A Guide to Life and Literature of the Southwest Book

I especially appreciated "open-ended ways to end a readers' advisory conversation" (p. 28) and "conversation starters to use while browsing the shelves" (p. 49). As someone who struggles with both small talk and gracefully getting off the phone, some memorized openers and closers are beneficial!

Open-ended ways to end a readers' advisory conversation:
-If you take a look at these and they aren't what you want, just let me know and I'll be happy to try again.
-We'll be here if you need help finding something next time.
-Next time you're in, let us know what you thought of the book.
-Do you feel that you have enough suggestions, or would you like me to pull a few more possibilities?
-Have I overloaded you yet, or could you use a few more titles?
-Do any of these books sound interesting, or should I pull some different titles?

Conversation starters to use while browsing the shelves:

If you just so happen to be looking for a book while a teen is browsing the shelves, turn the "coincidence" into an attempt at a readers' advisory interaction. Try using the following conversation starters:
1. Have you read this one? I've been hearing a lot of people talk about it.
2. I really enjoyed this one -- did you know it's the second in a series?
3. I've never read anything by that author. Is he good?
4. I happened to notice you've got [name of book]. If you like that kind of book, [name of a similar book] is another good one.
5. Are you looking for a particular book that I could help you spot?
6. Looking for something fun or for school?
7. If you don't find the one you're looking for, let me know -- it might be on display or on a cart.

Questions to ask when trying to determine reading level (p. 63)
1. Do you read a lot?
2. Are you looking for something quick, or do you want to spend a little more time getting into the book?
3. What grade are you in?
4. Would something like this [with suggested book in hand] be more book than you want today?
5. Do you mind books that are kind of dense -- for example, books that have lots of description?

Fill-in-the-Blank format for articulating appeal to teens (p. 68)
"It is a ____ book about a ____ who _____. If you like books that ____, you might like this one. People who like _____ have also liked this one."
Adjust to emphasize different appeals -- for instance, keep as a general description, lead with a mystery hook, or describe characters.