Yep, you’re going to need to know how to squeeze water from a frog and make your own solid perfume when the grid goes down—or at least you’ll want to know kids who have those skills! These books teach readers to think outside the box when looking for entertaining activities that may have long-term utility, too. Whether it’s learning how to make ice cream, sew, or create a geocache, young people will be well prepared. After all, what’s the point of surviving in a postapocalyptic world if there’s no ice cream?

Elementary

Gr 1-3 –Simple sentences and big clear photos of a variety of kids stirring, taping, digging, and measuring will help bolster the confidence of young folks. The children depicted model good motor skills, working posture, and concentration, and their big smiles upon completion communicate their genuine pride in their accomplishments. Clear design and beautiful photos, especially in Lemonade Stand and Garden, add to the appeal. An abundance of front and back matter will help adults use these titles with children to improve vocabulary, comprehension, and subject mastery. VERDICT Strong options for how-to collections.

Gr 3-6 –Fun activities that yield worthwhile items, such as a fake rock in which to conceal a geocache and a paper towel tube bird feeder alternate with those that are cute but less than useful, including painting lawn flamingos blue and creating a ring toss game from water bottles and glow bracelets. ABDO’s characteristic clean design will invite crafty kids to try seven accessible projects per volume and then to take their creations outside. Hiking bingo cards are a particularly inspired addition. VERDICT Delightful offerings: readers will be asking for s’more.

Gr 3-6 –This adorable collection of outdoorsy tips and projects—10 topics per volume—teach readers how to use a compass, make an igloo, and build a wormery. Cartoon illustrations and diagrams provide good details for following instructions and are especially helpful when it comes to tricky subjects like knot tying or making a homemade fishing rod. A peanut gallery of irreverent animals offers comic commentary from the margins. VERDICT These clever books will inspire projects large and small.

Gr 1-3 –Beautiful photos and the use of appropriate vocabulary take precedence over the how-to in this cheerful series that gives developing readers early exposure to features of informational text. Every book includes sidebars, highlighted terms, diagram overlays, and one activity, which introduces kids to instructional writing as they set up soil experiments or make a plant pot. Images depict kids working together, with family members, or by themselves as they water, dig, pick, plant, and prune. Full-bleed stock photos explode with color and texture, and the portrayed youngsters are happy and diverse. VERDICT Mouthwatering choices for early readers.

Gr 1-4 –These titles feature a clean design and nine attractive projects each, but the younger crafters at whom these books are aimed will need to work with an adult in order to execute the instructions. Although there are photographs depicting each step of the projects, there are no pictures demonstrating how to do some of the trickier tasks, such as affixing felt fins to a sock puppet or using a pen cap to make circles of clay. Nor are there templates for cutting out a skull shape or a flower petal. There are some cute ideas for decorating paper bags or plastic jugs to look like houses, but without process photos, the offerings come off as sterile and unconvincing. VERDICT Skip these titles: there are plenty of other sock puppet fish in the sea.

Gr 1-4 –These volumes shed light on an array of interests. Exceptionally clear, well-thought-out diagrams teach children simple sewing stitches, paper folds and cuts, and planting techniques. The recipes in Baking are appetizingly photographed and augmented with drawings that show kids what their dishes ought to look like at crucial stages. Photography and Collecting contain tips and ideas useful to newbies and experienced hobbyists alike. These offerings are accessible to most readers: even reluctant crafters can spare 10 minutes and a coat hanger to make a mobile or thread felt shapes onto a garland. Finished projects are attractive but not unattainably perfect. VERDICT Foundational texts for future craft and activities moguls.

Gr 3-6 –These titles feature some quirky crafts, but the process photos that accompany the instructions are occasionally unclear (more superimposed arrows and motion lines might have helped). In at least two cases (Hip Soda Tab Bracelet and Groovy Guitar), the photos are at odds with the text, forcing crafters to abandon the project or experiment until a functional method is reached. There are some fun projects here, but the directions are too hit-or-miss. VERDICT Those looking to increase their craft collections should save their budget dollars.

