Skip to main content

Books to Read When... You are Feeling Creative

By Suzanne

Have you ever felt the urge to make something? Or had a genius plan just download into your brain? It’s called creative inspiration, and it gives you a burst of enthusiasm and motivation to make or innovate. Books are a great place to go to find ideas or research the many possibilities that are out there in the world. Here are a few book recommendations for when the mood strikes you.

Get Crafting for Your Hip Hamster
By Ruth Owen
Minneapolis, MN: Bearport Publishing, 2021. Informational. 24 pages.

This is one crafty book in the Playful Pet Projects series, and I don’t know who will have more fun -- you or your hamster! There are step-by-step instructions to make a popsicle stick hamster house, carrot cupcakes, a mini hamster maze, and a snuggle pouch. This one is sure to inspire some one-on-one time with your cute little fluff ball.

By Stephanie Corfee
Beverley, MD: Quarry Books, 2020. Informational. 143 pages.

This do-it-yourself manual has 52 projects in 7 different categories focusing on unique self-expression. Using everything from paint to pipe cleaners, you will manufacture, embellish, or upcycle items to beautify your surroundings and give meaningful gifts. A true treasure of excitement and empowerment!

By Kate Messner
San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2020. Informational. 42 pages.

Kate Messner, author of more than 60 books, gives her 10 step formula for writing a story. Overflowing with encouragement for young writers, she outlines the whole process from idea collection to sharing it with friends. Do you have an idea for a story that wants to be told?

By Helen Yoon
Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2021. Picture Book.

You never know when creative inspiration will strike or with what! What could you do with a roll of tape? Or some paper clips? In this story, our main character has a hard time resisting a full remodel of Daddy’s boring gray office. He won’t mind, will he? 

By Robyn Wall and A.N. Kang
New York: Simon & Schuster, 2024. Picture Book.

What happens when all of your artistic hard work gets ruined? Just ask Kiara, an itsy-bitsy-spider whose web-spinning skills are put to the test. Should she quit? Is it all lost? Find out what Kiara learns in this delightfully illustrated story.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stand Tall by Joan Bauer

By DeeDee
Stand Tall By Siena Siegel by Joan Bauer Putnam, 2002, 182 pgs Realistic Fiction Tree is 12 years old and over 6 feet tall. That would be great if he were a basketball player, but he is not. Dealing with his unusual size is not Tree's only challenge. Tree's parents have recently gone through a divorce, and his grandfather has had his leg amputated as the result of an old Vietnam War injury. The strength of this book is the characterizations. All of the main characters are dimensional and sympathetic. Bauer sets the characters in real and often funny family situations. Best of all is the character of Tree. He is boy with a heart to match his stature. This is a great book for boys or girls ages 9-12, as a read aloud or for individual reading. This book could also be a good Rx book for children whose families are going through divorce, or for anyone who feels like they don't fit in.
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The New Girl

By
The New Girl By Cassandra Calin New York: Graphix, 2024. Comic. 261 pages. 12-year-old Lia and her family have just moved from Romania to Montreal, and she's doing her best to keep up with the changes. But, she's homesick. She misses the rest of her family, her friends, and her favorite Romanian treats. She doesn't speak French and her English is shaky, which makes it hard to make friends, even in her international immersion class. And she's dealing with super painful menstrual cramps every month. But before long, Lia starts to hit her stride. She befriends the other bilingual girls in her class, she gets a spot as the artist for her school's magazine, and even has a new crush -- Julien. Though she may be the new girl, Lia is starting to fit in. This slice of life graphic novel is an adorable choice for middle grade readers and young teens. Lia is a likable protagonist and readers will have little difficulty relating to her adjustment to school. The text speaks to a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker

By
  Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker By Heidi Heilig New York: Greenwillow Books, 2025. Fiction. 291 pages. Thanks to Cincinnati Lee's no good, dirty rotten, artifact stealing great great great grandfather, Cincinnati's family is now cursed and Cincinnati feels like it's up to her to break the curse. Which involves trying to steal the artifacts back from museums that her grandfather robbed from graves and archeological sites around the world and return them to their countries of origin. But when Cincinnati's first artifact stealing mission goes awry, she decides it might be more effective to steal an all-powerful artifact herself that she can use to break the curse - The Spear of Destiny. Unfortunately her race for the spear will pit her against art smugglers and thieves intent on finding the ancient artifact themselves. If you are looking for an Indiana Jones read-alike, this is the perfect for you! Heavy on the adventure with similar levels of mysticism to those seen in th...
Post a Comment
Read more