Boys and Books - A Dangerous Combination
December 6th 2006 19:37
Boys and books. Not always a happy match. Persuading some boys to pick up a book is much like walking into that proverbial brick wall. You get nowhere! But I believe it could just be a matter of which book you hand them, that could make all the difference. And I’ve come across a beauty. It’s called The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden.
This book is a treasure trove of bits and pieces of information that will keep a male of any age engrossed. It has between its covers pretty well everything that could be considered important (if not down-right essential) to a young, growing boy. So what better way to get him to open a book! I’m not talking about computer games and movies here … I’m talking the important stuff like building treehouses, making invisible ink, playing marbles and building a go-cart. Yes, I believe boys still want to do those things. All they need is the manual!
One of the first facts the Iggulden brothers impart is that “Boyhood is all about curiosity…” and I couldn’t agree more. I was raised with three older brothers and have raised two sons of my own, and this observation comes as close to the truth as anything could. Curiosity drives them to do some of the most amazing things. For instance, who else but a boy cares about making timers, batteries, and tripwires? Or making cloth fireproof and skimming stones across a body of water? These things used to take up the better part of my brother’s summer holidays (much to my amazement), and both my sons spent many a weekend slapping pieces of pilfered wood into a cubby house.
The book itself is a nice chunky, hardcover, turn-of-the-century looking thing, whose cover evokes ‘for your eyes only’ secrets. Something no self respecting boy could ignore. Opened anywhere and there is information to be got. Pirates, battles, poems, knots, sport … they seem to have it all covered, and not just for boys. I could have easily sat up most of the night learning things. Like – Where does cork come from? Now I know.
I found this book on Maggie Ball’s Compulsive Reader site and after reading her review, I knew I had the perfect present for my older son this Christmas. He is a book fanatic and has just become father of twin boys! Isn’t he going to have fun! The book will no doubt be dog-eared and page worn before they’re 5 years old.
The Dangerous Book for Boys takes away any excuse you can come up with for not giving a book to a boy. In fact, every boy should have a book like this. Because, if you can get him hooked on something like Dangerous Book, it’s only a matter of time before his natural inquisitiveness has him peering into other books.
Presto! We have a reader.
Image: harpercollins.com
One of the first facts the Iggulden brothers impart is that “Boyhood is all about curiosity…” and I couldn’t agree more. I was raised with three older brothers and have raised two sons of my own, and this observation comes as close to the truth as anything could. Curiosity drives them to do some of the most amazing things. For instance, who else but a boy cares about making timers, batteries, and tripwires? Or making cloth fireproof and skimming stones across a body of water? These things used to take up the better part of my brother’s summer holidays (much to my amazement), and both my sons spent many a weekend slapping pieces of pilfered wood into a cubby house.
The book itself is a nice chunky, hardcover, turn-of-the-century looking thing, whose cover evokes ‘for your eyes only’ secrets. Something no self respecting boy could ignore. Opened anywhere and there is information to be got. Pirates, battles, poems, knots, sport … they seem to have it all covered, and not just for boys. I could have easily sat up most of the night learning things. Like – Where does cork come from? Now I know.
I found this book on Maggie Ball’s Compulsive Reader site and after reading her review, I knew I had the perfect present for my older son this Christmas. He is a book fanatic and has just become father of twin boys! Isn’t he going to have fun! The book will no doubt be dog-eared and page worn before they’re 5 years old.
The Dangerous Book for Boys takes away any excuse you can come up with for not giving a book to a boy. In fact, every boy should have a book like this. Because, if you can get him hooked on something like Dangerous Book, it’s only a matter of time before his natural inquisitiveness has him peering into other books.
Presto! We have a reader.
| 77 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
Comment by Little Angry Doll
Falling Haiku Leaf
Inner West Life
Comment by Joanne
Open Book
Have a great Christmas and Happy New Year!