New titles in the arts and activities category promote creativity and fun. Some titles focus on creation—crafting and making art in different mediums. Other titles dive into entertainment, from both the content creation and fandom sides. These series all provide vocabulary building regardless of grade level, and many provide additional resources to learn more. The activity-based titles center safety and having an adult present. Beginning readers learn about different instruments, participating in fun activities, and how toys are made. For more intermediate and advanced readers, there are deep dives on fanbases, encyclopedias full of recipes, and titles with crafts that reuse and recycle materials. The nine series below are meant to spark excitement and encourage readers to be creative.

Elementary

Anthony, William. Terrific Toys and What They Are Made Of. ISBN 9781534547148.
––––. Terrific Toys in the Past. ISBN 9781534547209.
Leatherland, Noah. Terrific Toys and How They Are Made. ISBN 9781534547117.
––––. Terrific Toys from Around the World. ISBN 9781534547179.
ea vol: 24p. (Terrific Toys). Greenhaven/KidHaven. Jul. 2024. Tr. $26.23.
Gr 1-3–This series shares toys from around the world, and how they are made. Readers learn that toys can be made from any material, and that children have always enjoyed playing with them. The series highlights the importance of toys from various cultures and throughout history: “Maria dolls are soft toys made in Mexico. The dolls have braided hair ribbons,” (Terrific Toys from Around the World). The format of each title is bright and playful, with short, informational paragraphs presented on colorful pages. Photographs of toys are captioned, and text bubbles pose questions in each chapter: “This teddy bear is soft and fluffy. Can you think of any other words to describe it?” (Terrific Toys and What They Are Made Of). The front matter includes a table of contents while the back matter includes fun facts, a glossary, and an index. VERDICT Short and fun titles for elementary readers about toys and where they come from.

Griffin, Mary. It’s Time for the Family Picnic. ISBN 9781499446258.
––––. It’s Time to Go to the Beach. ISBN 9781499446289.
––––. It’s Time to Go to the Parade. ISBN 9781499446319.
––––. It’s Time to Go to the Play. ISBN 9781499446340.
––––. It’s Time to Have a Sleepover. ISBN 9781499446371.
––––. It’s Time to Take a Road Trip. ISBN 9781499446401.
ea vol: 24p. (Time for Fun!). Rosen/PowerKids. Aug. 2024. Tr. $25.27.
GR 1-3–This series features narrative-style accounts of fun activities, from going on a picnic to traveling on a road trip. Each title starts with a table of contents and pairs a paragraph of text with a full-page photo. The narrative takes readers through the steps and details of each activity: “... It’s time to get ready. My family is going to a parade. The parade will have floats,” (It’s Time to Go to the Parade), and wraps up with the narrator describing their favorite part of the activity. Sometimes there are small things we may not like about an activity and that’s okay: “I tell [Dad] my favorite part was playing games, but I didn’t like sleeping on the floor. I hope we have another sleepover,” (It’s Time to Have a Sleepover). The end pages have a glossary, an index, and a “For More Information section. Vocabulary words are bolded throughout. Although the text is simple, it introduces new experiences for new readers. VERDICT A good introduction to fun activities for elementary readers.

Lim, Annalees. African Animal Crafts. ISBN 9781538294369.
––––. Farm Animal Crafts. ISBN 9781538294390.
––––. Ocean Animal Crafts. ISBN 9781538294451.
––––. Pet Crafts. ISBN 9781538294482.
––––. Wild Animal Crafts. ISBN 9781538294512.
ea vol: 32p. (Animal Arts and Crafts). Gareth Stevens. Jul. 2024. Tr. $28.27.
Gr 2-4–A love of crafting and animal facts are brought together in this cute series for elementary readers. From papier-mâché sea turtles to floating hippos, the crafts in these volumes are wide-ranging in skill level. Each craft project includes a list of necessary items and offers both written and visual step-by-step instructions. There are approximately ten projects per title, with one or two facts about the topic animal noted throughout the craft instructions. A full-page color photo of select animals accompanies additional facts such as, “Scarlet macaws nest inside holes in trees,” (Wild Animal Crafts). The crafts do not include a suggested skill level, but readers, caregivers, and educators can assess the difficulty level of each activity at a glance. Front matter includes a table of contents and a “Before You Start” section that introduces the topic and offers tips for crafting safety. Back matter has a glossary and index. VERDICT A fun series for elementary children who love making and learning. Great for class projects or library programs.

