The Daring Book for Girls
I must confess I intended to write this review several months ago. In fact, every week this summer I thought about writing this review. There was only one problem. Every time I sat down at my desk to write, the book was gone. I kept hunting it down….first I found it under my daughter’s bed, then on her nightstand, twice in the van, in the family room, on her dresser…you get the picture. If it wasn’t my oldest daughter running off with it, it was my youngest. They both loved the book so much that neither of them could put it down. Good thing I had both the large book and the pocket version or else we may have have ended up in a war zone over its possession.
The Daring Book for Girls arrived on my doorstep from the publisher back in June, I believe. I was so impressed by the design and artwork that I immediately packed them into my computer bag so I could show a couple of other graphic artist friends. It’s one of those books that you take one look at and you know it’s going to be good. 
Authors Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz have done an outstanding job of capturing some fantastic activities covering evertyhing from sports to craft projects and then some. There is literally something in here for every girl no matter what her age. There are indoor and outdoor activities as well as individual or group projects. Each one offers short instructions on how to participate and many have diagrams and brilliant illustrations to help eager learners grasp the concepts quickly. Interspersed between the teachings are bits of related facts and the occasional biography of a history-making woman. Here is a very brief list of some of the adventures you will find:
- Rules of the Game: Basketball
- How to Whistle with Two Fingers
- Putting Your Hair Up with a Pencil
- Every Girl’s Toolbox
- Bandana Tying
- Joan of Arc
- Washing the Car
- Volcano Project
- Coolest Paper Airplane Ever
- How To Be A Spy
- Finance: Interest, Stocks and Bonds
- Public Speaking
- How to Negotiate a Salary
- Slumber Party Games
- Cootie Catcher
- Math Tricks
- Words to Impress
There are so many topics covered in this book and I could probably go back and list about 20 that I want to learn myself! No wonder my girls love this book. It’s a never-ending adventure that they can share with their friends. The Daring Book for Girls would make a fantastic birthday or Christmas gift. I know my two nieces can expect to find this treasure under the tree from Aunt Gretchen this year.
Read more about The Daring Book for Girls and check out the free badges and downloads as well.
Like what you just read? Subscribe to the RSS feed!
What's an RSS feed? Follow these simple steps to setup RSS and save time surfing the web!
cowgirltuff | December 3rd, 2008 5:45 pm
Yes, that book is great i got it for christmas last year and i love it
pliny | January 22nd, 2009 12:11 am
Complaints by indigenous Australian academics earlier this year led HarperCollins to apologise for including a section on how to play the didgeridoo in “The daring book for girls” and to remove it from later editions. It seems that there is an Aboriginal custom that dictates women are forbidden to play the instrument. I plan to buy all my nieces didgeridoos this Christmas.
gretchen | January 22nd, 2009 8:19 am
Well that is just classic. It would be almost unbelievable if we women weren’t used to having to apologize for trying to do things that are “forbidden” for us. I think I will go out and buy some as gifts, too.
And you know I sense a Girls Can’t WHAT? Shirt for the didgeridoo coming on. I am so adding that to my design request list. /:)