Speed Dating with Books

Grade 5 is focusing on author studies for their reading workshop unit. Each has to choose one author and read at least 2 books by that author. Ms. Kasal, the grade 5 team leader, asked me for a book talk to help students choose a great author to concentrate on.

Last year, I presented a traditional book talk, where I showed a dozen books and gave rapid-fire highlights for each author. At the end of the 20 minutes, students were to choose a book to start their author study. I was disappointed when many of the students found excuses for not choosing any of the authors or titles I had presented. I was determined to do a better job of hooking them.

With the goal of 100% engagement in mind, I decided this year to structure the book talk in a speed dating format. This way, instead of listening to me speak for 20 minutes, each student previewed books by different authors. At the end of 30 minutes, each had checked out at least one book from an author and had previewed 5 books from 5 different authors.

Authors were set up as stations with a poster (created on Canva) and a selection of chapter books. The authors I presented were: Avi, Sharon Creech, Andrew Clements, Sid Fleischman, Patricia Reilly Giff, Patricia Maclachlan, Gary Paulsen, Linda Sue Park, Louis Sachar and Jerry Spinelli.

A sample of the author posters I created for this speed book dating. I used Canva.com.

These authors were chosen because they have a large and varied collection of books - and we have many of them in our library - and because they are great writers who will challenge students to think deeply about their reading. 

Students had 30 seconds to choose an author and then 2 minutes to preview a book by that author.  They each had a sheet for notes on the book. They wrote down notes to themselves about the book they were previewing and rated the books on the sheet on their desire to read them. Find the sheet here.  (At the bottom of the sheet is a link to a programmable online timer.)

Each student checked out at least one book at the end of the session. The sheet also gave students the chance to indicate they wanted a hold on a particular title. 

All in all, it went very well. Our fifth grade students were very vocal by the mention of dating, but thrilled to be considered grown up enough. Even the reluctant readers were engaged and all left with a book to try. They also have a short list of 4 other books to try if the title they checked out at the end of the speed dating didn't suit. 

The next time I try speed book dating, I'll include time at the end for students to compare notes. That could increase their exposure to authors and titles they might not have had time to look at. I would also like to include more diverse authors and perhaps picture books, as many of the authors above also write picture books. Last but not least, I'll create a resource list so that I can track the circulation of the books included in the book talk. 

Fantasy Genre Favorites

Grade 5 is starting a literacy unit focused on the fantasy genre. Nowadays, the fantasy genre can mean many different things, from talking animals to Harry Potter to the punny Xanth series. I am an unabashed lover of classic fantasy, sometimes called high fantasy. That's where you have fantastical races like dwarves, elves and goblins, where magic is a commodity like data is in the real world, and where the author creates a world with its own history and cultures. There's often a young orphan surviving through his/her wits in the underbelly of a medieval-like town. He or she may resort to thievery to stay alive, but his or her heart is always noble. There's often a quest through which the characters develop as people and/or a battle between the forces of good and evil. Many fantasy books are part of a series, which is great for readers who long to experience heroic magic and thrilling adventures and explore a richly imagined world.

We have hundreds of great fantasy novels in the ES library. I "booktalked" several of them to a fifth grade class today, and I'd thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you.

	Midnight for Charlie Bone, by Jenny Nimmo Like the famous Harry Potter, Charlie Bone is fatherless, has great magical potential, lives with relatives who hate him and is enrolled in a magical school. Charlie Bone's school, however, is more like a prison with most of the teachers resembling Professor Snape. Delores Umbridge would be right at home here.
	The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis This is the grade level read-aloud for this unit. It is a classic novel of four siblings who discover a magical world hidden behind the back of a closet. When one of the children is kidnapped by the Snow Queen, it's up to the other three to rescue him and the magical land of Narnia from her evil clutches.
	Sandry's Book, by Tamora Pierce Anything by Tamora Pierce is excellent, and this first book of a quartet is no exception. Four young students at a magic academy learn to control their unique gifts and learn that yes, with great power comes great responsibility. Each of the four books revolves around a different student.
	The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien Today a trilogy movie, The Hobbit started out life as a series of letters from J.R.R. Tolkien to his son Christopher when Tolkien was away at war. Some of the book is clearly written to appeal to a child, "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." Most of the book, however, reflects the misery of war that Tolkien was experiencing: the brainless and mean trolls, the horrors of hidden traps and the savagery of the orcs.
	The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman Another epic trilogy. In the world of The Golden Compass, all humans have a "daemon" an animal that represents the soul. Lyra uses her magical understanding of a golden compass to save her kidnapped best friend and other children from being used in horrible experiments in the Far North. There's a Hollywood movie based on the book, but this is certainly an occasion where the book is better than the movie.

Grade 5 Book Talk - Characterization

Grade 5 is starting a reading unit on characterization. I will be presenting a book talk tomorrow to give them some titles and authors that will help them explore how authors develop characters.

See the slide show here. All images from TitlePeek, through our library catalog.

Here are a few of the books that I will present tomorrow. I hope our grade 5 students will recommend their favorites as well.

Rules, by Cynthia Lord
Realistic fiction - Scholastic Press, 2006
Newbery Honor, 2007

12-year-old Catherine has an autistic brother. He loves rules and videos, but doesn't like loud noises or anything wet on his body. He is a source of annoyance and embarrassment to Catherine, who wishes she had a normal family. She would love to have a friend in the neighborhood, but when a new girl moves in next door, she isn't quite what Catherine expects. In the meantime, she meets Jason, a disabled 12-year-old who cannot talk and communicates through cards, and against her expectations becomes friends with him. Themes of friendship, family and perceptions of disability.

Love that Dog, by Sharon Creech
Realistic fiction, novel in verse - Joanna Cotler Books, 2004

Love that book. It's a wonderful novel in verse about a boy who doesn't think he likes poetry and who thinks he certainly can write poetry, but turns out to have a fine poetic voice. His poems are addressed to his teacher and little by little we learn more about him and the dog he loves. The ending is sad but this will endear the book even more to its readers. Themes of love, pets, and belief in one's abilities. The sequel Hate that Cat is perhaps even better, but I have a soft spot for dogs so I like this first one better.

The Whipping Boy, by Sid Fleischman
Fantasy - Greenwillow Books, 1986
Newbery Award, 1987

It is illegal to hit a prince, so Prince Brat has a whipping boy to take his punishment. Prince Brat is well named by his people. He's thoroughly spoiled. When he gets in his head to run away because he's bored, he demands his whipping boy comes with him. The adventures that follow are pure slapstick, with incompetent highwaymen and dancing bears, but in the end, the prince becomes wiser. The story is enjoyable and the character development is obvious, making it a good title for this unit.

A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park
Historical fiction - Clarion Books, 2001
Newbery Award, 2002

Wonderful historical fiction novel set in Korea in the 12th century. The protagonist, Tree Ear, is a homeless orphan who lives under a bridge with an older crippled man. Their village is home to many master potters, who made precious objects of celadon clay. Tree Ear is fascinated by the process and manages to get himself hired by Master Min, who is as talented as he is grumpy. Tree Ear's life as an apprentice is hard and uncertain, but he proves himself time and again. This novel offers opportunities for lots of discussion on the customs of 12th century Korea and celadon pottery, the plight of orphans, and the ethical questions that Tree Ear poses to his crippled guardian.

Note to CAC community: Sign in to the library catalog using your single sign on username and password, and then click on any of these titles. You will be taken to the record for each book where you can place a hold on the title. Here is a fuller list of books that fit with this grade 5 unit.