Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-7-Let's be honest, books about warfare tend to fly off the shelf, and this series is worth a good look. Craft enthusiasts will use rubber bands, craft sticks, paper tubes, and pencils to fling paper wads and marshmallows across the room or set up a battlefield for warriors made of plastic eggs. Most of the projects are tricky to make, and though each one is explained via multiple illustrated steps, even confident crafters might benefit from photos instead of drawings. Materials are culled from the recycle bin or the office, sometimes creating more work than necessary (instead of being told to use dowels, students are instructed to cut the point and eraser off of pencils). Illustrated sidebars give historical anecdotes for each project. VERDICT Perseverance is key with these high-interest crafts. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This series teaches readers how to construct models and miniature, working versions of medieval weaponry out of household items such as pencils, popsicle sticks, cardboard tubes, etc. The cartoony illustrated instructions are helpful and also provide levity. The complexity of some of the constructions and required techniques may frustrate kids on the lower end of the suggested audience. Ind. [Review covers the following Tabletop Wars titles: Break the Siege, Castle Attack, Ready, Aim, Launch, and Surprise the Enemy.] (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Everything you need to know to create your own tabletop medieval battlefields.Readers interested in models, warfare, and construction will find lots to love in this volume, an instructional tome dedicated to helping readers build the best tabletop siege engines. Readers will learn how to build trebuchets, spring-armed catapults, blasting ballistas, and more. Young tinkerers will delight in poking through their recycling bins and junk drawers to find materials to build weaponry of all sorts. The materials are not exotic: paperclips, produce-bag netting, the occasional spork. The instructions are clean and clear, charmingly illustrated with a diverse array of child warriors, and smartly paced. Bits of history involving these war machines pop up here and there (The balls [early catapults] fired could fell ranks of soldiers at a range of 1,300 feet (400 m)), but the primary focus here is model-building technique. Readers are encouraged to use what theyve learned and design their own weapons, with modifications as desired. For those delighted by the concept of tabletop warfare, three other titles offering instructions on how to develop the battlefield are concurrently published: Castle Attack, Ready, Aim, Launch!, and Surprise the Enemy. All three detail their subjects in similar fashion. An excellent resource that will spark the imaginations of many readers. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
