How to Use Book Talks to ‘Sell’ Books to Your Students

So, you’ve just bought a brilliant book to add to your classroom library. But how can you ensure that it doesn’t sit there, unloved and dusty? How can you make sure it gets into the right hands? The answer is . . . the humble book talk.

What is a Book Talk?

A book talk is a speech or talk recommending that others read a particular book. The person giving the book talk stands or sits in front of their audience (or films or records themselves for their audience) and shares information about the contents of a book. They are working to convince the listener that they absolutely HAVE to read the book.

Teachers are well placed to give book talks to their students. They’re already there in front of them. In many cases they’re selecting (and buying) the books for the classroom. And teachers often have great relationships with their students.

But what do you need to know when you’re planning to give a book talk?

What Do They Need to Know?

You should definitely start a book talk with the title, the author and the basic premise of the story. Students will want some information about what it’s about - but the challenge is sharing that without giving away too much information.

If the author or illustrator has created other books which are well known in the classroom, you might like to mention that. Students can be very loyal to creators who have given them a good experience in the past.

You Know Your Audience . . . So Don’t Forget to Hook Them In

As the teacher, you’ve usually got a pretty good idea of the likes and dislikes of your students. Remember this when you’re talking about the book. What parts of the book will appeal to your audience? Will they like the characters? The language used in the book? The plot? The appearance of a character from another story or series? Make sure you refer to those parts in your book talk.

Tell your audience enough about the book to get them interested and then stop . . . let them read the book to find out what happens next. If it’s a novel, you might even like to read a little from the book to make it extra intriguing.

It’s Ok to Share A Personal Response

While you don’t have to tell your students every thought you had while you were reading the book, you might like to share some information about how the book made you feel or how it’s connected to an experience you’ve had. This both gives the students more information about the book and allows them to see how it might connect with someone.

Don’t forget to be enthusiastic either! Try to get the book into hands as soon as possible (though you may need a sign up system for this!) Use the book as a prop if you can so students can see the cover and remember it in the future.

Challenge them to give the next book talk

While it’s great for teachers to give book talks, students can be the best ambassadors for new books in the classroom. If students are interested in giving book talks, you can always offer them a new book and ask them to read it and talk about it. Letting your students ‘sell’ the books can help them jump into hands like hot cakes!