Georgia Journal of Literacy Georgia Journal of Literacy
Volume 43
Number 2
Fall 2020
Article 2
December 2020
Building Excitement for Reading and Building New Friendships: Building Excitement for Reading and Building New Friendships:
Using Book Bistro with Pre-Service Teachers and Middle School Using Book Bistro with Pre-Service Teachers and Middle School
Students Students
Erinn Bentley
Columbus State University
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/gjl
Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Secondary
Education Commons, and the Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons
Recommended Citation Recommended Citation
Bentley, Erinn (2020) "Building Excitement for Reading and Building New Friendships: Using Book Bistro
with Pre-Service Teachers and Middle School Students,"
Georgia Journal of Literacy
: Vol. 43 : No. 2 ,
Article 2.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/gjl/vol43/iss2/2
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. It has been
accepted for inclusion in Georgia Journal of Literacy by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State
University. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@kennesaw.edu.
Building Excitement for Reading and Building New Friendships:
Using Book Bistro with Pre-Service Teachers and Middle School Students
Students are quick to assume that there are no books that are relatable to them or
that those books simply don’t exist. If there’s one thing that I learned from this
experience, it’s that it is our responsibility to provide students with the opportunity
to discover books that they relate to, to excite them about reading. I heard many
students say things like “That’s just like me because…” and “I want to read that
because…” which means that we’ve ultimately done our job.
~Pre-service teacher
This event was very fun. We got to see all these different books - I would love to
read them all! ~ 7th grade student
On a dreary Friday in January, one middle school language arts classroom is
buzzing with chatter. Inside are six tables, covered with checked cloths, glowing
LED candles, and menus. Soft music is playing, and two teachers (dressed as chefs)
are circulating through the room, distributing snacks. At each table are two pre-
service teachers and a group of 7th grade students. One group is passing around
The Crossover (Alexander, K.) and discussing its cover art. Another group is
reading aloud passages from Projekt 1065 (Gratz, A.). At a far table, a pre-service
teacher is showing students book trailers on her laptop. A large placard on the
classroom’s door says, “Welcome to Book Bistro.” This is our story.
Last year as I was planning my adolescent literature course for pre-service
teachers, I had a “light bulb” moment. Sitting in a presentation at the National
Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention, I listened to middle
school teachers talk about the computerized reading system they were mandated to
use and how their students had lost interest in reading. Immediately, I thought of
my friend Kim, a dynamic 7th and 8th grade language arts teacher, who also is a
model mentor to my pre-service teachers. She and I have had similar discussions
over the past two years - ever since her school adopted a computerized literacy
program. This program was implemented across three content areas, and students
have spent two class periods every week reading and responding to informational
articles in order to meet the district’s goal for students to read 80 articles per year.
As this program focuses on individualized, online instruction, it does not allow
students opportunities to engage in book talks or peer discussions. Kim noticed that
many of her students seemed bored or frustrated, and often they did not try to finish
their articles. Additionally, her students were no longer interested in independent
reading.
Kim wanted her students to return to school in January with a fresh outlook
toward reading. For this to happen, we knew her students needed to have choices
and be able to talk and share their thoughts out loud with peers. Immediately, I
thought about Book Bistro (Hamilton, 2012; Kasten & Wilfong, 2005; Wilfong &
Oberhauser, 2012). Book Bistro is “an independent reading strategy for
encouraging students to read books on their own, bring books to class for a
scheduled event, and linger over books in a cafe atmosphere” (Kasten & Wilfong,
2005, p.657). Teachers can use this strategy to introduce students to want-to-read
texts and to provide them a place to collaboratively discuss texts they have already
read.
In designing our Book Bistro, I wanted to include the pre-service teachers
in my upcoming adolescent literature class. As a teacher educator, I know that my
pre-service teachers best learn new pedagogical strategies when they see them
enacted in real classroom settings rather than when they simply read about them in
a textbook. Like other literacy educators, I know my pre-service teachers not only
need to possess knowledge of a wide range of texts; they also need to be able to
book-match, assist students in self-selection, and create a “community of readers”
within their future classrooms (Shaffer, Cruser, Lowery, & Shults; 2019).
