The ins and outs of booktalks in Irving ISD libraries. 2012-1013 schoolyear

1. Booktalks
Irving ISD librarians are at the forefront when it
comes to booktalking to students. Always on
the edge of new technologies, we look for
new and different ways to get the word out
about books we love. We encourage others to
booktalk in many ways as well: on the
announcements, making book trailers or
podcasts, and at events like Java Makes Me
Jump. Librarians alone have had over 8,500
booktalking or storytelling sessions this year!

2. Booktalks at Java- Sept. 2012

3. Students and Parents at JMMJ
at Barnes and Noble Sept. 2012

4. JMMJ- Hope Krum

5. JMMJ- Cindi Rockett

6. JMMJ- Lisa Cartwright

7. Lisa at Java

8. Lamar MS genre booktalks

9. MacArthur High School. Mary Boyd, Librarian
Book Trailers- November 9, 2012, March 6, 2013, March 7, 2013

10. Student Booktalk
By: Sarah Gomez (Academy student, Lamar alum)
“THE BURNING ARROW THUDDED INTO THE WALL.
Fire. The old, dry wood of the meetinghouse ignited in an instant. Dark, oily smoke filled the air,
scratching my lungs and making me choke. Around me, my new friends cried out in shock
before grabbing weapons, preparing to fight for their lives.
This is because of me.
Coughing from the soot-thick air, I grabbed Lucas’s hand and ran with him toward the door. But
they were ready for us.
Silhouetted against the flames, a dark, forbidding line of figures stood just beyond the edge of the
meetinghouse. None of them brandished weapons; they didn’t have to in order to make their
threat clear. They had come for me. They had come to punish Lucas for breaking the rules.
They had come to kill.
This is all happening because me. If Lucas dies, it will be my fault.
Outside, the vampires waited.”
Bianca is entering Evernight academy for the first time when her parents decide to take a teaching
job there. Bianca knows she doesn’t fit in with her fellow piers they are too perfect;
intelligent, trim, graceful and almost predatory. On her first day Bianca makes a half-hearted
attempt to abandon Evernight Academy, when she runs into Lucas, another student at
Evernight who also doesn’t seem to fit into. Lucas first seems to ignore Bianca and finally gives
into the love he feels for her. But at Evernight nothing is as it appears. Everyone has their
secrets and for Bianca and Lucas, will it tear them apart?
So check out Evernight and don’t miss Stargazer to enjoy more of the star-crossed lovers, Bianca
and Lucas.

11. Booktalks done differently
Lamar MS online booktalks- written by Cindi Rockett

13. Booktalks done differently
Booktrailers
• Wendy Sanders is the teacher that Skye Bryant
worked with. Her fifth grade students made
the trailer for my second grade students.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qITaicM_A
Ic&feature=youtu.be
• Olivia books

14. Booktalks done differently
Podcast booktalk by Cindi Rockett
• Forbidden by Judy Waite

15. Booktalks done differently
Lamar MS- QR codes and trailers

16. Booktalks done differently
THE SCORPIO RACES
by Maggie Stiefvater

17. Booktalks done differently
MONSTRUMOLOGIST
by Rick Yancey

18. Booktalking done differently
Student recommendations at Lady Bird
Johnson MS

19. Booktalking Schedules- Keyes
Elementary

20. Booktalking Schedules- Lamar MS

21. How To’s
Lamar MS booktalk slide presentation

22. Lamar MS booktalk bookmarksHow To’s

23. Narratives- Lori Bierschwale, Houston
MS
• Conducted the traditional way – previewing a
book by word of mouth
• Scanning QR codes with smart phones
• Scanning QR codes with iPads
• Showing book trailers in a PPT.
• Going to content classes (math, science,
electives) to read and preview books content
related

24. Narratives-
Diana Stephens, Barbara Cardwell Prep
• So far, I have done 132 Booktalking sessions with ELA, reading, and
CTE classes. Sometimes the teacher requests a theme, such as
“Coming of Age” for English 1 Springboard, Colonial times (English
IV Springboard), Cultural Diversity (English II Springboard), and
mostly recently, Graphic Novels (English IV Springboard), as well as
mythology related, or verse novels for reading classes. I do my
booktalks with book trailers, or just orally with a question and a few
sentences, or sometimes a read aloud.
• This year, since ELA classes don’t have enough time to come to the
library, I make savvy book choices in addition to novels of the
requested themes, and load up a cart I call my “Logo Cart” and push
it into the rooms for 4 one minute booktalks, checkout, renewals,
and collect books for return. I’m in and out in 15 minutes. The
picture shows me doing the Logo cart in Ms. Lindle’s classroom with
English II students.

