Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Great set of skills, games, and info for kids of all ages.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS is a collection of activities, information, skills, and trivia that brings readers into a world that often existed for kids before electronic devices and overscheduled weekends. For rainy indoor days, readers can learn about naval flag codes, Shakespeare, rules of cards, famous battles in world history, how to make crystals, and much more. When it's time to head outside, there's a guide to skipping stones, making a go-cart, studying the stars, fishing, and games of all kinds. Not just for boys or for kids, these topics are for anyone with curiosity or a sense of adventure.
Is It Any Good?
Try to get past the gender stereotyping right away, because this book is highly engaging, and can fill readers' weekends or unscheduled afternoons with all kinds of non-digital fun. The wide range of topics will interest readers who want to sit quietly and learn why ships sail against the wind or important moments in history, and those who want to get outside and be active can build a treehouse or a go-cart, perfect the paper airplane, and many more activities for curious minds. The brief section on girls offers good advice on how to treat people in general.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why some of the topics are less common today than decades ago. Did you know any pen-and-paper games before reading The Dangerous Book for Boys?
Which projects would you like to do first, and why?
Is there anything about this book that makes it just for boys?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Genre : Activity
- Topics : STEM , Adventures , History
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Collins
- Publication date : May 1, 2007
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 270
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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