How to talk about books: a discussion guide for practitioners
Some useful conversation prompts to get your students talking about the books that interest them.
For Bookbuzz 2025, we’ve shared book information in various formats to find out what works best for your students.
There’s a brief synopsis in the guide, a longer version on our website and in the Bookbuzz Books PowerPoint, plus the Bookbuzz Film – all to help you become familiar with this year’s books before students make their choice.
Below are suggested conversation prompts to spark discussion and help students find a book that interests them. Use them for a whole class discussion, in smaller groups or for pair work.
Think about the genre of the book…
• Think about the answer you got in the What’s your favourite genre? quiz.
Which of the books in this year’s collection fit that genre?
• Can a book have more than one genre? How else might you describe
or think about ‘genre’?
Think about books or films you’ve enjoyed in the past…
• What was it about the book or film that you enjoyed?
Think about your hobbies and interests…
• Which of the Bookbuzz books have links to your hobbies or interests? How?
After watching the Bookbuzz Film 2025…
• Which of the Bookbuzz books stand out to you? Why?
• What did the author say that caught your attention or made
you more interested in the book? Why?
• Which of the Bookbuzz books do you want to find out more about
