Horrible Hauntings: An Augmented Reality Collection of Ghosts and Ghouls
There are plenty of books about ghosts. But how many actually contain ghosts? This experimental project pairs a print book with a free app readers must download onto a smartphone or tablet with a front-facing camera. It’s worth it. The book itself is fairly straightforward: each spread introduces a ghost from history using an exciting narrative-style paragraph followed by an account of the facts or legends. The opposite page, however, is a moody scenery painting—a cobwebbed hallway, a dark forest. By positioning your screen above this illustration, a ghost rises from the page in full, rotational, three-dimensional glory, complete with creepy music and effects. It can be hugely startling. Take, for example, the skeletons of the children killed by Richard III, who prance around after a ball that you flick with your finger. Or the headless horseman who barrels out from the page on his horse. Or the spectral black dogs that bark at you if you edge too close. Use is naturally limited because of the tech—but, wow, will this ever spook some kiddos! Grades 3-6. --Daniel Kraus