[LM_NET] Book reviews by students

[Carol Van Brocklin <carolannvan@MOTIMAIL.COM>]

Good morning everyone:
          I hope you all had a nice holiday break!
          We just started back yesterday and I am floating 
a few ideas around in my head about how to motivate some 
of my students who do read a lot to go beyond reading the 
same things over and over again.
          One of the things I was thinking of doing is 
"hiring" some of them to be book reviewers for me. I would 
ask them to read one of my new books, or perhaps something 
that is older but hasn't been checked out recently, and 
they will need to do a good review of it for me. Not long, 
but beyond the "this is funny" and "I think you'll like 
this book if you like dogs". I would then post the reviews 
on a bulletin board for the rest of the students to see. 
Once they have done a few books for me, I would give them 
cookies or something.
          I have a feeling this is not an original idea 
and was wondering if anyone has done something similar and 
could tell me how it worked out? Were the kids motivated 
to do the reading with such a thing or did they just 
consider it more "homework" and decide not to participate? 
Did you have a rationale for who you chose to participate? 
Does anyone have any other words of wisdom either for or 
against such a program?

Thanks for any help anyone can give me.

Carol Van Brocklin
Librarian
Faith Academy-Mindanao
Davao City, Philippines

"Still celebrating the fact that Iowa actually won the 
Orange Bowl"
Currently rereading "Book of Lights" Chaim Potok

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