The San José Public Library invites teens to create a book trailer for our Summer Reading Celebration during the months of June and July. Upload a short clip, no longer than 4 minutes, to YouTube. Be creative! The contest is open to all participants in the Teen Summer Reading Celebration.

How to enter:

Think of a favorite book you read for Summer Reading and envision it as a short video, one that will capture the interest of your audience. Create your own book trailer, reviewing the book. You can submit more than one video, but each video has to be for a separate book.

• Sign up for Summer Reading starting on June 1, 2013.
• Post the video on YouTube using the tag: SJPL2013SRC
• Submit the YouTube link to your book trailer along with your name, age, contact information (either a phone number or email) and your library branch to: 2013SJPLBookTrailerContest@gmail.com
• All entries must be submitted by July 31, 2013
• Book trailers may not be longer than four minutes in length
• Story being reviewed should be a young adult or adult fiction or non-fiction book.
• Cite all images, video and audio that you did not create

A panel of judges (staff at San José Public Library) will review all entries and select the top three winners, to be announced in August 2013. The panel of judges will use the following criteria when reviewing book trailer entries:

• Content: Clear introduction; strong hook; summary without dominating narration; fresh and interesting commentary with strong conclusion
• Voice/Sound: Interesting; well-rehearsed; smooth delivery; holds audience attention; easy to hear narration over soundtrack; voice sounds natural and helps convey meaning; soundtrack adds to tone/feel of presentation
• Images: Crisp, clear, engaging, enriching, extending details and meaning; appropriately cited.
• Presentation: All elements (color and graphics) work together seamlessly to create an interesting book trailer

Need some examples? Check out the winning entry from last year's Book Trailer Contest, created by K. Rai.

Here are links to some professional book trailers:

• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Legend and Prodigy by Marie Lu

Teens who submit links to their Book Trailer will automatically be entered in the contest. The top 3 winners will receive:

• 1st place: iPad Mini
• 2nd place: $50 gift card for iTunes
• 3rd place: $25 gift card for Jamba Juice

Check out the top 3 winning entries of the 2012 Book Trailer Contest below:

1st place (winner of a Kindle Fire): Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by K. Rai

2nd place (winner of a $50 iTunes gift card): 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens  by L. Do

3rd place (winner of a $25 Jamba Juice card): Ender’s Game by L. Chinn

Thank you to everyone who submitted such creative and fun videos! It was a difficult decision to choose the top three.

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Teens: want to do something more imaginative than just writing a review for Summer Reading books that you have read? Create and submit a book trailer review for Summer Reading, and you could win a Kindle Fire! Upload a short clip, no longer than 4 minutes, to YouTube, providing your review of the book. Be creative!  The contest is open to all participants in the Teen Summer Reading Celebration.

How to enter:

• Create your own book trailer, reviewing a book that you read for Summer Reading. You can submit more than one video, but each video has to be for a separate book.
• Post the video on YouTube using the tag: SJPL2012SRC
• Sign up for Summer Reading here, starting in a few weeks.
• When you log the book you read on the Summer Reading website, make sure to include a link to your video in the review field.

Entries will be judged on creativity and content by a panel of library staff.

Need some examples? Check out the winning entry from last year's Book Trailer Contest, created by Nathan Verdonk.

Here are links to some professional book trailers:

- Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

- The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Teens who submit links to their Book Trailer will automatically be entered in the contest. The top 3 winners will receive:

• 1st place: Kindle Fire
• 2nd place: $50 gift card for iTunes
• 3rd place: $25 gift card for Jamba Juice 

Entries for the contest must be submitted between June 1 and July 31, 2012.   Winners will be announced in August.

Teens: want to do something more imaginative than just writing a review for Summer Reading books that you have read? Create and submit a book trailer review for Summer Reading, and you could win a Kindle Fire! Upload a short clip, no longer than 4 minutes, to YouTube, providing your review of the book. Be creative!  The contest is open to all participants in the Teen Summer Reading Celebration.

How to enter:

• Create your own book trailer, reviewing a book that you read for Summer Reading. You can submit more than one video, but each video has to be for a separate book.
• Post the video on YouTube using the tag: SJPL2012SRC
• Sign up for Summer Reading here, starting in a few weeks.
• When you log the book you read on the Summer Reading website, make sure to include a link to your video in the review field.

Entries will be judged on creativity and content by a panel of library staff.

Need some examples? Check out the winning entry from last year's Book Trailer Contest, created by Nathan Verdonk.

Here are links to some professional book trailers:

- Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

- The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Teens who submit links to their Book Trailer will automatically be entered in the contest. The top 3 winners will receive:

• 1st place: Kindle Fire
• 2nd place: $50 gift card for iTunes
• 3rd place: $25 gift card for Jamba Juice 

Entries for the contest must be submitted between June 1 and July 31, 2012.   Winners will be announced in August.

Update: the winner of the booktrailer contest is Nathan Verdonk from the Willow Glen Branch. Congratulations Nathan!

Watch the winning video here:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37SkNFhUQM8

Teens: are you tired of just writing book reviews for Summer Reading?

How about a book trailer instead?

Tape a short clip, upload it to YouTube or a similar website, share the link with us and be entered into the contest to win a NOOK color.

You can be as creative as you want - just don't give away the ending!

Here are the details:

Tape a short clip, upload it to YouTube or a similiar website

Sign up for Summer Reading by creating your account here

Enter the title of the book you are reviewing

In the box where you would usually type your book review, post the link to your video

That's it!

Don't have a digital camera? Need help uploading the clip? Come to the taping session at the Cambrian Branch on July 19th from 3pm to 5pm.

Of course this will also count towards your Summer Reading goal and will enter you in the bi-weekly drawings.

Entries for the contest will be accepted from June 18th until July 30th. The winner will be announced in August.