Tying her white cotton apron strings into a bow behind her back and adjusting the tall chef's hat perched on her head, fourth grade teacher Katie Smith announces: "The Starbooks Cafe is so excited to welcome you to our third Book Tasting!" The Charlotte Latin School class responds with whoops and cheers (at a cafe-appropriate volume). In Smith’s classroom — and across the hall in Amy Ballaban’s classroom — they’ve found a way to make reading more than an ordinary part of the school day and a book report more than a rote exercise. The Book Tasting program has made Lower School students eager to tell each other about the books they've read and to discover a new literary adventure. 

Gathered around desks adorned with red-and-white-checkered tablecloths and tea lights, groups of four take turns presenting summaries of their books. They have visual aids: handmade movie posters, dioramas, and book reviews. Some have acted out scenes from the books and have clips of those performances to share on their iPads. Many fourth graders this year, Smith says, have written letters to the authors of their chosen books: "They've gotten a lot of responses, and many authors have also sent a bookmark or other token."

As they sample the books, students take notes on their bistro placemats and assign ratings. They also give one another feedback, consulting their school-provided guides for help on how to offer meaningful responses. "Now it's time for a treat," Smith declares. She distributes capped cups of hot chocolate for sipping and encourages everyone to walk about the gallery. The room swirls. Students circulate to explore other groups' work while a video of a dancing fire projects on the front wall. 

With two more Book Tastings on the horizon this year, Smith and Ballaban will continue to guide their fourth grade classes through different reading strategies — from making predictions and mental pictures to asking big questions and forming opinions. The final tasting will focus on making inferences, a hard skill to acquire. "But they'll be ready for it," Smith declares, "because they're almost fifth graders."