No-bake gingerbread houses for kids

Graham cracker is the go-to medium for kid-friendly "gingerbread" building, but it's not the only one. As shown in these projects (e.g., Sweetheart Cottage, Fairy Tree House, Dracula's Castle), sandwich cookies, rolled wafer cookies, ice cream cones, and pretzels can also be used. Some of the houses will challenge little hands, but they can be simplified. (SLJ 1/11) © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 6 Up-Often the word "no-bake" in a title is a clue that the recipes are simple, which is not the case here. The no-bake means that the houses are made of graham crackers and similar cookies, stuck together using "glue" concocted of egg whites or meringue powder. Front matter explains how to cut graham cracker shapes carefully and how to make and use icing "glue" and offers tips for decorating with candy and more. Each of 23 recipes is accompanied by a large color photo showing the imaginative and appealing hous. The first one, for an "Easy Candy Cottage," is fairly simple, but things get progressively more complicated. Here's a typical instruction from the first sentence of step 2 for making the "Seven Dwarfs' Cottage": " 'Glue'" a quarter cracker perpendicular to the front of the house, a fourth of the way in from the right side." Basic diagrams offer a bit of help, but overall these projects will require concentration, patience, and a strong set of fine-motor skills. Children younger than age 13 will definitely need an older partner. Simpler instructions for decorated edible houses can easily be found elsewhere, both in book form and online. Unless you have some serious confection construction fans, you can pass on this one.-Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Excerpted from No Bake Gingerbread Houses for Kids by Lisa Anderson, Zac Williams All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.