Students can find the best My English Book 8th Standard Question Answer and Maharashtra Board Class 8 English Book Review Writing for exam preparation.
Maharashtra Board Std 8 English Book Review Writing
Introduction
A book review is a summary, opinion or academic review of a writer’s literary work. Its main purpose is to help readers judge whether they would want to read that book. A book review must comprise the central idea of die story, the style of writing of the writer, the approach of the book and an overall evaluation of the book.
The following is the format of writing a book review:
- Name of the Story / Book
- Name of the Writer
- Some information about the Writer:
- Background or Setting
- Main Characters
- Central Idea / Summary of contents
- Style of writing and language used
- Illustrations
- Strong (positive) Aspects
- Drawbacks
- Conclusion
The benefits of writing a book review are that the reviewer gets an opportunity to read the piece of work by a writer in its details, it helps one form a judgement on the book and it makes one critical, as one would have to find out the strengths and the weaknesses of the piece of writing.
पुस्तक परीक्षण म्हणजे लेखकाच्या लेखनाबाबत सारांश स्वरूपात अभ्यासपूर्ण समीक्षा करून मत मांडणे होय. याचा मुख्य हेतू वाचकाला पुस्तकाची तोंडओळख करून देऊन वाचण्यासाठी पुस्तकाची निवड करण्याबाबत निर्णय घेण्याकरता मदत करणे हा असतो.
पुस्तक परीक्षणांमध्ये कथेची मध्यवर्ती कल्पना, लेखकाची लेखनशैली व दृष्टिकोन आणि एकूणच पुस्तकाचे मूल्यमापन यांचा समावेश असतो.
पुस्तक परीक्षणाची रूपरेषा:
- पुस्तकाचे नाव
- लेखकाचे/लेखिकेचे नाव
- लेखक/लेखिकेची थोडक्यात माहिती
- कथेची पार्श्वभूमी
- कथेतील मुख्य पात्रे / ठळक बाबी
- मध्यवर्ती कल्पना / आशयांचा सारांश
- लेखनाकरता वापरलेली भाषा व लेखनशैली
- उदाहरणे / दाखले
- चांगले पैलू
- उणिवा / त्रुटी
- निष्कर्ष
पुस्तक परीक्षणामुळे परीक्षकाला त्या पुस्तकाचे सखोल वाचन करण्याची व पुस्तकातील चांगल्या-वाईट पैलूंचा शोध घेऊन त्यावर मत बनवण्याची आणि लिखाणातील उल्लेखनीय बाबी व उणिवा पडताळण्याची संधी मिळते.
पुस्तक परीक्षणामुळे परीक्षकाला त्या पुस्तकाचे सखोल वाचन करण्याची व पुस्तकातील चांगल्या-वाईट पैलूंचा शोध घेऊन त्यावर मत बनवण्याची आणि लिखाणातील उल्लेखनीय बाबी व उणिवा पडताळण्याची संधी मिळते.
Solved Examples
Question 1.
Write a book review of any children’s book that you have read.
Answer:
i. Name of the Book: Swami and Friends
ii. Name of the Writer: R.K. Narayan
iii. Some information about the Writer: R.K. Narayan was an Indian writer known for his works set in the imaginary South Indian town of Malgudi. He is best known for his short stories and novels like Swami and Friends, The Guide, Malgudi Days, etc.
iv. Background or Setting: Swami and Friends takes place in pre-Independence India and follows a group of school children. The main character is Swami, a 10-year-old boy. He does not like to study and is mischievous, which gets him removed from two schools. Swami runs away from home and even gets attracted to the freedom struggle of the time.
Despite being shown as a naughty boy, Swami loves his friends and respects his family. He is close to his mother and grandmother, but is afraid of his father who is strict and scary. The stories are based on the writer’s life and the experiences he had as a child growing up in a similar time.
v. Main Characters: Swami, his friends, his family and other people from his town.
vi. Central Idea / Summary of contents: Swami and Friends is about the problems that children face and how they solve them in their own way. The book is about the life of children and at times how simple as well as difficult it can be as compared to an adult’s life.
vii. Style of writing and language used: The stories are written in simple Indian English that can be easily understood by anyone and are very fun to read. Swami and Friends is not just a children’s book but even adults can relate to it. The beauty of Narayan’s writing puts the readers in the shoes of the characters.
viii. Illustrations: Some of the illustrations included in the book are made by the writer’s brother, R. K. Laxman, who himself was a famous cartoonist. The illustrations make us visualise the scenes in the story making it even funnier. It adds to the beauty of Malgudi and brings the characters to life.
ix. Strong (positive) Aspects: R K Narayan shows us how a child views the world of adults with its complex nature. He makes us think like a child again and helps us realise how some things that seem unimportant to us now, meant the world to us when we were kids.
x. Drawbacks: Swami is not a model hero, as he does not do what he’s told to do, like study or follow the rules. It might appear that the writer is encouraging such behaviour although he also shows us the negative consequences that Swami has to face for his actions. The stories may not have the right impact if the reader is not familiar with the setting of the stories, which is colonial India under British rule.
xi. Conclusion: Swami and Friends is a must read for everyone as the characters are well written and relatable and shows us the journey of a boy from being innocent and naughty to being old and wise.
