105 Ways to Give a Book

Booktalking Update and a Tree

So, how did my booktalking session go? It went fine, thank you for asking. I didn’t bring my A-game — I have to admit that right now — but I did well. I had planned on talking about all these great new books that are out there, but I didn’t have the time or energy to prepare new talks. I went with reliable hits from the past couple of years, with a smattering of newish titles. My other motivation in using previously owned booktalks — other than not having to find new things to say — was to promote books that would already be in their school library. My public library is pretty far behind in getting new books, but the school library is way behind.

The kids were generally good and reasonably attentive. One session we ended early because the scheduling was off, and the kids came up to look at the books and ask questions. I’ve always talked right up until the end, but I think I’ll try ending a little early next time and see if the same thing happens. It’s always been overwhelming to think about giving the teens any free time at the end, because there are seventy of them in the lecture hall, and we can’t handle all of them at the front of the room. But now I think that only a few would probably come up, so it may be worth a shot.

Plus the teachers make them applaud if you end early.

I don’t feel like doing the links, but these are some of the titles — literally, the titles and just the titles — I shared:

Happy Kid, The White Darkness, Wild Man Island, Rash, Sarah’s Ground, Leap Day, The Puppet Wrangler, Sister Slam, The Diary of Ma Yan, Keeper, Beware Princess Elizabeth, Sex Kittens and Horn Dawgs Fall in Love, Pick Me Up, Squire’s Tale, Twilight, Dreadlocks, and Crossing the Wire

I was pretty wiped out today. I had plans for a take-charge kind of day, and it ended up more like a sweatpants kind of day. Some loose ends were tied up, including a gift for a special person, and some reading was accomplished, mostly outside. Oh, and I cut down a tree. A big, dead tree. Technically, I’m not sure if I can say that I cut it down, since mostly I chopped at the roots and then rocked it, and then pushed it really, really hard. There was a scary moment when I realized that I should probably have done this job with another person, but those are the times that build character. Or so they say. Anyway, the dead tree is down and I was ultimately responsible and it felt good. Like manly good, but for, you know, a woman.

5 comments:

tanita✿davis said...

Hee! Oh, I have those moments, those "manly" good moments but for women, generally when I'm solo flipping a king-sized mattress on a bed centered under a ceiling fan, and I'm thinking, "Oh, yeah, this really did require two people," but getting it turned over anyway without breaking too many objects in the room or totally wrenching my back... Mmm. Yeah. Good times, those.

MotherReader 1, Dead Tree, Zip. Boo-yah!

Get some rest...

Charlotte said...

I enjoy splitting logs for much the same reason...Just me and the ax!

I'm glad your talk went well, and feel vaugly agahst that I've never read any of the books you mentioned. There's so much to read in the world.

Gail Gauthier said...

I actually used a chainsaw a couple of weekends ago, for the first time in years and years. I've never been able to split anything. The ax just bounces off the wood.

And I was very excited to see you booktalked Happy Kid!

Saints and Spinners said...

I'm glad your booktalks went well, MR. When you wrote about how these were all-day gigs, I had flashbacks to my summer-reading visits where I'd be scheduled from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm with only a break for lunch. By the end of the three week visits, I was sorely resenting the summer reading program. I commend you for keeping your energy flowing and for being willing to do this kind of work.

Andromeda Jazmon said...

Sounds like a wonderful day to me! book-talked all those fab books, got applause, and knocked down a dead tree! Man o man that's power! WOMAN power!