Book Browse: Teach Your Students How to Choose a Book to Read

The purpose of this 6-page lesson, Book Browse: Teach Your Students How to Choose a Book to Read is to teach students in grades 4 through 9 how to browse for a book to read.

Many of our students are not sure how to choose a book to read.  They might not have many books in their homes or they might not go to a library or bookstore.  We have to teach our students how to browse a book to see if they might want to read it. 

I take my students to our school media center/library once every five or six weeks, and we always book browse. Sometimes we browse a specific genre, such as Historical Fiction or Narrative Nonfiction. Other times it might be Newbury Awards or bestsellers. Students enjoy this activity, and over time, they feel very comfortable browsing for books on their own.  Every time we go to the library after this first time, students ask if we can do a book browse. Some teachers might think it’s a waste of a period, but I am an avid book browser at the library and in bookstores, and I have found many authors that I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t browsed.

The structure that this lesson provides is very useful if you’re doing a genre study or a literature circle.  But even if you just want your students to have a book of no particular genre, giving them choices within a somewhat limited framework (rather than having them wander among the shelves looking or pretending to look), helps them make informed choices and gives them some agency at the same time. This activity offers students the opportunity to find books they might enjoy.

Although this lesson is specifically designed for a school library, if you have an extensive classroom library, you can easily book browse in your classroom.

• I have produced a number of book reports that you might be interested in. Check out my store A Great Good Place for Teachers

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  • Poetry Book Report

  • Mini-Reviews Book Report

  • Mystery, Thriller, Horror, and Suspense Book Report

  • Book Jacket Book Report

  • Historical Fiction Book Report

  • Historical Fiction Literature Circle Project

If you have any questions, please email me at gruenwaldy1@gmail.com

6-page editable Word doc with a detailed lesson plan and a Book Browse worksheet.