Participating in Book Bistro is one way for them to learn these valuable teaching
practices.
This article describes a collaborative Book Bistro between my pre-service
teachers and Kim’s middle school students. First, we will describe how this strategy
aligns with scholarship supporting adolescent readers and pre-service teachers. We
will then share the logistics and results of our event as well as suggestions for others
interested in using this strategy.
Background
Building Independent Readers
Teachers face several challenges in regards to reading instruction. One challenge is
when adolescent learners view reading as a chore rather than an opportunity to
authentically connect with characters, concepts, and themes. One way of fostering
students’ interest is through independent reading. By allocating time to read,
providing books relevant to their readers, and allowing students to select their own
texts, teachers can “build habitual readers with conscious reading identities”
(Shaffer, et al., 2019). This notion of a “reading identity” is essential. When
adolescent learners assume this identity, they view themselves as competent readers
(Kasten & Wilfong, 2005) and develop individual reading interests, such as
discovering favorite topics, genres, or authors (Springer, Harris, & Dole, 2017).
Possessing this identity is important in order for students’ reading lives to extend
outside of the classroom. Being a reader should not be limited to teacher-selected
texts and teacher-led tasks. Instead, independent readers are those who choose their
own books, make time to read, and engage in ongoing learning. Teachers can offer
support by determining their students’ interests and connecting them to texts that
represent the varied cultures, languages, genders, races, histories, etc. within their
school and the wider community (Gere, Martinez, Homan, Lillge, Neiderhiser,
Parsons, Spooner, Swafford, & Uzogara, 2012; International Literacy Association
[ILA], 2019; ILA, 2018; Shaffer et al., 2019; Springer, et al., 2017; Wilfong, 2007).
Independent reading not only allows students to find their identity; it can
lead to increased volume of reading (Allington, 2014; Schaffer et al., 2019). That
is, the more students read, the more they are exposed to new words and concepts.
The more they read, the more experiences they have making meaning and self-
correcting errors, thus increasing their reading fluency (Allington, 2014). Not all
students may have an inherent desire to read independently, whether this act takes
place inside or outside the classroom. Teachers may have to build students’ interest.
One recommendation is the use of situational interest, which “...occurs when
teachers create a classroom climate and instructional activities in which everyone
is excited to participate” (Springer, et al., 2017, p. 45). Such activities might include
partner conversations, performative readings (i.e., role-playing), and
viewing/creating book trailers (Adomat, 2010; Gere et al., 2012; Springer et al.,
2017). Book Bistro embodies these key activities.
Various educators have had success with Book Bistro. Kasten and Wilfong
(2005) conducted a study exploring the effects of this strategy on middle and high
school students. The scholars partnered with two ELA teachers (7th grade and 9th
grade) from different schools, each of whom hosted a one-day Book Bistro. Both
teachers structured the event as follows: students brought to class the texts they had
finished reading independently, and they presented brief “book talks” to peers in
small groups. Based on data collected (students’ survey responses and teacher
interviews), Book Bistro positively impacted students’ attitudes toward reading and
increased their classroom engagement. Kasten and Wilfong assert, “...this simple
strategy can easily become a regular part of many classrooms...and enhance the
vitally important independent reading portion of the literacy curriculum” (2005,
p.663).
In another setting, (Hamilton, 2012), a high school librarian teamed up with
a 10th grade ELA teacher to create a Book Bistro. Rather than holding the event in
the classroom, the pair hosted the event in the school’s library. Students took time
“tasting” books pre-selected and completed a list of favorite texts. From there, the
librarian and ELA teacher placed students in inquiry circles to participate in
collaborative reading, circle discussions, and individual responses. This Bistro,
then, served as a springboard for students to discover a topic to research and
develop into a long-term inquiry project. Both of these classroom examples
demonstrate how this strategy can be adapted to fit various contexts and purposes.
Supporting Pre-Service Literacy Teachers
Book Bistro can also support pre-service teachers’ professional development.
