Jobs in show business

Showtime: Meet the People Behind the Scenes
by Kevin Sylvester


Behind the scenes of every concert, play, or dance performance are hundreds of people working to ensure that the audience gets their money worth. In Kevin Sylvester's energetic book, readers get to meet some of these people and find out what makes their jobs so important. They are choreographers, vocal coaches, set designers, truckers, instrument makers, costume designers, pyrotechnic experts, songwriters, and event managers. Readers will come away with a renewed appreciation for these indispensable workers.

For middle-grade readers.





Hire Me, Hollywood! Your Behind-the-Scenes Guide to the Most Exciting - and Unexpected - Jobs in Show Business
by Mark Scherzer and Keith Fenimore


Scherzer and Fenimore interview thirty entertainment insiders to get the scoop on what it's like to work in the television and movie industry. These insiders run the gamut from actors to make-up artists to producers, writers, directors, and stage managers. From their stories, readers will gain a realistic glimpse into the high stress world of Hollywood, where early mornings and long hours are the norm. Plus, you'll get a valuable crash course in the power of networking and self-promotion; lessons that can come in handy for jobs outside the entertainment world as well.

For teen and adult readers.

Be a working actor

Acting A to Z: The Young Person's Guide to a Stage Or Screen Career
by Katherine Mayfield


Anyone who yearns for the fame and fortune of television or movie stars should read this book. It will tell them what being a working actor is really like and what to expect in the acting business. In twenty-six concise chapters, Mayfield provides an overview of various aspects of an acting career, beginning with a summary of different acting fields - theatre, film, commercials, etc. - the basic tools an actor needs and the personality types best suited for this kind of profession. This will help kids decide if acting is something that they really want to do. From there, she provides specifics on casting directors and agents, interview and auditioning processes, acting schools, networking, and self-promotion.

Mayfield does a good job of explaining the pros and cons of the acting business in rational, realistic terms. She also stresses the importance of self-confidence and well-being. A very useful and practical book.

Put on a play!

The Jumbo Book of Drama
by Deborah Dunleavy


The Jumbo Book of Drama is jam-packed with activities to get kids comfortable with being onstage. Divided into four acts, the book introduces children to different acting genres by giving them all sorts of theatre games, plays and scenes to try. These can be done either alone, with a partner, or with a group. 

Act One: Make Your Move teaches physical movement as represented by mime, masked play, clowning, and dance. Act Two: Sound Advice emphasizes voice as used in puppetry, readers' theatre, and radio plays. Act Three: Getting It Together blends movement and voice in exploring melodrama, comedy, and tragedy. The final act, On With the Show, takes kids behind the scenes, where they can build sets and scenery, experiment with lights, or make simple costumes.

A good book for fostering imagination and creativity.





Curtain Up! A Book for Young Performers
by Dirk McLean


For kids who want to know what a real performance is like, give them this picture book. It follows a young girl named Amaya as she auditions for a play, goes through rehearsals, and gets ready for opening night.  

McLean does a good job of weaving factual information into an engaging story. A glossary at the end explains theatre terms.

Write a screenplay!

Big Fat Paycheck: A Young Person's Guide to Writing for the Movies
by Colton Lawrence


Despite what the title implies, it's not that easy to write a good screenplay and it's even harder to sell one. Apparently, though, a young screenwriter, especially one under 18 years of age, is what the Big Fancy Hollywood Readers are looking for. The secret, Colton Lawrence says, is to create the illusion that you're a hot new writer and that your screenplay is the next big thing. To accomplish this, he shows young readers how to write a top-notch script.

This isn't as easy as he makes it seem. First you need to write a treatment - writing down ideas, turning them into concepts, writing story sketches, creating character sketches, writing story outlines, and developing action scenes. Then you write your script, but you also need to polish it, which involves lots and lots of rewrites (at least five to ten drafts, but probably more). By this time, only the most dedicated writers will still be at it.

However, Lawrence does offer lots of guidance that can help you become a better writer. He shows you how to create strong characters and believable dialogue, how subplots are structured, and how to fix plot holes. He also provides useful tips to help you sell your story. You may not make a million dollars, but you may end up with a really good novel.

Acting and filmmaking tips

Lights, Camera, Action! Making Movies and TV from the Inside Out
by Lisa O'Brien


This book is mainly about becoming an actor rather than a filmmaker. However, it does describe how a movie or television show is shot. For aspiring actors, it has tips on finding an agent, researching a role, and acing the audition. For those interested in the background activity, it describes the production and marketing processes and how some special effects are created. Each chapter has acting tips, popcorn trivia quizzes and a glossary of screen speak to keep things interesting. The author may be a little inaccurate regarding shooting schedules, but the book is entertaining and easy to read.





