School Library Journal

Middle school students can sometimes become abruptly self-conscious about making art. Projects that emphasize process over content, like the ones in this series, can hook kids into trying something new with little danger of producing a lame-looking result. Five or six projects per volume build skills and reinforce concepts such as color theory and shading while young artists experiment with printing techniques and unusual materials. Each book starts with an easy project and moves on to more ambitious art, like creating 3-D effects using tone. Good inspiration for confident artists and the less artistically inclined.