Got Talent? Read a Book, Make a Book Trailer
RSSTerri Clark -- School Library Journal, 05/05/2010
Terri Clark, teen patron services specialist at the Smoky Hill Library, part of the Arapahoe Library District in Colorado, and her Teen Advisory Board (TAB) have created their second annual book trailer. Last year they selected Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief from the Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award nominees. The trailer was such a hit her teens couldn’t wait to film their next project. This year they tackled… zombies!
Once again the library district sponsored the project and purchased a copy of Christopher Golden’s Soulless (MTV Books, 2008) for each teen. After the kids read the book, they picked out their favorite scenes. Clark put them into groups, working on a script and casting roles. 
The teens then memorized their lines—most of them playing multiple roles—and created their own costumes. Everything was shot on location (i.e., at the library). Clark and fellow coworker Sheena Allee did the zombie make-up while the district’s video wiz, Bob Bennhoff, served as the cameraman, video editor, and zombie food source and also portrays D, the bodyguard. Clark's husband even had a cameo appearance, in blue, right.
As if that wasn’t work enough, the cast and writers then decided to learn Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance for the closing credits. Best of all, author Golden previewed the video and emailed the cast: “Fantastic work, everyone! :) My sons and I were grinning the whole time.”
