1. JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER KEELY TOLBERT CI 616

2. ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE BY BENJAMIN ALIRE SÁENZ As a way to introduce our new book, especially one with a cover as rich in detail as this one, we are going to hone in on the importance of visual cues and how much we can infer from those cues about the characters in the book and their story. A book’s cover is our first clue as readers as to what the book will be about and this one is particularly rich in the information it provides.

3. INTRODUCTION TO THE ART OF BOOK COVERS In order to start thinking about the significance of a book cover – the artistry of them – we’re going to watch a short video by Random House publishers that features several prominent book cover artists. Listen carefully to what they say about the importance of a book cover, what it tries to do and what their process is in designing a cover.

4. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE COVER OF THE BOOK? WHAT ELSE STANDS OUT TO YOU? When you get your copy – please simply set it on the table in front of you. We’ll work with only the front cover for now. The title. The names: Aristotle and Dante The older model red truck. The starry sky.The 4 award stickers. The sugar skull.The author’s name.

5. THINGS WE NOTICED AS A CLASS:

6. THE BACK COVER OF THE BOOK Now turn over your books and again, take note of what you see in the imagery while I read the synopsis aloud. What additional information have we learned about the book and the characters?