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Parents' Guide to

The Daring Book for Girls

By Carrie Kingsley, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Fun activities, info, and skills for all genders and ages.

Book Andrea J. Buchanan , Miriam Peskowitz Learning 2012
The Daring Book for Girls Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 12+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Amy E.
Amy E. Parent of 9-year-old
August 19, 2023
age 18+

Teaches kids to summon demons

I’ll be honest, this is a fun book. It sparks my kid’s creativity. HOWEVER, while looking up “How to make friendship bracelets” for my 9 year old, I stumbled across “Bloody Mary” and how to summon her. (Page 102) I learned all about this in Public School. Many may think it’s a funny game, but teaching kids to meddle with demons is not ok in my book. I haven’t looked closely to see if there is anything else questionable in here, but that’s enough for me to keep this book away from kids without adult supervision.
MisterMadsen
MisterMadsen Adult
July 23, 2020
age 6+

Recipes for Girl Power

My precouscious 6-almost-7-year-old loves this book. She combs its pages constantly. If this isn't her Bible, it is certainly fuel for her manifesto. Although its audience is much more diverse than its title, this book is great for rough and tough, strong-willed-women in the making. I'm sure Ruth Bader Ginsburg would have pulled this off the library shelf had it been published back when. If you have Dangerous Book for Boys, this would make a great friend on your shelf. I marked it "6 and up," but I'm sure Dads, Moms, Grandparents, Guardians etc would have a great time reading this to any age child. I'm a so-called grownup, and I love it too.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE DARING BOOK FOR GIRLS, readers can choose from an endless array of topics: clubhouses and forts, how to negotiate a salary, pressing flowers, making a lemon-powered clock, queens of the ancient world, first aid, life-changing books, karate, and much more. Not being organized in order of topic or skill level means that by turning the page, the reader can jump from learning how to care for a softball glove to the rules for playing Hearts and Gin, or from silly pranks to the Bill of Rights.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This entertaining book is packed with information and projects for kids to try -- and not just girls. With plenty of illustrations to guide them, more advanced readers can do most of these projects on their own; younger readers might need some adult help working out how to build a peg board game or getting the vinegar-to-baking-soda ratio right for a volcano. Like The Double Dangerous Book for Boys, The Daring Book for Girls offers something for everyone's areas of interest while leaning heavily on bits of nostalgia (roller skating, campfire songs, handclap games, and lemonade stands) that are still a part of childhood.

The list of daring things to try is pretty tame ("dye your hair purple") but the reasoning behind that tameness will resonate ("sometimes the scariest thing is just being a little bit different.").

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what, if anything, in The Daring Book for Girls is only for girls. Why do you think the book is titled this way?

  • Are there any activities in this book that you are scared to try? Why or why not?

  • What other books of daring things have you read?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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