For our book club meeting this month I held a book tasting. I chose a variety of books in 5 genres. I placed the books in piles on serving plates and let the teens "taste" them by looking at the cover, jacket description, reading the first page, and a random page in the middle. I gave them a tasting sheet and asked them to rate each title on a scale of 1-10, and write any thoughts they had about the book. I did not let them only look at the cover, I told them each book deserves a chance by reading the first page.
I gave them 45 minutes to do the tasting and enjoy their snacks, then we spent the last 15 minutes talking about the books. I had planned on doing an even 30 minutes for both, but they took longer to do the tasting and I had to keep telling them not to read the books they liked, but to wait and check them out.
Their favorites: Anya's Ghost by Brogsol, Riders by Rossi, I'll Give You The Sun by Nelson, and Nimona by Stevenson.
Least favorites: Corner of White by Moriarty, Booked by Alexander (b/c of format), and The Bamboo Sword by Preus.
I gave them 45 minutes to do the tasting and enjoy their snacks, then we spent the last 15 minutes talking about the books. I had planned on doing an even 30 minutes for both, but they took longer to do the tasting and I had to keep telling them not to read the books they liked, but to wait and check them out.
Their favorites: Anya's Ghost by Brogsol, Riders by Rossi, I'll Give You The Sun by Nelson, and Nimona by Stevenson.
Least favorites: Corner of White by Moriarty, Booked by Alexander (b/c of format), and The Bamboo Sword by Preus.