Book Talk Assignment

Task Your task is to prepare and record a book talk for your peers. The purpose of this presentation is to inspire
others to select your book for their own personal reading.
Book Talk A book talk is similar to a movie trailer, in that it entices the audience to see the movie. You want to give
enough information about the text to hook the audience, but without simply summarizing the plot. You don't
want to give away the important parts of the book. You certainly never want to give away the ending. You
want to highlight the interesting points. You should read a carefully selected passage to your audience and
have a copy of the book to display. It's always a good idea to end the book talk with a cliffhanger, leaving
your audience with a sense of suspense.
The Big Question How can I use language to persuade an audience?
Product Your mission is to create an exciting book talk.
1. Use the entries from your Reading Journal to remind you of what the author has done well.
2. Prepare a persuasive script for your booktalk by:
 including an interesting hook;
 thoroughly and vividly describing the text by using interesting words;
 explaining how the text can be connected to the listeners in the class;
 persuade your audience to read your book by sharing an exciting event or quote from the text;
 using transition words to present your evidence of why this book should be read (for example; firstly,
secondly, in conclusion);
 restating the title and author at the end of your book talk;
 leaving your listeners with a compelling reason for checking out the book by using a cliffhanger.
3. Deliver your book talk to your audience. Remember to:
 speak loudly and clearly;
 speak with enthusiasm, pitch, intonation, pacing and appropriate volume.
Assessment You will be graded using the Book Talk Rubric. Your book talk must be recorded as a podcast and sent to
amackenzie@wqsb.qc.ca