Introduction!
- As a Banned Book Review writer, you will help inform Picture This Post readers about the banning of books in America, through the lens of the banned or challenged book that you are reviewing.
- You are bringing forth not only your own experience and opinions with this book, but also providing the right amount of information to readers so they know why the book is banned and where it has been banned.
- You are a reporter who speaks of the book in third person journalistic style, with the sole exception of your personal first person testimonial that leads the story.
- Your personal opinions about the book are only conveyed in the first person testimonial and indirectly by the excerpts you choose, the way in which you report on the plot synopsis, and the various recommendations written in third person.
- Your personal experiences that make the book resonate for you personally are not the subject of the review. The focus of the review is ONLY the book. For example, you may have experienced much discrimination as a non-binary person or a person of color that enhances your feelings about the book. That commentary, while very valuable, is limited strictly to your opening testimonial about the book.
- Be sure to write out these individual subheadings and sections to make for a smoother reading experience for readers.
- These subheadings are not recommendations. Please follow them accordingly and do not "group" any sections together when writing your review.
- Make sure that any and ALL photos that you submit to Picture This Post do not violate copyright laws. This is why Picture This Post encourages you to upload photos of you with the book or photos that you have taken of the book yourself.
Section 1: INTRODUCTION: TESTIMONIAL (50-200 words, with a picture of you holding the book, or just the book if you are camera shy)
- Read guidelines - Banned Book Testimonial - Picture This Post Guidelines
- Format of the testimonials will be indented as well as italicized, as to separate it from the rest of the article
- Note: this first person testimonial will be where the reader can better understand your more intimate and emotional thoughts about this book
NOTE: When switching to a third person journalistic voice, try to avoid opinion-based words. Words like beautiful, moving, lovely, etc. This way, it is easier to decipher what is opinion-based and what is just plain fact. If you find such words in your review as you edit your own work, ask yourself “Why is it (beautiful) (moving), etc.?” or “How is it (lovely) (beautiful) etc.” – You may find your answers to your own questions along these lines will be valuable information to include in your review that is not about you, but more about the book per se.
Section 2- WHEN, WHERE, AND WHY (NAME OF BOOK) IS BANNED (Around 250 words)
- Background on why, where, and when the book was banned, with the source of these facts clearly stated upfront. Note: Picture This Post is not an academic journal- there are no footnotes.
- Write in the third person journalistic voice of a reporter. Opinions are not presented. Rather factual descriptions of the book are used.
Cite and properly attribute one or two reputable sources (Academic, ALA, Organizations Fighting Book Banning Needing Your Support, etc. - NO WIKIPEDIA please.) in the body of this section.
- No footnotes, introduce your source in the article like a reporter would.
Examples:
- The Tampa Bay Times reported that…
- Author Toni Morrison said…
- The Local News Station KUTV recorded…
- Optional: Add an introduction of the author, and direct quotes from them on why they wrote the book, if available
Section 3: PLOT SUMMARY/SYNOPSIS ( 100 words-300 words)
- Write in a third person journalistic voice -
- Original language - absolutely no plagiarism
- It’s up to you if there's a specific scene that you would like to write about in depth, make sure to include a SPOILER ALERT! warning whenever needed.
Section 4: SELECTED EXCERPTS THAT EPITOMIZE WHY [NAME OF BOOK] IS A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO OUR CULTURE (100 - 250 words)
- Find two to three excerpts that distill and convey the essence of the book and how it contributes to our culture.
- Do not cite specific page numbers, many readers may not have the same edition of the book that you are covering.
- This is your chance to emphasize WHY this book is so important. It is your job to capture the best scene/quote that perfectly captures the impact of the book.
- Introduce the excerpt in a third person journalistic voice
- Remember that if you are pulling a quote from the middle of an excerpt to use ellipses in your article.
Tips on choosing excerpts–
- Assessing the emotional impact of the book as well as its contribution to culture
NOTE: When dealing with books formatted like graphic novels, it is pertinent to quote whichever excerpt you have chosen rather than supplementing photos of the excerpt to not violate copyright law.
Section 5: BOOK STRUCTURE/DETAILS (up to 150 words)
- Genre, and if children’s book, include the targeted age group, Number of Chapters, illustrations or other details.
- Third person journalistic voice
Optional – Include a section called “Content Warnings” (if applicable)
Section 6: RECOMMENDATIONS ON BEST-MATCHED AUDIENCE (up to 200 words)
- Journalistic third person voice
- Who/which type of readers is this book especially good for?
- Who is going to be hurt the most by removing this book from the cultural canon?
Section 7: STUDY GUIDE: Discussion Topics & Questions
- Your list of recommended study guide materials (questions/discussion topics) will be published under the subhead “Study Guide: Discussion Topics and Questions.”
- Start with a pithy 1-3 sentence summary of your thoughts (no first-person) on what should be the cornerstone of discussion by book clubs and book communities “adopting” this book.
- Present your recommendations in a quick-to-read bulleted format with complete sentences.
- Follow with 4-8 questions you recommend for every book community discussion about this banned book.
Tip: This is where you can give the community hard-hitting questions geared to:
- The unique attributes that appear within the plot.
- Zero in on provocative discussion points that will help convey the book’s impact on readers – AND its importance to our culture.
OPTIONAL: Recommend similar books at the conclusion.
SUGGESTED WORD COUNT TOTAL: 1000-1500 WORDS
Additional Rules/Reminders
- Written in reporter voice- third person (*exception: introductory personal testimonial as the story “hook”)
- No sentence fragments
- Be honest
- Be generous and respectful
- Never re-publish your story on another website
- Never accept remuneration from an entity being reviewed or in other ways compromise the independence and objectivity of your
- Once again, NO Wikipedia when it comes to your sources. Find reputable and credible sources.
- Use in-text citations. Introduce your source in the text, this way, there is no need for footnotes.
Examples:
“ The American Library Association states…”
“A local news channel in Kentucky reported that…”
“Author, John Green, claims…”
Read the related stories –
Join the Picture This Post Campaign to Stop Censorship of Thought and Expression
Book Banning — Voices in Support of Banned Books
BOOK BANNING AND BEYOND — Leaders in the Arts Speak Out!
