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Book Talks: An Explanation
Book Talks: An Explanation
Our students do a fantastic job reading for 20-minutes or more a night! To help them expand their horizons, I challenge them to explore new authors and genres outside of their favorite graphic novels. To inspire them, I present example "Book Talks" during Library class, and the students prepare to give their own!
Students have several weeks to pick a book and select a presentation date before we head into Spring Break. The actual Book Talks will take place over the four weeks following the break (March 22 to April 16). This gives them time to read and prepare their Book Talk.
The presentation schedule and guidelines are always posted outside each classroom. Guidelines are also available digitally and in paper format (with extra copies in the library). I highly encourage creativity—students are welcome to use video or other multimedia methods for their presentations! Each year, I look forward to hearing their recommendations and ratings.
This is a wonderful way for students to share their opinions and book recommendations with peers in a safe, positive environment.
Sample
Sample
Book Talk Summary
Book Talk Summary
The Experiment by Rebecca Stead
Nathan has a secret. He’s spent his whole life pretending to be a normal sixth grader in New York City, but he’s actually part of a high-stakes mission from the planet Kast. The rules are simple: brush your teeth five times a day with a special pink paste, blend in, and never tell a soul. But the "experiment" is starting to glitch. His crush, Izzy, has mysteriously disappeared, and he’s being summoned back to a mothership that feels more like a prison than a home. To top it all off, Nathan has grown a tail! If Nathan isn't who he thought he was, who—or what—is he supposed to be?
In The Experiment, Nathan and his family are aliens living undercover on Earth. For years, they've been part of a study to see if their species can successfully blend in. But when Nathan is called back to "The Wagon" (the mothership), he discovers that the "experiment" is darker and more deceptive than his parents ever realized. With the help of his human best friend Victor, a very intelligent cat, and his new (and surprisingly perceptive) tail, Nathan must uncover the truth before his people disappear for good.
Genre: Science Fiction Mystery
Reading Level: 4.2
Interest Level: 5-8
Rating: 10/10
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