The Daring Book for Girls

Title: The Daring Book for Girls

Author: Miriam Peskowitz

Publisher: William Morrow; 1ST edition

Date: October 2007

Number of pages: 288 pages

Reading level: Young Adult

Genre: Nonfiction- Information

Summary:  Written as a sequel, of sorts, to The Dangerous Book for Boys, The Daring Book for Girls is a compendium of activities and information to help today's girls rediscover that there are ways to have fun besides shopping at the mall, watching Hannah Montana or chatting online with their friends.

There are certain things that every girl should learn in her young life, like how to press flowers, what games to play at a slumber party, and how to put her hair up with a pencil. You know, girl things. But they also need to know things like salary negotiation, self defense with karate, and how to change a tire. By authors Andrea Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz, this wonderful collection of projects, primers, and practical advice is so compelling and fun to read that it keeps the reader actively engaged in the text, so that they don't even want to put it down for a break.

The letters of Abigail Adams, the history of women in the Olympics, making a lemon-powered clock... The book is packed with stimulating knowledge and activities. The authors have wisely designed the book to appeal to a wide range of ages, from 8 to 18..

My reaction: At age 21, I loved it. A lot of the activities and games were directed to that of a younger audience of girls, but I still know that if I were a teenager, I would still love this book. It was fun, taught unique skills and activities that all girls should know, and also brought to light the problem with today's technology. The book was written in a fun fashion to keep girls minds off the cares of today's society, that keep them cooped up inside, on facebook and on their phones. It teaches them to stay interactive and involved in learning.

Potential problems: I didn't see any problems with this book, I LOVED IT!

My recommendation: This is the perfect book to share with a daughter/ granddaughter/that special girl you know who is a young teen. It has just the right mix of articles - informative, fun, and very exciting! I think all young women should own and read this book.