Choosing A Book

Welcome to my first Tuesday post of the 2010-2011 school year!  Tuesdays posts will talk about reading strategies, genres, authors, and illustrators.

Today I'd like to talk about choosing a book.  There are many different things that influence how or why I choose a book.  I'll be talking with students about this throughout the week, and I'll add to the list as we brainstorm more!  Please add your own ideas in the comments section!

Here's a list of a few factors that influence me:

*I like the cover!

*I hear about the book from a friend.

*I hear about the book from a teacher.

*The book is written by an author I like.

*I see the book in the library or at a bookstore.

*I see the book reviewed on a blog.

*I read the back or inside cover and like the story.

*The title catches my interest.

I recently read The Strange Case of Origami Yoda By Tom Angleberger.  I just happened to walk by a Star Wars display at Barnes and Noble on the way to the elevator and this book cover caught my eye.  I had to stop and read the back of the book.  Once I read the back of the book and looked again at the cute origami Yoda on the front, I knew I wanted to read this book!  Of course, I love the Star Wars movies and since this somewhat related to the movies, this book interested me.  It was a great book and I would recommend it to any 5th - 8th grader!  

Talk with your child about how you choose a book and how he or she choose a book.  Add your ideas to the comments section.  If your child comes to school and can tell me one reason he or she chose his or her current book he or she will earn one sticker towards a reading reward!