Question 2.
Write a book review of any book that you have read where the main character had some kind of superpower.
Answer:
i. Name of the Book: Matilda
ii. Name of the Writer: Roald Dahl
iii. Some information about the Writer: Roald Dahl was a very popular British writer, who penned about 19 children’s books in a career spanning a decade. ‘Someone Like You’, ‘James and the Giant Peach’, and ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ are some of his famous works.
iv. Background or Setting: Matilda Wormwood is a brilliant child who lives with her mean parents. Along with her friend, Lavender, she plans to use her extraordinary talents to get justice for her teacher, Miss Honey, from her evil Aunt Trunchbull.
v. Main Characters: Matilda, Miss Honey, Miss Trunchbull and Lavender.
vi. Central Idea / Summary of contents: Matilda is an extraordinarily gifted child who can solve complex Math sums in her mind and read books meant for adults. She also possesses the gift of ‘telekinesis’, meaning she can move objects that are at a distance, simply by using her mental power. In order to teach her mean parents a lesson, she plays mean pranks on them. At school, she realises that her teacher, Miss Honey, is cheated off of her family fortune by her wicked Aunt Miss Trunchbull.
Her aunt also happens to be the Principal of her school. Matilda, along with her friend, Lavender, scares Miss Trunchbull and finally gets Miss Honey her due rights. When in the end, her family decides to move to Spain for good, Matilda is adopted by Miss Honey, and they live together happily ever after.
vii. Style of writing and language used: The simplicity of language, adventure, the use of special powers, fight against injustice and the final reward are the reasons why the book is so appealing to the reader.
viii. Illustrations: Use of black and white images that depict scenes from the story are given within the book to make it easy to understand.
ix. Strong (positive) Aspects: The central character is a little girl, much like the target audience for whom the book is written. The writer has even made use of the mannerisms and the behaviour that a twelve-year-old girl would show so that the character connects with the reader.
x. Drawbacks: – The language used at times is very British, with slang words like ‘bunions’, ‘diddled’, ‘laddie’, etc. which can be hard to understand. The elders are shown to be rude and cruel which is not an ideal message for young children.
xi. Conclusion: The story is a good read for children of the age group 10 to 12 years. The pictures add to its appeal, while the characters resemble real people from the daily life of the reader.
Question 3.
Write a book review of any book that you have read, where the story takes place in a fantasy world.
Answer:
i. Name of the Book: Alice in Wonderland
ii. Name of the Writer: Lewis Carroll
iii. Some information about the Writer: Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who was an English writer, mathematician and photographer.
iv. Background or Setting: Alice in Wonderland is set in a fantasy world called Wonderland which is full of many amazing characters. The writer came up with the story during a boat ride on the river Thames with three young daughters of his friend. The girls loved his story and the eldest one, Alice, asked him to write the story down.
v. Main Characters: Alice, the Mad Hatter, the ‘ Queen of Hearts, White Rabbit, March Hare, Dormouse, Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar
vi. Central Idea / Summary of contents: A young girl named Alice is sitting under a tree near the river with her sister, when she sees a rabbit dressed in human clothes. She runs after the White Rabbit but falls into a rabbit hole and enters a fantasy World which contains many strange talking creatures. She drinks a potion that makes her grow taller and eats a cake that makes her shrink in size. She sees a smiling cat named Cheshire who can disappear, and a huge caterpillar called Absolem.
She attends a tea party where she meets the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the Dormouse. Alice also meets the Queen of Hearts who is playing a game and later goes to a court filled with animals. During the trial, Alice starts growing again and argues with the Queen who wants Alice to go away. When Alice refuses to leave, the Queen orders the guards to take her away. Just then, Alice wakes up and realizes that it was a dream.
vii. Style of writing and language used: Alice in Wonderland is full of crazy poems and funny songs, and is written in a simple style by Lewis Carroll. The tale plays with logic and language which is why the story is liked by adults and children. It is said to be one of the best examples of literary nonsense.
viii. Illustrations: The first version of the book had illustrations made by the writer himself which showed all the weird and wonderful characters he had created. Over the years, many artists have created illustrations for the book, each of which gives us a new look at the classic creatures in the story.
ix. Strong (positive) Aspects: Despite Alice in Wonderland being a very unique story, it is easy to follow and very enjoyable to read. It is imaginative and full of funny moments that are very memorable. Its characters, descriptions, story format and structure have influenced quite a few writers. It helped create a new style, not only in literature but also in popular culture, especially in fantasy stories.
x. Drawbacks: Alice in Wonderland is written in simple language, but the ideas can be very complex to understand. It includes jokes and funny questions that need a deep knowledge of subjects like mathematics, which only adults can understand. This might leave the children confused and make them feel like they’re missing parts of the story.
xi. Conclusion: Overall, Alice in Wonderland is a great book full of events that never get old and keep getting better with time. It is an ideal example of children’s stories that have incidents which are full of wisdom and humour.
