The Daring Book for Girls
Miriam Peskowitz

When I was a child, I found a book of games on my great grandmother’s shelf. The author wrote it for her goddaughter in 1924, and it is full of things she and her 13 neighboring cousins played. I only had two cousins nearby, but we spent many a rainy day flipping back and forth through the book, scheming about what we would play when the clouds finally cleared.

The Daring Book for Girls is just such a book, updated for the modern girl. Filled with stories, facts, games, and activities, nearly any girl can find something to catch her fancy. The mechanical gal among us might use it to build a scooter. Someone on their way to camp might take it in the car to read up on female explorers, and then turn the page to figure out how to paddle the camp canoe. And just about any girl would want to know how to levitate a pal at a slumber party!

But don’t take my word for it. Here’s what a real, live girl has to say:

“This is the kind of book that you read while you are trying to do something new. I like the cool science experiments like the lemon-powered clock. My sister and I liked the jump rope songs and we learned new hand-clapping games. I also learned how to tie a bandana, how to run a lemonade stand, and how to make a sit-upon when we go camping.” (Eden, age nine)

Unlike reprinted ‘remember when’ books, author Miriam Peskowitz keeps things current by including items no vintage writer would have even considered for girls: science facts, sports how to’s, financial information, and things involving tools and pocketknives are peppered throughout the guide. The author also includes stories about women of color—like the espionage adventures of singer Josephine Baker, or the surprise discovery of Sara Culberson, a modern-day tribal princess of Sierra Leone. Other multi-cultural nods include the stories of ancient queens from around the world, how to tie a sari, and illustrations which include children of various skin colors. And The Daring Book for Girls sounds even better in Spanish: El Libro Aventurado para las Chicas!

One more added bonus…you can pick up a beautiful hard-bound copy for under twenty bucks!

This is just the kind of book a favored aunt would give her spunky niece. And aren’t you lucky—it’s here just in time to give a girl you love the gift of adventure this holiday season! (Click here to buy in English or in Spanish.)

This review is sponsored by MotherTalk. The reviewer did not recieve compensation for this review.

Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports
James Patterson

It’s the near distant future and the fate of humanity is in the hands of ….a bunch of kids with wings???? In this fast-paced ‘tween thriller human/bird hybrids escape from a group of mad scientists in order to save themselves – and half the world’s population – from extinction.

Best selling author James Peterson, best known for his upcoming book-turned-tv-series The Women’s Murder Club, into the youth market with the first in this series, Maximum Ride – School’s Out, Forever. Now with a website driven pre-teen following Peterson is rounding out the series while simultaneously prepping the whole thing for Hollywood.

Maximum Ride has been pitched as “what to read after Harry Potter,” but it doesn’t have the fantasy charm of Harry, nor is Patterson as skilled at writing to, but not down to young readers. This fast, fun book would be more accurately pitched as “Buffy meets the Transformers,” with a teenage heroine “Max” Ride taking the lead over a gang of six specially gifted child heroes. Kids 8-13 who like sci-fi and high tech thrillers will enjoy this book which includes everything that age group loves – teenage rebellion, a bit of kissing, and grown-ups who take the backseat to their brilliant, misunderstood children. Techy kids will especially enjoy the accompanying website which features a blog from Fang, one of the book’s main characters, along with pretty spiffy CG movie clips and lots of advance info on the series finale and the upcoming movies. (It’s brilliant marketing, to say the least. Maybe a mad scientist is working for the publisher…?)

Got a kid who would like this read? Maybe a reading-reluctant pre-teen boy you’re trying to entice into some summer reading? Tuck your email into the comments and one lucky reader will get to join Max and her gang on thrill seeking ride.

This review is sponsored by MotherTalk, but the reviewer has forgone any compensation for the review.