Steven Caney's Ultimate Building Book by Steven Caney
This is a fantastic book with craft ideas plus information about the history of structures. This book has some great building systems which kids can use to create projects of their own (Q-tips with rubber cemented ends for building structures; constructing with paper clips, pasta, tubes, etc, etc).
Steven Caney's Kid's America by Steven Caney
Here is a classic with projects and historical references to traditional American arts and crafts.
Look Alikes by Joan Steiner
This is not a craft book. The author has created complex and realistic scenes created from everyday items. Kids will enjoy hunting down the familiar objects and they will be inspired to create their own worlds with recycled objects.
Ready Made by Shoshana Berger and Grace Hawthorne
Make great projects from recycled materials
The Penny Whistle Sick-in-Bed Book by Meredith Brokaw and Annie Gilbar
Kids don't have to be sick to get some great ideas from this book.
Kids love origami, but they usually need quite a bit of adult help to follow even simple origami directions.
Beginner Origami books:
Easy Origami by Dokuohtei Nakano Publisher: Puffin; (1994)
Nakano is an origami teacher in Japan and this book is a text book for his origami classes. The chapters are called:
1. "Origami to Play With": puppets, some clever action origami, boats, planes, a wiggling snake
2. "Origami to Use": boxes, baskets, frames
3. "Origami for Display": animals, hanging decorations
Easy Origami by John Montroll Publisher: Dover Pubns; (1992)
A collection of 32 projects for beginning origami hobbyists. It is clearly illustrated with easy-to-follow instructions. Make an ultra-simple hat, a cup and a pinwheel to the more challenging penguin and piano.
More Advanced Origami Books:
The Buck Book by Anne Akers Johnson Publisher: Klutz, Inc; (1993)
Make origami with dollar bills.
Origami for the Enthusiast by John Montroll Publisher: Dover Pubns; (1980)
Make progressively complex and interesting origami animals.