You are to write a 1000-word review of The Sum of Us. Your review should identify and discuss a key theme of the book. Youre to analyze the work rather than summarize it as you did for paper 1. Provide a brief overview of its content but devote the bulk of your paper to analyzing the work. Support your conclusions with evidence from the book (quotes and paraphrases). You do not need to footnote quotations; merely indicate the page number in parenthesis next to the quote. Do not use outside sources. Use of materials from websites or other sources is not acceptable and may constitute plagiarism. The paper should an objective analysis of the book, not a subjective response to it. Phrases such as “in my opinion,” “what I got out of the book,” “what I like/disliked,” do not belong in a formal essay. 

Organization: Like any other formal essay, a source analysis should contain an introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should identify the author, title and other relevant bibliographic information on the book. It should then briefly describe the nature and scope of the work. It should also narrow in on an idea that will be the focus of the rest of the essay. The introduction should end with a clear thesis statement, identifying what the author will demonstrate.

A thesis is not a statement of fact, a question, or an opinion. A thesis offers an assertion that can be supported or developed with evidence taken from the book. In making this assertion avoid such contrived sentences as “This essay will demonstrate . . .” To be successful, a thesis must be narrow enough to be developed in the paper but broad enough to cover the evidence mustered to support it.

The review template explains how to organize your paper, and the evaluation rubric explains how I will grade your essay.

Book Review Template

A paper of this length should be 5-7 paragraphs divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion. The following template shows you how to organize your essay. Sometimes the thesis statement lists the topics covered in the paper as illustrated in this example. The thesis can also make a more general statement, which you support using 3-5 extended examples. In that case, devote a body paragraph to each example.

Introduction: 

• Topic sentence introduces the author and title of the book with place, publisher, and date in parentheses. For example: “Hugh M. Thomas, The Norman Conquest (New York: Roman & Littlefield, Inc., 2008) analyzes the causes and consequences of the Norman invasion of England.”
• The next 3-4 sentences provide a succinct summary of the book.
• The final sentence states the thesis of the paper, addressing the books core argument. For example: “Thomas considers the degree to which the conquest changed political, social and economic life.”

Body Paragraph 1: 

• Topic sentence introduces the first point raised in the thesis. For example: “The author demonstrates that the political organization of the kingdom changed dramatically in the short run.”
• The remaining 5-7 sentences support the idea presented in the topic sentence.
• Supporting material should include quotes and paraphrases of ideas from the book.
• Keep quotes short and work them into the grammar of your sentences.

Body Paragraph 2:

• Topic sentence introduces the second point raised in the thesis. For example: “The conquest had little impact on the structure of Anglo-Saxon society.”
• The remaining 5-7 sentences support the idea presented in the topic sentence.
• Supporting material should include quotes and paraphrases of ideas from the book.
• Keep quotes short and work them into the grammar of your sentences.

Body Paragraph 3:

• Topic sentence introduces the third point raised in the thesis. For example: “Thomas found that the conquest effected the Anglo-Saxon economy least of all.”
• The remaining 5-7 sentences support the idea presented in the topic sentence.
• Supporting material should include quotes and paraphrases of ideas from the book.
• Keep quotes short and work them into the grammar of your sentences.

Conclusion: 

• The first sentence of the conclusion restates the thesis (last sentence of the introduction).
• The second sentence restates the topic sentence of the first body paragraph.
• The third sentence restates the topic sentence of the second body paragraph.
• The fourth sentence restates the topic sentence of the first body paragraph.
• The last sentence of the conclusion draws the paper to a close with summative statement.