Do a Book Talk for School
Book talks for school can be a little challenging but they're not hard once you break down the components that go into preparation and presentation. This article provides a number of ways to help you present a book talk successfully at school.
Steps
- Talk to the teacher about what she/he is looking for in the project. Some teachers might only need a one minute presentation, while others may expect an essay.
- Choose a book. A good book will fill you with enthusiasm and it will be a joy to talk about, which will be much easier than talking about a book that you don't like. Set aside a portion of your time and read the book, cover to cover. If not cover to cover, make a goal of the number of pages you read every day.
- Get interested and do some research, and even if you're not interested at all, try to fake it till you make it.
- Make a list of the positive elements of your book. This will give you excellent talking points and will help you to visualize encouraging others to read the book too. Attempt to make a list of characters or actions that happen in the book.
- Taking notes of the book can really help. Put a sticky note on interesting parts or underline words you don't know, or other key things that can be useful during the talk.
- Compose the talk. Make it interesting! You can do a PowerPoint, a poster-board, or something like this. Do something to stand out, but don't be weird. Bring something that no one else probably would have thought of. For example, if it was a cookbook, make some of the recipes in it and hand it out. Think of some ideas that can make your presentation interesting, but be sure to ask your teacher if it is okay. Be sure to address the elements that the teacher has asked you to address: not doing so will reduce your grade, even if it is an interesting report.
- Add some things for fun and show initiative. Once you have addressed what needs to be addressed, you can also add other elements to improve your talk, such as using props, reading elements of the book in a lively and interesting way, etc.
- Impress the teacher, and show off a little bit. Add a bibliography at the end, even if you haven't learned to do so in class. Use big words, and do other things to show the teacher that you really learned something in the process of your talk.
- Practice your talk. As with any public speaking, until you feel very certain on your feet as an orator, practice at home. Time it, make sure you know how to pronounce everything and if you're using props, when to bring these into your talk.
- Ask your family or friends to listen to you if you'd like an audience; ask them for suggestions too.
- Avoid looking bored or looking like you're only doing this because it's for school.
Tips
- Your favorite moment.
- The type of book.
- The plot. (Do not give away the book's ending.)
- Things to add in your book talk:
- Setting(where the book takes place).
- Your favorite character.
- Info about the author.
- If you have strict instructions on what to do, be sure to meet them.
- Make eye contact with your audience.
Warnings
- Keep calm and speak steadily. It is better to speak too slowly than too quickly. Practice the pace at home.
- Avoid making it too long or too short.
Things You'll Need
- A book
- Cards, if needed
- Relevant props
Related Articles
- Write a Book Report
- Do Your Book Report on Time
- Write a Good Summary for a Book Report
- Choose a Good Book for a Report (Middle School)
