At the start of each school year, I’m like a squirrel darting this way and that, chasing great ideas that will appeal to my students. Of course, teachers can’t do everything (although some think otherwise). After I settle in to my classroom routine, only some of the cool ideas stick. This year, I’m determined to show book trailers and do book talks on a regular basis.  I have done these in the past, of course, but they tend to fall off when other things become more pressing, like prepping for mandated tests instead of encouraging a love for reading…but I digress.

Book trailers and book talks tend to work with reluctant readers. Why? Because one of the reasons they hate to read is they don’t know what to look for when they go into the library. They don’t have a favorite author or genre. They don’t know what new and exciting books have been published. They wander around dazed like they’re on another planet and then they eventually leave empty-handed.

Enter the book trailer/talk. Each of my students has an index card. I show them three book trailers a week. I also read the inside flap and/or back and tell them anything I know about the novel. If a book sounds interesting, they write down the title. This way, when I drag them into that big room filled with books that’s conveniently attached to my classroom, they have something to look for–a book they have decided they want to read.

Of course, not all book trailers work, at least with my students. Some are too short, leaving them with WTF?  type questions instead of wanting more. My students tend to like the longer ones that are more like a movie preview. I’ll post the trailers that “worked” for my students. After viewing these, several students wrote down the title and some checked the book out immediately.

The first one is for FRACTURE by Megan Miranda. A student checked it out and read it all that night.

Next, many want to read HATE LIST by Jennifer Brown after seeing this:

Also, MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs was perfectly creepy.

Stay tuned for more book trailers. Up next IF I STAY, PRETTY AMY, and SKELETON CREEK.