GIVING A BOOK TALK

WHAT IS A BOOK TALK?  THE PURPOSE OF A BOOK TALK IS TO “SELL” THE BOOK. YOU WANT TO GIVE ENOUGH OF THE PLOT TO INTEREST THE LISTENERS, BUT YOU ARE NOT GIVING AN ENTIRE SUMMARY OF THE BOOK.  NEVER GIVE AWAY THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS, INCLUDING THE ENDING!  HIGHLIGHT THE INTERESTING POINTS THAT YOU FEEL WILL GRAB YOUR AUDIENCE’S INTEREST AND MIGHT MAKE THEM WANT TO READ THE BOOK, TOO.  TRY AND LEAVE OFF WITH A CLIFFHANGER.

START YOUR BOOK TALK WITH A HOOK  IF YOU THINK YOU’VE READ THE BEST HISTORICAL FICTION NOVEL THERE IS, THEN YOU ARE WRONG.  IMAGINE HAVING TO DECIDE BETWEEN WHAT THE WORLD THINKS IS RIGHT AND WHAT YOU THINK IS RIGHT.  COULD YOU MAKE A DECISION IN LIFE THAT COULD POSSIBLY MAKE PEOPLE NEVER TALK TO YOU AGAIN?  COULD YOU LIVE IN A WORLD THAT WAS THE SAME: NO PAIN, NO ANGER, NO LOVE, NOTHING?

WHAT COMES NEXT?  REMEMBER, YOU WILL BE GIVEN A TEMPLATE, BUT THIS IS THE INFORMATION YOU WILL BE ASKED TO GIVE:  YOUR NAME  BOOK TITLE AND AUTHOR  PAGE NUMBERS  GENRE- SEE LIST GIVEN  THAT’S IT……….RIGHT?

QUESTIONS TO KEEP IN MIND AND INCLUDE IN BETWEEN DISCUSSING BOOK EVENTS WHAT NEW IDEAS/PERSPECTIVES HAVE I GAINED BY READING? AFTER READING TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, I LEARNED THAT PEOPLE WERE, AND STILL ARE TREATED JUST BECAUSE OF THE SIMPLE THINGS ABOUT THEM: POPULARITY, COLOR, ETHNICITY, ETC. HOW HAS THIS TEXT CHANGED MY THINKING? I REALIZE THAT I JUDGE PEOPLE BASED ON SMALL IDEAS, AND THAT I NEED TO PUT MORE THOUGHT INTO HOW I INTERPRET A NEW PERSON IN MY LIFE. WHAT NEW INFORMATION HAVE I LEARNED? I LEARNED THAT EVEN AFTER SLAVES WERE EMANCIPATED, THEY WERE STILL TREATED HORRIBLY, AND EVEN IN 2015, PEOPLE ARE TREATED AND JUDGED BASED SOLEY ON THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN OR OTHER SIMPLE REASONS. WHAT IN THE TEXT REALLY MADE AN IMPACT ON ME? WHY? SEEING HOW CHILDREN ACCEPTED THE “UNACCEPTED” MADE ME REALIZE THAT MOST OF WHAT WE DO IS BASED ON WHAT WE LEARN, NOT ON WHAT WE KNOW. WE ARE TAUGHT TO ACT AND THINK IN CERTAIN WAYS.

FINALLY……  GIVE THE BOOK A STAR RATING, BUT REMEMBER TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU GIVE IT THIS RATING!!  5 STARS= PLEASE GO READ THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW!  4 STARS=GREAT BOOK, BUT COULD HAVE A BIT MORE.  3 STARS= MANY WAYS IT COULD BE BETTER.  2 STARS= DEFINITELY NOT A BOOK I’D RECOMMEND!  1 STAR= STAY AWAY!!

SAMPLE BOOK TALKS  #1 #1  #2 #2  #3- WHAT’S NOT A BOOK TALK?! #3- WHAT’S NOT A BOOK TALK?!  #4 #4  TO FIND MORE, GO TO YOU TUBE OR SEARCH GOOGLE!

WHAT’S NEXT?  FRIDAY- IN CLASS, YOU WILL COMPLETE A TEMPLATE FOR A BOOK TALK BASED ON THIS POWERPOINT.  MONDAY- IN CLASS, WE WILL DISCUSS THE GRADING RUBRIC, GROUPING, AND QUESTION/GRADING SHEETS EACH GROUP MEMBER WILL HAVE.  TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY- BOOK TALK TIME! BE READY TO GO!!