Wareham Elementary School Holds Book Tasting Event

Student diners took a taste of multiple literary genres during a recent Book Tasting Event at Wareham Elementary School. (Photo Courtesy Wareham Public Schools)

WAREHAM — Superintendent Matt D’Andrea and Wareham Elementary School Principal Dr. Bethany Chandler are proud to announce that 43 patrons were served food for thought at a recent successful Book Tasting Event. 

Wareham Elementary School Grade 4 Teacher Geoff O’Brien catered the event with fellow fourth-grade teacher Kim Bergamini, setting up multiple tables like a restaurant.

O’Brien provided restaurant-style tablecloths and set up dinner plates and napkins like an actual eating establishment. Each table provided a different “tasting,” which translates to a different book genre per table.

“For example, we set one table with literary nonfiction, another table with graphic novels, science fiction, poetry, etc.,” O’Brien said. “Each genre had a tasting card in the middle of the table.”

In addition to tasting cards, diners found books from that specific genre in the center of each table. Students took 3-5 minutes to “taste” their chosen book by sampling a few pages. Readers rated the books and provided their first impressions of that literary course. After about five minutes, students rotated to the next tasting table and experienced a different genre.

O’Brien teaches fourth-grade English Language Arts (ELA) and Bergamini teaches math and social studies.

“Mr. O’Brien ran the event and created and gathered all the materials,” Bergamini said. “He organized most of this event on his own with some assistance from myself and his mother, retired teacher, Mrs. Jo-Ann O’Brien.”

Both O’Brien’s and Bergamini’s homeroom classes attended the tasting — 43 students in all.

Other invited guests included Principal Chandler, Assistant Principal Dr. Sara Russo, Assistant Principal Carol Spendard, Literacy Team Chairperson Patrick Roche, Superintendent D’Andrea, School Committee member Joyce Bacchioci, and Melissa Dyer, who represented the Wareham Public Library.

O’Brien selected four genres for the tasting — poetry, graphic novels, fiction and nonfiction.

“When students arrived, they found which table number they were to be seated at first,” Bergamini said. “On their ‘placemat,’ they each had a brochure that had a spot to fill in their information for the book tasting. A timer was set and students selected a book, looked the book over, read a couple of pages and then completed the information in the brochure.”

After a few minutes, students with a star on their brochure for that table/selection spoke about the book and what they had written (two students each round). Then students moved to the next table and repeated the process.

The questions in the brochure asked participants to give a rating, list the genre and book title.

Each diner was also asked several questions: 

• What did you think of the cover?
• After reading a few pages, what do you think of the book?
• What did the author do to hook or interest you in the book?
• Would you read this book?

“All the students were engaged and thoroughly enjoyed the book tasting,” Bergamini said.

For dessert, at the end of the tasting, the students enjoyed treats while Melissa Dyer from the Wareham Public Library delivered a presentation about the library and passed out forms for the kids to obtain library cards.

“Thank you, Mr. O’Brien, for pulling together this fascinating experience,” said Superintendent D’Andrea. “And a big thank you to Melissa Dyer from the Wareham Public Library for an impressive presentation and extraordinary assistance. We look forward to working more with Ms. Dyer and the library in the very near future.”

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Wareham Elementary School hosted a Literary Book Tasting Event recently. (Photo Courtesy Wareham Public Schools)

The event was set up just like a conventional restaurant. Though, instead of food, literature was on the menu. Each table offered a different genre to “taste.” (Photo Courtesy Wareham Public Schools)

Student diners took a taste of multiple literary genres during a recent Book Tasting Event at Wareham Elementary School. (Photo Courtesy Wareham Public Schools)

Each table offered a different genre to “taste.” (Photo Courtesy Wareham Public Schools)

Following the book tasting, Melissa Dyer from the Wareham Public Library passed out forms for students to fill out to get their own library card. (Photo Courtesy Wareham Public Schools)