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Have you ever noticed that some books in your classroom library never get touched? Even if they are awesome books? Ever wondered why the students keep picking the same books over and over? I am going to tell you a secret that will have your students reading the books you want them to read.

Years ago a teacher trainer was brought in for professional development. I can't tell you her name or most of the content that she taught us, but one concept stuck with me. A concept called "Bless the Book" has remained with me. I don't even know if the trainer noticed this turn of phrase or if she has used the "Bless the Book" phrasing since that day. But I have used it and integrated it into my classroom practices.

I know you have experienced Blessing the Book in your classroom. have you ever read a book and then had students want to read that same book again? Ever read one book in a series aloud and then the students wanted to hear another? Or maybe have students go to the library and come back with identical books? All of these are examples of books that have been "blessed". Students have been motivated to read these books because the books have been blessed by you, the teacher, or by another student.

What is Bless the Book all about?

Bless the Book simply involves a teacher giving his/her "blessing" for a particular book. This "blessing" then motivates students to read the book.

To bless a book means to speak well of it, to show favor upon it, and to praise it. You are actually endowing the book - giving it as a gift- to your students for them to enjoy.

1. Read books aloud!

2. Read a portion of the book aloud- a chapter, a paragraph, a phrase, some dialogue.

3. Discuss the jacket cover of a book.

4. Read a summary of a book.

5. Read a review of the book.

6. Read the back cover of a book to your students.

7. Read just the title aloud and wonder (aloud) what the book is about.

8. Reference a particular book in a discussion you have with your students.

9. Look at just the pictures in a book.

10. During silent reading time, read the book yourself (model).

11. When covering topics, wonder aloud about what kind of books have been written on the subject, how many, and what point of view.

12. Have students review and recommend books aloud.

13. Have students review and recommend books in writing.

14. Pick up the book, simply say you have read it, and that you like it!

I have found that is not enough to just display a book. You have to do something more. You have to really draw the students' attention to the book and get them to focus on it for that moment in time to spark their interest.

We, as teachers, cannot underestimate the powerful positions we hold as readers in our rocking chairs on our classroom carpets. BLESS THE BOOKS!

Need tips on teaching reading? Check out my Crazy about Reading Pinterest Board!

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Follow my blog with Bloglovin Have you ever noticed that some books in your classroom library never get touched? Even if they are awesome books? Ever wondered why the students keep picking the same books over and over? I am going to tell you a secret that will have your students reading the books you want them to read.

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You want your students to read more, but the books aren't exactly flying off the classroom bookshelves. A book talk may be just the tool you need to engage your students in a new book. A book talk could sell your students on the idea of picking up a new title or author or give them the push they need to find a book they love and convince their peers to read it.

[📷: Top image by mrs._cronk on Instagram.]

What is a book talk?

A book talk is a short presentation about a book with the goal of convincing other people to read it. It's not a formal book report or review. And, it's more persuasive than expository-think sales and marketing. In a book talk, the goal is to engage the listeners and present a fun, exciting, and even suspenseful commercial for your book. A book talk could highlight the plot, like this example featuring the book Smile by Raina Telgemeir. It could focus on a character, like this talk on the book Matilda by Roald Dahl. Or, it could recreate a book's mood to ignite readers' curiosity. Teach your students how to do book talks by modeling the practice. Then hand the reins to students by assigning them book talks in partners or as presentations.

What are some good book talk examples?

Books talks can take many forms. Here are some of our favorite examples:

As you get started, use a book talk template to help students organize their talks.

Choosing a book to talk about

Probably the best way to choose a book for a book talk is to find one that you really like. If students need inspiration to find a book to talk about:

Provide a box of books that are recommended for their grade level, like this list for 4th grade.

As you get to know students, slip them a note card with a personalized book recommendation. The personal touch will give them the confidence to know that they can read the book and that it's a good choice.

Focus on a theme, like Women's History Month, by providing a shelf of books inspired by the topic.

Ensure that students will connect with a book by having them choose a book written in first person with characters that reflect their experiences (check out this list of diverse titles for ideas).

Planning the best book talk

You have a book and know you have to sell it, but students need more guidelines than that. Here are some parameters that will maximize the book talk format:

Don't give away the ending (the exception may be for a series or book of short stories where incorporating the ending to one story might excite readers about reading more from that author).

