Book Discussions

How do you create excitement about what your students are reading for pleasure? One way is to have them talk about books with other students. Students will share their pleasure of reading the book, and encourage others to read it also. These sharing times don't need to be lengthy or require much preparation on the part of the teacher. You might want to start sharing about what you are reading, or read excerpts from books that have a theme that is similar to what students are studying.

Here are a few different ways to organize a book sharing time in your classroom.

The Book Commercial
Students can write or present a two-minute commercial about a book they have read. It could decribe the plot and then end with a question, or students can read a riveting paragraph that ends with a cliff-hanger. Students can post the title and author of books somewhere in the classroom so that interested students can look up the book in the library.

Interview a Character
Two students who read the same book could perform an interview, telling about interesting events in the book.

Pairing and Sharing
Students are paired and discuss the book they are reading with another student. The pairs can rotate through the week to ensure studnets get a variety of ideas about what to read next.

Multi-age Sharing
Students in older grades can be paired with students in younger grades to share what they are reading.

Read Book Reviews
Students can search Web sites with book reviews listed by title, author, interest level, or subject. When students have found a book that they would like to read, they can read the summary to the class or a small group, and tell three reasons why they would like to read the book.