This document summarizes several proposed additions to a library's collection of arts and crafts materials for tweens ages 10-14. It describes five selections including websites and books on various crafts and photography. The proposed additions are analyzed in annotations providing details on each item's content, suitability for the target audience, and reviews where available.

1. Free Powerpoint Templates ARTS & CRAFTS for in Be’Tween Times Non-fiction Collection Project Libr 264-10 Presented by: Carrie Wilson Jacqueline Danizger-Russell Shaina Williams Broadstone

2. Why Arts & Crafts ? Arts & crafts are high interest topics that can also serve curricular and developmental needs. Tweens and teens are at an age where they are exploring hobbies and need creative outlets (Anderson, 2007). Anderson, S. (Ed.). (2007). Serving Young Teens and Tweens. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited

3. Arts & Crafts Collection Scope This collection contains a variety of high quality items about a variety of arts and crafts topics including but not limited to fine arts, DIY projects, photography and sewing. All items selected are appropriate for tweens ranging in age from 10-14.

5. Get Crafty! Get Crafty: Home of the Craftistas. 2011. http://www.getcrafty.com

7. Get Crafty! Annotation: There are countless crafting blog sites, video tutorials, and websites for crafters of all ages. “Get Crafty: Home of the Craftistas,” found at the url http://www.getcrafty.com is a social networking community that pulls all these resources together in an ongoing conversation. The site boasts nearly 57,000 members, nearly 1,000 threads and over 75,000 posts. Crafty tweens looking for new ideas or wanting to search for particular types of crafts can come here to get new ideas. There is always content being added to this site, and countless threads on various craft topics and projects. The home page helpfully provides links to the most frequented areas of the website: the “Arts and Crafts Forum,” the “General Arts & Crafts Discussion Forum,” “Share a Craft” and more. Crafters looking for something specific can type in a keyword search, browse threads, use an advanced search or look at the tag cloud and see what’s trending. ~Carrie Wilson

8. Get Crafty! Target Age Group: 6 th grade & up Review: What is great about “Get Crafty” is its diversity of ideas. It is an excellent resource to gather new ideas, view tutorials and photos, and ask questions. Although this site is not specifically targeted to tweens, its contents include plenty of tween-friendly crafts. This is essentially social networking for crafters, and users must register to view the full contents of the site and to post. It is a moderated site, and the administrators and moderations remove any posts with objectionable content, making it a relatively safe place for tweens. Admittedly, the sheer size of the site can be overwhelming at times. Serendipitous discovery of ideas is common, because even if a user is looking for something specific, they’ll likely come away with great ideas for that crafts—and a dozen other crafts. Tech savvy tweens should have no trouble navigating this site, although they may accidentally click the links to Google ads because they look like part of site. The ads are somewhat distracting, but this is how this free site pays for itself. ~Carrie Wilson

9. Get Crafty! Homepage

10. Get Crafty! Share a Craft Forum

12. Annotation: 200 Projects to Strengthen Your Art Skills covers a variety of media and art styles divided into four modules. The first module contains information on lines and shapes. It’s chock full of drawing techniques, ranging from the basics (different types of lines) and advanced draftsmanship. Beginning students will enjoy creating silhouettes and using excerpts from fantasy books to inspire illustrations. Advanced students will be inspired to create portfolio-worthy pieces. The second module is about color and tone, and includes cool projects artists of all levels can create, such as making a collage portrait. The third module, which covers texture and pattern, has a mosaic project and information on decorative arts. The fourth module, titled “Form and Space” opens with a collage project and covers information on cubism, distorting images, perspective, viewpoint, shadows and character development. The book closes with techniques and instruction on how to use different media. The book closes with information on portfolio building, a glossary and a comprehensive index. ~Carrie Wilson 200 Projects to Strengthen Your Art Skills