Similarly, show the book, title, and author at the end of the book talk. Don't lead with it! That'll keep the audience engaged and wondering, Have I heard of this book?

Start with a hook that will get the audience's attention. This can be verbal, like reading a portion of the story (perhaps a cliffhanger), or nonverbal, like reenacting a major fight scene.

End with a hook. Leave the audience wanting to know more by creating a cliff-hanger, like authors do at the end of a chapter, and ending with it. A book talk is successful when the audience has questions.

A book talk should be short. Aim for between one and five minutes, depending on your audience.

No two book talks should sound the same! Bring your own personality and voice to the book talk and encourage students to do the same.

Choose a book that has a strong theme that will be of interest to your class. In middle and high school, books about love, humor, magic, friendship, and problems they deal with every day (breakups, family, school, etc.) are likely to resonate.

Prepare for a book talk while you read by taking notes and placing sticky notes at cliff-hangers, quotes, scenes that surprise you, and parts that you connect with.

Think about craft: What does the author do to keep you engaged?

Like any good presentation, don't memorize it but do have your major points in mind.

Engage your audience-ask questions, take a poll, have them guess what will happen next. The author kept you on the edge of your seat, get your students on the edge of theirs.

Practice, practice, practice! (Teacher bonus: Unlike your students, who take your class only once, you can perfect a book talk and give it year after year.)

Book talks = learning and love of reading

So they're fun and spirited, but there are also real academic benefits to incorporating book talks into your classroom:

They get kids reading-really reading. When students do a book talk, they have to know the book and know it well. A book talk will fall flat if they haven't read the book and can't talk about it.

They get kids sharing reading with others. Reading can be contagious, and book talks are a great way to spread a love of reading throughout your class, one book at a time.

They teach note-taking. As students prepare for a book talk, taking notes and using those notes to summarize the story is an important skill they'll develop.

They build presentation skills. The process of reading the book, thinking through how to present it, and practicing are good rehearsal for later presentations.

They build listening skills. When students aren't presenting, they're listening. The practice of participating in book talks, listening, and asking questions refines students' listening skills.

Bringing book talks to the next level

Already do book talks? Here are some ways to kick it up a notch:

The cardinal rule of book talks is to talk about a book you like, but challenge your students to give a book talk about a book they don't like. Can they convince people that they actually liked the book?

Partner book talks: As students get comfortable with book talks, you can pair them up in class or across classes for them to have conversations with peers. As they talk about different books, encourage them to find similarities and differences between what they're reading.

Picture-book talks: Challenge older students to hone their presentation skills by having them give a book talk on a picture book.

Peer review: Create a rubric or checklist (like this one) and have students give each other feedback.

Come and share your book talk ideas in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Plus, check out 8 ways to amp up book talks.

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What Is a Book Talk?: Your Guide to Making Them Work in the Classroom

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What is a book talk and how can you use book talks in the classroom? Our WeAreTeachers guide is chock-full of teacher and student tips.

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Using Booktalks to Create a Community of Readers

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Using Booktalks to Create a Community of Readers

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Keeping Your Teaching Credentials Fresh and Current

Leaving the Classroom? You Can Still Make a Difference!

Why I Resigned From My Teaching Job: It's Not What You Think

Fluency Fix-Up Strategies Part II

Fluency Fix-Up: Teaching Sight Word Phrases

Working Together to Break the Silence: October is Selective Mutism Awareness Month

Stressed Out! Helping the Child With Selective Mutism Cope With Anxiety

Using Booktalks to Create a Community of Readers

Beyond the Jitters: Selective Mutism and Social Phobia

Say No to Boredom! Dynamic Incorporation of Nonfiction Into the Classroom

Throughout my teaching career, I have used booktalks on a regular basis to motivate, inspire, and share quality literature with students. With middle school students, the booktalk can be an effective tool to hook reluctant readers and is an important component of independent reading time and/or a Reader's Workshop. In short, a booktalk is a brief oral discussion about a book where the purpose is to "sell" the book to other readers. In developing a community of readers, both the teacher and students give booktalks.

