There is a page or two of genre or category recommendations. Then there is a blank page for each of these same categories. The file is 100% EDITABLE so that you can add your own book recommendations and/or categories.
The following categories and genres (with 26-60 different titles and authors already listed) are included in this resource.
- Funny Book Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- Fantasy Book Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- Short, but Great Book Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- Realistic Fiction Book Recommendations (2 PAGES)
- Historical Fiction Book Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- Award Winning Author Book Recommendations (2 PAGES)
- Science Fiction or Dystopian Book Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- Inspirational Book Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- Books About Acceptance Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- Books with Animals Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- Books About Sports Recommendations (2 PAGES)
- Books that are a Little Dark Recommendations
- Books with Action Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- Books Written in Verse Recommendations (2 PAGES)
- Poetry Book Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- Books that Girls Tend to Love Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- Mystery Book Recommendations (2 PAGES)
- Books in a Series or Trilogy Recommendations (2 PAGES)
- Young Adult Recommendations (2 PAGES)
- Young Love and Romance Book Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- LGBTQ Book Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- Books that Address Mental Illness/Mental Health Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- Classic Novel Book Recommendations (1 PAGE)
- Non-Fiction Book Recommendations (2 PAGES)
- Graphic Novel Book Recommendations (1 PAGE)
TO EDIT:
- Simply type in the rows that have been left blank for you.
- If you need another page, after you have filled one out, simply copy and paste the entire slide in your slide view on the left-hand side, and begin filling out your new page.
- You could also just print the blank ones, and you and/or your students can write them in, as you all have book recommendations to add.
OTHER IMPORTANT NOTES
- *YA*. Next to some books, you will see the *YA* label after the title.
- This means it is a young adult novel that may contain topics some middle schoolers aren’t ready for. Again, I haven't read every book, but I tried to label it according to websites like Scholastic, Goodreads, or my knowledge of the content.
ORGANIZED ALPHABETICALLY BY BOOK TITLE. All the lists I created are labeled alphabetically by the book title. If you want to continue, simply click in the row below or above where you need a new one, right-click, and then select “Insert below” or ” Insert above”. Then type the name of your new book title and author.
These bookshelf recommendation cards are great for building a reading community in your classroom and school.
Get other teachers, administrators, parents, and your students involved in the book recommendation process.
I just print the cards on colorful card stock paper.
The following categories of cards are included in this resource:
- Book recommendations
- ________’ Book recommendation
- Teacher recommendation
- Principal recommendation
- Counselor recommendation
- Great book if you like __________ books
- Great new young adult novel
- Great new historical fiction novel
- Great new Realistic fiction Novel
- Great New Science Fiction novel
- Great New Dystopian Novel
- Great new fantasy Novel
- Great new autobiography
- Great new biography
- Great new Mystery novel
- Great new book series
- Great new funny book
- Great new book about love
- Great new book that will break your heart
- Great new book written in verse
- Great new non-fiction Book
- Great young adult novel
- Great historical fiction Novel
- Great Realistic fiction Novel
- Great Science Fiction Novel
- Great Dystopian Novel
- Great fantasy Novel
- Great autobiography
- Great biography
- Great Mystery novel
- Great book series
- Great funny book
- Great book about love
- Great book that will break your heart
- Great book written in verse
- Great Non-Fiction Book
- Classic Novel recommendation
- If you like books that are a little dark
- If you like books that are a little edgy
- If you like books told from different points of View
- If you like books from award-winning authors
- If you want to read an inspirational book
- If you want to read a book about sports
- If you want to read a book your teacher loves
- If you want to read a book your classmates love
- If you want to read a book made into a movie
- If you want to read a book that is coming to the big screen
STARBOOKS BOOK TASTING
Get your middle school ELA students excited about reading and exploring new genres with this engaging Starbooks Book Tasting Activity! Designed to introduce students to book clubs and literature circles, this resource brings a unique twist to the traditional book introduction process by combining a fun "book tasting" experience with the theme of a cozy café.
This resource is perfect for your verse novel and poetry unitsor adaptable for any genre study. It includes everything you need to create an authentic and immersive classroom experience.
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Book Tasting Menus: Printable menus featuring a selection of genres and verse novels, designed to help students explore and "sample" different books. Perfect for guiding them toward their next great read.
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Starbooks Letters: Customizable letters to set the stage for your book-tasting event. These letters invite students to a "Starbooks Café," where they can discover the best books for their reading journey.
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Starbooks Table Display Images: Eye-catching visuals that set the scene for your book tasting, creating a café-inspired atmosphere. These images are perfect for decorating your classroom and helping students feel like they’re really at a literary café.
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Novel Book Recommendations: Curated list of highly recommended novels, perfect for middle school readers looking to dive into any type of reading unit.
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Set-Up Explanations and Images: Step-by-step guidance on how to organize and set up the book-tasting event. Includes images to illustrate how to display books, create engaging stations, and engage students in the fun.
Why you'll love this resource:
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Engagement through hands-on learning: Students get to "taste" different books before committing to one for their book clubs or literature circles, making them feel like true literary explorers.
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Encourages independent reading: By presenting students with various genres and verse novels, you encourage them to broaden their reading interests and find books they'll love.
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Easy prep: Set up is a breeze with ready-to-go menus, recommendations, and table displays. You’ll spend minimal time prepping and maximum time engaging students.
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Flexible for any genre or unit: While perfect for verse novels and poetry, this activity can be easily adapted to fit any genre you’re teaching, from fiction to nonfiction, fantasy to historical fiction.
This Starbook Book Tasting Activity is more than just an introduction to books—it’s an invitation to get your students excited about books, help them discover new genres, and watch them dive into meaningful book club discussions!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Karen O. says, "I love this clever "grown up" Starbooks theme for my middle school students. This resource helped create the perfect vibe for book tasting. Thank you!"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cardigans in Kindergarten says, "I used this resource with my grad students! They loved going to Starbooks to choose a book for their literature circle project. They are excited to use something like this in their own classrooms!"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sassy Chasy says, "This was a great alternative to the popular book tasting because the coffee shop vibe was more suited for my students in middle school. I made them hot chocolate with marshmallows and served it on a tray dressed like a server. This was a wonderful way to organize my literature circles/book clubs; it focused on genuine student interest rather than friends picking the same book."
