Beth Fehlbaum, YA fiction author

How Schools Can Use Book Trailers to Engage Readers

Thank you for hosting me during my Cherish the Romance Virtual Launch Party, which celebrates the release of my contemporary romantic suspense Lancelot's Lady. Today I'd like to talk about book trailers and how schools can use them in classrooms.

Some schools are incorporating book trailer videos into their curriculum and they're seeing success with engaging readers and creating anticipation. Students respond more positively to visual stimulation over black and white text.

Hereare some useful tips to make the best of book trailers within the classroom:

·                    Just as the film industry uses trailers months before a new release to build curiosity and interest, teachers can use trailers to create a sense of anticipation for a future project. Showing a book trailer a few days before the class begins a novel study gives the class something to talk about.

·                    If  teachers show the trailer BEFORE they read the book, they could then ask students what they think will happen in the novel they're about to read and have students write down their predictions, based on what they saw or heard in the trailer. This could be shared with the class.

·                    Writing elements are used in a book trailer to create suspense, curiosity and anticipation. Teachers could discuss any writing techniques used, such as teasers, foreshadowing or questions. Describe the elements that grabbed students' attention.

·                    Just as a movie score is vital to the success of a movie, music in a book trailer plays a key role. Music creates an emotional response--suspense, horror, fear, sorrow, happiness, laughter. Teachers can play a variety of book trailers and have students analyze the music used in each. What emotions did the music evoke in each trailer? Another exercise could be to have the students listen to the trailer music while their eyes are closed. What words would they use to describe the book based on the music used? Then show them the actual trailers to see if their impressions were correct...or if the trailer producers selected the right music.

·                    Trailers show students how to boil down a story into a few short minutes. This could be used to teach writing summariesor synopses, back cover text and blurbs of 25, 50 or 100 words. If they're working on their own stories, teachers could have students summarize their own works. Or they could write their own summaries/blurbs of the novel they studied.

·                    Since trailers can be created using common computer programs (Windows Movie Maker, Photo Story and more) found on many computers and laptops, students could design their own trailers for either their own works or a novel they've studied. Teachers could even get authors involved. I know many authors, including myself, love working with students. Some may offer a contest for the best trailer made by a student. Some may showcase some of the best student-created trailers on their websites. If you're a teacher and you're interested in pursuing these ideas, feel free to e-mail methrough my website.

I predict that more book trailers will be used in schools in the future. I know I sure would have loved to have had this technology when I went to school.

Here's the trailer for Lancelot's Lady:

Lancelot's Lady is available in ebook edition at Kobo Books, Amazon'sKindle Store, Smashwords and other ebook retailers. Help me celebrate by picking up a copy today and "Cherish the romance..."

You can learn more about Lancelot's Lady and Cherish D'Angelo (aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif)at http://www.cherishdangelo.com and http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com.

Prizes& Giveaways: Follow Cherish from September 27 to October10 on her Cherish the Romance Virtual Book Tour and win prizes.

Leave a comment here, with email address, to be entered into the prize draws. You're guaranteed to receive at least 1 free ebook just for doing so. Plus you'll be entered to win a Kobo ereader. Winners will be announced after October 10th.