Something To Talk About

There are many books that provide advice and booktalks for adults who work with children and teens. However, Something to Talk About: Creative Booktalking for Adults is the first book to focus solely on adults. Working as Fiction Specialists in a public library, Ann-Marie Cyr and Kellie M. Gillespie have a combined total of 43 years of public library experience and have presented thousands of booktalks to children, teens, and adults, as well as a number of workshops and conference programs on how to create and present booktalks. This is an instruction manual and a material sourcebook in one. The first section provides step-by-step instructions on how to choose a book, write a booktalk, publicize, and present a program for adults. Chapters give information on the benefits of booktalking, explain what a booktalk is, and the difference between a booktalk and a book review. Other chapters discuss what makes a book appealing, how to tailor a program for a specific audience, and the different locations the reader could utilize to reach out to the community. Each booktalk provides bibliographic information on the title as well as a list of genres in which the book could be used. The last chapter in this section provides practical information on what to bring to the program, methods of publicity, checklists, and more. The second section provides nearly 90 sample booktalks in 11 different genres: Chillers, General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Mysteries, Non Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Sea Adventures, and Women's Fiction. If you work with adults or are interested in reaching out to adults in your community, this is an ideal reference that provides practical information and a wide variety of booktalk samples to enhance your next program.

This is the first book to focus solely on booktalking to adults. Here is an instruction manual and a material sourcebook in one; providing the reader with both step-by-step instructions on how to write a booktalk and 88 samples to use when creating a booktalk program for an adult audience.

Amy Brozio-Andrews - Library Journal

Writing for adult services librarians both those who are comfortable booktalking and those new to promoting library collections in this way public librarians and experienced booktalkers Cyr and Gillespie demonstrate how to write and present a booktalk, instruct their readers in how to sell booktalks to supervisory staff and administrators, and promote such programs within the community. Rounding out their nuts-and-bolts advice are checklists and forms for preparation and evaluation, plus more than 80 sample booktalks librarians can use themselves. Taking readers step by step through the booktalking process with a warm and collegial tone, the authors advise on how to choose titles, the use of props and skits, how to tailor a booktalk to the audience, and evaluating the program space. The sample booktalks incorporate readers' advisory appeal factors and span such themes as chillers, multicultural fiction, sea adventures, nonfiction, mystery, and romance. Comprehensive, straightforward, and practical, this is a valuable resource that adult services librarians will continually use. Recommended for all public libraries.

Ann-Marie Cyr has been a librarian in the City of Mesa Library since 2000. Kellie Gillespie serves as a Fiction Specialist at the City of Mesa Library. She is the author of Teen Volunteer Services in Libraries (Scarecrow Press, 2004).