Exercises for Evaluating Materials for Readers Advisory from MBK Consulting - Premier provider of specialized training in the midwest



Describe the last book you read – include the following:
	Plot – be certain to discuss the genre, characters and writing style
	Why you liked the book
	Who writes like this author?
	Who will this book appeal to? (suggest other books)

Find 2 reviews of the book in your hand.

Use Fiction_L to find “Reads Like” selections to recommend. Suggest 3 titles

Find 4 books on the same topic - 2 fiction, 2 non-fiction

What website do you consult for book reviews? – Evaluate the site for currency of reviews, readability of reviews, ease of navigation
	Now do the same for a print review source

I saw a movie about the House Un-American Activities Committee and their ‘witch hunts’ for Communists in the 1950s. Where will I find books about the topic? (Try to find one fiction and one non-fiction book on the topic)

I read Diane Gabaldon’s “Outlander. What’s the next book in the series?

I finished “P is for Peril.” Can you tell me who the author is? Is there going to be a “Q”?

My brother is reading Horatio Hornblower and wants to read them in order. Which site can I use to find this out?

Harry Potter is all the rage. What other books have inspired kids to read? Find two series or authors.
(suggestions found in KIDS HOG-WILD FOR HOGWARTS: 'Harry Potter' renews interest in books, quieting some TVs and pleasing parents - Columbus Dispatch. Jan. 2, 2003 : "They can't wait for the next one,'' said Jennifer Nolte, youth-services manager at the Grandview Heights Public Library. "They're just clamoring for something to read.'' She recommends series such as The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien and The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis to satisfy the appetite for magical and mystical reading. Lavonne Roscoe, youth-services director for the Upper Arlington Public Library, has recommended the Half Magic series by Edward Eager, Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander and Dealing with Dragons, Shadow Magic and Book of Enchantments, all by Patricia Wrede. At the Worthington Public Library, Mary Jane Bellay and Molly Meyers point to books such as Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson and Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea Trilogy, about a boy with magical skills. "Everyone started taking those out, and we had to make another list,'' Bellay said)