Hey hey… Parish is back with a new booklist! This time he’s selected some of his favorite activity and DIY books for kids and teens.
October is finally upon us, and what better way to celebrate a month of ghosts and ghouls, as well as another great fall season, with some baking! October and fall are the perfect time to fine tune your baking skills… with Halloween approaching, and soon other holidays that bring loved ones together, why not start the holidays with a little baked goodness? This booklist features some of Parish’s favorite cookbooks with tons of easy to follow recipes, and beautiful pictures.
The Big, Fun Kids Baking Book
by Food Network, Maile Carpenter | Grade: 4th-8th
An ultimate baking primer for beginners, written by the editors of the top-selling food magazine, shares more than 100 photographed recipes for everyday and special-occasion cakes, brownies and other baked favorites while providing fun ideas for customizations and alternatives to cakes.
From Parish: Food Network is one of my favorite channels to watch during my free time! This book is nicely written and put together. One of my favorite things about the book is the table of contents — it’s listed by cookies, bars, and cakes with pictures of each item. Readers who enjoy baking, and learning different ways to make cookies, or how many drops of food coloring to make a certain color will love this book.
The Ultimate Kids’ Baking Book
by Tiffany Dahle | Grade: 3rd-8th
Now your kids can bake their cake and eat it too (with a little help from mom and dad). There are so many reasons for a kid to celebrate and this book has desserts for every milestone, from First Day of School Smart Cookies and Family Road Trip Muddy Buddies to Fall Break Snickerdoodles and the Best Birthday Cupcakes.
From Parish: We all know the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” well, I 100% judged this book by its cover! I’m a big donut guy and the pink sprinkled donuts looked so good, I just had to check this book out for its recipes! (Donut recipe is on page 69!) I highly recommend making the “Father’s Day Pretzel Bark” on page 109. I give it a 10/10.
Baking with Kids
by Leah Brooks | Grade: 1st-5th
Get ready to measure, mix, and decorate! Baking with Kids is just the book you need to help teach children to bake. Show your children how to safely use basic equipment in the kitchen and explain all about the important ingredients they’ll need to make the most delicious baked goods. Recipes include muffins, scones, breads, pretzels, crackers, pizza dough, pie crust, cake, cookies, cupcakes, and more! Celebrated chef and instructor, Leah Brooks creates activities with simple step-by-step photo illustrations that will guide kids through each recipe and inspire creativity throughout. Put on your aprons–it’s time to get baking!
From Parish: I highly recommend this book to those looking for fun ways to bond with their family. This book isn’t only filled with fun recipes the whole family will love, but also gives pointers on how smaller hands can help with the recipe. A must checkout!
Easy Eats: A Bee and PuppyCat Cookbook
by Natasha Allegri | Grade: 6th-12th
Bee and PuppyCat from the popular YouTube series of the same name love to eat, well, almost everything. Their never-ending quest for their next meal or snack leads them on adventures through space and time. Make food magical with this Bee and PuppyCat cookbook of tasty recipes and cooking tips and tricks. For beginner or experienced cooks and intergalactic temp workers alike.
From Parish: Bee and PuppyCat is my favorite TV series. First, if you are a fan of Adventure Time, you’ll love Bee and Puppycat! One of my favorite things about this book is how they indicate how many servings a dish makes… using Puppycat icons!
The Pokemon Cookbook
by Maki Kudo | Grade: 6th-12th
Create delicious dishes that look like your favorite Pokémon characters — from desserts to pizza — with more than 35 easy, fun recipes. Make a Pokémon ball sushi roll, Pikachu ramen or mashed Meowth potatoes for your next party, weekend activity or powered-up lunchbox.
From Parish: Growing up around when Pokemon started, I couldn’t pass checking out a cookbook based on the show! Full of Pokemon puns, this book will teach you how to turn a normal salad into a Shaymin Green Salad (page36). Great book to push your creativity to the next level.
Disney Princess Cookbook
by Disney | Grade: 3rd-12th
Make learning how to cook fun and downright magical with inspiration from the Disney Princesses! Featuring simple step-by-step instructions and mouth-watering photos of each dish, this cookbook makes it easy to whip up enchanting treats, while enjoying captivating illustrations of the princesses and their friends.
