HOW TO PREPARE AND PRESENT

1
BOOK TALKS ARE The equivalent of a movie preview
or poster. An advertisement for a book. A way to
help others connect to a book. An unfinished
mysterywhere the listener only gets the first
clue. .
BOOK TALKS ARE NOT Summaries Reports Reviews Crit
ical analyses. .
HOW TO PREPARE AND PRESENT AN AMAZING BOOK TALK
PLAN As you read, mark pages that make you say
WOW! Review these parts and pick one. Select
the part you will read, edit if necessary and
check word and name pronunciations. Complete the
planning sheet. Practiceespecially the reading
section.
TIPS FOR SCCESS Find the WOW partsa part you
loved Plan and practiceout loud Always check
with your teacher about questionable content or
language. Warn your audience about shocking or
controversial books or parts you might
present. Show your enthusiasm.
2
BOOK TALK PLANNER
Title and author (show book) The Devil and the
White City by Eric Larson
Connection to audience If you are like me, when
you think of serial killers, you think of 20th
century crimes. Names like Jeffrey Dammer, Son of
Sam and others come to mind. In reality, serial
killers have been around for a long time. That is
what my book is about.
Presentation plan, step by step Background Two
stories woven together One story about a
brilliant serial killer and the other about an
equally brilliant group of architects Setting is
Chicago in 1893. The worlds faircalled the
White Cityis just about to be built. At the same
time, under the cover of all the excitement, a
man named Holmesthe devil from the titleis
starting a string of murders. Set up for
reading Heres some insight to just a bit of
Holmes character. This occurs in his home not far
from the fair and several months after he
finished constructing a gas chamber in the
building. Read pages____ to ___
Question of challenge to read the book Would
you like to know why the White City is not
standing today? Would you like to know who is
responsible for so many of things on the
lakefront in Chicago today? Would like to know
how a serial killer got away with so many murders
right under the noses of thousands of fair
visitors?
Title and author (show book) The Devil and the
White City by Eric Larson
3
BOOK TALK PLANNER
Title and author (show book) No More Bullies
(formerly The Wounded Spirit) by Frank Peretti
Connection to audience Have you ever been
deeply hurt by someone who made fun of you,
called you cruel names or even physically bullied
you? If so, you might identify with the kid in
this book (and the author) Frank Peretti.

• Presentation plan, step by step
• Background
• Pertti is known as a fiction author. This is his
  first non-fiction piece and it is his story.
• Reading set up
• Section called Boys Hell pages 1-9 (edited)
• More
• Perettis real story of his first day in high
  school PE.
• childhood illness made him small and scared
• struggles with bullies in high school
• his connection to the high school shootings in
  1998 at Columbine

Question of challenge to read the book You may
have caught the threats running through Perettis
mind at the end of my reading. If you want to
know if he sought revenge, if he made wise or
poor decisions in his hurt from being bullied,
read this book.
Title and author (show book) No More Bullies (The
Wounded Spirit) by Frank Peretti
4
Book Talk Planner
Title and author (show book) Rowan Hood-Outlaw
Girl of Sherwood Forest by Nancy Springer
Connection to the audience When I think of
Sherwood Forest, I think of Robin Hood. I wonder
what it would be like to live as a girl during
this time?
Presentation plan, step by step
Background This story is woven into the tale of
Robin Hood. Part of the story leans toward the
magical side. (aelfin) All of the story takes
place in medieval England, where kings rule, the
poor are taxed and the life of the privileged is
not always as it seems. Children become orphans
at the whim of who ever is in charge. Our main
character spends a lot of time in the woods.
(rowan groves) It is suspenseful since the reader
does not know what kinds of choices the
characters are going to make. What would it be
like if you had to kill someone to survive?
Reading Setup Here is some insight into Rowans
character when she has an encounter with a
wolf Read page 19 (about ¾ of a page)

Question of challenge to read the book Sometimes
people have to make difficult choices. You may
notice some of the thoughts going through Rowans
mind as she encounters difficult situations. If
you want to know some of the choices that Rowan
made, read this book.
Title and author (show book) Rowan Hood-Outlaw
Girl of Sherwood Forest
5
BOOK TALK PLANNER
Title and author (show book) The Wounded Spirit
by Frank Peretti, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel
Hawthorn, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Connection to audience Has any adult ever told
you you are the company you keep? Have you ever
known someone who had a huge positive or negative
influence in your life? If so, you will find
interesting connections between these three books.

• Presentation plan, step by step
• Introductory remarks some things do not change
  with the times.
• Scarlet Letter written in 1800s, TKM in 1960s
  and Wounded Spirit recently. All share the
  similar theme that others can have a significant
  influence in your life. In all three texts, there
  are examples of both positive and negative
  influences. I am going to focus on the positive.
• Brief summary of my book
• The Wounded Spirit is set in a small American
  town in the present time. It tells of the
  physical end emotional struggles of Frank Peretti
  who is severely bullied.
• Illness and surgery left him scarred,
  amonster. Kids made fun and excluded.
• Peretti talks of his choices, what saved him and
  the connection he sees to the kids who did the
  shooting at Columbine HS.
• The difference a positive influence of one person
  can make
• In the Scarlet Letter one positive influence in
  Hester Prinns life was the judge who condemned
  her to publicly wear the A for adulteress. That
  might seem mean and hurtful, but actually it
  allowed Hester to deal with her issues and grow.
• In to Kill a Mockingbird one powerful influence
  in the childrens lives was Calpurnia their
  nanny. Although she was of the lower Negro
  class she modeled honesty, respect and faith,
  having a huge influence on the children she
  tended. She filled in for their deceased mother,
  teaching them how to live right and well.
• In The Wounded Spirit, it was a teacher who had
  an influence that changed Perettis life.
• 4. Read p. 1-12 marked sections and
  136-137.

Question or challenge to read the book In each of
these books, key people had an enormous positive
influence in the life of a main character. To see
even more connections, and to see how our life
circumstances and the people we meet can really
change our life, read
Title and author (show book)The Wounded Spirit
by Frank Peretti