Book Talk and Beyond

Book excerpt: Based on the idea that conversational interaction between students and teachers in the classroom is the best way to learn, this book focuses on classroom talk about book-related topics. The teachers represented in the book initiate literature discussion groups, book clubs, and literature circles, and students share the thoughts and feelings that reading a book stimulates, and discover literature's potential to illuminate life. Chapters in the book and their authors are: (1) "Not by Chance: Creating Classrooms That Invite Responses to Literature" (Janet Hickman); (2) "What Teachers Need to Know about the Literary Craft" (Maryann Eeds and Ralph L. Peterson); (3) "'What Did Leo Feed the Turtle?' and Other Nonliterary Questions" (E. Wendy Saul); (4) "The Books Make a Difference in Story Talk" (Miriam G. Martinez and Nancy L. Roser); (5) "Teacher Book Clubs: Making Multicultural Connections" (Diane Lapp and others); (6) "Preparing Focus Units with Literature: Crafty Foxes and Authors' Craft" (Joy F. Moss); (7) "Promoting Meaningful Conversations in Student Book Clubs" (Taffy E. Raphael and others); (8) "Language Charts: A Record of Story Time Talk" (Nancy L. Roser and others); (9) "Enriching Response to Literature with Webbing" (Karen Bromley); (10) "Talking about Books with Young Children" (Lea M. McGee); (11) "Fostering Talk about Poetry" (Amy A. McClure); (12) "Leading Grand Conversations" (Deborah Wells); (13) "'So What Do I Do?': The Role of the Teacher in Literature Circles" (Kathy G. Short and Gloria Kauffman); (14) "Following Children's Leads through Talk Story: Teachers and Children Work to Construct Themes" (Kathryn H. Au); (15) "Collaborative Story Talk in a Bilingual Kindergarten" (Jennifer Battle); (16) "Our Journey toward Better Conversations about Books" (Veronica Gonzalez and others); (17) "Exploring Literature through Drama" (Lee Galda and Jane West); (18) "Responding to Literature as Art in Picture Books" (Barbara Z. Kiefer); (19) "Writing as a Way of.