boboekat
Girls just
wanna have
fun
A new book helps
girls rediscover
no-tech adventures
in a high-tech world
By Stephanie E. Ponder
IT’S EASY TO MUSE about
how kids have changed
since we were children. Kids
today are part of the first
generation to grow up in
an age of MP3 players, cell
phones, video games and Andrea
countless other gadgets. For Buchanan
two Philadelphia-based
authors, Andrea Buchanan
and Miriam Peskowitz, the
question isn’t how to get
back to a more idyllic time,
but instead how to lure
kids—particularly girls—
away from those high-tech Miriam
objects. Their answer: The Peskowitz
Daring Book for Girls.
The two friends—both of whom are classically trained musicians, have written books
on motherhood and have preteen daughters—had read The Dangerous Book for Boys
and wondered why there wasn’t such a volume
for girls. The Dangerous Book for Boys, which
was a huge success in the UK before being
released here earlier this year, is part mini-encyclopedia and part handbook. It offers
chapters on building a workbench, making
cloth fireproof and understanding grammar.
For Buchanan and Peskowitz, writing
a palatable girls’ version required finding
the right tone. “We didn’t want it to be too
girly, like it was from Victorian England,” says
Peskowitz. “We wanted it to reflect the whole
range of what girls do now.”
From its inception, Buchanan and
Peskowitz knew that The Daring Book for Girls
wouldn’t be just a bit of nostalgia wrapped in
a pretty cover. Yes, kids and the world have
changed, but certainly not all for the worst.
Both authors marvel at the positive changes
in the world—especially those relating to girls.
For example, while working on the chapter
about basketball, they realized that the Women’s
National Basketball Association has been
around for 10 years—having been formed
two decades after the authors
were school-age girls in the 1970s.
“What was really amazing is the feeling
that we get to not just comment on but, a
little bit, influence the shaping of contemporary girls’ world right now,” Buchanan tells
The Connection.
Peskowitz adds, “We hope girls will feel
that the world is a big place where they can
have fun.”
They began compiling ideas for the
contents by watching their girls—what they
do and how they play with their friends. They
also heard from many peers about games
and activities they loved when they were
growing up.
Buchanan says, “We wanted to include
things that we knew our daughters would
enjoy and that we were interested in as kids.”
While the marketing materials say the
book is ideal for readers from 8 to 80 years old,
the authors agree that 8 to 14 is the target age
range. They also make it clear that th ey didn’t
write for the youngest readers—a f act
that’s apparent with chapters
such as “Bill of Rights,” “Modern
Women Leaders” and “How to
Negotiate a Salary.”
Signed book
giveaway
COSTCO HAS 50 SIGNED copies of
The Daring Book for Girls by An drea
Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz to
give away. To enter, print your name,
membership number, address and
daytime phone number on a postcard or
letter and send it to: Daring Girls,
The Costco Connection, P.O. Box 34088,
Seattle, WA 98124-1088. Or send an
e-mail to giveaway@costco.com, with
“Daring Girls” in the subject line.
ISTOCK
The Costco Connection
The Daring Book for Girls and The Dangerous
Book for Boys are available in most Costco
warehouses and at costco.com.
But that’s not to say The Daring Book for
Girls is overly serious. It offers instruction on
playing hand-clap games, setting up a lemonade stand and making a tree swing.
Another element of fun is the book’s random order. In the same way that a girl’s day
might include reading, going outside to play,
doing homework and having a conversation
with someone, the chapters easily flow from
double-dutch jump rope to female pirates to
making a sit-upon, all in the space of fewer
than 20 pages. Even so, those chapters are buff-
e red with others dedicated to educa-
t ional and action-oriented topics.
“ I think we wanted it to reflect
t he way most of us live life,”
s ays Peskowitz. “We didn’t want
i t to feel that there was pressure
a ttached. This is not a textbook;
i t’s about having fun.” C
No purchase is necessary.
O pen to legal residents of the
U .S. (except Puerto Rico) who are age 18
o r older at the time of entry and who are current
Costco members. One entry per household.
Entries must be received or postmarked by
December 3, 2007. Winners will be randomly
selected and notified by mail on or before January
3, 2008. The value of the prize is $24.95. Void
where prohibited. Winners are responsible for
all applicable federal, state and local taxes. Odds
of winning depend on the number of eligible
entries received. Employees of Costco or
HarperCollins and their families are not eligible.