The Sixty-Second Book Talk

Pitch a book to classmates in one minute to make them want to read it.

A book talk is a short spoken pitch that makes listeners want to read a book. Unlike a review, it's designed to hook, not evaluate in depth. A strong sixty-second book talk has four parts. Open with a hook: a question, a dramatic moment, or a short quote. Introduce the main character and the problem in two or three sentences. Raise the stakes with a cliffhanger question, but don't spoil the ending. Close with the title, author, and who would enjoy it.

Here's an original example: 'Imagine waking up and finding that everyone in your town has forgotten your name, even your parents. That's what happens to Rafi on his twelfth birthday. He has three days to figure out why before he disappears from their memories forever. Can a kid nobody remembers save himself? If you like mysteries with a twist of magic, grab this one. ' Practice with a timer, speak with energy, and hold up the book so listeners remember its cover.

• 1Hook, character and problem, stakes, recommendation
• 2Don't spoil the ending
• 3Practice with a timer and speak with energy