25. Cardwell- Diana Stephens in Lindle’s room

26. Narratives- Kristine Lundeen, Travis MS
• At Travis I do a lot of book talking or showing of trailers to students.
I teach lessons to 6th graders once or twice a month. This semester
we have been going over genre – therefore I’ve talked with them
over Non-fiction books, Realistic Fiction, and Mystery (before the
end of the year we will have completed Historical Fiction & Science
Fiction). I do have a picture of me somewhere dressed up as
Sherlock Holmes when I talked about Mystery.
• I have also done Book Talking genre lessons with 8th graders over
Science Fiction and Historical Fiction.
• With the Irving Big Read – I tied it in with Banned Book Week were I
Booktalked the Big Read (Fahrenheit 451) and various Banned
Books to all 6th-8th grade ELAR classes.
• I have also Book Talked: Realistic Fiction, Dystopian, Coming of Age
to GT ELAR classes.

27. Travis MS

28. Narratives- Anu Khosla, Keyes
Elementary
• Other than Book talking in the library daily, we
have a schedule for all the admin and
Instructional support who go on the morning
announcements each Tuesday. I have shared
the google doc with you, with Tuesday
schedule for Book Talks.

29. Narratives- Cindi Rockett, Lamar MS
• After orientations, my goal was to bring classes to the
library for booktalks weekly. Except for a few weeks
around holidays and book fair I have been able to do
that. Most classes have been to 3 booktalks sessions at
this point in the year. That makes 661 sessions for the
year- wow, no wonder I’m tired!
• I like to make power points to go with every booktalk.
That way, they can be reused in the library or
classroom or printed out so the kids can look at what I
talked about.
• I’ve done several thematic booktalks- genres,
biographies, end of the world fiction, Halloween, non-
fiction and researching.

30. Lamar genre booktalks

31. Narratives- George Swan, Davis
Elementary
• Every day our principal comes by the library before the
morning announcements. He selects a book (or
sometimes I select one for him). He gives a brief book
talk every morning. He tells the students where to find
it in the library using the spine label. It is amazing how
many kids want to check out the book he
recommends. He has been an avid supporter of the
library! In fact he, he has been named the
Administrator of the year for TLA and will be
recognized and honored at the Bluebonnet Luncheon!

32. Narratives- Carrie Patrick, John Haley
Elementary
• I have book talked Gordan Korman books to
my fifth graders. We have also talked about
various titles throughout the year to different
grade levels.
Author Gordon Korman

33. Narratives- Cynthia Whisennand,
Gilbert Elementary
• I do book talks tied in with Novelist for grades
3-5 I choose a page from Novelist like Classics,
see which copies Gilbert has, and then use the
screen art up on the digital projector. I tie it in
with showing the students how to write
reviews on LS2PAC for books they like.

34. Narratives- Karron Dobbs, Lively
Elementary
• All staff members have a ___________ is
reading sign where they can record what they
personally are reading or what they are
reading to their students. I’ve also gotten my
ELAR teachers to do displays with students
showing, writing, talking, etc. about what they
are reading. Several do class reviews of books
on Goodreads and post using QR codes.

35. Lively

36. Narratives-Daniel Chacin, Good
Elementary
• I did more than one hundred booktalks this
year for the Bluebonnet program.

37. Narratives- Gayle Benage, Austin MS
• I do book talking with classes or book trailers
at least twice a month.

38. Narratives- April Scott, Lady Bird
Johnson MS
• I do book talks about every six weeks for various
classes. Here are a few things that I have done:
• 1 – Holocaust books for 8th grade ELA
• 2 – If you liked the Hunger Games…..
• 3 – With 8th grade, I book talked some of my
favorite books and then had them create padlets
with book recommendations for each other (see
following slide)
• 4 – Scary books for 6th grade

39. Lady Bird Johnson MS

40. Narratives- Joanna Easton, DeZavala
MS
• At de Zavala Middle School, the ELAR teachers
and librarian work together to create
opportunities for personalized book talks for
students through “Reading Conferences.” The
librarian and teacher co-teach during the 90
minute block, allowing for each student to
work on Springboard and also engage in a
personal conference with librarian regarding
his/her reading interests and just-right-books.

41. Narratives-Suzanne Cahill,
Brandenburg Elementary
• I tust did book talks with 4th gr. GT class- they were getting ready to
do the Mystery genre for their “literature circles” from CSCOPE - in
the past-- I have just booktalked about 15 different book titles (then
showing book trailers to motivate). Doris Campbell and I decided to
do something different this time:
• For the Mystery genre- I put them in groups of 3 or 4 and gave
them “Mysteries of Harris Burdick” along with the “Chronicles of
Harris burdick”---- they decided on an author and his/her
shortstory- after I booktalked Chris VanAllsburg’s story of choosing
his favorite authors to write about his illustrations. When they
chose an author and read his/her short story, Using the IPADS ---
they then looked the author up on Novelist, or teachingbooks.net,
read about the author and then chose their own mystery book by
this author by reading the summaries, or hearing the author talk
about his/her book. It really went over well-!!—Then, I ordered
the multiple copies for each groups’ literature circle.