McAneney, Caitie. Laugh-Out-Loud Animal Jokes. ISBN 9781538396834.
––––. Laugh-Out-Loud Dinosaur Jokes. ISBN 9781538396742.
––––. Laugh-Out-Loud Food Jokes. ISBN 9781538396773.
––––. Laugh-Out-Loud History Jokes. ISBN 9781538396803.
––––. Laugh-Out-Loud Holiday Jokes. ISBN 9781538396896.
––––. Laugh-Out-Loud Monster Jokes. ISBN 9781538396926.
––––. Laugh-Out-Loud School Jokes. ISBN 9781538396865.
––––. Laugh-Out-Loud Space Jokes. ISBN 9781538396957.
ea vol: 24p. (Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes). Rosen/Windmill. Jul. 2024. Tr. $26.27.
Gr 2-4–Readers with a sense of humor and a love of interesting facts will find silliness in this series of joke books. Using soft, earthy colors alongside photos, art renderings, and cute illustrations, titles offer approximately nine chapters with four jokes per chapter. Each book follows the same format: a page with jokes followed by a page with a fact about the chapter topic, like, “Archaeopteryx is considered one of the earliest birds on Earth,” (Laugh-Out-Loud Dinosaur Jokes). The jokes are written using speech bubbles with questions and joke answers in alternating colors: “Why did the star go to college? To get brighter!” (Laugh-Out-Loud Space Jokes). Although some of the jokes includes plays on words that may need explaining, they are separated by topics to give a better understanding. The back matter includes a glossary, an index, and more places to find jokes. VERDICT A silly series of jokes for elementary school readers.

Wood, John. Brass Instruments. ISBN 9798889169666.
––––. Percussion Instruments. ISBN 9798889169673.
––––. String Instruments. ISBN 9798889169680.
––––. Woodwind Instruments. ISBN 9798889169697.
ea vol: 24p. (All About Instruments). Bearport/Fusion. Aug. 2024. Tr. $19.95.
Gr 1-3–From brass to woodwind, percussion to strings, this series introduces the different instruments we use to create music. Each colorful title opens with a table of contents and features short paragraphs and quick facts. Photo captions offer information on the different instruments, such as the djembe drums that “have been played at different events for hundreds of years” (Percussion Instruments), and explain how bands play music. Each title has an introduction to a sound type and its history, and then introduces an instrument from that sound. The series also highlights exceptional musicians: “Nandi Bushell is a British drummer… When she was 10 years old, she challenged world-famous drummer Dave Grohl to a drum battle. She won!” (Percussion Instruments). While the series does not offer a way to hear the different instruments, it will spark curiosity for readers. The final pages have a glossary and an index. VERDICT A colorful introductory series to instruments for elementary readers.

Upper Elementary to Middle School

Loh-Hagan, Virginia. Beyoncé’s BeyHive. ISBN 9781668947449.
––––. Blackpink’s Blinks. ISBN 9781668947456.
––––. The BTS ARMY. ISBN 9781668947494.
––––. Harry Styles’s Harries. ISBN 9781668947463.
––––. Justin Bieber’s Beliebers. ISBN 9781668947470.
––––. Taylor Swift’s Swifties. ISBN 9781668947487.
ea vol: 32p. (Fandom Fever). Cherry Lake/45th Parallel. Aug. 2024. Tr. $32.07.
Gr 5-9–From Swifties to the BTS ARMY, this series covers musical artists with notable and oftentimes intense fandoms. Presented in a clean scrapbooking style, full-color photos accompany straightforward text. Each photo has a “taped on” caption offering facts about the fandom or celebrity. Each title includes the artists’ own music idols, other celebrities who are superfans of the artist, and even special terms fans use. Vocabulary words in the glossary are in contrasting colors, and the short, descriptive sentences could appeal to readers who benefit from hi-lo content: “Blackpink cares about climate change. Climate change is the warming of the planet. It harms life,” (Blackpink’s Blinks). Along with facts and background information about the artists, each title talks about being a “toxic” fan and why it’s important to be respectful of people. Although superfans may not find new information, the fandom will love seeing their favorite artists featured in this series. Front matter has a table of contents and the back matter is one page that includes a glossary, an index, and a “Learn More” bibliography section. VERDICT A great series for struggling readers who may also be fans of these popular artists.