From Parish: If you know a fan young or old who LOVES Disney princesses this is the book for them. All the current Disney princesses have a recipe that’s based on their movie, and a few recipes dedicated to their awesome companions. One of my favorite recipes from this book is the Sun Punch (page 103). This punch is supposed to represent a bright golden-yellow light similar to the lanterns used during the light the sky festival during Rapunzel’s birthday.
The Official Harry Potter Baking Book
by Scholastic | Grade: 3rd-12th
Delight in 43 tasty recipes inspired by the Harry Potter films! From Pumpkin Patch Pies to Owl Muffins, Luna’s Spectrespecs Cookies to Hogwarts Gingerbread, The Official Harry Potter Baking Cookbook is packed with mouthwatering recipes that will, dare we say.
From Parish: If you’re a fan of the Harry Potter series, you’ll love all the recipes inspired by the movie. One of my favorite recipes — which is easy to make — are the Wizarding Hats (page 22). Turning simple pigs in a blanket to delicious magical hats. This book will give anyone a taste of Hogwarts!
The Nerdy Nummies Cookbook
by Rosanna Pansino | Grade: 3rd-12th
The Nerdy Nummies Cookbook combines two things Rosanna Pansino loves: geek culture and baking. Her fondness for video games, science fiction, math, comics, and lots of other things considered “nerdy” have inspired every recipe in this book. You’ll find the recipes for many beloved fan favorites from her internet baking show of the same name, such as Apple Pi Pie, the Chocolate Chip Smart Cookie, and Volcano Cake; as well as many new geeky recipes, such as Dinosaur Fossil Cake, Moon Phase Macaroons, and the Periodic Table of Cupcakes.
From Parish: Rosanna Pansino’s Nerdy Nummies YouTube channel was one of my favorites to watch. All her recipes are inspired by video games, science fiction, math, and comics. Rosanna taught us ways to show and share our nerdy side with our friends! One of my favorite recipes is the video game controller cookies (page 150). Being a big gamer myself, I couldn’t pass up baking these delicious, cool cookies!
Super Good: Baking for Kids
by Duff Goldman | Grade: 4th-8th
From New York Times bestselling celebrity chef and host of Ace of Cakes and Kids Baking Championship Duff Goldman, this book teaches budding young bakers how to make dozens of crazy delicious concoctions–from confetti snickerdoodles to unicorn cupcakes to amazing dessert pizzas. With more than 35 delicious recipes and tons of fun fact-filled sidebars on everything from the science of yeast to the history of baking, Super Good Baking for Kids shows kids how to make treats that will amaze parents, delight friends, and make the whole family go “mmmmmm.”
From Parish: When I picked this book up a while ago, I checked it out because it was written by the Ace of Cakes himself, Duff Goldman. (If you haven’t seen any of his shows, I highly recommend you do!) This book is really nice for children who have an interest in baking and would like to master cakes. Duff does not only share really delicious recipes, but helpful hints and lessons during the process. Highly recommend those who have a cake interest or those who enjoy looking at good cakes!
The Unofficial Hocus Pocus Cookbook
by Bridget Thoreson | Grade: 5th-12th (parental guidance)
Since its debut in 1993, the movie has achieved cult-classic fame, with both children and adults as a loyal fanbase. Fans fall in love with the delightful, demonic and diva-esque Sanderson Sisters and the sleepy New England town they torment. Now you can conjure up your own spooky treats and bewitching drinks to celebrate Halloween, whether you’re attending a surprise rave in town, or just spending “a quiet evening at home.” is filled with over 60 recipes for fare inspired by everyone’s favorite witches and their spells, potions, and schemes. It is the ultimate must-have for fans of all ages—but don’t worry, no children were harmed in the test of these recipes.
From Parish: Can we really enjoy October if we don’t spend one day watching our favorite three witches put a spell on all of us? No, we can’t. The Unofficial Hocus Pocus cookbook is a great masterpiece that will satisfy any fan of the movie. Parents, if you’re picking this up for your child, please note that the last few chapters have adult drink recipes.
Want more recommendations?
You can check out all of our online booklists (for kids and for adults), or reach out to us! Our staff is ready and willing to make reading, listening, or viewing recommendations to you! Email us at reference@benlib.org or contact us via our online form!