Attack of the Killer Video Book Take 2: Tips and Tricks for Young Directors
by Mark Shulman and Hazlitt Krog


Without too much preamble, this book dives right into the filmmaking process, offering lots of technical advice in fast, breezy prose with a dash of humor. At times though, the page layout get a little crowded, and the editing and special effects information start to sound very intimidating. Still, it has good ideas for making movies.

Make a movie!

Learn to Speak Film: A Guide to Creating, Promoting, and Screening Your Movies
by Michael Glassbourg
design & illustration by Jeff Kulak


Learn to Speak Film is an excellent introduction to movie making. It begins with a brief history of film, then segues into the basics of photography, which is great for experimenting with composition, framing, and light. Once you master a still camera, you can move onto motion-picture cameras and start actual filming. But first you need to find an idea and write a screenplay. Glassbourg gives lots of good advice for writing dialogue, adding conflict, and handling rewrites. Next he moves into production and postproduction, covering everything from finding the talent to running rehearsals, from editing scenes to creating the soundtrack.

Clear language and bright design make the book fun to read, and the encouraging tone helps novice filmmakers get started.

Just for boys

The Boys Body Book: Everything You Need to Know for Growing Up YOU
by Kelli Dunham, R.N.


Dunham covers a lot of ground in this book, from the care and feeding of boys' changing bodies to the stresses of dealing with parents, friends and the outside world. Some topics could have been covered in a separate book; things such as study skills, household chores, finding a job, or dealing with divorcing parents are not as relevant to some readers. Others may also find that Dunham is overly focussed on boys' hygiene. Another minor problem is the drawing of the reproductive system, which is woefully simple. However, the book offers good tips for dealing with the challenges of growing up.

Just for girls

Girl in the Know: Your Inside-and-Out Guide to Growing Up
by Anne Katz, R.N., PhD. 

This book contains information about a girl's changing body, advice about communicating with family and friends, tips on dealing with cliques, peer pressure and bullying, and how to keep healthy through diet and fitness.

It's all very upbeat and self-affirming so that girls can become, in Katz's words, their be-you-tiful best. She tends to emphasize all the positives that come with growing up while fluffing over the negatives. And if girls encounter problems? Just talk to an adult, friend, doctor, or guidance counselor.

Breezily useful if not always helpful.

Emotions and puberty

Growing Up, Inside and Out
by Kira Vermond


Most books about puberty tend to focus mainly on physical changes, and either written specifically for boys or girls, but not both. Vermond's book is different. It deals with physical changes, yes, but also with the emotional changes that every child goes through. Issues such as body image, self-esteem, mood swings, crushes, sexual orientation, and relationships are all covered in a positive and reassuring manner. Also, in aiming her book at girls and boys, she helps them understand each other and shows them that they have more in common than they might think. 

Puberty can be fraught with anxiety, but it can also be exciting. This book is an excellent guide to the challenges of growing up. Another plus is that it can be read throughout the pre-teen years, as kids develop at their own pace.

A book for Zamboni fans

Zamboni: The Coolest Machines on Ice
by Eric Dregni


When refrigerators doomed Frank Zamboni's ice block business, he turned to inventing an ice resurfacing machine. The result, as they say, was history. This fully illustrated book tells the story of the Zamboni ice-resurfacing machine and how it became the official ice resurfacer of the NHL. It traces the evolution of the machine, its Olympic debut, and its popularity among fans both young and old.

Ski with confidence

Inner Skiing: Revised Edition
by Timothy Gallwey & Robert Kriegel

A highly readable, easy-to-implement book that shows you how to let go of fear and enjoy the moment. By focussing on inner and outer awareness (feeling the physical sensations of skiing and being aware of your surroundings), you release tension and allow your body to naturally learn the best way to ski.

Without having to worry about whether you are doing it right or wrong, this book shows you how to relax and have fun.

Smart Skiing: Mental Training for All Ages and Levels of Skill
by Dennis J. Selder

Methods for skiers to achieve peak performances, whether recreationally or competitively. For skiing success, Selder takes the reader through various quizzes that assess personality type and emotional reactions to stress. Then, using motivation, goals, and imagery, he shows you how to overcome fear and negative criticism in order to become a more confident skier.