Name: ______Block: ______Date: ______

Quarter 3 Independent Reading Assignment:

Book Talk

Due: ______

What is a book talk?

There are TWO parts to this quarter’s IRA:

1)A written explanation of the book (about 1 page in length)

2)An oral presentation to your peers about the book (about 1 minute in length)

Requirements for the WRITTEN portion:

MUST be typed (can be printed and turned in OR shared through Google Docs)

Title & Author

Genre (Be specific. For example: Science Fiction instead of Fiction)

A 1 or 2 paragraph summary that includes:

  • Character – choose a trait for the main character and support with 1-2 examples from the text as evidence
  • Conflict – describe main conflict in 1-2 sentences and tell whether it is internal or external
  • Setting – describe in detail when and where the story takes place
  • Main events – Explain 2-3 important events leading up to the climax
  • NO SPOILERS!

A 1 paragraph recommendation that includes:

  • Your rating of the book (Ex: 8 out of 10 stars)
  • Include evidence to support why you feel this way
  • WHO specifically (Age group, boys and/or girls, etc.) would like to read this book and explain why

Requirements for the ORAL portion:

Tell a short summary of the story. NO SPOILERS!

Tell a recommendation to your peers

  • Should they read the book? Should they NOT read the book? Why?

Oral presentation skills, including eye contact, appropriate volume and posture.

Book Talk Written Portion Example

Title: Soul Surfer

Author: Bethany Hamilton

Genre: Personal Memoir

Summary:

Soul Surfer is a memoir written by Bethany Hamilton, a young girl from Hawaii who longs to be a successful professional surfer - until one day, her dreams seemed to vanish into thin air. On Halloween morning, a morning that seemed so normal, Bethany went surfing with her friend Alana. She gently rolled along the waves on her Roxy surfboard, until she felt a strong TUG! And just like that her world changed. Her arm had been completely bitten off by a 10-ft long tiger shark! Bethany turns to friends, family, and her faith to get her though the hard times. Will Bethany’s dream of being a pro-surfer come true? Or will the moment that forever changed her life, also change her life-long goal?

Recommendation:

I give Soul Surfer a rating of 7 out of 10. After reading this book, I felt inspired to always reach for my dreams. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends so they could have the same feelings. My only drawback is that the writing seems a bit juvenile and there is not enough relevant detail. Bethany jumps between stories before, during, and after the accident, and sometimes it could get confusing. However, the message of the story is a great one! She shows both her strengths and her weaknesses in trying to overcome a life-changing challenge. Although this book is a good choice for anybody, I think that girls about 12-16 would enjoy Soul Surfer the most. Bethany's story has really helped many people open their eyes and see what you can accomplish when you try hard. I think this is an excellent book and if you want to read a book that is inspiring but not sappy, Soul Surfer could just be the book for you. *Disclaimer: Bethany is a very spiritual and religious person. She uses her faith in God to cope with her accident, but in no way does she pressure her readers to understand or agree with her beliefs.