Conference Handout

BOOKTALKS!

 

Almost Super                                                                                        Marion Jensen

Elements

Cliffhangers                                                                                                                                

Stick Dog (Diary of a Wimpy Kid/Funny Books)                                          Tom Watson 

  Operation Bunny (Junie B. Jones/Spunky Girls)                                   Sally Gardner                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

                                                                  

Character

Odessa Again (Junie B. Jones/Spunky Girls)                                              Dana Reinhardt

Scare Scape (Goosebumps/Scary Books)                                                      Sam Fisher 

 

 

Scene Stealers

The Day My Butt Went Psycho (Diary of a Wimpy Kid/Funny books)       Andy Griffiths         

 Whales on Stilts                                                                                    M. T. Anderson                                    

Mood

Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies (Diary of a Wimpy Kid/Funny Books)            Andrea  Beaty                                                                                                            

The Imaginary (Goosebumps/Scary Books)                                                A. F. Harrold                                                                         

 

Tips for Writing:

• Read, read, read.
• Choose the books you read carefully – Consider Your Audience.
• Take notes while reading and write the booktalk as soon as you finish.
• Remember it is not a book report, review or evaluation – our goal is to attract and excite readers!
• Think Short – rather than long and drawn out.               
• First sentence and ending are key!
• Write like you would talk.
• Know when to stop and avoid spoilers at all costs!

 

Hooks

Props                                                                                                                                                                       Zombiekins (Diary of a Wimpy Kid/Funny Books & Goosebumps/Scary Books)  Kevin Bolger                                                                                                               Go!: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design                                             Chip Kidd                                                                                              

 

Questions                                                                                                                                                                Cat Dad, King of the Goblins                                                             Britt Wilson  

An Army of Frogs: A Kulipari Novel (Warriors/Animal Adventures)        Trevor Pryce

 

First Lines: Millicent Min, Girl Genius                                                           Lisa Yee                                            

 

Movie & TV tie-ins                                                                                                                                                        

The Iron Trial (Fantasy)                                                     Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

The Familiars (Warriors/Animal Adventure)                                             Adam Jay Epstein                                                                                                             

 

Excerpts

Sipping Spiders Through a Straw: Campfire Songs for Monsters             Kelly DiPucchio                     

Mr. and Mrs. Bunny: Detectives Extraordinaire (Warriors/Animal Adventure)  Polly Horvath                                                                                                                                

 

Non-fiction:

Zombie-Makers: True Stories of Nature’s Undead                            Rebecca L. Johnson                                                                    

I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat: History’s Strangest Cures          Carlyn Beccia  

 

Picture books, Beginning Readers, Bridge books:

Tales for Very Picky Eaters                                                                 Josh Schneider

Disgusting Critters series                                                                    Elise Gravel

When the Beat was Born                                                                     Laban Carrick Hill

Jim Curious: A Voyage to the Heart of the Sea                                   Matthias Picard

 

–   Pick a strong starter –   Strategize about structure –   Mix up your content –   Consider working with a partner –   Prepare more books than you need

Performing Tips:

• Plan your presentation:
   

• Print your script
• Stay in your comfort zone
• Practice practice practice
• Be physically dynamic
• 
  

  Vocal warmups Stretch Make eye contact Face the audience

  Bail on the script
• Use your teacher skillz
   
• Do what works

SOURCES & SITES:

Finding Books

Novelist K-8 Plus (subscription-based database)

Goodreads.com (social network based on book reviews)

BN.com (Barnes & Noble)

Children’s Literature Database (subscription-based database)

EarlyWord Kids (pre-release website)

Display Ideas: Pinterest (social network based on images)

Booktalk Writing

          Scholastic (Booktalks within the Teachers & Librarians section)

NancyKeane.com (older site, but SO MANY BOOKTALKS!)

Random House (Booktalks within the Teachers section)

Google (yes, it’s true!)

YouTube (booktalks and book trailers)

 

See more Sources & Sites on the presentation Blog (http://elementarybooktalk2015.blogspot.com/)