Wilfong & Oberhauser (2012) explored using Book Bistro among middle school
students and pre-service teachers. In this case, pre-service teachers enrolled in a
literacy course were paired with urban middle school students as reading pen pals.
Throughout the semester, each pair read a book (at a distance) and engaged in
“conversations” by exchanging reading notebooks. At the end of the semester, the
pre-service teachers traveled to the school for a one-day Book Bistro. At this event,
the pen pals met and gave book talks to their peers. Based on participants’
responses, students reported having positive attitudes toward reading after being a
part of this event; further, the pre-service teachers commented that this experience
helped them better understand middle school students in general and urban students
in particular (Wilfong & Oberhauser, 2012).
In addition to the relational aspect of Book Bistro, this experience enables
pre-service teachers to practice discussion-based pedagogy. According to scholars
(Applebee, Langer, Nystrand, & Gamoran, 2003; Gere et al., 2012), discussion-
based approaches are highly effective for teaching reading comprehension to both
low- and high-achieving adolescent learners. Rather than teaching reading via
lecture or worksheets, teachers are encouraged to model how to make meaning with
complex texts, help students make text-to-text connections, and facilitate
meaningful conversations (Applebee et al., 2003; Gere, et al., 2012). In order for
pre-service teachers to become proficient with these approaches, they must receive
professional learning and have opportunities to test them out in actual classrooms.
Professional organizations, such as NCTE and ILA, concur that “...prospective
teachers increase their competence by applying content and pedagogical knowledge
within authentic teaching contexts...including opportunities for one-to-one
instruction (tutorial settings); and engagement with culturally and linguistically
diverse students and families” (2017, p. 5). Embedding a field-based Book Bistro
experience within a methods course provides pre-service teachers the opportunity
to interact with individual students and practice discussion-based pedagogy in a
comfortable, inviting setting.
Our Collaborative Book Bistro
Knowing that Book Bistro had the potential to pique the interest of Kim’s students
and provide professional learning to my pre-service teachers, we decided to hold a
collaborative Bistro all day in her classroom in early January. Our purpose was
twofold: 1) To introduce Kim’s students to books they may want to choose for
independent reading; and 2) To allow the pre-service teachers opportunities to
practice discussion-based pedagogy.
Participants
Kim teaches at an urban middle school in Georgia with approximately 490 students.
Over half of the school’s population is economically disadvantaged, with all
students receiving free lunch. Her class sizes range from 18-30 students, with five
55-minute class periods consisting of two advanced 8th grade classes and three
traditional 7th grade classes. Kim’s students were the “guests” at the Bistro.
The 12 pre-service teachers enrolled in my YA literature course hosted the
event. All pre-service teachers were undergraduate students majoring in middle
grades or secondary English education at a regional public university. Their YA
literature course was offered as part of a 3-week (abbreviated) January-term, and
the Bistro served as their capstone experience. Prior to Book Bistro, they read
multiple texts and each chose two YA novels to share with the middle school
students. As part of our course activities, pre-service teachers practiced various
discussion-based strategies they would use during the event, such as making
predictions about a text from its cover art, selecting high-interest passages to read
aloud, giving engaging book-talks, and using other tools (e.g., book trailers,
reviews, and authors’ bios) to entice readers.
The Event
To set the mood, we decorated Kim’s room to resemble a quaint cafe. (See Figure
1). During the event, two pre-service teachers were seated at each Bistro table,
along with copies of their novels. In small groups, Kim’s students rotated from table
to table as the pre-service teachers facilitated the book tastings. As the pre-service
teachers and students discussed the novels, Kim and I served our guests snacks (See
Figure 2). Students were also provided with menus, on which they noted each
novel’s title, author, and genre as well as their impressions. (See Figure 3). We
repeated this same structure for each of Kim’s classes throughout the day.
Reactions and Responses
In order to gauge the Bistro’s impact, we collected exit slip responses from the
students and reflection essays from the pre-service teachers. The students were
asked to write about their “biggest take-away” from the experience. The pre-service
teachers were asked to describe what they learned about using this strategy and how
they might use it (or adjust it) in their future classrooms. Both groups reacted
positively and offered the following insights.
