What is a book walk?

A book walk is a way to introduce a book through pre-reading activities. A book walk involves a number of activities to build background knowledge, interest and to allow students to connect to a major theme of a book before they begin reading.

Book walks are good activities for teachers to get their students out of their seats to complete activities that will help them better understand certain aspects of a book. These aspects can include information about the author, important themes throughout the text, or even predicting what the book may be about. Pre-reading activities, especially book walks, help better prepare students to interact with a new text.