Seventh and eighth graders have been creating handmade, one-of-a-kind books in the bookmaking elective arts class. They worked on several projects that included illustrating and developing a theme or story in an open pamphlet book. They hand-printed paper to cover bookboards, and then sewed these illustrated books together using bookbinding materials. They marbled papers to create an origami folding accordion book. Students also used a variety of printmaking techniques to create a “flag book,” including gelli printing, carving printing plates to make the covers and interior liners that include twelve printed paper shapes that move in a dynamic manner as the book opens and closes. As a final project, some students also used discarded books to make three-dimensional sculptures by repeatedly folding pages in a particular patterned configuration.
– Kathy Jo Solomon, visual arts teacher