Luciow, Chelsey. Clever Crafts with Cardboard Boxes. ISBN 9781669076957.
––––. Clever Crafts with Duct Tape. ISBN 9781669076964.
––––. Clever Crafts with Glass Jars. ISBN 9781669076971.
––––. Clever Crafts with Plastic Bottles. ISBN 9781669076988.
ea vol: 32p. (Clever Crafts with Everyday Things). Capstone. Aug. 2024. Tr. $33.99.
Gr 3-6–From glass jars to duct tape, cardboard to plastic bottles, this series introduces fun crafts using repurposed materials. Each title opens with a table of contents followed by instructions for how to prepare and to stay safe when crafting. A supply list is included for each of the activities, followed by both written and visual step-by-step instructions. Some crafts are practical, like “Friendship Soup” (Glass Jars), others are decorative, such as “Sneaker Safety Pin” (Plastic Bottles). Clever tips are peppered throughout: “Pieces of duct tape can be torn or cut off the roll. Cutting gives the piece clean, finished looking edges” (Duct Tape). The back matter contains a list of books and websites for further reading along with a section about the author. The crafts vary in difficulty, and should be read carefully before attempting, even with an adult present. VERDICT Fun crafts that reuse everyday items and make them new again. Great for older elementary and middle school age readers.

Upper Middle School to High School

Burling, Alexis. Making Books. ISBN 9781098293345.
Edwards, Sue Bradford. Making Music. ISBN 9781098293369.
––––. Making Podcasts. ISBN 9781098293376.
Jaskulka, Marie. Making Web Content. ISBN 9781098293390.
Murray, Laura K. Making Movies. ISBN 9781098293352.
Streissguth, Tom. Making Video Games. ISBN 9781098293383.
ea vol: 112p. (Making Media). ABDO/Essential Library. Aug. 2024. Tr. $42.79.
Gr 8 Up–These titles explore the creation of different forms of entertainment. From making podcasts to video games, music to books, various creative mediums are explored in this series. Each title covers the history, creation, professional development, popular creators, and future of the topic at hand. Informative paragraphs are accompanied by sidebars with quick facts or quotes. The format is clean, with crisp white pages of text, chapter openings in a contrasting color, and captioned photos and renderings throughout. Titles offer in-depth historical information readers may not be aware of, like details about the Hurrian Hymn tablet, which is the oldest piece of written music (Making Music). While the text can be dense, the chapters can be read separately or built upon. Back matter includes essential facts, a glossary, additional resources, source notes from each chapter, an index, and about the author. VERDICT A comprehensive series for older middle school to high school readers who want to know as much as possible about broadening their content creation endeavors.

Schrader, Zoey. The Baking Encyclopedia. ISBN 9781098294366.
––––. The Cooking Encyclopedia. ISBN 9781098294373.
––––. The Crafting Encyclopedia. ISBN 9781098294380.
––––. The Fiber Arts Encyclopedia. ISBN 9781098294397.
ea vol: 192p. (Makerspace Encyclopedias). ABDO/Encyclopedias. Aug. 2024. Tr. $52.79.
Gr 5 Up–This series will appeal to readers who are interested in making something from scratch. Whether it’s baking and cooking, fiber-art creations, or crafting in general, these encyclopedias include a lot of information in every title. Each encyclopedia covers the basics of the topic, preparation and safety, suggested techniques, and essential supplies for starting. Each entry includes the ingredients and/or supplies needed, followed by step-by-step instructions with a few process photos and a picture of the end result. Directions are numbered and in different colors to differentiate between the steps, and “Try This” boxes offer helpful tips. The back matter includes a glossary of terms, where to learn more, and an index. While it would be nice if each step had more photos to go with the instructions, there is a great variety of patterns and recipes to choose from. VERDICT A comprehensive set of encyclopedias for the creative enthusiast.

Many of this season’s series are dedicated to crafting for a variety of ages, including “Makerspace Encyclopedias” (ABDO/Abdo Reference), “Animal Arts & Crafts” (Gareth Stevens), and “Clever Crafts” (Capstone). A series that reluctant readers may be entertained by is “Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes” series (Rosen/Windmill). A deep dive into content creation in “Making Media” (ABDO) and the results of being a popular artist in “Fandom Fever” (Cherry Lake/45th Parallel) cover different sides of the entertainment industry. Three series for more elementary readers are “All About Instruments” (Bearport) which is about introducing types of instruments , “Time For Fun” (Rosen/Powerkids), which shares family fun activities, and “Terrific Toy (Greenhaven/KidHaven) which shows how toys are made around the world.