GROWING READERS: THE POWER OF APPEAL TERMS AND BOOK HOOKS

O. Nesi

NYCSLA Workshop– November 20, 2010

TO START … LET’S READ

But Excuse Me That is My Book by Lauren Child

Write a brief annotation for the book and share out

Now Let’s Go Back

Let’s revisit the last activity using the language of appeal

Describe the story elements for the book we read using the appeal terms provided

What’s different? How? Why?

THE STORY OF CAVALLARO’S STUDENTS…BUT REALLY – THIS MIGHT BE THE STORY OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS

Helping students find the books they like … with their help vs. without their help (“Nah…”)

“It’s about a boy…”

“It’s interesting.” What does that mean, anyway?

Or – we can teach them to use a common intelligent vocabulary to describe what they like (and dislike)

MODIFICATIONS ANYONE?

Story Element: PACE

Story Element: TONE

Story Element: STORY LINE

Story Element: CHARACTERS / CHARACTERIZATION

LET’S READ ……and assign appeal terms to

more picture books

(then, lunch)

SUMMARIES VS. BOOK HOOKS“If you’re like me, you tend to regard

plot summaries as a necessary boredom at best … revealing almost nothing about the way a book actually works, almost nothing about why it succeeds or fails. If plot were the crucial measure, there’d be no difference between a story about the fish that got away and Moby Dick.”

Will Blythe – NY Times Book Review – July 11, 2010

WHAT IS A BOOK HOOK EXACTLY? Neither a summary, nor a review A 2-3 paragraph distillation of the reading

experience provided by a book It starts from the reader’s personal point of

engagement Should capture the elements of a story in such

a way as to entice someone to want to read it Gives readers an “in” to the story by revealing

its hook Same book – different readers – different hooks

…AND HOW DO I WRITE ONE? Begin by referring to the lists of appeal terms as

you read

Jot down the adjectives you think best describe the “feel” of the book you are reading

Include as little as possible about the plot

Determine which of the story elements to feature in your Book Hook, then work them in

Practice, practice, practice (and it helps if you like the book)

LET’S READ & DISCUSS HOOKS

Winston the Book Wolf by Marni McGee and Ian Beck

The Winston Book HooksWhich ones “work?” Why?What doesn’t work? Why?

TIME TO WRITE SOME BOOK HOOKS

First: a story -

Visit by Walter Dean Myers

Then, Book Hooks and share out

A BOOK HOOK POSSIBILITY FOR VISIT

In this grim and impossibly hopeless story, a father visits his estranged son on death row. What minutes are left to them are spent in palpable discomfort, confession, regret and inescapable resignation.

Pace: measured *Tone: Heavy, quiet, sad Story line: thought provoking *Characters: introspective

ONE MORE BOOK HOOK

Another story -

Snowbound by Lois Lowry

Now Book Hooks and share out

A BOOK HOOK POSSIBILITY FOR SNOWBOUND

In this light, humorous story, a young girl and her odd and obnoxious boyfriend visit with her family during a snow storm. Well drawn characters and a tightly focused story line draw readers fully into the episode.

Pace: relaxed Tone: humorous and engaging *Story line: layered *Characters: well developed and vivid

WHAT COMES FIRST? Set up a Book Hook binder in your library

Read as much as you humanly can out of your collection

Write Book Hooks for everything you read out of your collection

Teach your kids to refer to the binder any time they are looking for reading suggestions.

THEN… Appeal terms and Book Hook writing PDs for

ELA teachers

Book Hook binders in every ELA classroom

Generate lists of read alikes using your Book Hooks. Sort these by appeal

Get kids hooked on reading!