Honors English 2
Mrs. Thaler
Book Talk Assignment—Quarter 4—A Pre-1800 play or Post-1800 play
Periods 1, 2 must work in on a PLAY of literary merit (AP standard) for Quarter 4.
NO repeats in class between groups on plays or books. Tell Mrs. Thaler early if you want to claim a title.
First come, first served.
Plays chosen for these talks are your group’s choice, but must meet the AP standard of “literary merit.”
You must choose plays that are new to you, of high interest to you, and provide an opportunity for you
to be exposed to more good literature. This is essential to prepare for AP Literature next year as the
more you’ve read, the better prepared you will be. Consider reading plays or novels that are on the
suggested list. If you have another title in mind, please ask permission beforehand.
PLEASE NOTE: MANY CONTEMPORARY PLAYS and NOVELS EMPLOY LANGUAGE OR ADDRESS SUBJECTS THAT YOU MAY FIND
OBJECTIONABLE. YOU ARE WELCOME TO DO A BOOK TALK ON ANY APPROVED PLAY/BOOK, BUT KEEP YOUR OWN STANDARDS IN MIND,
AND BE SURE THAT ANY MATERIAL YOU PRESENT IS APPROPRIATE FOR SCHOOL.
HOW TO DO A “BOOK TALK”--
This quarter, your book talk is required to be filmed. A book talk is a formal presentation in which you
tell/instruct us about the book WITHOUT summarizing it in its entirety. It is NOT a summary from
beginning to end. Tell us, instead, about the important characters and the big idea of the play. What is
the central question or theme the author grapples with in the book? Discuss the text within that
framework and what the author’s message was in the text.
Your book talk must include:
1. Introduction to the group members, the title, author, and genre. Give the basics of the story
line and central theme/question of the text. Define the theme. Show the book to the class.
2. Discuss the central characters that feed into this central theme. Who are they? What do
they want in the play/novel? What drives them? How do they develop the idea of the
theme?
3. A Reading: Provide a short, practiced reading from the book—no more than 2-3 minutes’
worth (please time yourselves ahead of time), and the passage you read out loud should
show development of your theme through the text—share a passage early on and one later.
(a) Illustrate the main theme or essence of the book and its development
(b) After sharing the passage, please provide mature insight and analysis into what the
excerpt illustrates about the theme and why it is significant to the text. This is where you
really earn your grade. Explain in some depth about the theme development and what the
passage suggests or illustrates.
4. Each group member must create a unique, thought-provoking Level 3 question and answer
it in a solidly written, 8 sentence or more- paragraph. Cite the play in your response and
use 2 quotes, embedded, with in-text citation. Share out your question, take a stance, and
share your prepared, justified response. Type it out, Mrs. Thaler will collect on the day the
projects are DUE. Use a MLA header and heading on the typed out question. No handwritten questions or incomplete responses will earn any credit. (25 pts)
A thoughtful level three question is similar to:
a. IE: Was Bob Ewell justified for his decision to incriminate Tom Robinson for a
crime he did not commit?
5. In your conclusion, provide the audience with your closing points—include a specific text
to text, text to self, or text to the world connection. Then, give your recommendation about
the book. Please, do not be negative or overly-critical about the author or the text. Respect
the work as part of the recognized literary community. Focus on its strengths.
Everyone in the group must participate in the book talk in equal measure. Further, the analysis must be
uniquely your own, in your OWN words—not that of another source or online summary. Demonstrate
your knowledge. Plagiarizing will certainly end you up in a heap of trouble, and earn a zero on a 100
point assignment. 
Suggested Readings for Book Talks
These plays can be found in our CHS library or library system, the public library, at local
bookstores, or perhaps online. This is just a suggested listing, but of course, there are many other
authors to choose from. Please clear your choice with Mrs. Thaler first before beginning the play/book,
and of course, check that it meets your own personal standards. Of course, I suggest you read as many
of these as possible before next year, and also read from your recommended AP reading list.
Plays—Pre-1800
Any of Shakespeare’s plays not in the standard curriculum; Greek tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles, or Euripides;
plays by William Congreve, Ben Jonson, Moliere, or Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Plays—Post-1800: Some examples include (see Library Selection): (but not limited to)
Edward Albee Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Samuel Beckett Waiting for Godot
Anton Chekhov The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya, The Sea-Gull
Lorraine Hansberry A Raisin in the Sun
Lillian Hellamn The Children’s Hour; The Little Foxes
David Henry Hwang M Butterfly
Henrik Ibsen A Doll’s House; Hedda Gabler; The Master Builder
David Mamet Glengarry Glen Ross
Arthur Miller Death of a Salesman
Eugene O’Neill Long Day’s Journey Into Night; The Iceman Cometh
Jean Paul Sartre No Exit
George Bernard Shaw Pygmalion; Man and Superman; Major Barbara
Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Streetcar Named Desire
August Wilson Fences
Athol Fugard Master Harold and the Boys
And many, many others.
Also, other plays written by these authors are good choices.
Rubric for Book Talk
Names:____________________________
Content (50 points)
_____ Audience gets good sense for the book’s theme, major issues, basic plot elements (15)
***DO NOT SUMMARIZE THE PLOT OF YOUR BOOK!
_____ Presenter(s) names title and author and shows book in introduction (5)
_____ Reading selected is appropriate to showcase theme/characters/issues --and (10)
Presenter(s) indicate the reason the reading was selected/provides analysis
______Presenters each share a level 3 question and their in-depth justified response to it
(don’t forget to turn in your level 3 response) (10)
_____ Presenter(s) include his/her opinion of book, literary merit, and justifies it (10)
Presentation (50 points)
_____ Volume/Presence/ Body Language (no gum chewing, nervous movement, etc.) (10)
_____ Eye Contact with Audience (10)
_____ Inflection/Expression in reading and overall presentation, practiced (10)
_____ Effective use of time, all members equally responsible (10)
_____ Creativity and unique manner in presenting (10)
TOTAL/GRADE
____________/__________
FILM YOUR BOOK TALK~DUE ON (OR BEFORE) ___________________________