Name: Class: Date:

Book Talk (SSR+)

What is this for? This is a celebration of reading and literature! Your book talk is your chance to share the book you have been reading this past marking period with your classmates.

What is my goal? Your task is to sell the book to us. Persuade your classmates that they ought to read this book as well. Be fair and unbiased, however.

What do I need to include? The back of this sheet provides you with a list of possible topics to discuss. You are allowed to use only 3x5 notecards, since a book TALK should be a natural discussion of your reading experience. This is not a book report (or summary); this is a chat about your experience reading this particular book.

How will I be graded? The rubric below outlines your grade. This paper is due the day of your book talk so your teachers can record your score.

Book Talk Rubric

Date: Title of Book: Fiction or Nonfiction

Category / Details / Points Possible / Points Earned
Eye Contact / ü  Made eye contact with whole audience
ü  Did not read from paper/notes / 10
Voice / ü  Audible to entire audience
ü  Speaks slowly and clearly / 5
Posture / ü  Stood straight and tall
ü  Did not lean, pace, or stand on one foot / 5
Talk / ü  Title and Author
ü  Genre
ü  Trailer
ü  Evaluation / ü  Recommendation
ü  Connections
ü  Theme or lesson learned / 20
Organization / ü  Addresses all requirements (see back)
ü  Teacher did not have to prompt or ask questions / 10
Visual Aid / ü  Copy of the book OR
ü  Something to represent the book / 5
Time / ü  No less than 1 minute
ü  No more than 3 minutes / 5
Total Points & Comments / 60

Book Talk Notes and Requirements

Remember: This is only for brainstorming. You cannot use this when you give your talk. You may write important notes on 3x5 index cards.

Title: Author:

Genre: Total # of Pages:

Trailer: Give your most enthusiastic preview and summary of the highlights of the book. Tell us what you liked. Make us want to find out more! (Don’t give away any important surprises or the ending.)

Evaluation: Explain what the book does well and what might be lacking. Consider this the “highlights” and “lowlights.” A brief quote from the book would be helpful. Some questions to consider:

Name: Class: Date:

ü  What did you like about the author’s writing?

ü  Are the characters interesting or believable?

ü  Is there a lot of imagery or is the dialogue really engaging?

ü  Have you read any other books by this author or from a similar genre? How does it compare?

ü  Where did the author miss the mark?

ü  Did the plot fall short?

ü  Was the style of writing easy to understand?

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Recommendation: Who would you recommend read this book? What type of person would enjoy this? Explain why.

Connections: Provide at least one significant connection to the book. Make sure that you explain the connection fully. Choices:

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ü  Text to Text

ü  Text to Self

ü  Text to World

Name: Class: Date:

Theme or Lesson Learned: What was the author trying to tell you? What did you get out of this book – what made it worth reading?