Booktalks in Grade Five

Grade Five students are sharing some of their favorite books with each other in the form of booktalks. 


The purpose of a booktalk is to convince someone to read a book just as the purpose of a movie trailer is to get someone to see a movie.

Booktalks are meant to capture the listener’s attention, lead up to a climactic moment, and stop, without giving away important parts in the book. Most importantly, a booktalk never gives away the ending! A good booktalk involves the audience so they become not merely listeners, but participants.

Within the booktalk, each student is required to include aspects of the setting, characters, theme, and problem of the book. The class then offers feedback to the presenter and asks questions about the book.


Students used many creative approaches in their talks such as video recordings, PowerPoint presentations, involvement of audience volunteers, and acting out of scenes from the book. Hopefully, students will inspire each other to read some great books through their talks!