Book Tasting Passport

Overview

In this first lesson of the five-part unit Choose Create Celebrate Books, students explore a varied selection of texts for Book Week. They learn that choosing a book can be flexible and personal, then begin a six-choice reading passport using observations, discussion and respectful recommendations.

Learning intentions

• Students will explore different text types, genres and reading formats.
• Students will identify features, themes and intended audiences in texts.
• Students will make a reading choice using evidence from a brief preview.
• Students will participate in respectful discussion about books and preferences.

Success criteria

• I can sample several different books without judging them too quickly.
• I can explain what attracted me to a text.
• I can record, draw, point to or verbally share my choices.
• I can choose a book that is suitable for my interests and reading needs.

Curriculum links

• Creating and responding to imaginative, informative and persuasive texts for different purposes and audiences.
• Using comprehension strategies to interpret, connect and evaluate ideas in texts.
• Discussing how text structures, language, illustrations and visual features create meaning.
• Developing reading fluency, vocabulary, personal preferences and confidence as a reader.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Welcome and Book Week hook Open with the Book Week hook and learning intention slides. Show a spread or cover from an unfamiliar book and ask: “What might make someone choose this book?” Accept spoken, signed, drawn or pointed responses. Explain that there is no single “best” book and that students may change their minds.

2. 5–10 minutes – Model respectful text selection Model a quick “book look”: inspect the cover, read the blurb, scan a page, notice illustrations or panels, and predict the audience. Think aloud using respectful language: “This may not be for me today, but I can see why another reader might enjoy it.” Revisit the book-look modelling slide and introduce the reading passport.

3. 10–13 minutes – Explain the tasting routine Place five text types around the room: picture book, graphic novel, novel, comic and myth or fable. Possible choices include The Bad Guys, The Day the Crayons Quit, Fortunately the Milk, The 13-Storey Treehouse, El Deafo, Hilda, and Narwhal and Jelly. Demonstrate the rotation order using the station routine and respectful discussion slides. Students work in pairs, with the option to listen to an audio or read-aloud version.

4. 13–28 minutes – Book tasting rotations Students spend approximately three minutes at each of five tables. They examine the cover, preview a page or two, and discuss one prompt: “What do you notice?”, “Who might enjoy this?”, or “What might happen?” Students may use dyslexia-friendly copies or fonts, audio, partner reading or teacher read-aloud support. Offer a reduced-choice menu, visual timer and a quiet sensory-break space. Circulate, model vocabulary and support turn-taking.

5. 28–36 minutes – Begin the reading passport Distribute the six-choice reading passport. Students record their first choice and up to five possible future choices. They may write a title, copy a word, draw the cover, point to a choice for an adult to record, or verbally explain their response. Prompt students to include one reason, such as topic, humour, illustrations, characters or reading comfort.

6. 36–41 minutes – Pair recommendations In pairs, students recommend one sampled text using the frame: “You might enjoy this because…” Partners listen without interrupting and may agree, disagree respectfully or ask a question. Invite students to compare two texts by genre, theme or intended audience as an extension. Capture several recommendations on the recommendation and comparison slides.

7. 41–45 minutes – Plenary and next step Return to the reflection and next-lesson slide. Students share one discovery and identify the book they will start or investigate next. Collect passports or photograph them for planning. Explain that the passport will be revisited throughout the unit as students choose, create and celebrate books.

Resources

• the Book Tasting and Passport slide deck
• the six-choice reading passport
• A varied selection of picture books, graphic novels, novels, comics and myths or fables
• Copies at varied reading levels, including dyslexia-friendly formatting where possible
• Audio or read-aloud versions and headphones
• Visual schedule, rotation timer and table labels
• Pencils, coloured pencils and clipboards
• Quiet sensory-break area and familiar regulation tools
• Reduced-choice menu showing available titles

Assessment

• Observe students using preview strategies, discussing texts respectfully and making connections between text features and audience.
• Confer with students during rotations; note interests, preferred formats, reading confidence and required support.
• Review passports for a clear choice and a reason, accepting drawn, selected, recorded or verbal responses.

Differentiation

• Provide explicit modelling, visual steps, repeated instructions, processing time, partner reading and adult scribing. Allow students to draw, point, select symbols or record audio instead of writing.
• Offer dyslexia-friendly fonts and spacing, accessible text levels, audio/read-aloud options, reduced choices and previewing of potentially challenging content.
• Use predictable rotations, a visual timer, clear pair roles, low-sensory seating and an agreed sensory break. Support restorative discussion with sentence stems and respectful listening reminders.
• Extend confident readers by asking them to compare texts by genre, theme, structure, visual features and intended audience, then justify which text would suit a particular reader.