It is a short, informal discussion about a book where the presenter highlights interesting parts to "sell" the book to other readers. These talks are casual in nature and act as a "book trailer", much like a movie trailer. The speaker may read a passage or two from the book and shares the best parts in an attempt to grab the audience's attention. The booktalk is not a summary of the book and usually the talk ends with a cliffhanger.

Why Use Booktalks in the Classroom? Booktalks are an interesting, engaging, and student-centered activity that promote independent reading with both the teacher and students sharing books they have enjoyed. Teachers can use the booktalk to feature quality young adult literature, classic literature, or books they know their students will enjoy. Students like hearing and watching their peers give a booktalk and are more willing to read a book that is suggested by a classmate.

How to Use Booktalks in the Classroom For me the beauty of booktalks is that they are flexible and the teacher can add as much structure as he/she wants or needs for his/her classroom. In my classroom, I always start by modeling many booktalks, provide explicit teaching on how to give a booktalk using a mini-lesson format, and then invite students to participate. By the end of the first marking period, many students have volunteered to give booktalks and at the start of the second marking period, I make it a class requirement. By establishing a risk-free atmosphere at the beginning, students are excited to share the books they are reading and this enthusiasm becomes contagious! My primary goal in using booktalks is to instill a love and enjoyment for reading, but it is also an effective informal reading assessment tool.
Tips for Implementing Booktalks in Your Classsroom
· I remember a few years ago when I taught sixth grade English language arts. I was reading Island of the Blue Dolphins during our independent reading time. I absolutely loved, loved the book and gave a booktalk after several students asked me to since they were curious about the book. After the booktalk during a question and answer time, it became evident that many in the class were interested in dolphins. I capitalized on that by selecting a nonfiction book about dolphins for the next booktalk, thereby demonstrating to students that I really was listening to them and was sincerely interested in what they had to say.

By using booktalks, students are applying English language arts curricular standards such as public speaking, listening, synthesizing information, and demonstrating an understanding of a text, as well as habits of mind. Start out slowly, make it simple, and most importantly, have fun!

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Using Booktalks to Create a Community of Readers

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Keeping Your Teaching Credentials Fresh and Current Leaving the Classroom? You Can Still Make a Difference! Why I Resigned From My Teaching Job: It's Not What You Think Fluency Fix-Up Strategies Part II Fluency Fix-Up: Teaching Sight Word Phrases Working Together to Break the Silence: October is Selective Mutism Awareness Month Stressed Out!

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Shared at April Book Tasting PL Session

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Student book talks are one of the many ways that students share recommendations for each other. Recommendations of books are a natural way to grow readers and they help immensely in the classroom when peers can hear from each other rather than just recommendations from me.

In the past, I would often ask kids if anyone had a book to recommend and yet it seemed that it was always the same awesome students who felt brave enough to recommend their books in front of the whole class. There is just something about 7th grade that makes even the boldest kids shy.

So rather than limit the book talks or force kids, we created the 30-second book talk. Yes, some kids still get nervous, but now they are prepared rather than feeling like they are coming up with something on the spot.

The idea is super simple. Every student gets a notecard, on it, they write a brief recommendation of the book they want to share. They can talk about the book and why it is a great read and who may like it as well. Their names go on the book and then they hand the cards to me.

Every day, when we remember, or sometimes just when we have a little bit of extra time, I pull a few cards from the stack as students enter. I then have the book covers ready to be projected, I give the card back to the student as a way to let them know they will recommend today and then we are off after their independent reading time. This gives the kids recommending a few minutes to read their book talk and adjust if needed. Kids read off their cards if they want or they invent on the spot. Their peers have their to-be-read lists out and add as they hear great titles shared. The book cover is projected so everyone can see the title and author and the intimidation factor is lessened.

Because we have so many students, these cards usually take us at least two weeks to go through and then we can do another round if we choose to.

There you go, another simple idea to create more passionate readers.

PS: You want to see some of our favorite books, go here
If you like what you read here, consider reading my newest book, Passionate Readers - The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child, out August 2017. This book focuses on the five keys we can implement into any reading community to strengthen student reading experiences, even within the 45 minute English block. If you are looking for solutions and ideas for how to re-engage all of your students consider reading my very first book Passionate Learners - How to Engage and Empower Your Students. Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

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Student book talks are one of the many ways that students share recommendations for each other. Recommendations of books are a natural way to grow readers and they help immensely in the classroom when peers can hear from each other rather than just recommendations from me.

