







































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 

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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 

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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. 

 

 

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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.  

 

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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 

Page 6 of 57



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 

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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 

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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 

Page 9 of 57



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.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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References 

 

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Afflerbach, P., & Harrison, C. (2017). What is engagement, how is it different 

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Alexander, K. (2014). The crossover. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin 

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Allington, R. L. (2014). How reading volume affects both reading fluency and 

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Gere, A.R., Martinez, A.B, Homan, E., Lillge, D., Neiderhiser, J., Parsons, C., 

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Gratz, A. (2016). Projekt 1065. New York, NY: Scholastic. 

 

Hamilton, B. (2012). Cultivating reading interest with book tasting. School 

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International Literacy Association. (2018). Expanding the canon: How diverse 

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International Literacy Association. (2019). Engagement and adolescent literacy  

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Kasten, W. C. & Wilfong, L. G. (2005). Encouraging independent reading with 

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Liang, L. A. (2011). Scaffolding middle school students’ com prehension and 

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Shaffer, R., Cruser, B., Lowery, R.M., & Shults, L. (2019). Statement on 

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Springer, S. E., Harris, S., & Dole, J. A. (2017). From surviving to thriving: Four 

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Wilfong, L. G. (2007). A mirror, a window: Assisting teachers in selecting 

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Appendix A 

    

 Figure 1. 

Figure 2.  

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 3. 

 

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