Students were introduced to this learning objective in the earlier grade
and will be revisiting its concepts in Grade 3.
Embedded Files
1.4 Book Talks
1.4 Book Talks
Reflect on books I have read so that I can recommend them to other readers
Reflect on books I have read so that I can recommend them to other readers
Think about a book you have really enjoyed. One that you could not put down. How would you tell a friend about it so they could enjoy it too? In this lesson, we will learn how to recommend the books we love to others, sharing stories that we think they will enjoy as well. Ready to become a book expert and help others find their next great read?
A book talk is a short presentation aimed at sparking interest in a book and encouraging others to read it.1
It differs from a book review, where the focus is on sharing your opinions and judgments about the book, including what you liked or disliked.2
Take a look at Sejal and Sunil's conversation, where Sejal tells Sunil how the book talks are conducted in their reading and writing community.
Key Points for an Engaging Book Talk1:
1. Opening: Hook your audience
Read a quote from the book, ask a question of your audience, introduce the main character, vividly set the scene, or do a combination of a few of these techniques. Make sure to also mention the title and author of the book.
2. Summary
In a paragraph or two, summarise the plot of the book. Be sure that your summary introduces the main character, identifies the problem, and leads us toward the solution-- without giving away the ending!
3. Impression: Share your opinion!
How did you feel about the book? What did you think of the author? Would you recommend it to others, why or why not? What would you rate it?
4. Closing
Ask a rhetorical question, read a quote from the book, use a cliffhanger, or do a combination of these techniques!
Check out the videos given below to see some examples of book talks.
Example 1:
Vid 4.1: Book Talk on ‘Wonder’
Example 2:
Vid 4.2: Book Talk on 'Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer'
Example 3:
Vid 4.3: Book Talk on ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’
Example 4:
Vid 4.4: Book talk on 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'
Here are a few reasons why book talks are important:
Listening to others' book talks gives us ideas about what to read next. Our friends might tell us about a book that we cannot wait to read3!
We get to tell others about the amazing adventures and characters in our favourite books. We get to share and inspire others to read4.
Book talks help us learn new and interesting things. We can discover different places, meet fictional characters, and learn about cool facts from books5.
When we talk about books, we can make friends who like the similar stories that we do. It is like having a community where everyone loves to read!
Summary:
Summary:
A book talk is a short presentation about a book with the purpose of making others interested in reading the book.
A book talk is not the same as a book review. During a book talk, the aim is to spark interest in the book and explain why others should consider reading it. On the other hand, a book review is when you share your thoughts and judgments about the book, talking about what you liked or did not like.
A book talk may follow a structure such as:
Beginning with a hook
Summarise the plot of the story without giving away the ending
Share your opinion about the book
End with something unresolved, wanting more so that listeners will want to read to find out what happens.
Talking about books helps us make friends, share stories, and learn new things. It inspires a love for reading in a group of people who all enjoy books.
Extension/Further Reading:
Watch this video to explore more on building better booktalks.
References
1 What is a Book Talk? We Are Teachers (2018) (link)
2Children's Literature: Book Talks. Millikin University (2024) (link)
3 The Lost Art of the Book Talk. JSTOR (2019) (link)
4 The Power of Book Talks. Musings from the Middle School (n.d.) (link)
5 Importance of Books in Our Life. Leverage Edu (2023) (link)
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