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All,

 

First of all, I apologize for the delay in posting this hit!  I got some
great suggestions:

 

1.  Great art project.... for your older students. Do a project where
they read the story, create a cover with title, author, illustrator,
back cover summary, and inside back flap author info.  Have them do a
rough draft first, then a final copy that will fit the book.  Rough
draft so that you can make sure they understand all the parts and to
edit spellings/grammar.  OHH, make sure they place THEIR name as COVER
ILLUSTRATOR.

 

Then laminate the covers and put on the books.  It is great, and the
students LOVE seeing their art in others hands.

 

2.  Oh! I did the coolest thing, can't remember who gave me the idea. I
collected books missing dust jackets, these were all picture books, and
did a project with the 2nd graders. They were each asked to choose a
book and check it out, and then with the teacher's help they made a new
jacket (using those enormous rolls of paper most schools have somewhere
for bulletin board backing, etc.) they then did a picture and title on
the front, and wrote information about the book on the back "One day a
little girl went walking in the woods and found a bear's house. She went
in and used their stuff...Did Goldilocks get discovered by the bears?

Read this book to find out"

And on the inside flap information about the jacket illustrator (the
child). Then I had parent volunteers put the regular clear dust jacket
covers on it. It was a sensation! The kids were beside themselves with
their fame and immortality. Many asked "will it be in the library
forever?" Giving me the chance to say "Well...unless someone checks it
out and doesn't return it, it will be here a long time."

 

3.  One of my all-time favorite activities: No More Naked Books.

 

Let the kids make jackets!!!

 

*They must have read the book.

*They submit a thumbnail - cover must include title, author, and their
name *You provide paper cut to the right size - indicating foldovers.

*Student may or may not include a blurb on the flap.

*No misspellings!!!!

*You laminate and cover the book.

*Voila!!! Instant hit. I still have books with covers that were done by
students who are long gone.

 

4.  You could always have kids design a new book jacket?  That's also a
good technique for getting kids to check out books that have outdated
covers-- chuck the cover and create a new one.  It's a good project for
the kids, maybe even see if you can get the middle and  HS arts classes
to take on the project too if you have that many that need new covers.

 

5.  Our librarian has the students design covers for the weary books
after they have read them. Reading it is required so they can make an
appropriate cover that reflects the essence of the book. She laminates
them for durability. 

The students love having a book in the library with their artwork on it.


They get credit for their art on the inside of the book with a
bookplate. 

It's a very cost effective project.

 

6.  I have photocopied a cover if I had a beat up one (color copy).
Recently I took a picture off a book vendor site, printed it on a color
printer, glued it to construction paper and put it in Mylar jacket.  It
looked GREAT!  I also got a photocopy of illustrations in a book, glued
them to construction paper.  All of these ideas worked for me. 

 

7.  I have dealt with this problem with old collectible series...

Since the new "dust jacket" is going to get a mylar cover to keep it
together, it doesn't have to be real.  If you can borrow a copy with
it's dustjacket, take it to Kinko's (better yet, take a bunch at a time)
and color copy it. You'll need to make it oversize (probably 11 x 17) to
get a copy long enough for the entire jacket.  Then enclose your jacket
in mylar, tape it down, and presto! Minty fresh! :) Color copies are
always getting cheaper, faster, and prettier.

 

8.  I have had okay luck with printing my own on legal size paper using
the cover picture from amazon or using colorful subject-related clip
art.  Sometimes have to add more paper to make the right size.  Not sure
anyone knows they aren't the originals.  I try to type a short summary
on the flap and include a picture of the author and info on the back
flap.  After I print them out in color, I laminate them and put on the
book.  Copyright issues? I don't see copying the cover to put on the
book is much of a "sin" - probably falls within the % of use guidelines.
I sort of have a template on Publisher so I don't have to start from
scratch each time.  Also make covers for some of the DVD cases if the
DVD doesn't come in a case.  

 

When I was elementary I occasionally had students design covers for
"dirty books".  Didn't make it a contest, just let them choose a
tattered book without a cover (hence dirty) and color a picture for it.
They had to have the title on it and could put their name on the back of
the cover.  I laminated those and attached to the book.  Kids enjoyed
seeing covers made by other students.  As the "artists" got older, they
liked to come in and find "their" book and cover.

 

9.  Well, it's not really replacing the dust jacket, but I've been known
to go to Amazon.com and copy the book cover there to a piece of paper,
or even to your pictured editing program.  Manipulate it until it is the
correct size, and then print.  Sometime they will even have the back
cover!  Then create a book cover.

 

Again, thanks to all who replied!

 

Sheri Zachary

 

Librarian

Wonder Park Elementary School

5101 E. 4th Avenue

Anchorage, AK  99508

(907) 337-1569

zachary_sheri@asdk12.org

<mailto:zachary_sheri@asdk12.org>  

"As knowledge increases, wonder deepens"  Charles Morgan (1894-1958)

 


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