in the box provided.

Your reviews should be two paragraphs and less than 15 sentences in length. Please do not exceed 20 sentences total – brevity is an important writing skill to learn! Follow the guidelines below for writing your reviews:

Paragraph 1 – Brief Summary (5-7 sentences)

• Begin with a theme statement, and then provide brief descriptions of the setting, the point of view (who tells the story), the protagonist, and other major characters. Give a concise plot summary; but don’t give away the ending!

Paragraph 2 – Your Critique (5-7 sentences)

• Critique is just a fancy word for review. Your critique of a book can be positive or negative. Write about your own opinions, but be sure that you explain and support them with evidence (your evidence does not have to be direct quotations, but you do still need to provide examples).

• You should include connections (text-to-self, text-to-text, etc) and your personal thoughts/feelings in your critique. For example:

• Is the writing effective, powerful, difficult, beautiful?

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book?

• Would you recommend this book to a classmate? Why or why not?

• If this book is part of series, will you continue to read the series?

Click “Save” at the bottom of the review page to save your review. Copy the URL of the page with your review and paste it into your IR log.