Non-fiction Book Project

Today the 5th graders came to the library to select a book of their choice for their non-fiction project.  This project will incorporate reading non-fiction, generating questions while reading, web searching and creating a Keynote presentation. In preparation of them coming, I pulled over 200 books across our entire non-fiction collection that are high interest and under 200 pages.  I had to borrow a few tables to display them all.  When the students arrived, we walked to each table while I gave a mini-booktalk on some of the really interesting titles such as The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party, Dark Game, Spies of Mississippi, and The Man-Eating Tigers of the Sundarbans.  I then had the students sit at one of the tables, with no more than 3 students to a table.  They had to pick at least one book from the table and write down the title, call number, subject, and mark their level of interest on a form that I provided them.  They would have 2 minutes to do this and then move to the next table.  I used Online Stopwatch to time them.  By the time they were done, the students had made notes on at least 8 books.  They then could check out their favorite book.  Every student was easily able to find a non-fiction book that appealed to him or her; most of the students were really excited about their selection.

These 5th graders will now have three weeks to read their book.  As they are reading, they will generate questions about what they are reading on sticky notes.   Many of these questions will most likely be answered as they continue to read the book, but some their questions will require them to search the Internet.  We are using this unit to discuss web-searching techniques and finding reliable web sources; they will have time in class to search for answers to their questions.  After they have finish reading the book and answering their questions, they will select their four best questions, which they will explain to their classmates in a five to seven minute Keynote presentation.

Speed Booking

About every three weeks language arts classes come to the library to hear booktalks and check out books.  For each booktalk, I present six books that I think are excellent for the students' grade level.  While this program has been very successful and students report enjoying the booktalks, I felt I was barely exposing students to the abundance of great literature we have in our library.  Today we tried a new reading encouragement program with the sixth graders: speed booking.  The program, which is based on the principles of speed dating, is meant to introduce students to a wide array of books and get them excited about reading.

The set-up is so simple.  I pulled A LOT of books from our shelves that are appropriate for sixth grade.  I selected books that students might not notice, particularly non-fiction, and tried to focus on high interest titles.  I placed about 20 books in a pile on six tables.  Students in groups of four sat down at each table. They had two minutes to select a book from their pile and fill out a simple form.  I used Online Stopwatch to countdown the time; when the two minute timer went off, students had to get up, move to the next table clockwise, and start again. 

In just twelve minutes, every student had looked at over 100 books and given their opinions about six of them.  They then had the opportunity to discuss what they saw on the tables with their peers and check out anything that looked interesting.  The students really seemed to enjoy speed booking.  They were extremely well-behaved during the whole process and very interested in the books.  They loved having the opportunity to talk about what they saw with their friends after we were done.  Though no one was required to take a book, of the 21 students who came during the first class, 18 checked out a book from the tables before leaving the library.

The students have a file in their English class where they keep lists of books they might want to read.  They will place their speed reading forms there.

I will definitely continue using speed booking in addition to my regular booktalks.  It is a fun, easy method for energizing students around books and reading.  This program is very student-centered; my only involvement while they were here was to stop and start the stopwatch.  The only downside is that I will have to shelve a lot of books after the program is over, but I can live with that.

Tips for Giving a Great Booktalk

One of the centerpieces of my library program is booktalks.  Students come with their language arts class once every three weeks to hear about books I think they would enjoy.  They then have time to check out materials and free read in the library.  I love talking about books with middle school students, but I have to admit, I think I gave terribly boring booktalks when I first started teaching.  It takes a lot of reading both good and not-so-good novels to select the right combination of books for a talk.

Over the years, I've made certain rules for myself in designing my booktalks:

1. Never booktalk a book you haven't read.  This is a hard one, but I think you are much more convincing when you really know the story and the characters. 
2. Do not give the same booktalk to multiple classes during the same rotation.  I have 10 booktalks, which showcase 6 books, for each grade level.  I rotate them every time a class comes. That means that I have booktalks prepared for 60 books per grade level.  I do this because I want the books to be available for the students when I finish the talk.
3. Have diversity in the booktalks.  I try to make sure that all 40 prepared talks have a balance of male and female protagonists.  I also strive to find great books with characters of different races and ethnicities.  Students want characters they can relate to; unfortunately, diverse stories are sometimes hard to find.  Thank goodness for great authors like Jacqueline Woodson, Angela Johnson, Sherman Alexie, and Gene Yan.  I also try to incorporate non-fiction titles and graphic novels.
4. Know the right grade level.  Students typically will not read a book where the protagonist is younger than they are. When You Reach Me is one of my favorite novels, but I would never booktalk it to 8th graders; Miranda is in the 6th grade.  There are a few exceptions, but when I present in a group setting, I select books where the protagonist is the same age or older than the students.
5. Leave the booktalk with a cliffhanger.  You never want to give away too much of the story, and you have to end with a reason to read the book.  Who are Janie's real parents? Will Leo stay loyal to Stargirl or follow his "friends"? Does Ender have what it takes to save our planet?  Students beg me to tell them what happens, and I love responding, "I guess you'll have to read the book."
6. Use multimedia.  I like to turn down the lights when I talk and give the students something to view.  Most of the time I just project the cover of the book, but if there is a great book trailer, I will include it in the talk.  This changes the atmosphere; students feel like they are being entertained rather than lectured.  I'm in the process of converting all my booktalks to Prezis because I can easily embed Youtube booktrailers.
7. Try to involve the students.  Ask them questions or poll them.  When discussing Among the Hidden, ask how many have at least 2 older siblings.  Then tell them they would not exist in this book.  When discussing The London Eye Mystery, see if anyone has seen or ridden on the Eye.  Kids love sharing their own stories, and it makes them much more interested in the novel.

You know you have given a great booktalk when the students race to the shelf as soon as you are finished!  Feel free to view some of my Prezis online and please offer any comments or suggestions.