13. Target audience: Artists ages 10 though adult will find inspiration on every page. Review: 200 Projects to Strengthen Your Art Skills is a gorgeously illustrated book chock full of ideas to inspire aspiring artists. The layout and design of this high quality book is very striking and inviting. The one drawback to this book is the size of the font. The heading and opening paragraphs of each module are large, bold, and attention catching, but the rest of the text is the size of a footnote. This and the complexity of some of the topic makes the book less accessible, and may intimidate younger tweens. This is still a great resource to jumpstart young artists, and an excellent compendium of art project ideas for workshop and the classroom. It is not meant to be a comprehensive tutorial for students, so readers interested in a particular technique may want to supplement these ideas with more in-depth websites and books on a particular topic. It introduces concepts and ideas, gives the background and starts the artist off on a new way to look at a subject, a new style or a new type of technique. There are projects suitable for all skill levels, and links to great supplementary websites called virtual galleries. 200 Projects to Strengthen Your Art Skills belongs in every public and school library serving students grades 5 and up. ~Carrie Wilson 200 Projects to Strengthen Your Art Skills

15. Digital Photo Madness!: 50 Weird and Wacky Things to Do With Your Digital Camera Annotation: Photography is an accessible art form. Most tweens own digital cameras, often on their cell phones. Clicking and sharing digital photos is taken for granted, but Digital Photo Madness introduces the concepts and tools young photographers need to take their photos to the next level. This guide is essentially an instructional manual, with illustrated, step by step tutorials on subjects like soft flash, composition tips, and shooting nighttime photos, always a difficult task for beginners. Digital Photo Madness has a chapter called “Phunky Fotos” that is devoted to optical illusions and the final chapter is called “Altered Reality,” which is devoted to special effects accomplished through photo editing software. ~Carrie Wilson

16. Digital Photo Madness!: 50 Weird and Wacky Things to Do With Your Digital Camera Target audience: Ages 10-15 Review: This fun and sometimes irreverent how-to book is chock full of bright photographs, catchy titles, and clear, excellent layouts. Digital Photo Madness! 50 Weird & Wacky Things to Do with Your Digital Camera instructs and inspires digital photographers and that illustrated concepts and inspire creativity. This is a quality resource for tweens and teens that have already mastered the basics of digital photography. The concepts build on each other, although the amount of information covered may overwhelm a complete novice unless the book is worked through very slowly. There is a lot of technical terminology, although there is thankfully a glossary in the back and an index. It’s clear from the title and sample photos included throughout that the target audience of this book is kids and teens ages 10-15, although older teens and adults will find this a great resources as well. ~Carrie Wilson

18. Manga for the Beginner: Everything You Need to Start Drawing Right Away! Annotation: Christoper Hart is a well-known author of how to draw books. All told, his books have sold millions of copies, and are a staple of library cartooning and drawing collections, particularly for children. Manga for the Beginner: Everything You Need to Start Drawing Right Away is another high-quality offering. Hart includes instructions and examples of how to draw characters in the shojo style (shojo refers to manga written for girls) and shonen style (manga for boys). There are also pages devoted to chibi characters, supernatural creatures, cute manga animals, costume design, and facial expressions. Hart also covers drawing fundamentals, such as perspective and proportion. The clear table of contents and the comprehensive subject index makes it easy for readers to look up specific areas of interest. For readers interested in creating their own manga graphic novel, Hart also includes information on drawing sequential panels. ~Carrie Wilson

19. Manga for the Beginner: Everything You Need to Start Drawing Right Away! Target audience: Grades 5-10 Review: Manga for the Beginner: Everything You Need to Start Drawing Right Away! is a great introductory resource to hand to tweens and teens interested in drawing manga-style. Even though the title indicates otherwise, this book is helpful for non-beginners as well as novices. Hart’s examples are clear and easy to follow. In his introduction, he states that he wants to veer from the “bland” introductory books geared toward beginning artists and provide basic information as well as an exploration of different styles, genres and character types seen in manga. Ironically, Hart criticizes introductory books that feature Americanized manga—but his style is Americanized, too. This is otherwise a solid choice for school and public library collections serving upper elementary through high school. ~Carrie Wilson

21. Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt Annotation: Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt by Megan Nicolay is a DIY sewing book that takes a staple of most tween, teen and adult wardrobes and gives it new life. Nicolay is a crafter who has been refashioning tees for over half her life, but her first book is perfect to hand to novices as well as experienced crafters. The book is divided into 7 chapters. The first explains the basics, required materials, selecting the tees for projects, stitches and other techniques such as adding drawstrings and adding embellishments. The rest of the book consists of over a hundred projects and hundreds of variations. The second chapter has 13 projects and variants on tops, including simple no sew designs like the “Brokenhearted,” which features a cut-out heart design, followed by two more chapters devoted to tops made with progressively less material (tank tops and tube tops). The fifth chapter has innovative patterns for creating skirts from old T-shirts, and the sixth chapter includes some unexpected projects, including a hat, totes, and pillowcases. The final chapter, truly in the spirit of eco-friendliness, contains projects that utilize the scraps from previous projects-- including a shag rug! Every design is modeled in black and white photos by twenty-and thrity-somethings, including some men. There is also a middle section of fun color photos of many of the designs. ~Carrie Wilson

22. Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt Target audience: Although this book was not written specifically for tweens and teens, it is a high interest item for tweens and teens ages 11 and up. Review: Not only is this book written in a fun, breezy style, it is a great step-by-step guide on reconstructing old T-shirts into new, fresh designs, including hair accessories, a bathing suit and even a wedding dress! Inexperienced crafters can attempt many of the projects, which Nicolay helpfully rates 1 to 5 for level of difficulty. Level ones and twos are the simplest, and require no sewing. Each project is explained in easy-to-understand diagrams. The only downside to this book is the lack of an index. The table of contents, however, is pretty comprehensive. This is a great selection for tweens, teens and adults interested in sewing, DIY projects, and fashion, especially those who like eco-friendly crafts that won’t break the bank. Programming successes: I hosted a workshop attended by middle-school students (grades 6-8) at Crowell Public Library last year using no-sew level 1 patterns. We used chalk, scissors, cardboard, old Summer Reading Club T-shirts, and photocopies of several patterns—and had a blast! ~Carrie Wilson

23. 1. D.I.Y. Girl (2003). By Jennifer Bonnell. Puffin Books. ISBN 0142500488. 2. Got Tape? Roll Out the Fun With Duct Tape! (2002). By Ellie Schiedermayer. Krause Publications. ISBN 0873494261 3. Cartoon 360: Secrets to Drawing Cartoon People (2010) by Harry Hamernick. Impact. ISBN 1600619134 4. Clay So Cute!: 21 Polymer Clay Projects for Cool Charms, Itty-Bitty Animals, and Tiny Treasures (2009). By Sherri Haab. Potter Craft. ISBN 0823098990 5. Pinterest (website) www.pinterest.com Jacqueline’s Picks

24. D.I.Y. Girl (2003). By Jennifer Bonnell. Puffin Books. ISBN 0142500488. Why selected: Positive reviews from SLJ and BooklistFrom Booklist : “ Bonnell, Jennifer. D. I. Y. Girl: The Real Girl’s Guide to Making Everything from Lip Gloss to Lamps. Illus. by Monica Gesue. 2003. 96p. Penguin/Puffin, paper, $12.99 (0-14-250048-8). 745.5. Gr. 7–12. “First of all, this isn’t your mom’s craft book,” Bonnell begins, and she makes good on her promise with a do-it-yourself project guide that’s bubbly, hip, and substantive. Divided into three sections—gifts, clothes, and décor—the projects range from craft book staples such as soap and candles to unusual items such as a pillow-case skirt. The accessible format lists ingredients and instructions in easy-to-follow columns, surrounded by ratings for difficulty, boxed tips, color photos, and stylized drawings of happy crafters showing off their wares. Teens will enjoy Bonnell’s text—clear, goofy, and very enthusiastic—that encourages them to learn the rules and then break them. Best of all, if readers are stuck in a project, Bonnell offers an online d.i.y. help line via her e-mail address. A glossary of supplies and a list of suppliers are included. A great choice for reluctant readers. — Gillian Engberg ” Engberg, G. (2003). D. I. Y. Girl: The Real Girl's Guide to Making Everything from Lip Gloss to Lamps (Book). Booklist , 99(21), 1878. Retrieved from EBSCO host , October 16, 2011. DIY Girl

