Katie Schaefer
Art
Aaron Slater’s Big Project Book for Astonishing Artists by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
This is an excellent companion book for Aaron Slater, Illustrator, or any of the Questioneers books by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts. It’s loaded with prompts to get your kiddo’s creative juices flowing. It encourages kiddos to see art all around us, making it a great book to take along with you on a summer vacation to a new place.
Cooking
Avatar the Last Airbender the Official Cookbook By Jenny Dorsey
This is an excellent pick for all of the Avatar fans out there. Your kiddo could spend the summer helping make meals for the family with the help of this cookbook, or better yet have an Avatar watch night! Pair an episode with a recipe for an extra special evening! Recipes are organized by nation- Air Nomads, Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and Fire Nations. I know I’d love to try making Aang’s Favorite Egg Tarts and Cactus Juice!
DIY
The Handbook of Forgotten Skills by Elaine Batiste, Natalie Crowley, and Chris Duriez
I don’t know about you, but some of my most fun days as a kid were spent imagining I was a hardworking pioneer girl. It’s stuck with me in some ways- I love reading books and watching movies about survival. Any Alone fans out there?! This illustrated step-by-step guide to forgotten handy skills would have delighted me as a kid!
NATURE
Discovering Plants and Flowers By Storey Publishing
Grab this plant and flower edition of the Backpack Explorer series. The pages are full of prompts and activities to help develop their green thumbs. It includes sensory scavenger hunts, interactive field guides, tips for identifying plants and flowers, and includes real magnifying glass, stickers, and a log for recording plant finds.