Book Talk Program
Book Talks
- Arkansas author Maria Hoskins talks about her book, Grandma's Thanksgiving Dinner".
- Tiffany Donovan, an administrative specialist at the Arkansas Department of Education, talks about "I Miss You! A Military Kid's Book About Deployment" by Beth Andrews.
- Joyce Lee, an administrative specialist at the Arkansas Department of Education, talks about “Each Kindness” by Jacqueline Woodson.
- State Rep. George McGill talks about "The Legend of Bass Reeves" by Gary Paulsen
- Kimberly Turner, literacy specialist at Dawson Education Co-op - "On the Banks of Plum Creek" by Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Tiffany Donovan, an administrative specialist at the Arkansas Department of Education - “The Eclipse” by Nicholas Beatty
- Sherry Cox, library media specialist at Malvern Elementary School - "Pippi Longstocking" by Astrid Lindgren
- Sandy Shepard, literacy specialist at Dawson Education Cooperative - "Essentials of Assessing, Preventing and Overcoming Reading Difficulties " by David A. Kilpatrick
- Jacqueline Smith, Decatur Middle School teacher - "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
- State Board of Member and 2015 Arkansas Teacher of the Year Ouida Newton - "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
- ADE Commissioner Johnny Key - "14 Cows for America" by Carmen Agra Deedy
Purpose: #RISEArkansas Book Talks will help promote a positive reading culture in Arkansas by suggesting interesting books for students to read and encouraging them to become lifelong readers and learners. All readers are encouraged to participate and post their book talk with the hashtag.
Audience: Students in grades K-12 are the primary audience. Students are encouraged to do their own book talks and post the videos to social media using the following hashtag: #RISEArkansas.
Tips for a Great Book Talk
- Choose a young adult or children’s book that you read when you were a child. Be sure to pick a book that had a positive influence on you, and think about why it impacted you the way it did.
- Have the book with you when you record your book talk. You’ll want to show the book cover during your presentation.
- Before recording, think about what you want to say. You might even want to write it down ahead of time. A good book talk makes listeners want to read the book, so avoid reading a script and speak from the heart.
- Keep it short! The book talk should be less than two minutes, preferably a minute to a minute-and-a-half.
- You don’t need fancy recording equipment. A smartphone works great.
Information to Include
- State your first name and the name of the book and the author.
- Start with a catchy phrase or interesting line from the book.
- Give a brief overview of the book. Remember: Your entire book talk should be less than two minutes. If the book is fiction, describe the plot, but don’t give away the exciting moments. If it’s a nonfiction book, share something interesting from the text, but don’t give away all of the important facts.
- State why you like the book and why it is important to you.
- Then tell the viewers why they should read it. Have a catchy conclusion.
- Encourage others in Arkansas to “rise and read” by posting their book talks and using the hashtag #RISEArkansas.
Next Steps: Share your book talk on social media. Be sure to use the hashtag: #RISEArkansas.
Be creative and have fun!
For more information, please contact:
Learning Services
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Four Capitol Mall, Room 202-B
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Phone: 501-683-5764