Review: The Daring Book for Girls in Australia
Australian Edition of the Popular Information and Activity Book
Aug 26, 2008
Hot on the heels of the bestselling The Dangerous Book for Boys (HarperCollins, 2006) by Conn and Hal Iggulden came The Daring Book for Girls (Harper Collins, 2007) by Andrea Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz. Both the Daring and Dangerous books aim to inspire children to develop a range of interests.
Such has been the popularity of The Dangerous Book for Boys, that it has been adapted into pocket versions and tailored to suit various audiences internationally with UK, US, New Zealand and Australian versions.The Daring Book for Girls is now following suit, with an Australian edition to be released in October 2008.
Information, Activities and Fun for Girls of All Ages
The appeal of this series of books comes from the focus on old fashioned, no-batteries-required fun. Fans of The Dangerous Book for Boys will be pleased to see the same balance between interesting information and fun outdoor and indoor games and activities.
The Daring Book for Girls features activities traditionally associated with girls, such as cartwheels, how to tie a sari, double dutch rope skipping and how to make friendship bracelets. In contrast it also provides instructions for making paper planes, five basic karate moves, how to build a cubbyhouse or fort and instructions on how to change a tyre.
Games and activities abound with favourite ghost stories and sleepover tips, watercolour painting, writing letters, how to knit and rules for games such as netball, hockey, basketball and ten-pin bowling. More academic interests are also covered with profiles of various historical figures, birdwatching tips, a list of “books that will change your life” and maths tricks.
Interesting Information for Australian Girls
Australian girls will be interested in additions particularly relevant to their homeland, such as information about surfing and surf lifesaving, facts about Australian States and Territories, and star gazing with charts and information specifically for southern skies. The inclusion of instructions on how to play a didgeridoo, a traditional Aboriginal instrument played exclusively by males in some areas but not others, has been labelled by some Aboriginal groups as culturally insensitive. Future reprints will exclude this entry.
Inspiring stories about Australian women are also included in sections on female spies and Olympic firsts for women. Women in Government covers milestones in Australian politics from the decision in South Australia in 1894 to allow women to vote (the second jurisdiction in the world to do so) through to the appointment of Julia Gillard as Australia’s first female deputy Prime Minister.
Three sections on Daring Antipodean Girls share stories about Australian women who have gained prominence in sports, politics, science and the arts.
Encouraging Girls to Experience Life
Stories about modern and historical women who have achieved their dreams and made a difference in the world offer inspiration to young girls who aspire to do the same in the future.
The mingling of boisterous activities, outdoor games, craft and homemaking activities and quiet reflective pursuits offers girls something to suit every mood and personality. Physical activities and games are balanced with facts and information further reinforcing the idea that girls can show an interest in any or all of these areas.
The Daring Book for Girls offers something to interest every girl from the ages of seven onwards, and quite possibly quite a few boys in this age range as well. Parents will find games that they remember from their youth and will no doubt also be fascinated by the collection of interesting trivia and information.
The Daring Book for Girls – Australian Edition (ISBN: 978-0-7322-8793-1, 280 pages)
 |
