: Choosing a Book   
Approach: Team
872k
Resources: Two sets of 6 books: YEAR 4: Princess Jacinda, Pauline Cartwright; Samantha's Story, Jenny Scown & Trish Gribben; The Best Loved Bear, Diana Noonan & Elizabeth Fuller; The Pirates' Mixed-up Voyage, Margaret Mahy; The Fleas, Jane Buxton; Hinepau, Gavin Bishop; YEAR 8: Fortunate Flats, Gaelyn Gordon & J.Tarlton; Saved by Ryan Kane, Pauline Cartwright; The Tricksters, Margaret Mahy ; Tanith, Sheryl Jordan; Skateboarders, Gaelyn Gordon; Hinepau, Gavin Bishop.

Questions / instructions: Imagine your team has been given a special job to do. Your class has asked you to be the book committee, and you have the special job of choosing one new book for the form 2 class library. You are to make your choice from 6 books which have been written by New Zealand authors. It is specially important that everyone on your committee has a say, and that your whole committee agrees on the book you will buy. You will need to have good reasons for choosing the book, so that you can explain your choice to the rest of the class. First I want each of you to look at each of the books on your own, and to think about which book you would choose. I also want you to think of the reasons why you would choose that book. You can have about 5 minutes to have a good look at the books, starting now.

Set out the 6 books. It is important that each student work on their own and look at each of the books.
After no more than 5 minutes: Now I want each of you to tell the rest of the group the book you would choose, and your reasons for choosing that book.

Each student tells and justifies their choice. Now I would like your group to work together to agree on one book you would choose for your class library. You need to think of the reasons for choosing that particular book. Do that now.

After no more than 5 minutes: You've chosen a book for the form 2 class library. Now I want your committee to tell me what you would tell the class. Explain why you have chosen this particular book.

INDIVIDUAL CHOICES

Year 4 - book chosen

The Fleas
Princess Jacinda
The Best Loved Bear
The Pirates' Mixed-up Voyage
Samantha's Story
Hinepau

% responses

y4

27
25
22
13
7
6

y8






(11)

Year 8 - Book chosen

The Tricksters
Fortunate Flats
Saved by Ryan Kane
Tanith
Skateboarders
Hinepau

(6) 27
17
16
16
13
11

Justification of choice

strong
moderate
weak

2
34
64		 8
47
45

Strongest reason for choice

author
topic or genre
visual features
other

2
30
40
28		 5
36
31
28
[ top of the page | Reading and Speaking Report 1996 ]

GROUP CHOICES

Book chosen - year 4

Princess Jacinda
The Fleas
The Best Loved Bear
The Pirates' Mixed up Voyage
Samantha's Story
Hinepau

y4

 

34
27
14
12
3
3

y8

 

 

 

 

(9)

Book chosen - year 8

The Tricksters
Tanith
Saved by Ryan Kane
Fortunate Flats
Skateboarders
Hinepau
Groups unable to agree on 1 preferred book

(3)
7		 30
17
16
13
12
9
3

Quality of argument in support of the book chosen

very high
quite high
moderate
low

4
21
45
30 		14
36
36
14
Commentary: The same procedures and instructions were given for the year 4 and year 8 versions of these matching tasks, but the selection of books differed. These tasks were primarily focused on how students select reading material and the arguments they use to support their decisions.
[ top of the page | Reading and Speaking Report 1996 ]