Not Your Momma’s Book Trailer

Over at the MacKids blog, Jessica Brody shows us what happens when a former worker at MGM Studios becomes an author of a YA novel and decides to produce a book trailer.

Normally book trailers are still pictures and text, with an overlay of music and/or narration. 

The trailer for Wake by Lisa McMann is a particularly good example of how effective this can be:

Neil Gaiman narrates the book trailer for The Graveyard Book and the illustrations in this not-quite-animated trailer look like they are taken from the book itself.  All in all, a good showing:

The trailer for Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld takes this concept a step further to good effect:

And finally, the book trailer for Graceling (by Kristin Cashore) tries to go for the full movie trailer treatment, but just comes off as cheesy Plus, starting with a full 30 seconds of one shot is not going to make the viewers stick around for the rest of it.  And I’m saying this as someone who loved the actual book.

The book trailer for Karma Club is a step up in book trailer evolution, if you will.  Where Graceling‘s trailer required maybe two sets and 10 people at most and has questionable lighting, Jessica Brody’s trailer for the Karma Club is like watching a commercial for The Hills… only more interesting:

I want to go see that movie!  I mean, read that book.

Good job, Jessica!

And don’t forget, if you want to try your hand at making a book trailer, our librarians and teen specialists will be only too happy to help you out with the project.  Most branches have a Flip Camera and Windows Movie-Maker available for you to use. We can even post your work here on CLP Teensburgh!

ACHOO!

 

Do you find yourself sneezing a lot lately? Do your eyes itch and water? Tree pollen season (March, April and early May) is winding down, and grass pollen season (April, May, and June) is just gearing up.

Allergies are inappropriate immune responses to foreign substances (often proteins). Many people have allergy symptoms in the spring and fall due to allergic reactions to pollen from plants and trees. Check out pollen.com for local and national pollen counts if you have seasonal allergies.

As if suffering from seasonal allergies isn’t bad enough, some teens suffer from such severe food allergies that even kissing can be dangerous.

According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, food allergies have doubled over the past decade, particularly allergic reactions to peanuts.

If you or someone you know has a food allergy or intolerance, check out a cookbook with safe recipes:

                 

Sara Dora, CLP-Hazelwood