Introduce woodworking to your child! In this new book, any child can discover the fun of woodworking while building self-confidence, developing a can-do attitude, and establishing hand-tool skills that will last a lifetime. Featuring 10 enjoyable projects requiring only ordinary lumber and readily available supplies, new woodworkers find everything they need to successfully complete each project, including a list of tools and safety equipment, a materials list, clear drawings and patterns, cutting diagrams, and step-by-step photos and easy-to-follow, skill-building instructions.

John Kelsey is a journalist and editor specializing in woodworking and furniture making. He has a degree in woodworking and furniture design from the School for American Craft at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is a former editor in chief of Fine Woodworking magazine and a publisher of woodworking and home building books at the Taunton Press. He is the author of Furniture Projects for the Deck and Lawn. He lives in Newtown, Connecticut.

This is the first good book I've seen for young woodworkers.

Getting kids started in woodworking is not rocket science. It is easy. I am reminded of when my wife brought home books on breast feeding, lots of them, and I wondered, how there could be so much to read about something that is so basic in human experience.

But, yes, as we have gotten farther out of touch with our basic human nature, as we have been shifted and shaped and molded to fit society, (Dylan called it "being bent out of shape by society's pliers,") we do need to read a few things. And reading about how to get a kid safely started in woodworking is one of them.

My wife, director of our local Carnegie Public Library brought home a book she had ordered for the library called Woodworking for Kids. I asked, "Is that the one by John Kelsey?" I have been watching for it because John Kelsey was the first editor of Fine Woodworking from the black and white days, and he has become a friend over the years. He had told me he has a new book out and would send it in the mail.

But, no. The book my wife brought home is by Kevin McGuire and published by Lark. With the world's usual coincidence, John Kelsey's book arrived in today's mail, sent to me by John for review. So I will take a few moments to review both. Of course, there will never be a Kid's woodworking book to equal Richard Starr's book Woodworking With Kids. That doesn't mean new books can't actually be better, but for me, Starr's book threw the door wide open. So, I have an emotional connection with that book that may never be duplicated.

Both of these new books, McGuire's titled Woodworking for Kids, and Kelsey's titled Woodworking and in the Kid Craft Series of Fox Chapel Press offer lots of basics. Tools, check. Wood, check. Techniques, check. Projects, check. Both offer enough information to get kids busy... and get parents inspired and confident enough to allow it. Both offer hours of fun and potential for growth. Out of the absolutely amazing number of potential projects, there are some surprising project overlaps. Both offer birdhouses, of course. Both offer rubber band powered boats. Despite the overlap I would buy both. But then, you know I'm a woodworking fanatic.

On the other hand, if I were to buy just one, I would get the one that came in today's mail. Why? The projects in McGuire's book look like they were made by adults. The ones in Kelsey's book are made by kids. You see them at work and you see the kid's imperfections in the photos of the finished work, reminding us what all this is really about. Woodworking isn't about perfection, but it is about fun and it is about growth.

John told me he was hesitant to send me his book... that he knew I might have a more critical eye than most reviewers. John, I have to assure you that on this one, I have both thumbs up... a great book, hands down.

Whether you'd like to help a youngster get started with woodworking or learn the basics yourself, Kid Crafts: Woodworking, by John Kelsey, is a good investment. This is a great introduction to woodworking, even for adults.

Kid Crafts Woodworking, by John Kelsey, is an easy to understand guide written for boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 12. It includes step-by-step instructions and plenty of color photography - showing kids using hand tools safely and effectively. The ten projects featured include a birdhouse, tool box, bluebird nest box, and a race car, and require just a simple set of tools and ordinary lumber. Kids will learn how to read drawings, measure and transfer dimensions, saw square edges in lumber, drill holes, saw curved shapes, join wood with a hammer, nails and glue, use a sanding block to smooth, and finish with paint and varnish. The goal is to introduce children to the love of woodworking, with the hope that it becomes a lifelong passion. Kelsey is a trained furniture maker, author of several woodworking books and the founding editor of "Furniture Studio, " the annual journal of The Furniture Society.

