The book review, like any other paper, must have an introduction with a thesis statement, a body, and a conclusion. This is a review, not a report. You need to criticize the book, to say, or at least imply, what you like as well as what you don't like about it. Summarize only to introduce your thesis or, very briefly, to support a point you have to make about the book. Use the present tense. Your title should either indicate that you're writing a review (e.g., "A Review of Jerzy Kosinski's The Painted Bird") or otherwise suggest the approach you're taking to the book (e.g., "East European Scapegoatism in World War II" would also be appropriate for The Painted Bird).

In your introduction, mention the author's name and the book's title even if you've already done so in your title. Classify the book (e.g., "Jerzy Kosinski's initiation novel [or historical novel], The Painted Bird, takes place in Eastern Europe during World War II"). Other classifications might use these adjectives: autobiographical, feminist, science fiction, fantasy, adventure, documentary (non-fictional), religious, realistic, and so on. You need also to cite the edition you're using, MLA style, at the end of the review and cite the numbers of any pages you refer to in the body of your review.

In formulating a thesis, I want you to consider the moral and/or spiritual concerns or values of the book. That is, analyze what it says about what is right and wrong and/or what is important or not important spiritually. By "spiritual," I mean something like the "vital animating essence of a person" (Oxford Essential Dictionary); that is, the part of us that is not strictly physical.   I am not referring to anything specifically religious.

1.) For instance, Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima attempts to show the conflicts a sensitive Hispanic boy has growing up in New Mexico. He is torn between the traditional, native beliefs of one side of his family and the Catholic beliefs of the other side. What does Anaya say about this struggle?
Can you compare these issues to another, similar book or one by the same author? Can you relate it to your own experience?

2.) What are the moral/spiritual values this book supports? For example, Alex Haley's Roots supports the spiritual value of family history, especially for African- Americans. Christopher Isherwood's My Guru and His Disciple values individual religious belief and practice, as well as individual sexual freedom. How well does the book support its values?

3.) How is this book related to the moral and spiritual issues in the world today? For instance, James Baldwin's Another Country is about (among other things) the difficulty of finding love among people of different races. Is this an issue today? How well does Baldwin handle it (or any other moral or spiritual issues in the novel)?

Dr. Clifton Snider

Everything that the book review requires, the film review requires too, although instead of an author, you may mention the director. You still use the present tense to talk about what happens in the film, just as you do for a book. The film review, like the book review, is not a report. It is a critical analysis of the film you've chosen, with my approval. You need to cite it, MLA style, at the end of your review. All the questions you asked about the book you can also ask about a film. However, in a film you have more elements to consider. Remember, though, to keep the focus on moral and/or spiritual values. If the movie you choose, even if it's on my list, doesn't deal with these issues, in your opinion, choose another film on the list or see me.

In a film you have, besides the plot, the following to consider: the acting, the casting, the photography, the directing, and any elements that apply especially to the particular film, such as special effects and music. If the film is a musical, for instance, you have the musical performances to consider. How well is the music used to emphasize its moral/spiritual theme? In an old-fashioned kind of musical, such as The Sound of Music, much of the music is more or less gratuitous--thrown in, yet it does contribute to the theme. In Cabaret, on the other hand, the musical numbers all fit appropriately with the action and in general involve moral/spiritual commentary.

If the movie is based on a book, how do the two compare? You could write an entire paper comparing the book to the film version, and good reviewers read the book a film is based on. Again, if you chose to compare and contrast, I still want the focus to be on moral and/or spiritual values.