The 3 Word Book Talk


Created by Karen Jensen, Teen Librarian Toolbox
http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/

Selling a Book in Just 3 Words 
Short on time but dying to share about the new book you just read? Well, Youth Services Librarian Karen Jensen has come up with the perfect solution. She calls it “The 3 Word Book Talk,” and it’s a book reviewing technique just made for a texting and tweeting world, AND our TKB discussions!

What is it?
An instant attention grabber that sticks! Three word book talks whittle the most gripping and compelling features of a book down “to the bone,” leaving a powerful impression when time and space are at a premium, something authors promoting their books have quickly learned. Just look at these examples as proof:

  • Author Victoria Scott describes her book, The Collector, with these 3 words: "Sexy, Snarky, Demon."
  • Author Sherry Woods recently described The Burning Sky with "Cross-Dressing Harry Potter."
  • Author Mindy McGinnis recently described Not a Drop to Drink with "Apocalypse, Thirst, Murder."

Let’s Get Started . . .
Imagine you are with your best friend, and are texting each other while each on your way to school, on separate buses. Oh, the bus is dropping him off now. He texts you, “got 2 go,” but you want to tell him something about this great book you read, but you have like, time for only three words to jam into a text for him to read before he shuts off his phone. What would those three words be for your book?

It works for anyone who loves and wants to share their favorite books, but FAST!

So here's what we are going to try this meeting and next month, in December. We are asking everyone who has a book they’ve read and wish to present to try to give this a spin. As we go around the table, we want you to state the name of the book, give Adela a chance to pull it up onscreen, and then hit us with your 3 Word Book Talk.

We would like to use this as a way to get all the way around the room quickly. We will still discuss the books that others have also read and want to have a discussion about, but this method encourages everyone to boil down their thoughts and opinions about the book they present into its most base essence.


Here are some more of Karen Jensen’s examples:
Human.4 by Mike Lancaster : “Today All Changes.”
Delirium by Lauren Oliver : “Love is Madness.”
Noggin by John Corey Whaley : “Dead Boy Lives.”
Panic by Lauren Oliver : “Survive, Win, Escape.”

Here are some of Carolyn's:
Relic by Heather Terrell: “Apple Relics Bad!”
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater: “Dark Dream Magic.”
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater: “Magical Boy Trouble.”
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrell: “Total Time-travel Confusion!”


Here is a Worksheet for you to get started:
     Name of the Book:
     Author:
     Words it brings to mind:



November 12, 2013
Presented to TKB group by intern: Carolyn Hall
This post has been abridged from Karen Jensen’s site and used with permission: http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/



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