I have seen librarians do I5-minute booktalks on one book, going into the story in such detail that I lose all desire to read it. I want to be tantalized, to be intrigued, to have my appetite whetted. Booktalking for me does not mean rambling on and on about a good book I liked. A recommendation from a fellow reader is all that is necessary, not a huge plot description. Booktalking to me means telling people who may not be readers some of the reasons why a particular book will appeal to them.

I often show several books on one topic—the Titanic, science experiments, or Harriet Tubman—and allow children to pick the title that is at their reading level or that most appeals to them. The information in the books is pretty much the same, so the same booktalk suffices for all.

When booktalking, I often like to mention Gary Paulsen’s book Nightjohn, a fiction book that describes a slave who teaches other slaves how to read and the horrible punishment he must endure as a consequence. One of the greatest ways to keep people from getting power is to prevent them from reading. If you want power, read. Tell your audience this. It may make an impression.