New Books, Renewed Reading Interest
The majority of students and pre-service teachers agreed that this strategy is an
effective way to introduce new books. Several students made comments such as,
“It was interesting talking about a lot of new books all at once,” “I got to see books
I’ve never even heard of,” “I liked having so many book options to choose from,”
and “...All the different books - It was fun hearing that people have different
opinions about what to read.” The students’ enthusiastic responses seemed to
surprise the pre-service teachers. One reflected,
I got a group of students, who all stated that they disliked reading. I was
kind of nervous that they wouldn’t like my book, however I pitched it to
them in the most interesting way possible...After all that, I wearily asked,
“Do you guys think you might want to read this novel?” To my pleasant
surprise, all of the students said they would.
I was elated!
Each of the pre-service teachers, in fact, expressed concern that their students
would be disinterested in their book talks or complain about how much they hated
reading. Instead, they described instances in which students were engaged and
excited. As one explained,
I did not expect the students to react as positively as they did...
Although many of them were extremely hesitant to speak, you could see
that they were engaged based solely on their eye contact. This made me
even more enthusiastic about participating because many of the students
told us that they didn’t like reading at all, but they would read our books.
Another pre-service teacher noted, “We got to see students that are not normally
big on reading become excited and questioning why they do not read more.” Based
on the pre-service teachers’ reflections, exposing the students to new books through
lively conversations appeared to have renewed their interest in reading.
The middle school students affirmed the pre-service teachers’ observations.
On their exit slips, many wrote, “I should read more,” “I want to read more often
because there are a lot of great books,” “I want to explore new books,” and similar
comments. In addition to expressing a desire to read, students described their
enthusiasm for the event itself. One said, “Book Bistro is amazing! I want to read
some of these books now.” Some of her peers added, “I liked the activity,” “we
were hyped,” and “it was fun, the books were lit.” This experience also impacted
the pre-service teacher’s interest in reading. One admitted, “Even though I don’t
like reading much myself, this bistro made me want to start reading more.”
Similarly, her peer remarked, “I have been able to find the fun in reading again, and
this makes me even more excited about helping my students to find books that
excite them.” A third said, “It’s been so long since I read YA books. I forgot how
great they are.” Book Bistro, then, allowed participants the opportunity to learn
about new texts and become interested in reading.
New Friends
In their exit slips and reflections, both the students and pre-service teachers also
talked about how much they simply enjoyed engaging in conversations with each
other. For instance, one student commented, “It was nice to take a break and get
together and talk about what we like and what we wanna be.” “The college students
were super nice,” another wrote, “and they were fun to talk to because we had some
[of the] same opinions about sports and stuff.” Several students mentioned
conversations about topics not at all related to books or reading. Instead, they
seemed content being able to meet the pre-service teachers and spend time chatting
with them. One young man expressed, “I loved everything and especially the time
talking! It brought us together like friends.”
Spending time conversing with the students impacted the pre-service
teachers as well. One described a student who “opened up” to her and made her feel
special. “This young man was so quiet; he would just whisper to me. He talked
about his favorite movies and video games and said he doesn’t have many friends,
but he felt comfortable with me...he melted my heart.” Later in her reflection she
acknowledged that “...students are all different and unique and that is okay. My job
is not to teach English, but to reach them.” Her peer also said that her favorite part
of Book Bistro was simply talking with the students. “This was a rare experience
for me,” she wrote, “because during my other field placements I didn’t get to
interact with students on such an intimate level and for such a lengthy amount of
time.” Thinking of her future classroom, she said, “I won’t always be able to be so
intimate with my students due to time constraints, class sizes, etc. So, this being
said, I learned that I liked teaching using class discussions. It’s an easy way to
observe students’ prior knowledge, misconceptions, and growth without the
quizzes or tests.” Overall, the pre-service teachers noted the importance of
including small-group and one-on-one discussions in their classrooms as a means
for determining students’ reading interests, informally assessing their
comprehension, and making personal relationships with them.
