Facing a fellow sixthgrader, Kristen Tornquist shared her review of the Cynthia Lord novel, “Rules.” After she finished and heard Jordan Sayeedi, who faced her, give his review of a book he read, she moved to another chair to pair with another student and share book reviews with him.

Kristen, 12, would eventually sit across a table from four other students, exchanging book reviews with each one. She was one of nearly 50 sixth-graders who gathered on Tuesday, March 18, in the Windham Middle School’s media center to share what media specialist Diana Greenleaf called “rapid reviews.”

Modeled on “speed dating” – in which people rotate to meet each other over short periods of time – this unique book review exercise allowed each student to hear a half-dozen book reviews during the 90-minute session.

Teacher Karen Rogers liked the format because it allowed her students to learn about other books by interacting with their peers. Unlike a traditional book review that required standing in front of a class, the students were much more at ease by meeting one-on-one.

“I think this was much more effective,” Rogers said when the session was done. “I think it kept their interest longer.”

The students who participated in the rapid reviews – Rogers’ students and the students in teacher Sue Guelli’s class – each had read a novel that is a contender for the Great Stone Face Book Award.

The award, sponsored by the Children’s Librarians of New Hampshire, is given annually to the author whose book receives the most votes from fourth-, fifth-, and sixthgraders in the state.

Nominees are chosen by a committee, and votes are cast by students during National Library Week in April.

“This is an attempt by you to become more informed voters,” Rogers told the students before they began sharing their reviews. “The more informed you make yourselves, the more responsible your vote becomes.”

During each of the six rounds, each student had three-and- a-half minutes to share his or her review with the person sitting across from them. They discussed whether or not they would recommend the book for the Great Stone Face Award – and why.

After each student heard a review, they asked their partner a question about the novel, jotted down their opinion of the book and rated it.

“Rules,” the book Kristen read and liked, is about a 12- year-old girl, Catherine, who is frustrated with having an autistic brother and longs for a normal life.

The book Jordan read, “A Drowned Maiden’s Hair,” by Laura Amy Schlitz, tells the story of a girl who is adopted by three spinsters who reveal to her the role she will play in their séances.

“I will definitely cast a vote for this book,” Jordan shared in his review. “The book was exciting and suspenseful.”