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From April Book Tasting PL Session

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The Power of Book Talking

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Season Two, Episode 1: The Power of Booktalking

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Donalyn Miller The Book Whisperer

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Episode 7: Creating a Book Talking Culture

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Passionate Readers: The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child

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Passionate Readers: The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child

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How to Easily Do a Book Talk

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One of the pillars of our reading community is the daily book talk. While I used to do them once in a while, I was spurred on by the wisdom of Penny Kittle to do one every single day, which I have now fully embraced for the past few years.

So in the last few years, I have done a book talk almost every single day right after we finish our independent reading. It takes less than two minutes and is fairly simple. I used to plan them out much more but realized that it added another level of work to my already jam-packed day and that it didn't seem to make a difference to the students whether I did a pre-scripted one or one that was more spur of the moment. So this is what our book talks look like now.
Preparation:

1. Pick the text you will book talk - note this can be a chapter book, audiobook, a collection of short stories or whatever you feel like blessing as Linda Gambrell reminds us.

2. I like to book talk a variety of new books I have read as well as older books that haven't been discovered yet. One place I look to for inspiration is what my students have recommended in the past.

3. Decide your angle: Are you book talking it because you read it and it was amazing? Because you abandoned it and need someone to prove you wrong? Because you added it to the library but haven't read it?

4. Prepare your visual. I like to project the cover of the book so that students can easily write down the tile. I also put any genres abbreviations on the slide and whether or not is a more mature book.

5. Have the physical book ready to hold up and hand to someone or place on a designated book talk shelf or display.

During the book talk:

Keep it short and sweet. I tend to say a few sentences about the book and why I liked it/abandoned it/purchased it and then read either the first page, the inside flap or the back cover. I love these teasers as they are already made for us.

Have the book ready to hand out. The only time I break this recommendation is when I just finished a book and I want to book talk it to all of my classes. Then I try to find extra copies beforehand, such as from our school library.

Students should have their to-be-read list out which is located either in their readers' notebook or using the Goodreads app. This is a routine expectation we start with the very first week.

Pointers:

Start to transfer ownership of the book talks to students fairly early on, you should not be the only one book talking a book. I love using the 30-second book talk idea to help students become more comfortable with the format and also ensure that everyone participates.

If I am the one doing the book talk there is only one given, if it is students, then there can be up to three depending on their length. Again, this is short and sweet, not the actual teaching point of the class.

If many students want to book talk their book, consider making it the teaching point and dedicate a lesson time for it or have them do a speech about their favorite book.

Keep an anchor chart or some sort of visual of which books you have book talked, not only does it provide a reminder to students about the books shared, but it also allows you to ensure that you are providing inclusive book talks that do not just fall under one genre, cultural heritage or some other category.

Place book talked book the same place so that students know where to find them. We have a book tree that serves as everyone's place to recommend books so that is where they go.

Check to see if there are book trailers available. I still think the book trailer for The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen has convinced more students to read the book than I ever have, and I love that book.

I have loved doing daily book talks and also getting them from students and I now see them as a vital component of any thriving reading community. When we book talk a book it is the invitation into a relationship with that book for all of our students, what a powerful teaching tool that is.

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One of the pillars of our reading community is the daily book talk. While I used to do them once in a while, I was spurred on by the wisdom of Penny Kittle to do one every single day, which I have...

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Make a list of books you'll highlight through book talks in the first month of school.

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Challenge #7: Make a list of books you want to highlight through book talks in the first month of school. Get yourself ready to offer a book talk or basket talk every day for the first few weeks of school week. Of course you'll adjust once you meet your students, but you can count on having a variety of readers and so you'll want to be strategic in making sure you enthusiastically and systematically introduce a well rounded set of possibilities.
"Strangers talking over piles of books do not remain strangers long." -Matthew Pearl How Does This Help Grow A Community of Readers?
Book talks are quick informal conversations about books, meant to spread the joy and enthusiasm that one reader has about a book with other readers in an attempt to persuade them to read the book as well. In other words, book talks are moments dedicated to spreading book love around a particular text, series, author, or even classroom book basket.

Not only do book talks connect readers to books, but they also connect readers to each other. Introducing book talking by offering frequent book talks in the early days of the school year is a surefire way to get readers excited about reading books and excited to talk with each other about books.