Middle to High School

Gr 8 Up –Eleven enticing, professional-looking projects per volume—striped votive candles or a calendar made from colorful paint samples—will have readers running to the craft store for supplies. But beware: inconsistencies between photos and text coupled with instructions that occasionally jump ahead will require interpretation by a master crafter. Experimentation will yield satisfactory results, but these books are for next-level practitioners with access to specialized craft supplies. VERDICT Possible options for more advanced crafters.

Gr 6 Up –Those seeking new challenges for their nimble-fingered super folder patrons need look no further. The dozen models in each of these books require concentration, spatial thinking, good instruction-following skills, motor memory, and good lighting to boot. The volumes all begin with a glossary of symbols and a detailed visual encyclopedia of folds. These internal reference materials help, to be sure, but only persistence and discipline will get crafters all the way to a fine-looking finished object. The models in Dinosaurs require 19-inch square paper, which can be hard to come by. Even successfully executed Animals are rather abstract without additional squishing and crumpling. VERDICT Hand these black belt–level origami projects to more experienced crafters.

Gr 4-8 –It’s tricky to satisfy readers’ craving for beauty advice without appearing to endorse a particular standard of beauty or placing undue emphasis on appearance. These books incorporate a little science and a lot of good sense along with beauty tips and craft ideas. Skin emphasizes nutrition, sleep, and sunscreen while explaining what vitamin A does for skin and how ultraviolet rays harm it. Nail Care advises readers to be careful around acetone. Some of the tips in Hair Care will work for unstraightened African American hair, but all the illustrations are of straight or long, curly hair. Nevertheless, this set is a good update to Smart Apple’s “Girl Talk” series (2013). VERDICT These offerings promote a healthy glow.

Gr 6-9 –Can you solve the pouring problem? How are you at brain chains? This unusual series challenges perception and thwarts assumptions with optical illusions and seemingly simple activities. Memory games, pencil puzzles, and magic tricks allow readers to exercise numeracy and logic skills in fun and fascinating ways. Answer pages offer solving tips and/or solutions when the problems grow too taxing. While all of the activities work well, the author seems more comfortable with explaining math concepts—devoting a whole page to a good explanation of probability—than science, explaining why some optical illusions work but not others. Scrupulously accurate graphic illustrations (with some photos) are key to the success of these four sharp little books. VERDICT Shelve under “Spock”—there are sure to be takers for this set.

Gr 6-8 –The 12-item quizzes in each of these books cue readers to do a little light self-examination (favorite color? mode of transportation? style of shoes?) in order to reveal which of four types of pet, job, club, and so on suit their personalities. One fun fact is included per spread. These selections might be useful for librarians faced with adamantly reluctant readers, but most kids will be put off by the instantly dated lingo and the many stock photos of “teen” models who are clearly much older. VERDICT These lackluster selections can’t compete with the plethora of online quizzes.

Gr 4-8 –Eating a cat’s head or using a hamster to pass notes to a friend: crafters can do all that and more, via custom cake pops and origami note cards. A variety of skills are put to use as readers learn how to bake healthy treats for their pets, decoupage a pet care notebook, or braid a dog toy out of strips of an old T-shirt. Sidebars suggesting additional projects and tips for taking good animal photographs are included in each volume. VERDICT Solid choices for animal lovers, who will enjoy making projects that proclaim their passion.

According to psychologist Peter Gray in his series of essays “The Value of Play,” self-chosen and self-directed activity “provides a state of mind that is uniquely suited for high-level reasoning, insightful problem-solving, and all sorts of creative endeavors.” Offer kids plenty of inspiration for choosing self-directed activities with the best of the books in this section. Lerner’s “Go Wild” and “Style Secrets” and ABDO’s “Cool Great Outdoors” are three particularly inspired additions. Even little kids will glean some important skills from Smart Apple Media’s “Try This!” and Rourke’s “Step-by-Step Projects.” It might look like children and teens are braiding friendship bracelets out of yarn and hex nuts, but really they’re enjoying the benefits of “an active, alert, non-stressed frame of mind.”

Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD