Fun Books for Winter Break

It’s still winter break, so why not pick up something fun? Here are five books guaranteed to bring some fun to your vacation.

Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit

By Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Knopf, $6.99

The fifth book in the best-selling Luch Lady series is now out! Lunch Lady’s school is having a bake sale to raise money for a field trip. But before anyone can buy a tasty treat, someone steals all the goodies! There are a few people in the school who dislike bake sales, and it’s up to the Breakfast Bunch kids and Lunch Lady to discover who really stole the goodies. A wonderful addition to the Lunch Lady series, complete with an appearance by Buszilla!

Sock Monkey & Friends

9 different fun-to-make sock animal projects

by Samantha Fisher and Cary Lane

Chronicle Books, $17.99

Sock monkeys are cute and easy to make, but how many people have actually made one? This kit includes directions and the materials you’ll need to make a sock monkey. Once you see how easy and fun it is, you’ll be off, rounding up all the pairless socks in your house. Besides, who can resist a sock squirrel, alligator, or owl!

Kid Made Modern

By Todd Oldham

Ammo, $22.95

This has got to be the coolest kid’s craft book I’ve seen. Forget the “kid’s” part, I’m ready to make these things for my apartment and myself. Using easy-to-find materials, Kid Made Modern gives easy directions for creating crafts inspired by mid-century modern design. Beautiful photographs accompany each project and each section is introduced by a profile of a mid-century designer.

The Cleaner Plate Club

More Than 100 Recipes for Real Food Your Kids Will Love

By Beth Bader and Ali Benjamin

Storey Publishing, $16.95

This colorful cookbook is great for kids or adults. The introduction profiles different ingredients, as well as shopping strategies and information on nutrition and food in the United States. Other sections include how to cook seasonally, how to convert recipes for your slow-cooker, and why to shop at farmers’ markets. Fun, colorful illustrations and photos accompany these sections. The recipes include such delicious dishes as Pumpkin-White Cheddar Soup, Carrot-Quinoa “Biryani”, and Pumpkin Gnocchi. An informative cookbook for children, parents…just about anyone, really!

Papertoy Monsters

50 Cool Papertoys You Can Make Yourself!

By Castleforte and 24 papertoy designers from around the world

Workman, $16.95

Silly, fun, wacky, gross, and sometimes utterly ridiculous monsters fill the pages of this book. The colors are bright, the directions are simple, and there’s no cutting involved! Each papertoy punches out of the page and is accompanied by directions for creating your wacky 3-D monster. Blank templates are provided at the back of the book so that you can create your own monsters.

Happy vacation!
-Marika