25. Gallagher, G. (2003). D.I.Y. Girl: The Real Girl's Guide to Making Everything From School Library Journal : “ Gr 7-10- Well-written craft books are always welcome, and this addition to the do-it-yourself shelves has attractive illustrations and interesting projects. The conversational introduction emphasizes creativity and individuality and encourages teens who don't think of themselves as "crafty" to go for it. The last page contains a fairly extensive list of craft-supply stores and sites. Three sections of projects-"Gifty Girl," "Dress It Up!" and "Decor Diva"-include such items as body-care products, ideas for recycling old jeans, and decorating lamps. Each activity includes a list of supplies and step-by-step instructions. Throughout, there is an emphasis on safety. Photographs of the finished projects are integrated with cartoons of girls making and enjoying the activities. Both the illustrations and sorbet-hued palette are retro-inspired. ~~~~~~~~ By Genevieve Gallagher, Orange County Public Library, VA” References: from Lip Gloss to Lamps (Book). School Library Journal , 49(7), 138. Retrieved from EBSCO host, October 16, 2011. DIY Girl

26. Annotation, Target audience & review: D.I.Y. Girl is a great book for tween girls who want to make crafts that can be adorable but also edgy. The cover features a cute cartoon character that will appeal to younger tweens, but it also displays photographs of finished projects that will sing a crafty siren-song to older tween girls, as well. The crafts, themselves, range from sweet to punky, such as doll jewelry boxes and lip balm and gloss, as well as more indie-craft-movement-inspired items such as the “Rock ‘n’ Bowl” (a bowl made from an old vinyl record), and a funky jeans messenger bag. Adding to this book’s appeal is that many of these projects encourage upcycling and utilize items that may be found around the house. School Library Journal suggests that this book is aimed at grades 7-10, while Booklist broadens the target age to 7-12 th grade, but with such easy to follow directions and the use of cartoon characters and pastel hues, I’ll bet that this book would work well for younger tween girls who want to try their hand at the sophisticated-looking crafts that would be “cool” amongst the older crowd.— Jacqueline Danziger-Russell DIY Girl

27. Cartoon 360°: Secrets to Drawing Cartoon People and Poses in 3-D (2010) by Harry Hamernik. Impact. ISBN 1600619134 Why Selected: Positive review from School Library Journal From School Library Journal: “ Gr 3 Up-- Going from initial sketch to inked and colored finished art, the scope of this book reaches far beyond the usual how-to-draw guide. Readers may choose to imitate the author's demonstration figures, but Hamernik's primary focus is on teaching aspiring artists how to create characters and then draw them consistently in a variety of poses. Through clearly drawn, step-by-step drawings and straightforward written instructions, he shares not only basic methods, but also tips and tricks for conveying personality, style, and emphasis. Professional techniques and vocabulary are explained throughout. Instructional language is positive and conversational, and the book is nicely put together, with plenty of white space and relevant examples. Designed for success, Cartoon 360 ° will be especially useful as an introduction to animation. ~~~~~~~~ By Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD” Willey, P. (2011). Cartoon 360°: Secrets to Drawing Cartoon People and Poses in 3-D. School Library Journal , 57(7), 114. Retrieved from EBSCO host, October 16, 2011. Cartoon 360°: Secrets to Drawing Cartoon People and Poses in 3-D

28. Annotation, Target audience & review: Cartoon 360° offers thorough and professional methods for creating cartoon characters than “come to life,” equipping the young artist with expert techniques that will enable her (or him) to draw their creations again and again in myriad poses. This book doesn’t merely encourage mimicry of the artist’s own examples, but emphasis the construction of the reader’s original characters, offering advice and techniques on how to create unique characters while developing the artist’s individual style. This book is not aimed towards any particular gender, as it has the great potential to be a hit with tween boys, as well as girls. Hamernik has created a thoughtful, easy-to-use, and concise book that is excellent for the youngest tweens, yet is filled with no-nonsense advice and techniques that will appeal to older readers, as well. This book would be a great pick for tweens who love comics and graphic novels, as well as young artists and aspirant animators.— Jacqueline Danziger-Russell Cartoon 360°: Secrets to Drawing Cartoon People and Poses in 3-D