Readers who are excited about books naturally want to tell other readers about them. So, providing modeling, time, space, and support to help readers develop their own book talking skills is time well spent in the early days of the school year. Book talks are the stuff of real life authentic response to reading. When you or I get excited about a book, we naturally start to think of the other people in our life who might also be excited to know about the book, and we often find a way to tell them, hoping to convince them that the book would be worth their time.

When you start the year with a series of quick, informal talks about books you think your students will love, you let them know right from the start that talk about books is something that you value, and that it's the job of the whole community of readers to share the word about great books. Book talking then becomes a way of life (rather than a thing we take turns doing on Fridays) with readers talking to other readers every day about the books they are reading now, have read in the past, and plan to read in the future.
Ideas to Get Started

Keep book talks short and sweet. It's not a book report, it's a teaser, meant to tell just enough to get readers interested.

Get students involved from the beginning. Student book talks don't necessarily need to be whole class events. Students can book talk with a partner, small group, or even in "speed dating" format. Mix it up. The trick is to make sure that every day there are opportunities for readers in your classroom to tell other readers about books they've read or are currently reading.

In the beginning of the year, we have found book talking every day for the first two to three weeks of school to be very powerful in igniting excitement around books. We recommend planning out the first week of talks and then seeing what students may be interested in to plan out the following weeks.

When book talking about a book from your classroom library, be sure to highlight the area of the library where it can be found. In this way some of your book talk can double as basket talk. It may sound something like this: "If you're interested in this book, or other books like this, you're going to want to check out the ____________ basket in our library."

Challenge yourself to share a book talk from each basket, genre, or category in your classroom library throughout the year, therefore stretching yourself to include books for readers with a wide range of interests.

Consider sprinkling in some video book trailers as well as teaching students how they can use book trailers to find and preview books for themselves. Students can also make book trailers themselves, posting them via QR codes inside book jackets.

Keep the future in mind... At first, you'll be giving most of the books talks in the classroom. Eventually, once you invite students to try it out, they will start to give the talks themselves. Over the past two school years, Christina's 5th graders kept a running list of who would be voluntarily give a book talk during the morning meetings each day. Doing this planning work up front will allow you to pass the baton of book talking to your readers quickly and intentionally.

A culture of book talks naturally lends itself to teaching students ways they might keep track of books they want to read in the future. From a simple list of future reads, to a Padlet board pinned with book covers, there are endless ways to help kids learn to keep a running list of books they don't want remember down the line.

Questions to Consider

Have you considered creating a regular routine of offering book talks to your students? How might you make more room for book talks in your day?

Who can you talk with about books to get started? A colleague, a family member?

What modeling or explicit teaching can you plan for how to give a book talk?

How often will you offer book talks to the whole class? To small pockets of readers with similar interest or needs? To individuals who need extra support with finding their way to a great book?

How might you encourage your students to take charge of book talking for themselves? In what ways might technology enhance book sharing options in your classroom?

Helpful Links Book Talk Examples and How-To Mr. Schu - The Important of Book Talking
How to Easily Do a Book Talk from Pernille Ripp
Book Talks, Book Trailers, and Book Teasers Quick Video of Kate Messner Describes Book Talking Creating a Book Talking Culture - A Video with Donalyn Miller To keep your collection fresh and interesting and your knowledge of books growing, we share the following blogs and websites. Build Your Stack Initiative from NCTE Jen Robinson's Book Page
We'd love to hear from you. What are some books you're considering book talking during the first days of school? Please share some of your selections with our Facebook group. Come and join us!
Don't miss a single post in this series! Click on the FOLLOW button (on the side bar or below) to have every new challenge delivered right to your inbox.

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Challenge #7: Make a list of books you want to highlight through book talks in the first month of school.

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Challenge #7: Make a list of books you want to highlight through book talks in the first month of school. Get yourself ready to offer a book talk or basket talk every day for the first few weeks of school week. Of course you'll adjust once you meet your students, but you can count on having...

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Book talks, Book Trailers, and Book Teasers

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Scholastic Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers

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Explore Scholastic Teaching Tools for teaching resources, printables, book lists, and more. Enhance your classroom experience with expert advice!