I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into when I agreed to review The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan for The Parent Bloggers Network. I was intrigued by the title and what daring things awaiting inside. The look of the book itself did not immediately grab me. In fact I didn’t think I would like it; looked too much like an old text book with enough history lessons to bore my daughters.

The book sat on my counter untouched for several weeks but the glittery text on the cover kept catching my eye. There was more to this book than a few history lessons and it was daring me to give it a chance.

I’m glad I did because I love this book. The old fashion look with a touch of glitter pretty much sums up it up. There’s plenty of old fashion values and relevant information that is as interesting to girls of today as it was to the girls of yesterday. It has a girl scout feel to it without the girl scout politics which is a very good thing for me since I’m a girl scout leader dropout.

The Daring Book for Girls covers just about everything a growing girl wants and should know. I wish I had this book when I was growing up. It covers so many things that I can remember wanting to know more about like building a fort, learning the rules of softball so I didn’t look like a stupid girl in gym class, and how to make a stink bomb or short sheet a bed. So much of this book sparked enough nostalgia in me to have great conversations with my daughters about the slumber party games I played when I was their age. The Daring Book for Girls gives the history and instructions for classic slumber party games like Bloody Mary, Truth or Dare, and Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board.

My daughters especially liked the chapter on how to be a spy and the daring girls guide to danger that encourages girls to face their fears.

This is a book that my daughters will reference back to for many years. There are chapters on how to play games and sports, build a campfire and sing campfire songs, how to change a tire and tie a knot, how to negotiate a salary and public speaking and so much more.

It doesn’t matter if your daughter is a girly girl or a tom boy, this book has something for every kind of girl. Moms will love it also because there is bound be something she’ll learn that she has always wanted to know more about. The Finance: Interest, Stocks, and Bonds chapter was that chapter for me.

The Daring Book for Girls is the kind of book you want to hand down or give as a gift. It’s wholesome, a little old fashion, and a bit silly.

You can also visit The Daring Book for Girls website to learn more and download merit badges.