Basic Book Design is a textbook suitable for high school students (and adults) all about basic book design. The book is provided by Wikibooks, in the creative commons under a GNU open document license.
As a project for English, art or computer studies, creating a book should be a compulsory activity in schools. This book will help students learn more about the ins and outs of book creation.
For computer studies, students may wish to pick an existing public domain book and reformat the text. Picture books are the best for this since they bring different elements of formatting into play, and different formatting programs may be experimented with.
For English or art class, creating your own text is fun, along with formatting it.
Basic Book Design discusses important topics such as font choices, margin rules, common grammar and text formatting rules, most of which has been condensed and referenced from what is considered the industries’ master reference book, The Chicago Manual of Style.
More About What is in Basic book design for high school
Basic Book Design isn’t another book about grammar rules, freeing your inner writer, or finding a publisher. It’s about making your books, documents, and newsletters look professional.
The book includes features such as:
• Which fonts will make readers devour your book—and which fonts will make them put your book aside.
• Common mistakes that make your newsletter look amateur.
• Designers’ tricks to save printing costs and make documents look better.
• The free software that works better than Adobe Pagemaker, Quark X-Press, or Microsoft Publisher.
• Workarounds to avoid bugs in Microsoft Word.
• When you need permissions from both the photographer and the person depicted in the photo—and when you need neither.
• The government agency that will give you completely free photos by famous photographers such as Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lange.
Note: some software items, mostly those on Microsoft Word, are out of date, written in 2003, there have been significant updates since then (my recommendation, use Open Office 🙂
While some of the contents might be rather advanced for high school, it makes a great reference book and learning exercise, and many concepts can even be taught to younger audiences in upper elementary or middle grades.
Suggested projects for Basic Book Design
- Format a public domain book;
- Create your own short picture book using your own words, and either illustrate yourself, or public domain images;
- Create a non-fiction book with images;
- Send your book to FKB 🙂 – note, we don’t guarantee acceptance, but if it’s not suitable I’ll let you know why;
- Publish your book online (Createspace, kindle, lulu).
Suggested Reading
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Who Threw the Shoe? - Crocodile is hit on the head by a shoe while dozing. He goes on a quest to find the owner of the shoe, but will people be honest with him, and will he be honest with others? A great springboard to discuss topics about facing your fears and speaking up to those you perceive a ... How Online Education is Changing the Way We Learn - The landscape of education has evolved significantly, driven by advancements in technology and the growing demand for flexible learning options. Online education has emerged as a robust alternative to traditional learning methods, appealing to a diverse array of students, from busy professionals to those seeking new skills or degrees. The shift to online platforms is ... I Need a Violin - Dragonfly wishes he could join Butterfly in her beautiful song, but he has lost his violin. Butterfly has an idea to get it back, but Dragonfly doesn't always see the logic. Will the hard work pay off? A cute, fun story for emerging readers. Animals Eating – Early Reader - In this Mustard Seed book, one learns two new nouns with a similar verb phrase, perfect for early readers, and also lots of fun for toddlers learning about different animals. Useful Tips to Boost Focus and Learn Better Online - Learning online can be incredibly convenient, but it comes with its own unique challenges. Without a physical classroom or face-to-face instruction, students may struggle to stay engaged, retain information, or structure their time efficiently. Distractions at home, unstructured schedules, and screen fatigue can quickly derail progress, especially for younger learners or those unfamiliar with digital ... Turning Points – YA Short Stories - The paths of two young women weave around each other, bringing them together then pushing them away from each other—will they remain apart forever?
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Pinglish is English only the spelling is different. The JC Team Volume 3 – Bible Stories - Another great collection of biblical stories about Jesus from Sr Mary Joe. Stories include Dave’s Dilemma, Martha and Mary, Taking the Step, Jesus’ Family, The Centurion’s Boy, The Curse? Peter’s Secret Wish, Jairus’ Daughter. Sample Page from The JC Team Volume 3 Download or read online the full children’s ebook by selecting one of the ... Why Diversity in Children’s Books Shapes Better Understanding Early On - Children’s literature exposes children to diverse stories and characters and helps them cultivate a better appreciation for differences in culture, race, and family structures. Children read about characters who differ from them, and they naturally start to form connections that improve their empathy and awareness. Growing up, children need to see themselves represented in stories ...Sponsored Links:
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