Champions read. Book Week 2012 book trailer presentation by Jane Moore

Book Bubbles, 2012. 1 DVD. 25 mins. $35.00. Order form.
Recommended. The enticing Champions Read book trailer contains highlights of all the books for the Early Childhood, Picture Books, Information Books and Younger Readers in the 2012 short lists for Children's Book Week. It is a very useful tool to promote the short listed books in a primary school and is sure to attract attention and comments. The Picture book and Information sections would also be useful in a secondary school, as would some of the books in the Younger readers section, like Crow Country by Kate Constable, Nanberry: Black Brother White by Jackie French and Brotherband: The Outcasts by John Flanagan.
Champions read starts with many images of champions and children enjoying reading. Then each book is introduced with some interesting and pertinent questions. For example the introduction to The runaway hug by Nick Bland asks the question, 'Who do you give your hugs to?' and has more questions with some gorgeous illustrations that made me want to read the book again. In fact really good illustrations have been selected to go with each book (a long bibliography is available at the end) and appropriate music sets the mood for the individual books.
I particularly loved the trailer for Crow Country by Kate Constable, with its stark black and white images and eerie music, and believe that it would certainly entice a child to want to read the book.
The site licence allows the loading of the DVD onto as many computers on the school campus as is desired. Because the DVD is able to be viewed in sections, it is ideal for the whole of the primary school, with the older children watching the Younger readers section and the Information section and the younger children could watch the Early childhood and Picture book section. Classroom teachers could run it before school and while the children are having their lunch. Having the whole DVD run before and after school in the school library on a whiteboard is sure to get children wanting to read the books and it would make an excellent introduction to the books. In fact I would suggest that this DVD will stimulate a lot of requests for the books, so be prepared to have multiple copies, or short loans!
Pat Pledger