Thematic Reading List: Hobbies
After a long stressful school year, children can use something fun. Doing something you like is a mood booster and hobbies are just that! Whether you are into indoor or outdoor hobbies, want to learn a new hobby or increase your skills in a current hobby, our reading list provides plenty of hobbies to choose from. Books in this list are geared towards ages 8 through 13.
|The Art of LEGO Design
By: Jordan Schwartz
The Art of LEGO Design explores LEGO as an artistic medium, revealing rarely-known and creative ways to build impressive models with LEGO.
|Making Books with Kids
By: Esther Smith
Making Books with Kids features more than 25 creative, kid-friendly projects in design, illustration, paper decorating, binding techniques and more. Book artist and author Esther K. Smith offers an exciting resource of easy-to-follow instructions supported throughout with step-by-step, full-color photographs and illustrations. Each sequence is accompanied by finished samples and variations as well as the inspiring work of a prominent book artist.
|Paint it: the art of acrylics, oils, pastels, and watercolors
By: Mari Bolte
Step-by-step guides show how to create a variety of projects using acrylics, oils, watercolors, and pastels.
|Trash to Treasure: fun, easy projects with paper, plastic, glass & ceramics, fabric, metal, and odds & ends
By: Pam Scheunemann
With easy step-by-step instructions, this book will help kids get creative and recycle and repurpose their trash into handmade treasures. All projects feature common everyday items to reuse in a fun new way along with step-by-step instructions and photos.
|Unbored: The Essential Field Guide to Serious Fun
By: Joshua Glenn
Activities parents will remember from their childhoods are presented alongside bold new possibilities: science experiments, crafts and upcycling, board game hacking, code-cracking, geocaching, skateboard repair, yarn bombing, stop-action movie-making – plus tons of trivia, best-of lists, and forward-thinking ideas made accessible to kids.
|Starting a Sport
By: Harold T. Rober
A simple guide for the different sports available to kids, explaining what equipment, if any, is required for each sport, what safety gear must be worn, and the special skills needed. A good start to guide children in learning about a sport before they start playing it.
|Photography for kids!: a fun guide to digital photography
By: Michael Ebert
Keys to capturing exciting images range from advice on how to take photos of small things such as insects to self-portraits and pictures that can be taken on any trip. Kid-friendly instructions and photo shoot ideas make this a fine basic guide that displays the basics of what makes a photo composition great.
By: Stephanie Turnbull
Describes basic cooking skills and techniques, along with several easy recipes from around the world. Includes glossary, tips and tricks, and information on cooking careers.
By: Laura and Jess Tilli
Each of the five sections in this book focuses on a different type of cake or skill with cake making. The table of contents provides difficulty ratings and symbols that show children when they will need adult help and each recipe has a delicious picture of the actual cake along with an ingredient and equipment list. Drawn illustrations of exactly how to do each step accompany the written directions below the picture.
By: Gwen Blakley Kinsler
Demonstrates the techniques of basic crochet, and uses step-by-step illustrated instructions to create six different projects.
|Bewitching Bead &Wire Jewelry
By: Suzanne Tourtillott
These 40 fun projects–rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, cuffs–will inspire wire workers, beaders, and all types of creative crafters.
|Garden to Table
By: Katherine Hengel
Presents six common garden vegetables that are easy to grow and explains how to give them their perfect conditions, whether inside or outside. Accompanied by clear, colorful photographs, the instructions for growing, harvesting, and cooking the food is perfectly suited to young readers.
By: Sarah Tieck
This Move Your Body book is a fast, clear read for young people. Chapters include types of yoga, how to engage in yoga safely, and how yoga contributes to good health.
|How to Play Guitar in 10 Easy Lessons
By: Dan Holton
Presents a guide to playing the guitar for young readers, explaining how to hold a pick, find each chord, and improvise.
|Learn to Speak Music: a guide to creating, performing, & promoting your songs
By: John Crossingham
A guide to help young readers learn music by revealing every nook and cranny of how it’s made. Rather than just a guide to instruments and theory, it explores every aspect of the pop music world, from songwriting and artwork to promotion and setting up a practice space. Special features include: insider’s advice on choosing and buying an instrument, finding the right bandmates, setting up gigs, overcoming stage fright, emulating high-priced studio techniques at home, and much more.
|So You Want to be a Comic Book Artist?
By: Philip Amara
Amara starts with the practical basic panels, gutters, and balloons before explaining what you’ll need for a home studio, including the gear to get started. Includes comics’ creator interviews, which are filled with extremely specific tips about influences, writing tools, and jobs. Includes similar profiles of young amateur artists.
|1-2-3 Calligraphy!: letters and projects for beginners and beyond
By: Eleanor Winters
Teaches beginners how to do calligraphy by shaping letters from traditional and modern alphabets and also includes other projects.
|Light Your Way: make a candle
By: Carla Mooney
Explores the history and science of candle making. Includes step-by-step instructions for making beeswax and milk carton candles. Other topics include decorating candles and candle safety.
|Coding Projects in Scratch
By: Jon Woodcock
You can learn to create mind-bending illusions, crazy animations, and interactive artworks with this collection of Scratch projects! Woodcock shows you simple steps to becoming an expert coder, and helps you improve your coding skills so you can share games online.
By: Stephanie Turnbull
Describes the types of skills needed to do simple magic tricks, and how to train and practice to become a famous magician. Includes instructions for preparing props and tips for making the tricks and illusions work the best. Readers learn card tricks, number tricks, science tricks, and more.
|How to Play Chess
By: Daniel King
Whether you’re a complete beginner or a more experienced player looking to improve your game, this step-by-step guide will help you play like a champion. Plan your moves with amazing 3-D illustrations. Discover tactics and strategies that will add firepower to your attack and strengthen your defense. Learn tips and techniques to improve your skills and solve the toughest of chess challenges. Includes practice chessboard and press-out pieces, so you can play as you learn.