you will need as a reviewer, you are ready for the next step – preparation for the writing. This does not mean that you sit down and jot down whatever comes to mind, making your first draft your last draft. The emphasis here is on preparation, which is getting ready to write. Good writing requires preparation, organisation, writing, revision and rewriting.
Reading the work to be reviewed Here is a checklist you can use for your reading: . Avoid reading blurbs, summaries, and commentaries prior to the reading of the work. . Read only when you are fresh and alert.
. Read with proper lighting and with a minimum of disturbances and interruptions. . Give careful thought to the title of the work and its significance and implication.
. Read the preface to familiarise yourself with the author’s intent. . Look over the table of contents (if there is one) so that you will be aware of the book’s basic organisation.
. Know the genre to which the book belongs so that you may judge the work accordingly. . Get your own copy of the work, if possible, so that you can read actively.
If you use somebody else’s book, then keep slips of paper available for jotting down your reactions. Insert these slips within the book. . Read the entire book.
Get a general impression and think about the work. Let it lie fallow in your mind until you see it in proper perspective. . Read the work again, this time for details to substantiate your initial impression or to modify that impression.
. Be thorough and perceptive in your reading so that you can be fair to the author. A sample book review : Frankenstein’s Cat Review by H Aslam, age , Washermanpet I really loved Frankenstein’s Cat for its fascinating explanation about the often baffling subject of bioengineering and other related sister sciences. Emily Anthes explains the many sides of today’s modern technology, such as gene modification, Unit- - - - - cloning, pharmaceutical products (from the farm), prosthesis, animal tag and tracking and gene