29. Got Tape? Roll Out the Fun With Duct Tape! (2002). By Ellie Schiedermayer. Krause Publications. ISBN 0873494261 Why selected : Postive review in Library Journal From Library Journal : “ You knew it was bound to happen. Someone, someday, was going to write an entire book on crafting with duct tape. Although it is a huge stretch to call duct tape a fiber, public libraries with demand for inexpensive craft projects may be interested in this project book. It was written by a high school student who was intrigued by a duct tape wallet a friend showed her and discovered that the tape comes in a variety of colors and can be used to make such things as men's ties, belts, bracelets, visors, photo frames, purses, and even, for the adventurous, clothes. The 25 projects include full-size patterns and step-by-step instructions. Consider for young adult collections. ~~~~~~~~ By Janice Zlendich, California Sate Univ. Lib., Fullerton” Zlendich, J. (2002). Got Tape? (Book). Library Journal , 127(7), 84. Retrieved from EBSCO host, October 16, 2011. Got Tape? Roll Out the Fun With Duct Tape!

30. Annotation, target audience & review: Got Tape? Roll Out the Fun With Duct Tape! , written by an inventive teenaged author, will appeal to a wide range of tweens with fresh, easy (and cheap) D.I.Y. projects such as a wallet, purse, picture frame, visor, tie, and even flip-flops. The best part of this book is that duct tape and scissors are all a crafter needs in order to complete these projects! While this book is not designed specifically for tweens, the difficulty level is low, and it features great craft designs that are desirable and never babyish—you can count on a teenaged author to provide relevant, creative ideas that other young crafters will enjoy. Furthermore, while the majority of youthful craft books appear to be aimed solely at girls, this book is a breath of fresh air, offering projects to satisfy almost any tween or teen. Library Journal recommends this title for YA collections, but this book appears suitable for tweens, as well, and would be a great book for any youth specialist librarian to consider as the basis of a library craft day for tweens and teens. Younger tweens may require some adult assistance.— Jacqueline Danziger-Russell Got Tape? Roll Out the Fun With Duct Tape!

31. Pinterest (website) www.pinterest.com Why selected: Positive review From YALSA Blog (website): “ Pinterest.com: Most of you have already found this website, I’m sure. I am on this thing daily. It is chock-full of easy ways to make crafts and fun things to do to entertain yourself or your patrons. It puts all of your favorite ideas (and everyone else’s) on to one easy-to-use website, with links back to the original sites. It’s a beautiful thing. Plus, it’s great for stress relief, because lots of people “pin” pretty clothes and cute dogs, too.”— Abby Porter http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/?s=craft Pinterest Sample “pin”

32. Annotation, target audience & review: Pinterest.com is a website that allows users to share their interests through a “virtual pin board” ( http://pinterest.com/about/ ). Users can share and browse different topics ranging from architecture to travel and everything in between, including a specific section for “D.I.Y. and Crafts.” Although Pinterest is aimed at adults, there are numerous delightful and creative ideas fit for tweens and teens throughout. The site also gives users a chance to interact socially on the Web, allowing them to create their own “pin board” content, which can imbue young users with a valuable sense of autonomy. Participants create accounts and then add “pins” of items that interest them. A “pin” is an image (that may be captioned) that links to the website where the original content can be found. For example, a typical D.I.Y. or craft “pin” will link back to the blog where a tutorial for the featured project originally appeared. Therefore, crafters may have a pin board dedicated to all of the brilliant crafts that they have found while trawling the Internet—this allows the user to keep a visual record of favorite pages on the Web, while simultaneously creating a gallery of desirable items to share with the rest of the Pinterest community. One of the best aspects of this website is that it is appropriate for both boys and girls, which can often be a hard balance to strike in the crafting world. Pages such as Jackie Parker’s “D.I.Y. @ the Library” ( http://pinterest.com/interactiver/diy-the-library/ ) contain exciting tween and teen-oriented crafts such as “homemade lava lamps,” “freezer paper stenciling,” and “magnetic silly putty,” as well as several unisex steampunk-flavored jewelry tutorials. It is no wonder that this website comes highly recommended by librarian Abby Porter on the YALSA Blog ( http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/?s=craft ), as Pinterest.com offers an incredible cosmos of crafts and other wonders to explore and to share.— Jacqueline Danziger-Russell Pinterest

