Booklist Review

Gr. 3-6. The Craft Topics series combines information with activity projects, a duality that will appeal to both teachers and students. Dinosaurs begins with a two-page introduction to the Age of Reptiles. The project that follows has readers create their own prehistoric landscape. Although the activity appears fairly simple, it requires wire cutters; some of the projects, including this one, call for adult help. Certainly kids will need help for the flying reptile project, which looks as though it might take several adults to muddle through it. For the most part, though, these projects can be used as jumping-off places, with crisp color photographs pointing the way. The information in both books is only an overview, but there may be enough for simple reports. The projects in Knights include several easy ones, among them a "stained glass" window and brass rubbings. Glossaries and sources of further information appended. ~--Ilene Cooper