Popular Fiction
Book Show & Tell

Directions:  The directions on this are easy.  You each must take at least one turn a term, sharing a Popular Fiction-worthy novel to share with the class.  In general, these don’t have to be young adult, but will be the biggest appeal if they are.  For your show and tell, you will need to do the following.

1.	Choose a book that you have read and bring it with you to class to “show” it.

2.	Tell us the title, author, and a LITTLE bit about it.  Don’t give away the entire story, but share a little bit about the story.

3.	Tell us whether you liked it or not, and why.

4.	Who would you recommend read this book?

5.	Then, on your blog, you will post a short blog post where you share a copy of your book (attach a picture) and write up your response to the questions above. 

Once you have shared in class and posted on your blog, I will go in and give you 50 points.  

For the Blog Post:

•	Post a picture of the book cover.
•	Include a short summary of the book.
•	Conclude with a review, making sure to include who you would recommend your book to and why you chose it.
(Example on the back side)

Yes, you do get a lot for sharing what you’ve read, so we all get a good idea of other books that are awesome and that we should read!  

***Each student should show at least once a term.

Synopsis:  Penny and her mother uproot from NYC to move to Hog's Hollow, where Penny's mother opens a cupcake bakery.  Rather than get to know kids her own age over her long summer break, Penny waits until the first day of school.  Once there, her reception isn't good, and she finds herself as a virtual outsider and picked on by some of the more popular kids.  Along the way, Penny makes friends with a Tally and Blake, who take her under their wing.  There's also Marcus, the kid she sees walking his dog on the beach, who she can't help but feel drawn to be around.  If social pressure and making friends isn't enough, Penny has to deal with her parent's separation and whether Hog's Hollow is really the place she wants to end up.

Review:  Tackling issues of separation, divorce, being the new kid at school, and teen love, Heather Hepler's novel seems to have a little bit of everything.  We see the mean girl scenario play out in Penny's experiences at school, but on the other hand, we also see young love blossom before our eyes.  This small little young adult novel seems to have a little bit of everything in a teen's life.

While simple in its themes and ideas, The Cupcake Queen was a sweet, simple read.  The issues hit on in the book are familiar, yet vital to most teens, and I can see many readers connecting to Penny.  Overall, I found the story to be an easy read, but one I would recommend to many of my own students. 

Rubric

1.	Student brought a copy of the book to show the class (10pts) 	_____
2.	Student told the class a LITTLE about the book. (15pts)		_____
3.	Student shared why they liked the book & who they would
recommend might enjoy the story. (5pts)				_____
4.	Blog post about the book, with picture of book cover. (20pts)	_____

Total:  (50 points possible)  _______________________________________