Blog #3

To effectively evaluate a book there are several questions you can ask yourself.

First ask yourself if you consider the book to be good? Is it engaging and easily read aloud. If you can read the book aloud and sounds flow naturally then this can be an easy page turner and engage the reader. This does not mean that you write with simple sight words this means that you can use words that the reader may not be familar with but when used in a sentence can be decoded. You may even encourage your reader to look it up in a dictionary and then they can add more personal insight and relate to the reading.

Does the author seem to be knowledgeable about the subject matter? Someone who has actually visited an area or done something will provide details to connect the reader to time and place. This includes details about sounds, taste, sight such as landscape, temperture, and customs in the area. This will stimulate the readers senses and connect the reader.

Does the author include characters which the reader can relate to or seem realistic? The character can be an animal, fantasy or anything of imagination but can the reader believe the character. The problem they are facing, strengths and weakness. The character should also mature or evolve in the story.

If a book is evaluated in this way it is not value based. If you wanted to evaluate a book based on values you have to ask a whole other set of questions related to your subject matter and source to support or dismantle those values.

Overall, the reader should feel that they have gained insight, can be emotional connected to the characters and feel as if they have been somewhere they have not.