33. Pinterest Homepage

34. Clay So Cute!: 21 Polymer Clay Projects for Cool Charms, Itty-Bitty Animals, and Tiny Treasures (2009). By Sherri Haab. Potter Craft. ISBN 0823098990 Why selected: Author’s other craft books well-reviewed. While I couldn’t find a review of this book, the author’s other craft books are well-reviewed. For example, here is a positive review for another Haab book by School Library Journal : “ HAAB, Sherri. Designer Style Handbags: Techniques and Projects for Unique, Fun, and Elegant Designs from Classic to Retro. photos. by Dan Haab. 128p. index. Watson-Guptill. 2005. pap. $19.95. ISBN 0-8230-1288-3. LC 2005001346. Adult-High School- With this title, teens can create a funky felt purse or make one from an old book, or decorate an old handbag. Haab reviews the types of fabrics, glues, linings, materials, and sewing techniques to consider for these projects. This same type of information, in simpler language and on a smaller scale, is provided in Haab's The Hip Handbag Book: 25 Easy-to-Make Totes, Purses, and Bags (Watson- Guptill, 2004). Designer Style focuses on more complex creations that require more steps and several specific tools and craft items. The many colorful photographs are of excellent quality.-Shannon Seglin, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA” Seglin, S., Gropman, J., & Woodcock, S. (2006). Designer Style Handbags: Techniques and Projects for Unique, Fun, and Elegant Designs from Classic to Retro. School Library Journal , 52(1), 174. Retrieved from EBSCO host . Clay So Cute!

35. Annotation, target audience & review: This book, aimed at tween girls, is the perfect solution to rainy day ennui. Girls will delight in the easy-to-do projects that this book offers. Haab’s instructions make it clear that any tween can sculpt and fire unique polymer clay creations in their own home with the help of an adult and a conventional oven. Full color photographs display tween girls modeling fun and funky completed projects, as well as close-ups of the finished pieces. Crafts include cute jewelry with candy themes such as “Sweet Licorice Dangles” (a bracelet made up of dangling faux licorice all-sorts sweets), and “Cupcake Charms,” as well instructions on how to make “Itty-Bitty Creatures,” chic bottle cap necklaces, and robot pendants, to name a few of Haab’s fantastic polymer clay ideas. This book is great for any beginner to the medium and includes clear and detailed instructions and techniques with supporting color photographs, as well as a handy list of suppliers. Clay So Cute! is sure to appeal to the youngest tween girls, but also contains enticing projects for older tweens.— Jacqueline Danziger-Russell Clay So Cute!

36. Busch, M., et. al. (1996). Friendship Bands: Braiding, weaving, knotting. New York: Sterling Publishing. Martin, L.C. (2003). Nature's Art Box: From t-shirts to twig baskets, 65 cool projects for crafty kids to make with natural materials you can find anywhere. North Adams: Storey Kids. Blanchette, P. and Thibault, T. (2006). 12 Easy Knitting Projects. Tennessee: Williamson Books. Kilby, J. E., et. al. (2001). The Book of Wizard Craft: In which the apprentice finds spells, potions, fantastic tales, & 50 enchanting things to make. New York: Lark Books. Drago Art. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.dragoart.com/ . Ages 10 and up. Shaina’s Picks

37. Busch, M., et. al. (1996). Friendship Bands: Braiding, Weaving, Knotting. New York: Sterling Publishing. Hardcover $6.95. ISBN-13: 9780806903095. Grades 6-12. Why Selected: Positive Review in Booklist-- “ Novices and experienced crafters alike will appreciate this gathering of techniques for creating colorful bracelets, necklaces, decorations, and hair wraps. Simply simply twisting yarn makes some of the projects; others require intricate weaving. But whether the technique is simple or complex, the directions and pattern diagrams are always clear and easy to follow. Basic braiding, knotting, and weaving techniques are described first, followed by projects, with several variations for each. Full-color photographs provide clear examples of completed bands. If friendship bands and woven hemp necklaces are popular in your area, this book is guaranteed to circulate well.” -Chris Sherman Sherman, C. (1998). Booklist , 94(18). Retrieved from Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database on October 17, 2011. Friendship Bands: Braiding, Weaving, Knotting .

