How to Use Barb’s Recommendations
Help Students Find a Book they want to read
This instructional design plan is a small series of text, visual, and video guides on how to use Barb’s recommendations to help students find a book they want to read. The goal of this tutorial is to empower students to find books that they want to read so that they become lifelong readers. If you’d like to go through only the necessary information, videos and infographics enable you to quickly get the information you need.
[NOTE: This tutorial was created by Nina Ong of San Jose State University and is used with her permission. Visit her LinkedIn page.]
Why Barb’s Recommendations?
“What book do you want to read?” For adults, this question gets easier to answer every year because we’re able to think back on books we’ve read in the past or we may have decided which genres we prefer. For younger kids, this question is too vague. Younger kids may be used to having books chosen for them by their caregiver or teacher, so this question can be harder for them to answer. Or, if you’re a student reading this and struggling to find your next book, Barb’s recommendations can help!
How do you currently look for books for your student or yourself? Do you make a Google search for “books for 1st graders” and hope to find some recommendations? Do you browse through shelves at libraries or bookstores until you or your student finds something interesting?
Have you ever shown your student several books only for them to all be turned down? Have you yourself had to say no when an educator or guardian has recommended you a book that you don’t want to read? Even if a book has been selected, has the book ever been too complex for you or your student? Have you or your student ever stopped a book partway through because the content wasn’t interesting? Barb’s recommendations can help.
With Barb’s recommendations, you can help students find a book that they actually want to read. Barb’s recommendations are a quick and easy way to find books that students actually want to read.
What Are Barb’s Recommendations?
Barb’s recommendations are books that Barb herself has discovered through her extensive work as a librarian. These books have been sectioned by reading level, genre/category, and reader personality to help educators and caregivers quickly help students find a book they want to read, and for students themselves to find a book they want to read.
The different areas of Barb’s recommendations allow educators and caregivers to help students find a book they want to read without spending countless hours browsing. Young students at a loss for their next read can feel reassured that they’re able to quickly find a book they want to read.
Reader Personality Type
Sometimes, readers want to read books that they can relate to. Reader Personality Types is the best recommendation section for these readers. A Book And A Hug has a basic and advanced quiz for readers to find out their Reader Personality Type. Each Reader Personality Type has a personally curated list of Barb’s book recommendations ordered by reading level.
The following are the Reader Personality Types:
- Team Player
- Jokester
- Champion
- Investigator
While a student’s Reader Personality Type helps determine which books they’d want to read, students may still like books for other Reader Personality Types. For further information on Reader Personality Types and to take the quiz, please visit the full Reader Personality Types page.
Example
Wiona is a middle school student that doesn’t know what kind of books she likes. She doesn’t like reading books that are too hard to read. After having her take the Reader Personality Type quiz, she gets the Champion.
How would you start picking out a book that Wiona would want to read?
- Go to the “Read” page
- Click on the Quick Link for Recommended Books by Reader Personality Types
- Click on the square for Barb’s Recommended Champion Books
- Because Wiona is in middle school and doesn’t like reading books that are too hard to read, click on Middle Readers
Based on what you know about Wiona, you can recommend a few books for her from the Middle Readers section
Genre/Category
This recommendation section is self-explanatory. Students may already know which genre/category they enjoy reading, so this section is perfect for them. Each genre/category has a personally curated list of Barb’s book recommendations and most are ordered by reading level.
The following are the genres/categories covered:
- action/adventure
- fantasy
- historical fiction
- humor
- mystery
- science fiction
- suspense/thriller/horror
- graphic novels/comics/manga
- non-fiction
- realistic/contemporary fiction
- sports
- picture books
Example
Alfred is an elementary school student that likes reading easier comics.
How would you start picking out a book that Alfred would want to read?
- Go to the “Read” page
- Click on the Quick Link for Recommended Books by Genre/Category
- Click on the square for Barb’s Recommended Graphic Novels/Comics/Manga
- Because Alfred is in elementary school and likes reading easier books, click on Independent Readers
Based on what you know about Alfred, you can recommend a few books for him from the Independent Readers section.
Reading Level
It’s hard to determine what reading level a student may be at, but Barb’s recommendations have you covered! Barb’s recommendations have been ordered by ascending reading level so that students are not recommended books that are too difficult for them to read.
The following are the reading levels covered:
- Early readers
- Picture books
- Independent readers
- Middle readers
- Older readers
- Mature readers
Reading levels are broad age ranges for students; students can read at reading levels below or above their age depending on their reading proficiency or wants. For reading levels higher than a student’s current level, they may need further assistance while reading. For more information on reading levels, please visit the full Reading Levels page.
Example
Suzie is a high school student and doesn’t know what book she wants to read.
How would you start picking out a book that Suzie would want to read?
- Go to the “Read” page
- Click on the Quick Link for Recommended Books by Reading Level
- Because Suzie is a high school student, you can recommend a few books for her from the Barb’s Recommended Books for Mature Readers
Practice / Scavenger Hunt
Here’s some hands-on practice on using Barb’s recommendations to help students find a book they want to read!
Clue #1: Imagine that you have a middle school student named Peter. Peter doesn’t know what kind of book he wants to read next. There’s enough time in class, so you have him take the Reader Personality Type quiz. Peter finds out that his Reader Personality Type is Investigator.
Where would you go to find a book for Peter? Start on the “Read page” of this website and look out for a book icon [📚] to continue the activity. Good luck!
Feedback
Thanks for sticking with this tutorial until the end! We hope that Barb’s recommendations become a useful tool in helping your students become lifelong readers.
Please fill out the following form so that this tutorial can be improved upon in the future.