Stacey Whaley
Book Review #3
By Dr. Sandra Bradly
Let’s Make Books is a complete guide to bookmaking for students in all disciplines. It is filled with step-by-step instructions for making almost a hundred different kinds of books. Topics covered include the design, construction, and writing process for books.
The directions in this book include many illustrations and diagrams to show you how to construct the type of book you have chosen. The simple line drawings are easy to read and copy for student use in class. The instructions are clearly written out as well. Some of my favorite aspects of this book are the many possibility lists throughout for ways to adapt the ideas to different curriculum areas. Another inspirational inclusion is basic drawing instructions for simple illustrations.
The writing instruction in this text includes story prompts, description words, and questions to help writers of all levels generate stories and text to use in their books. There are also suggested guidelines for teachers on instruction techniques and grading for each step of the writing process. Emphasis is made on how the writing process is adapted for use in bookmaking, especially multiple revisions and dummy copies.
This book is a nice resource to use when making books in the classroom or at home. Book making is a great way for students to show off their writing or knowledge in a creative visual product.