- Year groups
- Lower KS2 and Upper KS2
- Time
- 20 min
- Group
- On their own
- Type
- Choice and browsing
Why it works
Taking the cover away removes judgements about how a book looks or who it's 'for'. The surprise makes choosing fun, and pupils often discover an author or genre they love.
What you need
- Books wrapped in brown paper or newspaper
- Three or four clue words written on each (for example 'dragons, friendship, cliffhangers')
- A display table or box
How to run it
- Wrap a range of books and write a few clue words on each, with no title or author.
- Display them together with a sign inviting pupils to pick a blind date.
- Pupils read the clues and choose one book to unwrap.
- Give them ten minutes of quiet reading to see if it's a match.
- If it isn't, they can swap it back for a second date, no questions asked.
Make it work for your class
- Let pupils write the clues for books they've loved, for others to choose from.
- Use emoji clues alongside the words for less confident readers.
- Run it as a whole-school event during a book week.
At home
Wrap a few books from home or the library so your child can choose one by its clues alone. It makes picking the next bedtime book feel like opening a present.
- Wrap three or four books in paper or an old bag.
- Write two or three clue words on each, like 'animals' or 'funny'.
- Let your child pick one from the clues and unwrap it.
- Read the first chapter or a few pages together and decide if it's a match.