Classroom Implications
The purpose of this collaborative Book Bistro was to introduce Kim’s students to
new books and to allow my pre-service teachers the opportunity to engage in
discussion-based pedagogy. This event stemmed from other studies confirming the
strategy’s success in engaging student readers (Hamilton, 2012; Kasten & Wilfong,
2005). According to responses from the students, the majority claimed to have
enjoyed learning about new books and spending time talking with the pre-service
teachers; they were also excited about reading. In fact, Kim noticed that the next
time she took her students to the library, books were “flying off the shelves.” They
eagerly sought titles they had discussed at the Book Bistro.
Students’ reactions during and after the event indicated that they valued
having choices as readers. The computerized literacy program Kim’s school
adopted, however, does not allow students to self-select texts. This program
provides differentiated instruction and aims to increase student Lexile reading
levels by placing an emphasis on close reading and embedded writing. First,
students complete an initial assessment that determines their Lexile level, which
represents a grade-level range. Students are then assigned texts to read within their
appropriate range. These texts are informational articles in the subjects of science,
history, technology, or sports. Since these articles are assigned based on students’
reading levels rather than their interests, there is no guarantee that the content of
these texts will be engaging or relevant.
Scholars concur that text selection is a key component to literacy learning
(ILA, 2019). In addition to texts being at appropriate levels, they should also
represent students’ varied cultures, languages, and perspectives (Gere, et al., 2012;
ILA, 2019; ILA, 2018; ILA, 2017; Shaffer et al., 2019; Wilfong, 2007). As the
International Literacy Association (2017) explains, “Effective classrooms provide
all students with a mirror in which they can see themselves. The books, topics, and
issues they encounter foster insights into their own personal and cultural
experiences” (p. 2). When teachers must adhere to a mandated curriculum, they
may have difficulty providing varied reading options. Pairing required reading with
independent reading is one way to offer students choices, which can positively
impact their engagement and literacy development (Afflerbach & Harrison, 2017;
Springer, et al., 2017). As confirmed by students’ responses and other studies
(Hamilton, 2012; Kasten & Wilfong, 2005), Book Bistro is one way teachers can
assist students in self-selecting texts.
In addition to exposing Kim’s students to new books, a second goal for this
event was to allow my pre-service teachers the opportunity to engage in discussion-
based strategies (Applebee et al., 2003; Gere et al., 2012). Book Bistro promotes
peer conversations as groups discuss cover art, make predictions, closely read
passages, and share their impressions. Although students viewed these interactions
simply as fun activities, they were actually practicing skills related to the state-
mandated standardized test they would take later in the semester. This test requires
students to read multiple texts and demonstrate their understanding by answering
multiple choice questions and writing constructed responses to specific prompts.
The computerized literacy program that Kim’s school adopted mirrors the reading
and writing tasks students will perform on the test. That is, students practice
summarizing, comparing and contrasting, and citing evidence. Since this program
is online, students also practice keyboarding skills prior to taking the test, which is
also online. Since this program is individualized; however, students are not able to
collaborate with their peers and engage in discussions.
For teachers who are required to use similar programs, pairing
individualized instruction with discussion-based strategies, such as Book Bistro,
allows students to opportunities to respond to texts in multiple ways. For example,
one of the pre-service teachers suggested, “I would use Book Bistro throughout the
year. I would place students in small groups, with each group reading a different
book. Then, they could have group discussions and use Book Bistro to present their
group’s book to the rest of the class.” Another envisioned using this strategy to
select texts that the class would read together. “I’d give the students a list of possible
books or stories,” she explained, “and students would have to do research to see
which ones they thought were the most interesting. We’d then incorporate Book
Bistro so students could share what they learned.” Another proposed using Book
Bistro as an assessment. Rather than requiring students to take a test or write an
essay, “...students could give presentations to show that they understood the book.”
These responses demonstrate that the pre-service teachers gained a “taste” for using
discussion-based strategies and developed ideas for their future classrooms, thus
confirming others’ findings that Book Bistro is a flexible and practical tool
(Hamilton, 2012; Kasten & Wilfong, 2005).
