Booktalks, Teasers, Hooks, and Quirks by Marsha Lambert


While some of our students are thrill seekers, others are looking for love, laughter or just plain facts. Connecting a student or teacher with a book which sparks new insights, introduces a whole new world or which they can’t wait to share with others is one of the most rewarding roles in the life of a library media specialist. Mining for the nugget which may intrigue a student and then refi ning and molding just the right words to make it irresistible is the challenge and the fun of reader guidance.


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There are a number of excellent booktalk books and sites to help the busy library media specialist. Joni Bodart, Nancy Keane and Scholastic have a number of ready made booktalks. MAME members Lynn Rutan and Cindy Dobrez have wonderful book reviews in their Bookends Blog on the Booklist website at http://bookends. booklistonline.com. The Hip Librarian’s Book Blog at http://hiplibrariansbookblog.blog-city.com/ has a number of ready to use booktalks.


Introducing the Newbery Award winning The Graveyard Book by using


Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman by using his


his own reading goes over with own reading of of


the book on the author’s Mouse Circus website at http://www. mousecircus.com/videotour.aspx over wel welll with students. also has a good trailer site


the book on the author’s Mouse Circus website at http://www. mouseci cus.com/videotou .asp goes


students.


Borders on


Borders on


their their site at at http://www.


bordersmedia.com/features/ video/graveyardbook.asp.


bordersmedia.com/features/ video/graveyardbook.asp.


Designing, discovering or borrowing a format with reminders or clues which help the booktalker identify the important or helpful elements of each book can be a valuable tool. The following format has worked for me.


Media


Title//Author: Graceling by Kristin Cashore Overview: Fantasy/Quest/Adventure Tweaker:. Katsa’s talent involves torturing or killing upon command. It defi nes her life and makes her invaluable to her uncle the king while causing most to avoid her in fear. Anyone who


http://www.


sees her eyes—one blue and one green—knows immediately who and what she is. Her talent, discovered accidentally at age 8 . Her uncle’s use of her talents sickens her, but she feels powerless to resist him directly. Escape seems impossible until a mysterious stranger arrives at court.


The author’s description: Graceling, my debut novel, is the story of Katsa, who has been able to kill people with her bare hands since she was eight. Katsa lives in the seven kingdoms, where very occasionally, a person is born with an extreme skill called a Grace. Gracelings are feared and exploited in the seven kingdoms, and none moreso than Katsa, who’s expected to do the dirty work of torture and punishment for her uncle, King Randa. But then she meets a mysterious stranger named Po, who is also a Graced fi ghter and the fi rst person ever to challenge her in a fi ght. The two form a bond, and each discovers truths they never imagined about themselves, each other, and a terrible danger that is spreading slowly through the seven kingdoms. From http://kristincashore. blogspot.com/2008/02/my-books.html


Title//Author:


by R. L. LaFevers Overview Tweaker:


nuisance, but


Title//Author: Werewolf Rising by R. L. LaFevers


Overview: Horror/Fantasy Tweaker: Luc’s uncle took him inin after the death of his parents treating him as an unwelcome but


after the death of his parents treating him as an unwelcome nuisance,


as as Luc Luc faces faces


adolescence his uncle becomes increasinglyincreasingly hosti hostile..le.. Angry, Luc fi nds himself lashing out with strength and fury he cannot


nds himself lashing out with a strength and fury he cannot


explain. One day a stranger arrives and offers to take Luc to his father’s family where he discovers he is comes from a family of werewolves


Title//Author: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins


Overview: Adventure/Quest/Survival www.mimame.org


adolescence his uncle becomes Angry, Luc


Spring 2010


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