Book Trailers

Let me just start by saying I LOVE TeacherTube!  It's YouTube just for education.  I can spend a lot of time watching videos and I find it is a huge source of inspiration.  While I was perusing TeacherTube today I came across this book trailer for Pete the Cat made by an elementary class.  I thought it was a good way to introduce new books to students.  Then I found this trailer, and this one, annnnd this one.  (P.S. I am very partial to the Harry Potter series.  Those books taught me to love reading.  I can go back to them again and again.  After all this time?  Always.)

So I got to thinking:  What if students made book trailers of the books they've read in order to persuade their classmates to read the books?  It wouldn't be a book report so no need to put a ton of detail in.  In fact, that would defeat the purpose; the creator of the trailer wants to draw the audience in so that the audience can't wait to check the book out.  I found this site that talks about the main items to include in a book trailer.  It would be very important to review this with students.  I would say that the trailers should be one to two minutes, maximum.

Most computers have movie making software already installed so students can make this at home or the school classroom or library.  Remember that post about Evernote?  That would be a great place to save images and music students want to include.

Wouldn't it be fun to have a book trailer "party" where the class watches everyone's book trailers?  A screening party, if you will.  Oh, I will definitely be using this in my classroom regardless of the grade I teach.  If the students are old enough they can create their own trailers; for younger students we could do a whole class collaboration.

Time for me to go watch more book trailers...