Lazy Crafternoon

Gr 5–8—This fresh, funky, and visually appealing book presents an assortment of crafts to while away the afternoon. Its purpose is to promote friendship and social engagement through crafting, offering an assortment of ideas, and even snack recipes for hosting a "crafternoon." Some projects are more challenging than others, with ideas ranging from accessories to decorative items to school supplies. Designed to be shared among friends, each project can be easily accomplished by the individual as well. While the visuals are geared more toward teenagers, the projects are just as appropriate for younger tweens. With a few exceptions, the supplies required are general art and supplies available from most retailers. The specialized items are accompanied by more in-depth discussions for their use, cost, and availability. While most instructions are fairly self-explanatory, a couple of shortcomings leave the impression that these projects would work best with kids already somewhat familiar with crafting. Directions and photos of the finished products are given, and the step-by-step graphics tend to show only the finished result of the instruction (for instance, in the braided necklace activity, the images do not make clear what in direction the fabric needs to be turned). In addition, certain terms and procedures related to sewing are not always clarified fully, an inconsistency that would leave those new to the craft somewhat at a loss.