Booktalks Quick and Simple

	Arden, Katherine. SMALL SPACES New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2018 IL 3-6 ISBN 9780525515029 (5 booktalks)
Click on the book to read Amazon reviews	Booktalk #1 You will NEVER look at a scarecrow the same way again. This atmospheric and pretty scary book features Ollie, an 11 year old whose only comfort is in books. She encounters a wildly bizarre woman about to toss a book into the river, and before she even realizes it, Ollie grabs the book and takes off. She reads a strange and creepy story about Beth, the men who love her, and the SMILING MAN. Turns out, Beth made a deal with this guy, but no one gets what they want without the smiling man getting something in return. On a fall harvest field trip to a local farm the very next day, Ollie realizes she knows the names on the tombstones in the little cemetery adjacent to the farm – is Beth’s story more than just fiction? When the bus breaks down on their way back to school, and in the dark, and at that perfect moment to create an eerie buildup of tension, the bus driver tells the kids in his care… “Best get moving. At nightfall they’ll come for the rest of you.” He also tells them “Avoid large places; keep to the small.” Ollie and two of her classmates are the only ones who listen and head into the woods. Hair-raising events reveal a sinister presence at the farm along with moving and expressive scarecrows, and could the smiling man be there, too? What did the bus driver mean about small spaces? Find out! (New Hampshire Great Stone Face Book Award nominee, 2020) Booktalk #2 Eleven-year old Ollie was biking home when she encounters a distraught woman near a river. The woman threatens to throw an old book into the river waters. On an impulse Ollies snatches the book and escapes the woman. Later when she reads the book, Ollie is entranced by a strange tale of love, death, and a deal made with a mysterious “smiling man”. On the very next day, Ollie and her classmates go to a local farm for an autumn field trip. Things begin to get really strange after Ollie discovers a small graveyard that contains gravestones etched with the names of the people described in the old book. Ollie and her friends can only hope to survive the field trip if they keep to the small spaces and heed the advice from a “broken” digital wristwatch. (Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award 2019 - 2020) Booktalk #3 “Avoid large places. Keep to small.” Seems like sound advice for Ollie to heed as she now finds herself on a stalled bus during the trip to the farm. Armed with a broken wristwatch displaying alarming warnings to her, Ollie and two classmates make the decision to leave their classmates on the bus and venture into the misty fields with only scarecrows around. But scarecrows only scare crows, right? (Sunshine State Young Readers Award Books 2019-2020) Booktalk #4 How many of you like to go on field trips? Well, after reading this book, you may never look at field trips the same way again. Travel with Ollie and her class on a one-of-a-kind field trip where they visit a farm, get advice from the school bus driver, run from scarecrows that are alive, hide in small spaces, unravelling a web of mystery that goes back decades, and set people free after them being trapped for a very long time. You just might have to sleep with the lights on after you read this book! (Prepared by:Rhoda Coleman, Greeleyville Elementary School, rcoleman@wcsd.k12.sc.us) (South Carolina Book Awards, 2020-2021) Booktalk #5 After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think--she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man," a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price. The next day on a field trip to Smoke Hollow, she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? The strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending. Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver's warning. As the trio head out into the woods--bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them--the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small." (New Jersey Garden State Children's Book Award 2021)
	SUBJECTS: Supernatural -- Fiction. Survival -- Fiction. Forests and forestry -- Fiction. Friendship -- Fiction. Books and reading -- Fiction.

Arden, Katherine.
SMALL SPACES
New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2018
IL 3-6
ISBN 9780525515029

(5 booktalks)

Click on the book to read Amazon reviews

Booktalk #1

You will NEVER look at a scarecrow the same way again. This atmospheric and pretty scary book features Ollie, an 11 year old whose only comfort is in books. She encounters a wildly bizarre woman about to toss a book into the river, and before she even realizes it, Ollie grabs the book and takes off. She reads a strange and creepy story about Beth, the men who love her, and the SMILING MAN. Turns out, Beth made a deal with this guy, but no one gets what they want without the smiling man getting something in return.

On a fall harvest field trip to a local farm the very next day, Ollie realizes she knows the names on the tombstones in the little cemetery adjacent to the farm – is Beth’s story more than just fiction? When the bus breaks down on their way back to school, and in the dark, and at that perfect moment to create an eerie buildup of tension, the bus driver tells the kids in his care… “Best get moving. At nightfall they’ll come for the rest of you.” He also tells them “Avoid large places; keep to the small.” Ollie and two of her classmates are the only ones who listen and head into the woods. Hair-raising events reveal a sinister presence at the farm along with moving and expressive scarecrows, and could the smiling man be there, too? What did the bus driver mean about small spaces? Find out! (New Hampshire Great Stone Face Book Award nominee, 2020)

Booktalk #2

Eleven-year old Ollie was biking home when she encounters a distraught woman near a river. The woman threatens to throw an old book into the river waters. On an impulse Ollies snatches the book and escapes the woman. Later when she reads the book, Ollie is entranced by a strange tale of love, death, and a deal made with a mysterious “smiling man”. On the very next day, Ollie and her classmates go to a local farm for an autumn field trip. Things begin to get really strange after Ollie discovers a small graveyard that contains gravestones etched with the names of the people described in the old book. Ollie and her friends can only hope to survive the field trip if they keep to the small spaces and heed the advice from a “broken” digital wristwatch. (Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award 2019 - 2020)

Booktalk #3

“Avoid large places. Keep to small.” Seems like sound advice for Ollie to heed as she now finds herself on a stalled bus during the trip to the farm. Armed with a broken wristwatch displaying alarming warnings to her, Ollie and two classmates make the decision to leave their classmates on the bus and venture into the misty fields with only scarecrows around. But scarecrows only scare crows, right? (Sunshine State Young Readers Award Books 2019-2020)

Booktalk #4

How many of you like to go on field trips? Well, after reading this book, you may never look at field trips the same way again. Travel with Ollie and her class on a one-of-a-kind field trip where they visit a farm, get advice from the school bus driver, run from scarecrows that are alive, hide in small spaces, unravelling a web of mystery that goes back decades, and set people free after them being trapped for a very long time. You just might have to sleep with the lights on after you read this book! (Prepared by:Rhoda Coleman, Greeleyville Elementary School, rcoleman@wcsd.k12.sc.us) (South Carolina Book Awards, 2020-2021)

Booktalk #5

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think--she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man," a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.

The next day on a field trip to Smoke Hollow, she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? The strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending.

Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver's warning. As the trio head out into the woods--bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them--the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small." (New Jersey Garden State Children's Book Award 2021)

SUBJECTS:    Supernatural -- Fiction.
                        Survival -- Fiction.
                        Forests and forestry -- Fiction.
                        Friendship -- Fiction.
                        Books and reading -- Fiction.