Review
'Upcycling is reusing unwanted materials to make something new or valuable. These books include details, directions, and tips for using plastic bottles, cardboard, egg cartons, old art supplies, glass jars, and trash to make fun, upcycled crafts. Step by step directions and bright photos are included that explain the process of how to make the upcycled craft. The crafts are introduced with two paragraphs which include background material, historical facts, statistics, and highlighted vocabulary words. Some of the crafts are easy to make, while others would require adult assistance. For example, the safari animals in Cardboard Crafts are very cute and easy to make. The bubble paint in Old Art Supplies Crafts would be an awesome craft for kids, but would be messy and require adult supervision. The jump rope craft sounds difficult, and would require an adult to drill small holes through the tops of old pens or marker caps. The snowglobes and reindeer mugs in Glass Jar Crafts would be an excellent craft for students to make during the holidays. The rainstick in Trash to Treasure Crafts and maracas from Plastic Bottles Crafts would make an excellent way to teach about musical instruments. The dragon puppets from Egg Carton Crafts could create a fun lesson about culture and children could utilize them in a drama. Readers could also build upon the basic craft ideas to create original and imaginative crafts. These titles could be incorporated with many different subjects to enhance a lesson and allow the children to expand their learning, showcase their creativity, and experiment with new materials.', Alana Jara, District Librarian, Clear Lake Community School District
