Book Tasting
At St. Peter, our middle school ELA teachers know how significant the benefits of reading are to expand worldviews, begin to understand and consider other perspectives, and to consume stories from those who come from different walks of life. This past Friday, August 28, Mrs. Picchiotti and Mrs. Ryg hosted a "Book Tasting" for our 8th graders during ELA. The idea was simple: while the kids were treated to some snacks outside on the lawn, they also sampled a few books. They had 7 minutes to peruse a bit of a book that they chose from various books offered by the teacher, so they got just a taste of what the books have to offer. Then the students completed a "menu", answering questions about their books like, "After reading a few pages, what do you think of the book?" and "What did the author do to hook or interest you in the book?" The kids did this three times, and each book was a different "course" - appetizer, main course, and dessert. The students did not share the books, so there were plenty of copies to go around. By having the students try some books that they usually wouldn't read, they received an introduction to a new genre they might not otherwise have sampled.
