:: Write a Review ::

Have you read an interesting book and want to share your opinions about it?

Are you interested in writing a book review for YARA?

Do you have a different opinion about a book that has already been reviewed?

Then we would love to hear from you. Just follow the guidelines below - it is that simple!

	Books to be reviewed for YARA must be written by an Australian author and/ or illustrated by an Australian artist have a publication date of 2005 or 2006 Only reviews which meet these criteria can be published online because of our limited web space.
	They may be supplied by the YARA Committee, be a library copy or the personal property of the reviewer. Students in Kindergarten to Year 12 (or the state equivalent) may submit reviews independently of their school following these guidelines. Students in home-school situations are also welcome to participate.
	Reviews of books suitable for younger students and done by younger students may be submitted as a picture done in felt tip pen, scanned and saved in .gif format. If a scanner is not available, hard copies of pictures may be sent to the YARA committee c/- Palmerston District Primary School, PALMERSTON ACT 2913.
	All other reviews should be typed and emailed to either Barbara Braxton (barbara@iimetro.com.au) - younger readers (primary school) Stephen James-Smoult (stephen@goldcreek.act.edu.au) - older readers (secondary school)
	Reviews may be emailed directly or composed in Word using either Verdana 10 or TNR 12 and sent as an attachment. Please include “Review of …” in the subject line of your email.
	Reviews must include the title, author and publisher, date of publication and ISBN at the beginning and a brief synopsis of the story. If the book clearly fits a particular genre, please indicate this. A personal opinion should also be given with a supporting statement. For example, "I really enjoyed this book because ...." or "This book did not appeal to me because ..." If the reviewed book is a personal or library copy, please include a copy of the cover, scanned and saved as a gif file. If the book is sent to you by the committee we will have this already.
	To write an outstanding review, consideration should be given to appeal to its intended audience choice of topic and its suitability for the intended age group quality of the story including Plot Are you hooked from the very beginning? Can you see, hear and smell the background setting? Can you feel the atmosphere the author is trying to create? Is the subject and the action appropriate for someone of your age? Could you put yourself in the story? Is the plot plausible and easy to follow? Do all the parts fit together to make a whole? Does it keep you interested all the way through? Does the story build to a climax? Are you waiting for the climax? Is there a satisfying ending? Is it hard to put the book down? It is worth getting into trouble for reading it under the covers with a torch? Characters Are the characters credible? Can you picture them in your mind? Do they have a real personality? If they are human, do they make mistakes like real people? Can you form a bond with them? Do you care about what happens to them in the end? Are the relationships between them realistic? Are the things they do in keeping with their personalities? Do you feel like you are part of the adventure? Is the dialogue realistic and natural and appropriate to the character? Can you hear them talking? Do you feel like an eavesdropper on their conversations? If they were real, would they be the sort of people you would like to have as friends? Why? Whose story is not told that should be? Purpose Is the purpose of the story merely to entertain you? Is the author trying to convey a message between or beyond the lines of the story? What is it? Is this subtle or does it intrude on the entertainment? How does the author's bias influence his/ her writing? What did you learn by reading this story? Does the story leave you with issues you want discussed or questions you would like answered? What are the main issues raised? Are they appropriate for the intended audience and the format of the book? Why has the author 'disguised' the issues within the context of a story? Did you discover the message by yourself or did another person highlight it for you? If you could talk to the author, what opinions would you offer about the issues raised? What other questions would you have? If you want to find out more about the issues, do you know where to do this? quality of the illustrations, if any, and their integration with the text How do the pictures help the reader understand the story? If it was read aloud to you and you couldn't see the pictures, would it be just as good? Do they help to build up a sense of atmosphere and anticipation? Has the illustrator used any special media or techniques for the illustrations? How do these enhance the story? Is there a story within the illustrations, as well as the text? Would the cover catch your eye if you were browsing in a bookstore or library? readability Is the language appropriate for the audience? Is the language rich and original and interesting? Are the words used well to build up the atmosphere and to create images in your mind? Does the language and sentence structure contribute to the atmosphere? Is the style and size of print easy to read? Does the layout assist the reader? Is it a read-aloud, read-along or read-alone book? offering a personal opinion of the book Is this is book you would like to receive or give as a gift? Is it a book you would spend your pocket money on? Why? Would it be one that you would like to keep for your children to read? Why? Would you recommend it to other students of your age? Why? Have you been changed by reading this book? How? Are you glad that you read it? Why?
	Reviews should be about 250 words and be proof-read and edited before submission. A date for review returns will be given with the books.
	To ensure safety, students may either supply name, age and region (eg rural NSW) or nom-de-plume, age and school but the nom-de-plume must not refer to anyone else at the school. For instance, if a student chooses Genevieve, then there must be no other students of that name at the school.
	Other reviews of books already featured on the YARA site are very welcome as we want to provide as wide a range of opinions as possible
	Review copies of books may be kept by the school in exchange for agreeing to ensure that reviews are sent to the Y.A.R.A. Committee by the due date.
	Reviews will be posted on the Y.A.R.A. website as soon as possible after they are received.