Booktalk: Award-Winning Book

Read an award-winning book on your reading level (notice it did not say review a book you've already read--smile). We will have lessons in class and handouts to help you. There is information posted on the chalkboard about some of the awards given to books for adolescents and there are some books pulled from the shelf and put on the bookcase by the back door. You will find more books on the regular shelves, in the media center, at the public library, and in bookstores. Here is a web site that will give you some help:

Award-winning books

You will receive a booktalk sheet which spells out exactly how the booktalk will be graded. Be sure to use it as you plan your booktalk. You project should augment your talk, not be something added on. It is similar to visuals used in business presentations, but probably more creative as I encourage students to be as creative as possible and try to stay away from poster-type projects since you've been doing those for a long time and it's good to try new things. Some of the best projects in the past have been videotaped skits acting out part of the story, refreshments that match the book like stawberries for Strawberry Girl, dressing up as a character in the book and telling the story from the character's viewpoint, puppets, dioramas with moving parts, videotaped game show formats designed to give information about the story, audio-taped book interview radio show, books in a bag with beautifully decorated bags, and so on. I know this class is especially creative so we will probably have even better projects than these this year.

The important thing to remember about doing a booktalk is not to wait until the last minute to read your book. You want to time to change books if you become disinterested because it is difficult to give a good booktalk on a book you didn't enjoy. Also, you'll need time to read the book, prepare what you are going to say, practice what you are going to say, and prepare a project. This is not a one night assignment (smile)

You will be graded as follows:

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PRESENTATION (25 points)

Eye contact with audience
No distracting mannerisms
Voice, loud and clear
Voice natural, not sounding memorized
Report spoken, not read

CONTENT (30 points)

Tell title and author
Show the book
Tell what award it won and why you think it won it
Good summary of the book
Tell most interesting parts; motivate others to want to read your book
Clear to audience entire book read

PROJECT (25 points)

Unique (different, new, unusual)
Creative
Appropriatefor the book
Effort is apparent in final product
Incorporated into booktalk; not "whipped out" at end

KNOWLEDGE (10 points)

Able to answer at least two questions from the audience

AUDIENCE (10 points)

Lose five points every time not paying attention to classmates' presentations. Given after all presentations.

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