How do students lead a book discussion?

Run a Book Talk explains four tools: an open question, a connecting question, qualifying a view and a closing summary. Students plan one of each, plus text evidence to share, for a passage from The Story of My Life.

What is an open question in a book talk?

An open question has more than one reasonable answer, so it starts a real discussion instead of a quick reply. The discussion leader guide pairs it with a connecting question that links two classmates' ideas.

8th Grade Book Discussion Worksheets

Ages 13-14 · Free previews · Print-ready PDFs

Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher

Book discussion pages give students and families a structure for talking about what they read. There are 2 sheets for 8th grade here, each with an answer key. Novel Talk at Home, Questions for Families offers nine questions for any novel and practices them on a Kidnapped passage. Run a Book Talk, A Discussion Leader Guide has students plan open questions, connecting questions and a closing summary for a Helen Keller passage.

8th Grade Reading Novel Studies Book discussion Clear All

Novel Talk at Home, Questions for Families

Grade8th Grade

TopicNovel Studies

Run a Book Talk, A Discussion Leader Guide

Grade8th Grade

TopicNovel Studies

More novel studies worksheets

Explore all of our 8th grade novel studies worksheets, covering The War of the Worlds, The Red Badge of Courage, Kidnapped, book discussion, and more.

The War of the Worlds The Red Badge of Courage Kidnapped Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass The Story of My Boyhood and Youth The Story of My Life The Loss of the SS Titanic Quote responses from classic novels

Frequently Asked Questions

Novel Talk at Home lists nine questions, from what the title makes you expect to how the narrator shapes what you learn. Students try them on a short Kidnapped passage and write down the answers of the person they talked with.

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