Writing a Fiction Review
Once you finish prewriting, you are ready to create the first draft of your review. These writing activities will help you create strong beginning, middle, and ending parts. You'll also read another student's review to see how all of the parts work together.
Writing the Beginning Paragraph
The purpose of your beginning paragraph is to grab your reader's attention, introduce the title and author of your book, and tell something interesting about it. The paragraph should start with a lead sentence, which gets the reader interested in the book. You can introduce the title and author in the lead or in a new sentence. Then, to close out the paragraph, introduce the big challenge the main character must face in the book. But don't spoil the ending!
Write a lead sentence.
Try out at least two of these strategies for introducing the topic of your review. Read the examples for ideas.
1. Ask a question related to the work.
Have you ever felt like a stranger in your school or community?
2. Talk directly to your readers.
You never know when you will meet someone who will change your life.
3. Provide a suspenseful detail from the story.
Just when Lucy thought she was getting her very own room, a stranger showed up and changed everything.
4. Share a feeling you have about the work.
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang changed the way I think about my heritage.
Write your beginning paragraph.
Start with your lead sentence. Follow with one or two sentences that identify the title and author of the book and introduce the biggest challenge facing the main character.
Writing the Middle Paragraphs
In separate middle paragraphs, explain what the main character is like, what conflict he or she faces, and what theme or themes are represented in the story. But don't give away too many details! You don't want to spoil the best parts for your readers.
Write topic sentences.
For each middle paragraph, write a topic sentence that introduces an important part of the story—the main character, the conflict, and the theme.
1. Write a topic sentence that introduces the main character:
Lucy Wu is an 11-year-old living in New York.
2. Write a topic sentence about the conflict:
Lucy’s plan to get her own room goes to dust when Lucy’s father surprises her by bringing Yi-Po back from China.
3. Write a topic sentence about the theme:
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu shows that family heritage is something to have pride in and learn from, even if it is different from the heritage of those around you.
4. Write topic sentences for any other middle paragraphs (optional).
But this is not the end of the story!
Write middle paragraphs.
Write your topic sentences. Add details and examples from the book to explain or add to the topic sentence. Use transitions to connect ideas and information where needed.
Transitions to Add Information
Again
Along with
Also
Another
For example
And
Next
Finally
As well
Along with
In addition
Yet another
Middle Paragraph 1
Middle Paragraph 2
Middle Paragraph 3
Additional Middle Paragraphs
Teacher Tip
Let your students know that some questions may take more than one middle paragraph to answer.
Writing the Final Paragraph
In the final paragraph, share your final feelings about the book and let your readers know who else might like to read it.
Write your ending paragraph.
Try these ending strategies. Then combine them into an ending paragraph.
1. Give your opinion of the book.
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu is an awesome story about coming of age.
2. Tell others why they should read it.
I recommend it to anyone who sometimes feels like a stranger.
3. Call readers to action.
Find out everything that happens by reading this exciting book.
Ending Paragraph
Reading a Sample Draft
Read a sample fiction review.
As you read this draft, notice how the writer put the parts together.
Listen to "The Great Wall of Lucy Wu Review"
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The Great Wall of Lucy Wu Review
Lead You never know when you will meet someone who will change your life. In The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang, Lucy thinks she is finally going to get her very own bedroom, but her big plans change when a surprise visitor moves in. Beginning Paragraph The visitor makes Lucy rethink what it means to be Chinese-American.
Lucy Wu is an 11-year-old living in New York. Her parents are both Chinese, and this plays a big role in the story. Being Chinese-American is important to her family, but Lucy is not sure about her Chinese side. She says, “The Chinese part of my life doesn’t make sense sometimes.” But Lucy is excited about starting sixth grade and is even more excited that her sister is going to college, because she gets a bedroom all to herself.
Middle Paragraphs Lucy’s plan to get her own room goes to dust when her father surprises her by bringing Yi-Po back from China. Yi-Po is Lucy’s great aunt, and she moves into Lucy’s bedroom. Yi-Po smells like vapor rub and can’t speak English. To make matters worse, sixth grade is not going as planned, either. Lucy finds out she has to attend Chinese school on weekends and might miss basketball practice because of it. Next, a rival classmate writes bad things about her heritage in the bathroom, and Yi-Po embarrasses Lucy in front of friends.
Topic Sentences But this is not the end of the story! Many exciting things happen that make Lucy reconsider what she thinks of her great aunt and her Chinese heritage. Lucy goes from resentment to respect as she learns about her background.
Theme The Great Wall of Lucy Wu shows that family heritage is something to have pride in and to learn from, even if it is different from the heritage of those around you. You just have to have an open mind and give it a chance. In the book, Lucy learns the saying “Don’t be the frog at the bottom of the well.” A frog in a well can see only the walls that are close by but never the great things outside of the well. When Lucy learns to accept her heritage, she gets to see many great new things, too.
Ending Paragraph The Great Wall of Lucy Wu is an awesome coming-of-age story. I recommend it to anyone who sometimes feels like a stranger at school or in the community. Lucy is smart, funny, athletic, and friendly, and she changes for the better. Read this excellent book to find out everything that happens to her.