Writing: Facts, Fiction, Fantasy, and more

HOW BOOKS ARE MADE

	Aliki’s 32-page picture book How a Book Is Made (HarperCollins, 1988) describes the many people who participate in the process of making a book – the author, who thinks of a story, then the editor, publisher, designer, proofreader, and more – until finally the finished book lands in the hands of a child. All the characters are very well-dressed cats. For ages 6-10.
	In Eileen Christelow’s What Do Authors Do? (Clarion Books, 1995), neighboring authors are simultaneously inspired to write books about their two pets – Rufus, a shaggy dog, and Max, a black-and-white cat. Through a combination of short text and fun cartoon-bubble illustrations, readers learn all about the process of creating a book, including revisions, research, illustrations, writer’s block, and interactions with editors, designers, and printers. For ages 5-8.
	In Janet Stevens’s From Pictures to Words (Holiday House, 1996), an author/illustrator, with the help of three chatty animals (Cat, Koala Bear, and Rhino), shows how a picture book is made, covering characters, plot, and setting, sketches and storyboards, making a book dummy, and creating the final art. For ages 6-9.
	By the author of Tacky the Penguin, Helen Lester’s Author: A True Story (Sandpiper, 2002) is the funny and delightful picture-book story of how she became an author, beginning at age three when she wrote “useful lists” for her mother (they read the same right-side-up or upside-down), and in elementary school, when her handwriting was the prettiest in the class – but it was also “perfectly backward.” A tale of the perseverance it takes to become a published author. For ages 5-8.
	In W. Nikola-Lisa’s  Magic in the Margins (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2007), set in the Middle Ages, Simon, a young orphan, has been taken in by the local monastery and is being educated in book-making by Brother William, master scribe in the monastery’s scriptorium.  His first assignment: to “capture” the monastery’s mice. Simon does, with pen and ink. For ages 7-9.
	In Bruce Robertson’s Marguerite Makes a Book (J. Paul Getty Museum, 1999), set in 15th-century Paris, young Marguerite, the daughter of a book illustrator, must complete her father’s work on an illuminated prayer book after her father breaks his glasses. A lovely look at the process of early book-making, with illustrations by Kathryn Hewitt. For ages 8-12.

POP-UPS, ACCORDIONS, AND STORYBOOKS: CREATE A BOOK OF YOUR OWN

	With the Illustory kit, kids can write and illustrate their own 20-page books – and then have the result printed in the form of a real hardcover book. There’s even space for an “About the Author” blurb on the back cover. For ages 5 and up.
	Gwen Diehn’s photo-illustrated Making Books That Fly, Fold, Wrap, Hide, Pop Up, Twist & Turn (Lark Books, 2006) has step-by-step instructions for an array of truly beautiful and creative books, among them an accordion-fold book with pockets, a ring-bound journal, and a tetraflexagon book. Cool projects for ages 9 and up.
	Want to make a pop-up book? A good introduction is Joan Irvine’s Easy-to-Make Pop-Ups (Dover Publications, 2005) which has clear illustrated instructions for many pop-up projects for beginners. Make a talking-mouth, a trapeze, a rocket, a fire-breathing dragon, a turning circle, and an entire zoo. A final section discusses using your new skills to make a pop-up book. Also by Irvine, see Super Pop-Ups (Dover Publications, 2008). For ages 9 and up.
	Pam Scheunemann’s photo-illustrated Cool Stuff for Reading and Writing (Checkerboard Library, 2011) is a collection of snazzy crafts for writers and booklovers, among them a Fancy-Nancy-style flower pen, felt book covers, a creative writer’s notebook, bookmarks, and bookends. For ages 9-12.
	Kathleen McCafferty’s Making Mini Books (Lark Crafts, 2012) is an enchanting collection of small and very small books – among them a rainbow book that unfolds into the shape of a rainbow, matchbook books, and a book tiny enough to be worn as a necklace. For ages 10 and up.
	Esther K. Smith’s How to Make Books (Potter Craft, 2007) – subtitled “”Fold, Cut & Stitch Your Way to a One-of-a-Kind Book” – has instructions for making basic “instant” books, accordion books, envelope books, pamphlets, journals, and sketchbooks, all with beautiful drawings and photographs of finished products.
	Artist Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord’s Makingbooks.com has instructions for making eight simple book projects – among them a wish scroll, a stick-and-elastic book, an accordion book, and a step book, as well as an extensive resource list and helpful teaching tips.
	From Favecrafts, Handmade Books has book-binding tutorials and instructions for making a variety of books, among them a keyhole book, a cupcake recipe book, a journal, a memory book, and a soft book (great for toddlers).
	The Instructables Envelope Book has illustrated step-by-step instructions for a book made from 12 vintage envelopes. Assemble and fill with cool stuff.
	From Bird and Little Bird, Bookmaking with Children: Accordion Books has step-by-step photo-illustrated instructions for making a particularly attractive and colorful accordion book.
	From Artists Helping Children, Book Making Crafts for Kids has instructions for beginner book-binding  projects, scrapbooks, journals, and themed books, among them a heart-shaped book and an alphabet book.