Book Review – The Daring Book for Girls

With a tag like that, how could I not love this book?

Last Christmas, when my husband received The Dangerous Book for Boys as a gift, I thought it was an awesome book, and wondered where and when the girl’s version would surface.  So, when I spied the turquoise cover, with sparkly font, I had high expectations. 

The book is hard to encapsulate in a summary, as the information held within ranges from serious data to trivial facts written in a way that will entertain and educate girls and tweens.  Topics range from recreation to science to crafts to art to etiquette to history to finance.  Basically, if your goal is to raise a well-rounded daughter, be sure to check it out.

The Daring Book for Girls

Andrea J. Buchanan

Some “chapters” include:

How to change a tire

How to Paddle a Canoe

Modern Women Leaders

Vinegar and Baking Soda

Periodic Table of the Elements

Rules of the Game: Softball

Books that will change your life

Writing Letters

Daisy Chains and Ivy Crowns

Yoga: Sun Salutation

…and of course, Boys

In an age when Bratz dolls and Hannah Montana reign, this book is a welcome throwback to a time when girlish obsessions were less superficial, more innocent, and generally active in nature.  Perhaps it’s a sign of my age (ahem), but reading the book took me back to my wholesome youth, when I would play cat’s cradle with a loop of string, braid friendship bracelets, sleep outside (even if it was the backyard), and kill time playing hopscotch.

The only downside to the book was the lack of index or categorical sorting.  I would read about a subject, then later have a hard time finding it again.  This is probably by design, as it encouraged me to glance at other chapters I may not have sought out.  For example, I accidentally stumbled upon the Women Spies section and learned that before she became a famous chef, Julia Child was a spy.  She worked for the agency that was a precursor to the CIA, and went undercover in Sri Lanka.  When her husband – a diplomat – was posted in Paris, she trained at the Cordon Bleu, and the rest as they say is herstory.

The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz is a beautiful homage to girlhood.  I highly recommend this book to those who have daughters/nieces interested in active pursuits, and to young women (of all ages) who want to take a pleasant trip down memory lane, and learn a few new things while you’re at it.