Barnes & Noble NOOK Tablet User Manual page 42

Changing the Selection from a Word to a Passage
To select an entire passage, rather than just a word, drag one of the vertical bars at either end of the word until the
two vertical bars encompass the passage you want to select.
By dragging with your thumb and forefinger, you can grow or shrink selected text as you like.
When you lift your fingers after resizing the text selection, the Text Selection Toolbar re-appears.
42 Barnes & Noble NOOK Tablet User Guide