38. Review, target audience & annotation: Nothing says B.F.F. like a friendship bracelet, and with the clear and easy instructions combined with fresh and exciting designs in Friendship Bands, tweens will be showcasing the most coveted bracelets around. The best part of this useful book, is the range of techniques, utilizing not just the standard knotting techniques, but beading, twisting, weaving, winding, and macramé—each with a variety of difficulty levels for the beginner and beyond. The only materials needed are scissors, tape, thread, needles, safety pins, beads, charms, buttons, or leather cords, making these materials not only easy to find around the house, but very affordable to find in a craft store. Each instruction is accompanied by a large color photograph of the finished product, a list of materials, step-by-step detailed directions, and easy-to-follow charts. One look through the pages of this book will inspire tweens to make their friends some of the most cherished handmade gifts they can give. Friendship Bands: Braiding, Weaving, Knotting .

39. Martin, L.C. (2003). Nature's Art Box: From T-shirts to Twig Baskets, 65 Cool Projects for Crafty Kids to Make with Natural Materials You Can Find Anywhere. North Adams: Storey Kids. Hardcover $23.95. ISBN-13: 9781580175036. Ages 8-14. Why selected: Review in Children’s Literature: “ People have been creating art and crafts for thousands of years from items found in nature. This book is full of 65 projects that can be made from the things found in your own backyard. This book is somewhat different from most craft books -- it starts by describing how to make basic things such as paint, ink, clay, glue and paste. It also teaches skills such as how to dye fabrics, and how to dry and press flowers. The projects are rated by difficulty (challenging or easy) and include such projects as a Vine Wreath, a Gourd Buffalo Rattle, a Clay Pot, a Nature Journal, a Name Mug, Nature Print Cards, and so forth. The end of the book contains a section called "Nature Skills" that teaches what type of plants to use and where and when to find them. This book talks about preserving nature and enjoying the world around you. It is an excellent reference on how to use various craft skills, as well as a book to give inspiration to those who are ready to craft. The directions in the book are easily followed, and the pictures that describe how to complete the projects are also very informative. “ –Nicole Peterson Peterson, N. (2003). Children’s Literature . Retrieved from Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database on October 17, 2011. Nature's Art Box

40. Review, & annotation: Every once in a while there comes along a craft book that is so original and inventive that you wish you could have come up with the idea. Nature’s Art Box is one of those books that will inspire you on every page. Hundreds of intricate illustrations litter the pages with ideas for acorn dolls, cornhusk houses, shell necklaces, woven satchels, candles, herbal teas, and an assortment of gifts to give on every occasion. Through her passion for art and nature, the author, Laura C. Martin encourages readers to “peek inside the art box that nature has given us and you’ll see that there is beauty in every nook and cranny of our world.” She proves it with her imaginativeness and combination of art and history, where she gives background to each of these fun crafts. With instructions on how to even make your own glue, this book is definitely for the DIY outdoorsy types who fear their local craft store, and would rather use free materials from outside. A resourceful appendix of plants and materials is located in the back of the book for easy reference as to what kind of plants are needed for what type of craft, as well as what plants to stay away from. Nature's Art Box

41. Okey, S. (2006). Knitgrrl: Learn to Knit with 15 Fun and Funky Patterns. New York: Watson Guptill. Paperback $11.95. ISBN-13: 978-0823026180. Ages 9-12. Why selected: Positive review from VOYA: “ Okey provides a great staged introduction for the beginning knitter, and at a reasonable price, it is a steal in a world where most knitting books start at $20. The book is geared toward young adults, with patterns for boom-box bags and illustrations that include both cartoons and photographs of teenagers. The author is speaking to young adults, as illustrated by the title, so although the instructions are clear and well organized, it is not a beginning book for the adult collection. Beginning with ‘What do you need?’ each chapter introduces a different skill and a pattern or two on which to practice it. By the end of the book, a beginning knitter will have made scarves, leg warmers, cat toys, and bags and will have conquered enough of the basics to go on to sweaters and other fitted clothes if they desire. Nine designers have contributed the patterns to this book, so if readers have trouble following one pattern, they can try another with hope that it will make sense. A Knitgrrl Web site provides a forum where one can ask the designers questions about the patterns as well. Although some of the patterns are also available online, the step-by-step addition of each knitting skill, when paired with the patterns, is the true strength of this book. It is a great way to start or embellish an existing knitting book collection for teens.” –Beth Karpas Karpas, B. (2005). VOYA , 28(5). Retrieved from Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database on October 17, 2011. Knitgrrl: Learn to Knit with 15 Fun and Funky Patterns