In the future, Book Bistro could be used to provide a meaningful long-term,
field-based experience for our pre-service teachers. Due to the time constraints of
my abbreviated course, we were only able to spend one day with the middle school
students. Based on the pre-service teachers’ reflections, this day was impactful as
they were able to work intimately with the small groups, and - through
conversations - make personal connections with students. Pre-service teachers
recommended offering this course as part of the traditional, 15-week semester. By
doing so, we could pair them with small groups of students to form reading clubs.
Book Bistro could be used as a “kick off” event for groups to choose their texts and
a “finale” event for groups to share their reading experiences with peers.
Participating in an ongoing reading group would allow the pre-service teachers
opportunities to form relationships with students and practice pedagogical
strategies in a more intimate setting than whole-class instruction, a model
recommended by professional organizations such as NCTE and ILA (2017, p. 5).
Though our one-day Book Bistro proved to be a success, it is clear that this strategy
has the potential of being utilized in many more ways to support independent
reading, discussion-based reading instruction, and teacher professional
development.
References
Adomat, D. S. (2010). Dramatic interpretations: Performative responses of young
children to picture book read-alouds. Children’s Literature in Education,
41(3), 207–221.
Afflerbach, P., & Harrison, C. (2017). What is engagement, how is it different
from motivation, and how can I promote it? Journal of Adolescent & Adult
Literacy, 61(2), 217–220.
Alexander, K. (2014). The crossover. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt.
Allington, R. L. (2014). How reading volume affects both reading fluency and
reading achievement. International Electronic Journal of Elementary
Education 7(1), 13-26.
Applebee, A.N., Langer, J.A., Nystrand, M., & Gamoran, A. (2003). Discussion
based approaches to developing understanding: Classroom instruction and
student performance in middle and high school English. American
Educational Research Journal, 40(3), 685-730.
Gere, A.R., Martinez, A.B, Homan, E., Lillge, D., Neiderhiser, J., Parsons, C.,
Spooner, R.A., Swafford, S. & Uzogara, C. (2012). Reading instruction
for all students. Urbana, IL: NCTE’s James R. Squire Office of Policy
Research. Retrieved from https://secure.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles
/Resources/Journals/CC/0221sep2012/Chron0221PolicyBrief.pdf
Gratz, A. (2016). Projekt 1065. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Hamilton, B. (2012). Cultivating reading interest with book tasting. School
Library Monthly 29(3), 17-19.
International Literacy Association (2017). Characteristics of culturally sustaining
and academically rigorous classrooms [Literacy leadership brief]. Newark,
DE: Author.
International Literacy Association. (2018). Expanding the canon: How diverse
literature can transform literacy learning [Literacy leadership brief].
Newark, DE: Author.
International Literacy Association. (2019). Engagement and adolescent literacy
[Position statement and research brief]. Newark, DE: Author.
International Literacy Association and National Council of Teachers of English.
(2017). Literacy teacher preparation [Research advisory]. Newark, DE;
Urbana, IL: Authors.
Kasten, W. C. & Wilfong, L. G. (2005). Encouraging independent reading with
ambience: The Book Bistro in middle and secondary school classes.
Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 48(8), 656-664.
Liang, L. A. (2011). Scaffolding middle school students’ com prehension and
response to short stories. Research in Middle Level Education Online,
34(8), 1-16. Retrieved from http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/
RMLEOnline/Articles/Vol34No8/tabid/2405/Default.aspx.
Shaffer, R., Cruser, B., Lowery, R.M., & Shults, L. (2019). Statement on
independent reading. National Council of Teachers of English. Retrieved
from https://ncte.org/statement/independent-reading/.
Springer, S. E., Harris, S., & Dole, J. A. (2017). From surviving to thriving: Four
research-based principles to build students’ reading interest. The Reading
Teacher 71(1), 43-50.
Wilfong, L. G. (2007). A mirror, a window: Assisting teachers in selecting
appropriate multicultural young adult literature. International Journal of
Multicultural Education 9(1), 1-13.
Wilfong, L. G., & Oberhauser, C. (2012). A pen pal project connects preservice
teachers and urban youth. Middle School Journal 43(5), 40-5.
Appendix A
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
