Author Study Webquest

Introduction: 

Your boss has just come into your office with a huge smile on his face.  As the publisher of a children’s book company, he has asked you to showcase a famous author’s new book.  He has heard that you are the best in the business and is counting on you to do a great job.  Are you ready for this challenge?

 Task: 

The publisher is asking you to design a book jacket of the author’s new book.  You will also be responsible for representing the author during a book signing next month at The Dolphin Book Store. 

As you know, a book jacket consists of four important parts.  You and your group are responsible for a cover picture, description of the new book, biography of the author, and book reviews.

 The Dolphin Book Store will be hosting a book signing next month.  During this event, you will read a small selection from the book that you read by your author.  This selection should give readers a glimpse of the author’s writing style.  There will also be time to take questions from the audience about your author, so you must be prepared to answer them.  At the end of this book signing, you will be able to autograph your covers for others to have.  It’s going to be a great time!

 Visit this cute website and see how a book is made

Harper Children's Publisher - How a book is made.

 It all begins with an author’s idea. Go to this website and learn how a book is made.

Penguin Publisher - Making a book

 Process:

 Art Director- As the art director, it is your job to create an eye-catching book cover.  But, this is not just any kind of book cover.  You are to create a cover that has a similar style and feel to it like your author’s other books.  You will also be meeting with the Writer to discuss the new book summary they are creating.  It is important that your cover represent this new book.  The book cover will include an illustration, title of the book, and author’s name.  The illustration, fonts and colors should go along with the new story theme.

 You will want to read this article about creating book covers.

Book Cover design

 Check out other covers by your author and see if there are any trends in the design.

Amazon Book Website.

 Writer-Using what you have learned about this author’s style, genre, and themes, create a new story that this author could write.  You will not have to write a complete story, but you will be writing a summary.  The summary should introduce the setting, characters, and plot.  Your job is not only to summarize the new book but to tempt people to read your book.  This summary will be the inside left (front) flap of your group’s book jacket.

 Here are some questions to ask yourself when writing a book summary.

Book summary questions.

 Get some tips on summarizing.

Elements of language - Click on Writing workshop - Book Review. 

 Investigate other book summaries.  To do this got to this website, search for your author, and click on “Search inside this book.” 

Amazon Book Website

 Biographer-As the Biographer, you will be responsible for writing a short biographical description of your author.  You will include a small photograph or drawing of your author, the author’s name and some personal facts and at least three other books written by your author.  This biographical description will be the inside right (back) flap of your group’s book jacket.  Since you will not have a lot of room, you must decide what you consider to be important information to include in your paragraphs.

Use the following links to find biographical information about your author.

Random House Children's Books - Authors and Illustrators.

Scholastic's Authors and Books.

Internet School Library Media Center's Index to Children's Book Authors.

Yahoo Directory of Children's Authors.

Children's Literature Web Guide.

Infotrac's Biography Resource Center.

 Review Investigator- You are going to entice potential readers with reviews.  Your job as the Review Investigator is to research and gather book reviews on your author.  You will include reviews written by your group members and ones that you’ve collected in your research.  You must choose important pieces from the reviews, however, you will not include the complete review.  Try to include different aspects of the book.  For example: characters, setting and plot.  You will need to include the reviewer’s name along with their review.  The five different reviews will be written on the back cover of your group’s book jacket.

 At this site, read each step on writing a book review.

Scholastic How to Write a Book Review. 

 Elements of language - Click on Writing workshop - Book Review. 

 Amazon Book Website. Do a search for books by your author and find reviews that have been published in review magazines.  You will choose a sentence or two that you believe is very descriptive.  Make sure you credit the source of the review.