Hey guys, here's the rubric. I know it's daunting but this is just to give you some things to think about in your review. The main form is this and only this: 

Title: 10 points

Cover: 5 points

Blurb/Synopsis: 15 points

Grammar: 15 points

Characterization 15 points

Plot: 15 points

Overall: 25 points

Now the rubric below has taken all of the above categories and expanded upon them to support deeper thinking. You do not and should not include this expansion in your review, that just makes it hard to add the scores up for the admins. Basically, use this if you aren't sure exactly what constitutes full points in each category. 

Think of this as a tool to help you with your reviews. You do not need to look at this each time and eventually, you won't need it. 

We do suggest that beginning reviewers use it their first few reviews though. 

Behold:

Title: 10 Points

     >Is it original? (5 points)

     >Does it fit the book?(3 points)

     >Is it eye catching? (2 points)

Cover: 5 Points

     >In the cover, you should be looking for symbolization as well. A good cover has symbols that are present throughout the book. It gives a little bit of insight into the plot line as well. Address this in your review. (1 point)

     >Is the text readable? Are there spelling mistakes? Are the proper letters capitalized? (1 point)

     >Is it eye catching? (1 point)

     >Does it fit the title/the plot of the book? (1 point)

     >Does it have a title and author? (1 point)

Blurb: 15 Points

     >Is the grammar correct? (5 points)

     >Does the blurb make you want to read the book? (5 points)

     >Can you tell what the main plot is? (3 points)

     >Does it introduce the characters? (2 points)

Grammar: 15 Points

     >Does the author have the correct punctuation? ie. periods, commas, quotations, question marks, hyphens, double hyphens, semicolons, and exclamation points are present and make sense where they are. (5 points)

     >The work is free of typos. (3 points)

     >The work is free of comma splices. (2 points)

     >Sentence structure makes sense. (2 points)

     >Words are used discerningly and correctly. (2 points)

     >The work is free of spelling mistakes. (1 point)

Characterization: 15 Points

     >Do the characters have distinct personalities? Ie. none of them are just a "Mary Sue." (5 points)

     >Do the characters interact in a way that both makes sense and provides insight into their personalities, habits, and background? (5 points)

     >Does the author thoroughly explain what the characters look like? (3 points)

     >Is there any background given for the characters? (2 points)

Plot: 15 Points

     >Is there a clear plot line? Or (since you only read three chapters), can you at least tell where the main plot is headed? (5 points)

     >Is the Plot original? (5 points)

     >Is the flow and pacing of the work smooth, or are there "bumps"? (4 points)

     >Are there any subplots you can discern? For example, are there any budding romances/conflicts, between the characters? (1 point)

Overall: 25 Points

We're giving you free reign with this one, because the point of this category is to discuss the overall impact this book had. BE HONEST. Do not give "pity points". You can award as many points as you want, but here are some things to think about/what you should be discussing when awarding your points:

     >Did you like this book?

     >Do you think other people would like it?

     >Would you recommend this book to others?

     >Are there any other hiccups in the book that don't necessarily fit any of the categories but need to be addressed all the same?

     >Share something you disliked about the book, and that could be changed to better the work as a whole. Likewise, share something you really loved that adds character to the book. Do you just really like the style of writing? Talk about that here too.

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The rubric covers topics you should be paying attention to when you give out points. For example, if the title is original, award them five points in the topic score. If it is not, five points should be missing from their score. HOWEVER. You are allowed to deviate slightly from this. The points are more of a suggestion, because we noticed a lot of you weren't sure what you should be paying attention to when doing your review, or how exactly to fairly award points. Just keep the topics in mind. You DON'T have to follow this rubric EXACTLY, but we should see something like this clearly in your review. 

PLEASE DO NOT, in your review, do the following:

Title: (10/10) This is a great title. It's original, so you got five points for that. It TOTALLY fits the genre/book so you get another 3 points for that. Also, it's eye-catching! 2 points, for a total of 10. Go you!

That's not a good review. Why? Because it just tells them what they got points for and what they didn't get points for. ELABORATE. Tell them why you think their title is original. Tell them what you think is clever or likeable about it. HOW does it fit the book/genre/cover? Or, if it doesn't, tell them why. This is what we should be seeing from you guys (this is a completely made-up example):

Title: (3/10) Your title, "The Raven", is not very original. I've seen many books titled this. Titles with no originality aren't very eye-catching. However, in your case, it fits this book rather well, considering your main character is a girl who turns into a raven. But you know what title I haven't seen? "The Girl Who Became A Raven". Now, that is a title that would pique my curiosity and cause me to be more likely to pick up the book for a little look-see. I've read your writing, and I know you can come up with an even more amazing title than the one you have now. Think about it a bit.

Interact with your assignment. Give them pointers and suggestions.