How to Build a Children's Bookrack

This bookrack is designed to let young children easily get to their favorite books. It's only 36 inches tall and attached to the wall just over the baseboard. The books are stored with their covers facing out and held in place by rows of dowels. Even children too young to read can find their favorite covers, encouraging them to select a book on their own. Maybe they'll put the book away on their own, too.

Materials and finishing
The sides of this bookcase are made of poplar, a relatively inexpensive hardwood that's durable and has a tight grain that takes paint well. Semigloss or gloss enamel paint is a durable, easy-to-clean choice for a children's room. The back is beaded board -- a 1/4-inch-thick plywood paneling with a face veneer that looks like beaded boards. You can use 1/4-inch lauan plywood if you don't like the beaded look.

Checklist

Time
An afternoon or an evening plus an hour or two for painting

Tools
Tablesaw, circular saw with straightedge jig or a mitersaw, jigsaw, palm sander or sanding block, router with 3/8-inch piloted rabbeting bit, drill with 1/8-inch bit, 1/2-inch spade bit and 3/4-inch spade bit, tape measure, framing square, chisel, C-clamp, 4-foot level, angle square, needle-nose pliers

Skills
Measuring, sawing, routing, drilling, gluing

Prep
Prepare work area, gather materials, select location for bookcase