Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers {Book Review}

Disclosure: I received this product free through the Homeschool Review Crew

Written communication is an important skill students need to learn. I have had the opportunity to review Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers from Everyday Education.

I received a digital PDF copy of the book, which is 420-pages filled with a bounty of information. This handbook can be used as a resource for middle and high school as well as college and beyond.

There are two primary sections to the book. The first is an introduction to essays and arguments. Students learn how to present a clear and concise point of view through an essay or debate. The information encourages the student to develop persuasive skills in presenting their argument.

Topics covered in Part 1: Introduction to Essays and Arguments:

• Some Simple First Principles
• Setting Up The Argument: Definition
• Defining Key Terms
• Deduction And Induction
• Organizing The Main Body Of An Argument
• Paragraph Structure
• Paragraph Functions
• Writing Arguments About Literary Works
• Sample Outlines For Essays And Research Papers
• Critical Approaches to Shakespeare
• Some Criteria for Making Literary Evaluations

The second section of the book is an introduction to usage and style. This is a resource students can use while writing. It is a thorough resource for writing mechanics covering sentences, clauses, phrases, words, punctuation, and so much more.

Topics cover, Part 2: Introduction to Usage and Style:

• Phrases, Clauses, Sentences
• Words
• Basic Punctuation
• Pronouns
• Parallelism Or Parallel Structure
• Modifiers, Gerunds, Infinitives
• Clarity, Logic, and Structure
• References And Bibliographies
• Basic Format for Essays and Research Papers
• Keyhole Essay Graphic

This book is designed for students to work through as a study guide, and also as a reference for mechanical issues. I found it a helpful resource for grading the written papers of my high school students.

Given the size of the book, I would have preferred a print copy. It took a while for me to find information on the PDF version. The book contains so much information I would have better used a print copy so I could bookmark pages and highlight key points. It is available in both PDF and print.

Click on the image below to see how others from the review crew have been using Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers from Everyday Education.