MATERIALS: http://central.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/imc/emanj
Booktalking Across the
Curriculum
Heather Hersey
Hunterdon Central Regional High School
Flemington, New Jersey
New Jersey Association of School Librarians
November 14, 2009
Promoting Booktalks
Independent Reading & Silent
Sustained Reading
…”when academic reading
is the only kind of reading
put on our students’
plates, readicide occurs.
As much as I love Dickens
and Shakespeare, I would
turn off to reading if I
didn’t have a balanced
reading diet that included
Scott Turow and Michael
Connelly” (p. 44).
Power of Readicide & SSR
 First
six days of classes = 24 booktalks
 500 fiction books checked out
SEPT 2008
Fiction and PB – 350
Graphic Novels – 89
SEPT 2009
Fiction and PB – 847
Graphic Novels – 149
OCT 2008
Fiction and PB – 479
Graphic Novels - 161
OCT 2009
Fiction and PB – 937
Graphic Novels - 274
Booktalks: What are they and how can you use them?
Compare the Curriculum
to your Collection
US History 1920-present
Historical Fiction of WWII
and the Holocaust
Contemporary Literature
Authors of the last 20 years
Comparative World Studies
International Authors
Expository Writing
Nonfiction
Angela’s Ashes
Memoir
Shakespeare retellings,
adaptations, and nonfiction
Ugly Book Covers
TRW and SLM Month Raffles
Banned Books

Displays in IMC
 Freshman Tour
 Class booktalks




Letter home for approval signature
Have generated interest in “older” books
Continue to be requested
Class assignment

Discuss why book was challenged/banned
Literature Circle Booktalks
Offer to teach content, too!
 US
History II: focus on how literature
was a reaction to the times
 Graphic Novel: include instruction on
how to read them
 Banned Books: include discussion of
and resources about censorship
Pre-Booktalk Assignments

Take a graphic novel section/panel
and write it in narrative form


Online pieces of Persepolis and
American Born Chinese
Journal questions about censorship:


What is the difference between a
challenge and a ban?
Do you ever think censorship is
necessary to protect children?
Other Quick Ideas
 Making
it easier for teachers and
students (3 week checkouts; full class
renewals)
 Send emails offering to come in
before breaks begin, on half days, or
oddly scheduled days.
Preparing Booktalks
Topics for Booktalks

General (genre)

Short Stories

Multicultural

“Modern Classics”

Banned Books

Books & Movies

Memoirs/Nonfiction

Historical Fiction

SAT Vocabulary


International Fiction
American/British
Authors

Contemporary
Authors

Genetics

Social Issues In Literature
Teen Reading Websites
readingrants.org
NoveList
NoveList: Advanced Search
Shelf-Walking
Do
you
shelf
walk
Skimmed for words
Two
favorites:
The books
Luxe and Rats
only
for
Saw God
you’ve
 Text size
is often read?
opposite
 SAT
Vocabulary:


vocabulary size
Booktalking without Reading
 Memorize
the author, title, main
characters, and book cover
 Read the cover description
 Use Amazon.com or BN.com to read
reviews (editorial and everyday readers)
 Try to read at least the first chapter
 Be honest with students if they ask
What if I don’t have enough books? Get creative!
Bharti Kirchner
India
Shiva Dancing: Meena Kumari was
seven when she was abducted from her
village. Though she managed to escape a
life of slavery, she was unable to find her
way home, and was adopted by a
wealthy American couple. Despite a
flourishing career, she lacks a personal
life and keenly feels the separation from
her heritage. Shiva Dancing takes us
from the arid desert plains of Northern
India to the bustle and charm of San
Francisco to modern-day Calcutta as a
spirited woman seeks to reconnect with
her past. (Adapted from BN.com)
Handouts
Action/Adv
Fairy Tales
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Horror/Suspense
Humor
Mystery/Thriller
Realistic
Romance
Sci-fi
Sports
War
Booktalk & Research Projects
 Freshman

Books to Movies (Schindler’s List,
Black Hawk Down, A Beautiful Mind)
 Sophomore
Banned Books
 Social Issues in Literature – how is

the social issue reflected in the literature?
• http://issues-in-lit.wikispaces.com/
Presenting Booktalks
Appealing
Displays!
How long should it be?
 8-10
books (but I always prepare more)
 Vary the length of each talk
 Add pop-ins: mention other similar titles
quickly after a longer talk
 Entire talk around 20 minutes unless I
see…
Reading from the Book
 Skin
(p. 1-2)
 Speak (p. 4-5)
 The Body of Christopher Creed (p. 27-28)
 Martyn Pig (p. 19-20)
 Shattering Glass (p. 1)
Comparisons
 If
you like Twilight…
 If you don’t like Twilight…
 If you like Lord of the Rings…
 If you like zombies…
 Can
get comparisons from reviews and
NoveList’s “Recommended Read” lists.
 Can also make bookmarks with these lists.
Starter Question
 How
old are all of you? Unfortunately, in
the world of this novel, you’d already be
dead.
[Shade’s Children]
 How many of you immediately reach for
your cell phones when the bell rings?
Does it make you crave brains? [Cell]
 Picture a fairy in your mind. What do you
see?
Now imagine these fairies are
smarter, more technologically advanced,
and really pissed off. [Artemis Fowl]
Story Set-up
 Cal
is hunting down some old girlfriends in
New York City, and when I say hunting, I
mean literally hunting them down. [Peeps]
 Sam hates attention, which is good
because most of it goes to her beautiful
older sister or brainy younger one, but
when she saves the president’s son from
an assassination attempt, she gets more
attention than she can handle.
[All-American Girl]
Where to find booktalks?
 NoveList
 Booktalks
Quick and Simple by Nancy
Keane: http://nancykeane.com/booktalks/
 Publisher’s Websites
 Numerous published books: Booktalks and
Beyond (Schall), Teenplots (Gillespie), and
Tantalizing Tidbits for Teens, Vol. 1 & 2
(Cox-Clark)
Your work is not done yet…
 To
help students find books:
What genre of books (or movies) do they like?
 What books have they enjoyed in the past and
why?
 Give 2 – 3 choices and recommend that
students read the blurb and a few pages to “try
it on.”
Have ample covers displayed!

The Future of Booktalks
or Booktalks 2.0
Wikis
http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers
Diigo.com: social bookmarking and more
•Save and organize
web pages
•Share bookmarked
web pages with
others
•Create groups
•Annotate and
highlight the web
Podcasts and Videos
 Joyce
Valenza’s NeverEndingSearch Blog:
Booktalking 2.0 and Booktalking 2.0 (2.0)
 Videos (like movie trailers)


Find them on YouTube
Make them on MovieMaker (PC), iLife (Mac),
Animoto (web-based; free)
 Podcasts

Make them with Audacity
Thank you!!!
MATERIALS: http://central.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/imc/emanj
Heather Hersey
hhersey@hcrhs.k12.nj.us
Hunterdon Central Regional High School
http://www.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/
84 Route 31
Flemington, New Jersey 08822
(908) 284-7141