42. Annotation & review: What better way to get jumpstarted with a new hobby, than to create fun and funky knit clothing and accessories? Shannon Okey delivers the kind of cool projects that this great introductory book to knitting will satisfy her title promises, and tweens. Learn not only how to read yarn labels, understand needle size, and fix mistakes, but also how to make leg warmers, ‘text-messaging” mittens, a purse with an iPod/phone pouch, and so much more. Colorful pages present the patterns in clear and bold illustrations and the finished projects are displayed with large and vibrant photographs. For beginners, there are detailed step-by-step instructions from how to cast-on, and do the basic stitches such knit and purl. For advanced knitters, this book offers advanced techniques such as felting and embroidery to add those finishing touches that make your project stand out. Knitgrrl: Learn to Knit with 15 Fun and Funky Patterns

43. Kilby, J. E., et. al. (2001). The Book of Wizard Craft: In Which the Apprentice Finds Spells, Potions, Fantastic Tales, & 50 Enchanting Things to Make. New York: Lark Books. Hardcover $19.95. ISBN-13: 9781579902063. Ages 8-13. Why selected: Positive review from Children’s Literature: “ If you have a would-be wizard at your house, this could prove to be a handy book to have around. There are instructions for Wizard Regalia (hats, feather turbans, robes, pendants, and so forth), items to decorate a wizard's house or room, horticulture arts (fairy circles are nice), and animal husbandry with instructions for your own apothecary. There are also instructions for making secret journals with black or invisible ink. Wizards can learn to make Dragon Blood and a Fizzing Phantom Potion. Each chapter includes stories of famous ghosts, wizards, unusual creatures, herbs, and assorted facts about astronomy. The grand finale is a wizard's party-plan, complete with recipes for special dishes such as bat wings, petrified tree cookies and crystal candy. Templates for various projects are enclosed for the reader's convenience. This is a book to keep a young person entertained for many days.” –Barbara Youngsblood Youngsblood, B. (2001). Children’s Literature. Retrieved from Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database on October 17, 2011. The Book of Wizard Craft: In Which the Apprentice Finds Spells, Potions, Fantastic Tales & 50 Enchanting Things to Make

44. Annotation & review: No, this is not a Wiccan book for tweens, nor is it a spell book of any kind. It is actually a craft book geared towards the young wizards of the world, and by this, I actually mean Harry Potter fans. A perfect companion to any wizard themed party, or perhaps just a go-to for your next Halloween costume, this book of over 50 crafts will not disappoint. Pairing great crafts with ancient mythology and history of mythical beasts, astrology, ghosts, fairies, vampires and other mythical beings, people of all ages will enjoy perusing these colorfully illustrated pages. Craft a magical lantern, a gnome garden, an invisibility cloak, a wizard’s staff or a crystal glowing ball. This book is a treasure for the truly imaginative and a must-have for fans of fantasy. Written in a very fun and accessible style, as if narrated by a whimsical old wizard, this book is not only a fun craft narrative, but also a greatly informative book on ancient mythologies. The Book of Wizard Craft: In Which the Apprentice Finds Spells, Potions, Fantastic Tales & 50 Enchanting Things to Make

45. Drago Art. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.dragoart.com/ . Target audience: Ages 10 and up. As a drawing teacher for many years, Drago Art has remained a constant go-to for inspiration and ideas for lessons that I can teach to children. The format is done in a similar way to how I teach drawing to youth: simple shapes building up into complex ones. This website offers similar instructions and even videos that document each step in the process of an intricate drawing. Their database includes thousands of high interest categories like video game characters, anime and manga characters, animals, television shows and movie characters, dragons and fantasy, cutesy drawings, and everything in between. Tweens can browse by such categories, or search keywords like “Super Mario” or “Justin Beiber” and likely get multiple results. Tweens will love that they can draw some of their favorite things. This website is useful for beginners and advanced drawers alike, and appeals to boys and girls. DragoArt.com

46. DragoArt.com Example from DragoArt.com: