Catchy Beginnings

A great tool for exposing children to a possible good read is through a book talk. Librarians and teachers alike will oftentimes hold up a book and give a little summary to generate interest in it. If a student is browsing for a book, and time is limited, a shortened version of a book talk may be in order. As a librarian, I keep a list of books with catchy first lines. If I see a student taking a lot of time browsing and know their library time is winding down, I might approach with, “Let’s look for a book that grabs you right from the get-go!” Then, I start opening up books that I know have a great beginning. I can usually do a quick sale. Here are some examples from my ongoing list:

• “At my funeral, everybody said it was such a shame I had to die that way.” Rewind by William Sleator
• “Ebba Rose was the name of our last-born child. Except it was a lie.” East by Edith Pattou
• “Conor Broekhart was born to fly; or, more accurately, he was born flying.” Airman by Eoin Colfer
• “I am Ivan. I am a gorilla. It’s not as easy as it looks.” The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
• “If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book.” The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
• “It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.” The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Using the “catchy beginning” technique, I can gauge the reader’s first impression of a book in a minute. I can quickly move to the next book if I see that the book has not sparked interest. Tried and true, a catchy beginning may be the start of a student’s next good-fit book!