A dreamer’s handbook for kids—and parents—offering practical results All kids love the idea of a hideaway—a place that is theirs, no parents allowed. But how on earth can they actually build one? In Forts for Kids, an inspirational yet practical guide, David Stiles, the most trusted authority on DIY building projects, shows them how. Assuming no previous experience from the fort builder, the book starts with the basics for kids and their parents: how to buy wood, and essential skills such as sawing and nailing. It includes a brief history of forts and more than twenty projects ranging from the simple (a blanket and umbrella fort) to the more challenging (a stockade fort). The book even includes forts made of snow, sand, or branches. An accessories section features projects that can be made in just a few hours, such as a slide, swing, catapult, periscope, cannon, and water balloon launcher.

Grab your blankets and pillows! From the creators of Finding Wild, a new picture book that follows the changing of the seasons and is as cozy as a fort. Winter, spring, summer, fall. Each season brings new materials to make the perfect fort. From leaves to snow, from mud to sand, there is a different fort throughout the year. As a group of friends explore and build through the seasons, they find that every fort they make is a perfect fort. From the team behind Finding Wild, which Publishers Weekly called “a sparkling debut” and a “whimsical meditation on the idea of wildness,” Megan Wagner Lloyd and Abigail Halpin are together again for a portrayal of a classic childhood endeavor that is perfect all year long.

An entertaining guide for building safe and fun forts—outside, inside, at the beach, and in snow country. Ages 8-14

Can a pirate and a prince learn to share? In the fort in the woods, a prince is preparing his castle for a lively feast for the royal kingdom. Unbeknownst to him, a pirate uses the same fort as her ship, planning to venture out to the open seas in search of treasure. But when a treasure map appears on the prince’s party invitations, and the pirate finds that her sword has turned into a scepter, they realize there is an intruder in the castle—no, ship! Soon, a battle over the fort between the adversaries ensues, leading to a humorous showdown. When they make amends, their amazing imaginations come up with a new adventure...together. Kids will revel in the spirited and imaginative battle and be thrilled by the turn of events. Dynamic and charismatic illustrations bring this witty tale and its celebration of sharing and teamwork to life.

A sparkling new series about two best friends on the adventure of a lifetime! Maggie’s been waiting for her best friend Abby to get home from Camp Cantaloupe for SIX. WHOLE. WEEKS. But now that Abby’s finally home, she’s…different. All New Abby wants to do is talk about camp things and plan campy activities—she even has the nerve to call Maggie’s massive, award-worthy pillow fort a “cabin.” But hey, at least she’s willing to build a “cabin” of her own. And when Maggie discovers that a pillow in the back of her fort mysteriously leads right into Abby’s new one, the two friends are suddenly just an arm’s length away. Soon they’re adding links and building more forts, until Maggie looks behind one pillow too many and finds herself face-to-face with...the authorities. Turns out their little pillow fort network isn’t the first to exist. A massive network of linked-up pillow and sofa forts already spans the globe, and the kids who run it are not happy with Maggie and Abby. With just three days to pass their outrageous entrance requirements or lose the links forever, Maggie and Abby pull out all the stops to try to save their network. There’s only a little bit of summer left to burn, and Maggie and Abby are both determined to win back their pillow fort freedom. But can their friendship—and their scrappy homemade network—survive the mission?

Includes directions for building indoor and outdoor forts from blankets, boxes, leaves, sand, snow, and logs, as well as instructions for making model forts and toy weapons.

A treehouse is a wonderful idea, but how in the name of creation do you actually build one? In this delightfully illustrated handbook, David Stiles, the unofficial world grandmaster of the treehouse, shows how. Not assuming anything about the treehouse builder, Stiles starts with the basics: how to nail, how to buy wood, what kind of screws and nails to use. Then it's on to an A-frame design so simple that it can be built in a weekend out of four sheets of plywood, followed by lean-tos, a tree hut, and a Tarzan-style jungle hideaway. There are also forts of every description, including a 21-foot-tall lookout tower modeled on one George Washington built to keep an eye on the redcoats. Stiles also adds a design for a snowball catapult, an igloo and even a Nerf-loaded cannon. Written for children, with an adult peeking over their shoulder, Stiles's TREEHOUSES, HUTS, & FORTS is a dreamer's handbook, offering practical results.