Do It Yourself

The DIY movement is in full swing. Whether through blogs, Pinterest, estate sale-ing or just reusing items in your own home, repurposing is the new NEW!

Crafty Chloe by Kelley DiPucchio, illus. by Heather Ross (Atheneum). Chloe is a young DIYer, finding comfort in creative projects over sports and dancing and video games. When snooty London takes the perfect birthday gift for Chloe’s best friend, our spunky heroine retorts that she will make her present instead. But with time running out, will Chloe be finished in time? A corresponding website provides crafting ideas and instructions. (4 – 8)

Brush of Truth (Story Bayou) If we’re talking about recycling, one book with 20 different endings seems to fit. This new app for the Android market is by Story Bayou. In Brush of Truth, “you and your sister find a crudely-crafted paintbrush on a beach and discover it has magical powers. You soon learn it is the long-lost Brush of Truth, created by a medieval sorcerer to hand off his enchantments to his children.” With focus firmly on the reader, choice buttons are selected from within the chapters that direct the storyline to different endings. Hours of exploration possible. (8 – 14)

Tyler Makes Pancakes by Tyler Florence, illus. by Craig Frazier (Harper Collins). Little Tyler is determined to make pancakes. His first stop is the market, where the kind and patient grocer Mr. Jones teaches him that chickens provide the eggs, cows make buttermilk and the wheat grows in flat places like Kansas. Without the word “organic” appearing once, the cooking-from-scratch message shines on the page through Frazier’s brilliant illustrations. Let the kids make breakfast! (4 – 8)

Secrets of the Garden by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld, illus. by Priscilla Lamont (Knopf). The backyard garden takes center stage in this dual story and science book. Alice’s family plants a garden, and she watches as the first sprouts appear. As the seasons go by, the family learns about all creatures who eat from the garden—some good, others not. Two slapstick chickens provide sidebars throughout the book, covering topics like photosynthesis and composting. (4 – 9)

Remodelaholic www.Remodelaholic.com. Justin and Cassity, a young couple with two little girls, are totally committed to repurposing. Remodel an entire house for $5,000? Check. With three houses redone, they have a blogging record of each one. Their website is easy to read with project titles and pictures. One click provides further information. There is not the long-winded article that scrolls and scrolls before you get to the next topic. From food to furniture, the wide variety of reuse topics astounds. Give it a try.

Garage Sale Rover (Navigation App). This Android app quickly maps out garage sales from Craigslist and other sources onto your smart phone. No advertisements. You can even search by interest (children’s clothing, furniture, movies). Indispensable for hard-core yard-salers.

Julie Hubble admires a few amazing DIYers in Leawood.