The Daring Book for Girls

When The Parent Bloggers asked me to review this book, I jumped on it. I am all in favor of activities for kids to do that don't involve computers, television, and handheld electronic devices.  I remember spending vast quantities of time when I was younger, doing "things" and "inventing" and "creating".  Many of the activities that I found so enjoyable are represented in this book. 

I loved the very basics of The Daring Book for Girls.  From the turquoise color - thank goodness it's not pink! - to the amazing back cover - "For every girl with an independent spirit and a nose for trouble, here is the no-boys-allowed guide to adventure."  A quote like that is right up my girls alley, what with the two wild boys in my house.  The page entitled "Essential gear" was exactly spot on, listing such necessities as a hair band, safety pins, a pad of paper and a pen,  and a good book - things I've told all of my kids to never be without - and adding patience and a flashlight and a roll of duct tape. 

Every time that I opened this book, I found so many cool things to read that I spent hours and hours reading it, swiping it from my daughters whenever they weren't looking.  The section on First Aid had all of the basics covered - the three P's, the three B's, and the ABC's, as well as what a first aid kit should contain.  An added bonus to this section is the addition of the biographies of famous women in the First Aid field. 

There are "typical" girl subjects covered, such as how to make fudge and lemonade, putting your hair up with a pencil, and jump rope rhymes, and then there are "atypical" topics, such as reading tide charts, The Periodic Table of the Elements, Five Karate Moves (although, this shouldn't surprise me, as there are women in the karate studio I attend), How to change a tire and how to make a quill pen.  There was always a topic to read, and when I'd try to put the book down, I'd find something else interesting to read. 

My ten year old picked the following as her favorites:

Lemon Powered Clock, Five Karate Moves, Friendship Bracelets, Cootie Catchers, Peach Pit Rings

My almost thirteen year old picked as her favorites:

Lemon Powered Clock and Math Tricks, Words to Impress, Yoga Sun Salutation, A Short Story of Women Olympic Firsts, as well as Make Your Own Paper. Seriously.  MAKE your OWN PAPER!  With flowers and everything. How cool!

This is a book that I'd highly recommend for any girl on your shopping list this holiday season.  See what other bloggers are saying about this book here.   

Many, many thanks to the lovely ladies at The Parent Bloggers for allowing us to preview this very special book!

Comments

[Kendra]

I just got this for my neices-complete with many of the tools listed-bandanas, flashlight, note pad, pens, pencils, t-shirts, yarn, popsicle sticks, etc. This was great fun to buy and wrap (I did all of the small things individually). I just wish that I was going to be there for them to open it!