Michael Bentinck-smith

This is a delightful introduction to woodworking that seems easy enough for the complete novice. The author's tone is relaxed and inviting. He includes a very useful section explaining terms, equipment, and techniques. The projects are clearly explained and not overwhelming at all. There really is no assumption of prior knowledge which I find rare even among books touted as beginner books. I have looked at other woodworking books hoping to teach myself as I work with my kids and none of them seemed as doable as this one.… (más)

When I get a non-fiction book that does not have an index I immediately feel negative about it.Although this small book has a comprehensive Table of Contents it would be enhanced by an index.

Another element that I find useful in a non-fiction book is a glossary - this book has a seven-word glossary! While the author may be familiar to some of the terms used in his book I am not, however I imagine that if the audience is teachers of woodwork then they will have that understanding. Parents purchasing the book would benefit from a more comprehensive glossary.

Apart from these issues the book clearly describes the materials and tools needed for woodwork projects before detailing a number of projects that can be undertaken with children. It would be a valuable addition to the Teacher Resource Library in elementary or middle schools.… (más)

What a surprisingly fantastic little book! My husband is a woodworker who has done several projects with our daughter, and I thought he might find it interesting. Little did I know that I would find it so entertaining when I read it to review for Early Reviewers.

The author taught woodworking to kindergarteners through sixth graders at Milton Academy for 41 years. His love for his job, both the craft and the teaching, jumps off the page at you. He is funny, warm, and one of those New Englanders who believe that it is impossible to learn to drive a nail without hitting your thumb at least once, and that that is an okay lesson for a child to learn. He emphasizes respect for the child, for the tools, and for effort.

The book is divided into three general sections: setting up a workbench and selecting tools, tips on using the different tools suggested, and projects ranging from simple to intermediate. Interspersed throughout are tips, quips, and old-fashioned advice. He believes in putting the children in charge, giving them ownership and accountability, encouraging effort and perservance, and watching them take pride in a project they will keep forever. (I still have the dog shaped pencil holder I made when I was 10!)

I'll leave you with a couple of entries from the book's glossary, and I hope I've enticed parents to pick up a copy of the book for themselves or to give to their child's school.

Coming-out party: Nail that starts crooked and pokes out through the side of a project.

Holiday: Housepainter's term for a missed place in the paint job.

Money-back guarantee: A problem that comes up in a project that is not the child's fault; I fix it; the child gets bailed out, the project is saved.

Rubber nail: Nail that gets bent over while being hammered.

(Edited to compensate for lack of bolding.)… (más)