How to Host a Book Tasting

A book tasting? Students are always perplexed when I tell them that we are having a book tasting. Third graders can be quite literal! I typically get the reaction, “You mean we are going to taste books?!”

SO WHAT IS A BOOK TASTING?
The Book Tasting Day offers a variety of genres, authors, and types of books to my students. It gives them a “taste” or exposure to books they may not have selected for themselves from the classroom library. The purpose is to encourage, excite, and motivate students to become active readers. A book tasting is one of my favorite classroom transformations!

How does one host a book tasting? By creating a café themed classroom for the whole school day! I decorate with tablecloths on their desks and restaurant style hats for each student. It is so engaging for the students to walk into our classroom and see that it has been transformed into Ms. Cook’s Café—the looks on their faces are PRICELESS!

This is a full day exercise filled with activities that culminates in the Book Tasting. The goal is to incorporate reading across a variety of content areas. We start with science to motivate the students.

THE SCIENCE LESSON
I begin by having the students read an informational passage about butter. It includes the history of butter, why butter is used, and how to make butter. Then I reveal the first surprise of the day, which is making our own butter! Students are given a small container with heavy whipping cream and a pinch of salt. Using the informational text, students learn that we need to VIGOROUSLY shake the container to create butter. Once the butter is made, I give my students a slice of bread and a spoon for spreading, and the fun begins!

THE MATH LESSON
Following our science lesson, we transition into math. To maintain the café theme and hit the Common Core standards, my students transform into restaurant waitresses/waiters. Each student is provided with a menu and an order form. We divide into groups of guests and servers. The ‘server’ students are responsible for taking ‘guest’ orders and calculating a total bill. The servers use multiplication skills to calculate the total bill for dining, while the guests love being able to pick and choose from the different menu options or give a large amount for their order. We rotate through the roles so all students have a chance to be a guest or a server.

THE ELA LESSON
After the math lesson we transition to our ELA block, which is when the Book Tasting occurs. I use a variety of resources, including some printables from Teachers Pay Teachers seller Joanna Miller, aka Head Over Heels for Teaching. The resources include a brochure about the books students read and whether they would recommend them, a reflection napkin, and a placemat template. My book bins are organized by genre, labeled with a sign that give students an idea of what to expect for each genre, and placed upon the group tables.

The students explore the books and choose any that are of interest to them. Smooth café music is played while the students are working which allows them to really dive into the books and start reading the first few pages. They are responsible for filling out a small questionnaire so we can share afterwards any books that they would recommend to a friend. There is so much interest and engagement that the students hate when I ask them to rotate book bins!

At the conclusion of the Book Tasting, the students will have had a chance to explore all the book genres. Afterwards, we sit in a circle and hold a reflection where the students can share what books they would recommend. I love when the students show shared excitement and passion as they agree on a book of interest or when they encourage other students to read a book that they might not have gotten to taste during the activity.

If you are thinking about doing a book tasting, I would highly recommend it! Building excitement about reading is something that can be a challenge, especially with young readers, but red tablecloths and some books from the library are a simple way to transform a classroom and encourage students to read. Finding the right book for each student is something that may take time, but the rewards will be noticeable throughout the school year!

LOOKING FOR BOOKS FOR YOUR OWN BOOK TASTING?
AKJ Education offers over 180,000 individual titles, so you’re certain to find something to interest every reader:

Themed Books • Bestsellers • Diverse Books • Favorite Series & Authors