Yes dear readers, I'm going to review this book in two parts. I don't want to write the world's longest post about this pretty good book.

What I found not so much surprising, but refreshing was the amount of feminist history & facts that made it into the book. It wasn't highlighted in feminist pink or under the label "feminist history page 5." Instead it is woven into many of the topics covered without much fanfare and perhaps quite stealthy, especially good considering that not every girl who will unwrap this book at Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice/Kwanzaa has radical parents. I also think this book would be excellent for girls who might be put off with their radical parents. Yes, I'm fully anticipating the backlash.

Examples include:

• Page 10 - In the History of Writing, Buchanan & Peskowitz discuss how Vietnamese is a language that wasn't written until missionaries came to town and that is why the language uses Roman letters instead of "characters like the surrounding Asian countries do." Look Eurocentrism pointed out! Subtle, but just might get a curious grrl to be daring enough to ask questions.
  
• Five pages about princesses. But not story book princesses, real princesses are profiled, who do real work like Sheikha Maitha bint Muhammed al-Maktum who has gold medals in Tae Kwon Do. Wonder who'd win her or Fiona? Oh yeah, she also promotes the right to education for every child in this world.
  
• The first rule of softball is "never to apologize." Hell yeah.
  
• There are a series of biographies on "Queens of the Ancient World." My favorite was of Salome Alexander. "She commanded no stunning ships on the sea. She merely did her best to keep the peace at me and to keep stronger armies at bay."
  
• Building a campfire. Now, not quite the feminist victory at first glance, but if you know how to start a fire in the woods, you'll be pretty darn good at firing up the BBQ grill too. And seriously, after watching the guys spend 20 minutes just lighting the thing, it is awesome to strut over, restack the charcoal, and wa-la! Fire.
• I do advocate for the A-frame way of starting a fire and not the teepee way. Girl Scouts baby!
  
• Two pages on the letters of Abigail Adams. 'nuff said. Also a mention of Mary Wollstonecraft.
  
• How to Negotiate a Salary. Another one, 'nuff said.
  
• Public Speaking: A daring girl without the ability to speak in front of a crowd is a silent daring girl. Speak up girls! In class and outside. In Quick tips, "Biggest asset: Self-confidence. Act as though you have a right to be there - because you do."

And yes, there are some things in the book where a hard-core radical feminist will call foul with including that it is daring to wear high heels, but overall, I think this book can be quite empowering. It gives some great lessons without hitting girls over the head or talking to them in their language (Feminists are like, so cool!).

Daring or dangerous, this book is a must for the young girl in your life. Yes, they might roll their eyes at the make your own scooter section, but you might also find yourself monitoring her lemonade stand, helping her calculate her profit margin (p. 162) and then picking out stocks (p. 226) with that cash.

If you need more of this book, listen to an interview on the 14th. Call in too!

Disclaimer: I did receive this book for free in exchange for a review via MotherTalk.com.

Technorati tags: Daring Book for Girls, book review, feminism, daring, Mother Talk, Andrea J. Buchanan, Miriam+Peskowitz

Labels: Books, feminism