The Flight Inventor's Workshop from the Boston Museum of Science

The Flight Inventor’s Workshop from the Boston Museum of Science is not merely a book but a kit-plus-handbook that allows armchair aviators to build six experimental flying toys (three kites, two gliders and a parachute). Not only does it provide aerodynamic rigour for children who’ve so far only made handkerchief parachutes for their Barbies, but Belinda Recio’s handbook cleverly stresses the importance of inventive thinking-and how to go about using it-as you develop your versions of the aircraft. Published by Running Press, Boston, $18.95, ISBN 0762403462.