It’s my turn to host a stop for the Mother Talk Daring Book for Girls book tour. (Before I do I’d like to mention that I was given a free copy of the book as well as an Amazon gift certificate for $20.)
I am really really happy to be writing this post. Let me say right off that I loved the book, and it would make a fabulous Christmas gift for any young girl in your life: your daughter, your niece, your granddaughter, your neighbor. (Here’s a link to Amazon in case you want to pick it up.)
Seriously. Great. Book.
I would even recommend it for big girls who are mothers of little girls. This book serves as a wonderful reminder for modern moms.
First, a bit of back story.
Awhile back there was a book that came out called The Dangerous Book for Boys. I bought it for Mark, actually, who, like most men, has a little boy inside him waiting to jump out at any minute, not unlike a jack-in-the-box. :)
The Dangerous Book is a guidebook to boyhood, a compilation of Things Boys Should Know. And what a collection. It’s a great breath of fresh air in a day and age where many parents won’t let their kids do much of anything that’s “fun” anymore. Chemisty sets? Gone. Lawn Darts? Forget it. YOU COULD POKE YOUR EYE OUT.
The angle here is retro, things that my father probably did as a kid. But you won’t find anything about hacking into someone’s cellphone or setting up a fancy pants MySpace page. There are chapters devoted to things like building a treehouse, making a bow and arrow, skimming stones… things traditionally associated with boyhood, although I think many girls would find interesting as well.
When the book came out, hoo boy, it created a huge hubbub in the blogosphere.
People (erm, mostly women) wondered why was it called a “boys” book, not a “kids” book. Others also wondered why there wasn’t a girl’s version.
That’s where Andrea Buchanan (who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, and I was totally smitten and immensely charmed by) and Miriam Peskowitz come in. They saw the interest and jumped on it.
The Daring Book for Girls is just a great a book as the Dangerous Book for Boys. I read it cover to cover. Some of my favourite chapters (the ones I think are most useful and interesting include):
– How to change a tire
– Make your own Quill Pen
– Math tricks (this hurt my brain, but they’re great)
– Princesses today (who are they, and what do they do?)
– running your own lemonade stand
– how to paddle a canoe
– make a cloth-covered book
– building a campfire
– making peach pit rings
– making a lemon-powered clock
– making daisy chains and ivy crowns
– finance/interest, stocks and bonds
That’s just a smattering. There is so much great stuff in here.
I am still trying to teach myself how to whistle with two fingers. I need much more practice, because all I’m doing right now is drooling all over myself.
The tone of the book is wonderful for young girls who are just beginning to figure out who they are. There’s a sense of personal empowerment throughout, the authors encourage girls to pick up that hammer, jump and climb and explore. Knowledge is power, and I think they manage to communicate that on so many levels.
There’s a chapter on building a scooter. I love this part:
“Rest assured that even with perfectly sized materials, problems will arise. Directions will be misread, a hole mismeasured, an incorrect bolt purchased. The secret to woodwork is to experience the problem and unearth the solution. Measure again. Redrill the hole two inches down. Cut a new piece of wood. If something goes wrong, don’t fret, you’re in good company. Take the problem and solve it.”
Great advice, isn’t it? I think it can apply to many things, for girls of all ages.
I can’t help but wonder how the authors managed to narrow down their list of subjects.
I would have included more science: astronomy, biology. Some self-defense and personal safety knowhow, and what about sewing? Measuring, visualizing, building – this is like carpentry but with different materials, isn’t it? There is a short chapter about knots and stitches, but a more specific application would be helpful too: sewing on a button, or sewing a hem. What about a chapter about health, nutrition and body image? What about a really great recipe for bread? I know, I know, someone is going to shoot me down for being so stereotypical, but I think these are also useful things to know, don’t you?
This Christmas is going to be the most digital one ever. MP3 players and iPods, laptops, portable DVD players, digital cameras and video games are going to be the top gifts under the tree. Not that there’s anything wrong with that… we have our own share of gadgetry, but a piece of me truly believes there’s more to being a kid than racking up a new high score on the Playstation or learning to dress a Barbie.
Anyway, those who read this blog regularly will understand why this kind of book has such great appeal to me and why I like it as much as I do. As a mother, it’s important for me to raise smart, happy, healthy girls who have a positive self-image and the confidence to carry on in this big world of ours. I know it’s a big job … and if I think about it too much it is overwhelming. The best way to go about it is to teach the girls small things that will help them gain confidence in their own skills, whether it’s baking a cake in the Easy Bake Oven, feeding the chickadees, planting a seed, making up songs, exploring caves, or making your own Christmas ornaments.
No one said raising a girl would be easy. I like having this book. Extra reference goes a long way.