Question 4.
Write a book review of any book written by Rabindranath Tagore.
Answer:
i. Name of the Story: Kabuliwalla
ii. Name of the Writer: Rabindranath Tagore
iii. Some information about the Writer:
Rabindranath Tagore began to write short stories when he was only a teen. His initial stories reflected the surroundings in which he grew up. He wrote about the downside of Hindu marriages and several other customs that were part of the country’s tradition during the colonial rule. Some of his famous short stories include ‘Kabuliwala’, ‘Kshudita Pashan’, ‘Atottju’, ‘Haimanti’ and ‘Musalmanir Golpo’ among many others.
iv. Background or Setting: The story is set in colonial India when barriers of caste and religion were very dominant in society. Also, the hostility and suspicion about people from other countries is very strongly brought out in this story.
v. Main Characters: Rahmat, Mini and her father.
vi. Central Idea / Summary of contents: The kabuliwala, a native of Afghanistan, has come all the way to India to earn a living. Once, while selling dry fruits, he happens to see a girl named Mini, who is his daughter’s age call out to hfrn. When he nears the window, the girl runs away. Soon the girl’s father comes out and purchases some dry fruits from him. As they talk, the girl’s father realises that Rahmat has left his family in Afghanistan and is here to earn a living.
Each time he sees the little girl, he is reminded of his daughter in his country. Rahmat and Mini soon become good friends. Later, Rahmat is jailed for having killed a customer who had cheated him. Many years later, when Rahmat returns, it’s the day Mini is getting married. Mini feels apprehensive to see and meet someone like Rahmat. Rahmat realises that he has lost out on Mini’s childhood and now she is all grown up. He feels the same about his own daughter arid is unable to cope with it. Her father, who sees this, cuts the expenses of the marriage and gives the amount to Rahmat, telling him to return to his country and his family. ’
vii. Style of writing and language used: The story is simple to read and is detailed to make it understandable. Tagore weaves social issues very subtly into his stories so that they are not only delightful, but also educate the reader.
viii. Illustrations: The pictures used to depict key scenes of the story add to the memorable descriptions of the characters and places.
ix. Strong (positive) Aspects: A simple storyline, depiction of prevalent social issues, discussion on being suspicious about natives of another country, people of another religion, etc. make the story contextually fascinating.
x. Drawbacks: By portraying Rahmat as a criminal, a negative image may be formed about people from other countries in the mind of the readers. In the end, Mini should have been shown to accept Rahmat as a friend.
xi. Conclusion: The story is a must read for all who wish to understand the concept of emotions against the backdrop of colonial India.
Question 5.
Write a review of any Akbar-Birbal story that you have read.
Answer:
i. Name of the Story: Akbar and Birbal – Just One Question
ii. Name of the Writer: Monisha Mukundan
iii. Some information about the Writer: Monisha Mukundan is a children’s author, who specialises in historical stories. Her combined love for history and children’s stories led her to write about people like Akbar and Birbal, and even Ashoka the Great.
iv. Background or Setting: This short story is set in the court of Emperor Akbar, when a wise scholar tries to question Birbal’s intelligence.
v. Main Characters: Emperor Akbar, Birbal and a wise scholar
vi. Central Idea / Summary of contents: When a wise scholar questions Birbal about his intelligence, Birbal proves he is worthy of being called one, by smartly replying to the question put forth to him. The scholar asks Birbal if he would like to answer a hundred easy questions or one difficult question. Birbal chooses to answer one tough question, to which the scholar asks him if the chicken came first or the egg.
Birbal immediately answers that the chicken came first. The scholar is confused and asks him how he knows the answer. But Birbal smartly replies that he agreed to answer only one question, which he already did. He doesn’t have to give an explanation as that would mean answering a second question.
vii. Style of writing and language used: This is a short and simple story, with a witty message. The language is easy to understand as it is meant for children.
viii. Illustrations: Though the story is short, it is illustrated using cartoons to increase its funny tone and humorous nature.
ix. Strong (positive) Aspects: Simple language, to- the-point sentences and avoidance of too many distractive elements are the strengths of this story.
x. Drawbacks: Being witty doesn’t mean one can always avoid answering the difficult questions. Such tricks only work one time and need to be used carefully. Being smart is a responsibility that needs to be used for good of others more than for oneself.
xi. Conclusion: The stories of Akbar and Birbal are always full of wit and humour. Children should read this book not just for this story, but for the many others that each come with a moral of their own.