Adventurous Girl's Handbook

From arts & crafts to sports, camping to ballet, the Adventurous Girl's Handbook has something for every girl itching to try something new. This compilation has vintage illustrations, an old-fashioned look, and excerpts from century-old publications--but most of the material is modern. Some of the long ago authors that were resources for this book include: Di Souza, a master horseman; Ernest Thompson Seton, a founder of the Scouting Movement; and Eloise Roorbach, an early 20th century athlete and outdoor naturalist. Contemporary, up-to-date material written by father-daughter team Stephen and Lara Brennan makes up the majority of the book; in the introduction, they indicate that information was gleaned from a variety of sources, including friends, classmates, and the web. The book is divided into six chapters, each with a variety of fun activities. The first chapter, "Arts & Crafts" teaches clay modeling, sewing, rope knotting, pressed flowers, drawing, painting, and beadwork. "Sports" teaches swimming/lifesaving, boating, soccer, field hockey, horse riding, and more. The "Nature" chapter covers hiking, wild flower identification, mountain climbing, camping, building fires, stargazing, and birding. The "Gotta Dance" chapter provides an introduction to ballet, tap, and the tango. "Lifestyle" is a brief chapter with short biographies of 40 great American women, beauty tips, yoga, a book list, and abbreviations for email and texting. The final chapter, "Other Things an Adventurous Girl Should Know", includes first aid information. Also included are several lighthearted "how to's": how to talk to boys, throw a slumber party, put together an outfit, build a fort out of cushions, etc. Sign language and gardening are also covered here. Simple black and white illustrations appear throughout the book. An appendix in the back lists additional girl friendly resources, with website addresses. ~ Lisa