![\"archibald\"](\"http:\/\/wordpress.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/archibald-2.jpg\")
<\/a>Archibald the DDG store Walrus is seen here examining the Little Snowplow. (Okay, I admit the photo is staged. We didn\u2019t have a photo of Archibald reading the actual F&G and took this photo today using a trade edition.<\/p><\/div>
\nFor example when I receive an ARC instead of a regular trade edition from a used book dealer when ordering an out-of-print book for a customer, my outrage is unfeigned.
\nThere are many ways to maximize the prime function of ARCs. There are little things, like letting the store plush animals review F&Gs pertaining to their particular interests, as you can see to the right. The main route I have taken, however, is through literacy outreach in the classroom. I have done ARC review projects in local classrooms for more than 15 years, and I thought I would share my particular mode of operating them.
\nI like them to be an annual event. Even though the students change each year, teachers’ classrooms have a kind of institutional memory which I find helps create buzz and cuts down on the learning curve.<\/p>\n
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- I write to the teacher ahead of time to get not only the number of students, but a breakdown of reading levels and interests. I always bring one more than the class number so every student has a choice. I also remind the teacher to have a laptop and projector set up.<\/li>\n
- I launch the project by making a presentation and then delivering the books to the class.<\/li>\n
- First, I talk about acronyms and then have them guess what ARC stands for. Then I ask them why they think ARCs exist and who makes them. We go over the publishing process.<\/li>\n
- Next, I ask the kids what ingredients go into the making of a good book and a bad book, and list their answers on the board.<\/li>\n
- Now it is time to talk about how the answers on the board are the ingredients for a good review, which all support a positive, negative, or mixed opinion of a book. I mention, too, that multiple reviews of the same book are great.<\/li>\n
- After that I hand them out a rating system based on NECBA’s old Chittenden Rating Scale<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Now we turn to the web, I show them examples of past projects, and samples of reviews. I let them know that their work will be online, and shared with the publishers.<\/li>\n
- The last thing to do for the launch is book talk the ARCs I am leaving.<\/li>\n
- I let the teacher know that I will need a photo of the class with their ARCs along with the reviews.
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