#6 Book Talks
Meghan Will
Instructional Focus
Oral Language
Comprehension
Content Areas
Grade Levels
Pre K - Grade 2
Grades 3-5
Grades 6-8
What is a Book Talk?
A book talk is a teaser that a teacher gives to introduce a new book to students. It makes students interested in the book or series by the teacher summarizing the book, and reading a short excerpt aloud. Students can do book talks by sharing about a book they recently read or want their fellow classmates to read. By doing a book talk, it get the students excited about reading and motivates them to pick up a book and read in their spare time.
Steps of a Book Talk
- Select a book to share: The teacher chooses a book the students most likely haven't heard of or haven't shown interest in.
- Plan a brief presentation: Including...title, author, genre or topic and a summary that entices them without giving away the ending. The teacher wants the students to know he/she liked it and reads a paragraph or page from the book.
- Present the book talk: The teacher wants to show how much he/she enjoyed the book. The teacher will make connections to books like it or a book in the same series the students might have read as a class.
During a book talk...
- stand in front of the class
- show the cover, pictures in the book and pass it around
- be prepared to answer questions
- don't give away the ending!
WHEN TO USE THIS?
- Beginning of the year when showing students what books you, the teacher, has in your classroom library
- Introducing a new book to the classroom library
- Literature circles
- For a set of books that will be used in a thematic unit
- After a read aloud following a book in the same series
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
- Students recount or summarize books they've read
- Students apply knowledge of the structure and craft of stories
- Students orally report a text, often including multimedia components
- Students demonstrate their comprehension as they present book talks
Scholastic Booktalks Channel
Videos of students giving book talks!