Booktalks

The 80's and 90's

What significant events
define your time?

BOOK TALKS

Now that youâve finished reading your book and completing your double-entry journal, itâs time to write and deliver your book talk. The purpose of a book talk is to entice other people into reading the book. Unlike a book report, the book talk tells just enough about the work to get the audience ãhooked.ä

1. Think about your book. Since a book talk is essentially just sharing your enthusiasm about and enjoyment of a book with someone else, imagine what youâd say to convince classmates to read it. Why was it funny, exciting, suspenseful, intriguing, frightening? Why did you keep on reading it? Decide on the focus of interest in the book. Does it center around the plot? a character? a particular scene? a mood?

2. Once you have chosen the focus of interest, decide how best to communicate that focus. Consider:

describing in detail a short scene or anecdote. The scene should occur early in the book, should be
complete in itself, and should convey the feeling of the book.
summarizing the plot up to a climactic moment and then stopping.
very dramatically reading a passage that you enjoyed reading.
ãbecomingä a character and speaking as if you were that person.

3. Next, write your introduction. It should be a ãgrabberä-- something that will catch and hold the interest of your audience.

4. Write the body of your book talk, using the focus of interest you identified in #2 above.

5. Write your conclusion, stopping without telling everything, letting the audience know that something else will be happening. Give a qualified recommendation (What kind of a reader/person would like this book?). Be sure to repeat the title and author of the book in your final sentence. and recommend the book to.

6. Revise your book talk thoroughly, aiming for vivid, concrete language and varied, complex sentences and paragraphs. Proofread carefully until your paper is error-free. Type it.

7. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, until you can speak comfortably from a 3 x 5 note card, making eye contact with the audience.

JUST A FEW MORE HINTS:

You must have the book with you to display while presenting.
You are a salesperson for the book. Be enthusiastic!!
NEVER do a negative book talk.