Building Blocks
Woodworking by John Kelsey
$13 Fox Chapel Publishing

Long ago, my parents enrolled me in a kids' woodworking class, and it was transformative for this bookish little girl. Not everyone has access to such a class anymore (or a parent who knows their way around a shop), but this book just might fill the gap.

It starts out with a great primer on wood, tools, and materials. The projects are basic but fun, perfect for a kid learning how to use a saw and miter box. They start out easy but progress through a toolbox, a block racer, a bookshelf, and a rubber-band paddle boat (I still have the one I built years ago!). - Arwen O'Reilly Griffith

Mom might admire the bookcase. Dad might find the tool tote useful. The 21 basic projects in the new "Woodworking" book for kids by John Kelsey all have a certain appeal.
John Kelsey 1 of 2
"Woodworking" 2 of 2
Yet the author knows which ones are most popular with young crafters themselves.

"The kids love the rubber-band shooter and the pop gun, the exploding target, the catapult, the clomper — anything that flies into the air, makes a noise, or preferably both. But more than any specific project, they love being able to make something entirely on their own," the Manheim Township resident said in an e-mail interview.

Kelsey's attractive manual is part of the Kid Crafts series from Fox Chapel Publishing in East Petersburg. Its 100 pages include chapters on wood, supplies and tools, followed by step-by-step instructions for each project, illustrated with photos.

As a child, Kelsey watched his grandfather work with wood but didn't take up the hobby until he was in his early 20s, 40 years ago. Then he made it a career, earning a degree in woodworking and furniture design from the School for American Craftsmen at Rochester Institute of Technology; editing Fine Woodworking magazine at Taunton Press; and writing, editing and publishing articles and books on workworking.

Besides performing those professional duties, "I taught my own three kids as much woodworking and skill with tools as they would absorb," Kelsey said. He also taught neighbors' and friends' children and shared his knowledge with those teaching woodworking to children.

One of the children pictured in the book and on its cover, Seth Krantzler, is the son of a friend of Kelsey. "He was introduced to woodworking at summer camp and enjoyed it so much he just can't stop!" the book's publicity sheet attests.

Kelsey thinks his book's ideal readers are children aged 8 to 14 (Seth's age group), their parents, other relatives, home-school teachers, club and scout leaders.

"Younger than 8, they don't have enough motor coordination to succeed. Older than 14, and they've got other interests that take precedence," he noted.

The book does not call for power tools, Kelsey pointed out. "All of the projects are made entirely with hand tools, which kids can manage on their own without much danger of injury," he said.

Kelsey founded Connecticut-based Cambium Press, which he sold to Fox Chapel Publishing two years ago. He recently moved here to work as book acquisition/developmental editor for Fox Chapel.

Some of his earlier titles, "Making Joints," "Cutting Shapes & Profiles" and "Building For Lawn & Garden," were published by Rodale Press in nearby Emmaus.

This book is great at teaching kids how to read drawings, measure and transfer dimensions, and construct a variety of designs using basic hardware tools. Great step-by-steps for beginners, too! Make a toolbox, birdhouse, or even a racecar!

They are fabulous!

What I really like about these 3 Kid Crafts titles:
· Starting with basics… how to use the book, the note to adults from each author, the origins of leather/wood
· The half-tone subject headings at the top of the left-hand pages for easy navigation
· Complete introductions for each craft: types of each material, processing, how to select, supplies needed, skills to master, what specific tools are and how they are used to create a particular effect, SAFETY guidelines!... esp. good in the woodworking books where they're really needed and they are repeated in each step where needed
· Each book takes the readers from beginner to advanced skill level and projects
· And these are real projects… not just cutesy kid crafts… these are items that will be of interest to the intended audience
· The layouts on each project are very clear: supplies, tools, skills, patterns, step-by-step photos to refer to
· Glossary and resources… librarians love backmatter like this… websites and suppliers are valuable for rural crafters
· The Woodcarving title starts off well, with the 2 page spread of colored photos of 'look what you can carve” and 'here's all you need to get started”… who can resisit? This one also includes great tips on skill building to keep beginners encouraged.

Excellent job