Would i like to read this book?: Eighth graders’ use of book cover clues to help choose recreational reading

Abstract

This study explored how eighth grade students choose books for recreational reading. Involving participating students in a number of specific language arts tasks within the context of classroom instruction, the authors have identified and analyzed strategies used during a book selection process and information valued during the experiences. Student activities included selecting and reading a contemporary adolescent novel, maintaining a reading log, rating respective books, and participating in extensive interviews before and after the activities. Findings describe how accurately and thoughtfully many students can predict if they would like to read a particular book or not and what cover clues and other sources of information are important. Findings also demonstrate the complexities of student predictions and evaluations and the influences of personal experience and perspective. Presented in the study are insights into these predictions and evaluations, as well as classroom implications about reading interests and book talk.