Book Tour Time: THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS by Conn and Hal Iggulden
When I was expecting for the first time--I wanted a girl. Why? Knowing what I do now (and wouldn't admit then)--boys are just as adorable. Just as cute. Just as snuggly. And, if I didn't know any better, loved their mom's almost more than life itself (as my son. Just today he told me I was his bestest friend in the whole world and he'd never stop loving me no matter where he is).But what I really didn't know then--and what scared me silly--was that I didn't know the world of the elusive boy. And even though I am now grown and married and had a son--I still can't say that the male species is any less elusive. Whether it is the cooties they inevitably spread to us girls, or the way the shatter (and then mend) our hearts. It's just a given, we'll never quite understand the male species. Even after you give birth to one.
Which brings me to the real review--The Dangerous Book For Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden. I've had the fortunate experience to work with the folks at MotherTalk to review a handful of their books. An open call is asked on the blog, and we volunteer our time to read and review all for the "payment" of a book. And this little review is no different. But why I chose this book is a bit of a first for me.
I wanted an IN. You know, the secret to what makes boys tick. What makes a boy a boy. A man a man. Why most would rather spend time holed up in a tree house/office/garage/room and learn about life instead of socializing with the rest of the world. Why a good kick in the leg and punch in the arm can make life more tolerable. Or why a pat on the ass from a teammate is as meaningful at age twenty-three as a hug from a mother at age three for boosting self-esteem. Did the Igguldens reveal the secret?
Well... not really all of them. But they did offer a sneak peak into the mind of what interest the boys in my life. But don't let that discourage your from picking up the book on your own. Because this book had another little treasure I didn't expect.
I started remembering my own childhood.
Sure, it's no secret that I'm a girl. But what is a bit of a secret is that I didn't have any brothers (only a sister). Which means my Dad... well he didn't have any boys to share all these secrets with. So you know what he did? You guessed it. Shared some of these activities with his daughters. We learned how to tell the age of a tree. How to fish for Brooke Trout, Salmon, Pike, and Walleye. We also stared for hours at the various cloud formations, learned to tell the difference between types of trees by their leaves and bark. Followed animal droppings on trails in the forest on camping trips... and well, dipped just one ity bity foot into the world of boys. The Dangerous World of Boys.
And the more I leafed through the book, read chapters here and there, found another tidbit I didn't know... or just that moment remembered, I realized what my Dad gave me. A sense of what it means to be a boy. Or in some cases a grown boy (because we never grow up. Not really). That is the one thing I want you to take away from this review... this book can do the very same thing for you. It will bring back the memories of your childhood. Or give you memories and factoids to share with your own kids.
Not to mention HOURS upon HOURS of activities that can keep even my husband, kiddo, and myself busy til the end of time! I mean who knew in one little book, you could find out about:
- Tying knots (and honestly, this is a constant question around here with a 4 year old, string, and various super hero weapons all over the floor. Oh and my son's fascination with sticks).
- Bugs and Dinosaurs. Information on the very basics (and then some) for any question that the little dude asks now. And will definitely want to know later when he wants a pet tarantula.
- Building Go Carts and Tree houses. This is the husband's department. I'm just a bystander for those activities.
- Rules and regulations for stick ball (which from the look around the new neighborhood might be a new favorite past time) and soccer.
- How to make secret ink (I think this is in my plans for tomorrow), batteries, little lights, magnets... oh well, every little thing you can think of.
- The greatest battles of all times.
- The greatest heroes of all time (well maybe not exactly that way.. but some famous people you should know)
- stuff about the English language. And God knows, even as a writer, I need all the help I can get with all of that myself.
- Information on all 50 states
- Pirate flags (even this fascinated me!)
- Fossils
- And even skipping rocks
Anyway, please take a look for yourself. It's fabulous. And a reference I'll be pulling off the shelf for years to come (you know, so I don't make the kiddo look bad in front of all his boy friends). Oh, and don't forget--check out all the virtual goods on this book. It's all fabulous. And clearly on the up and up for buzzing a book online.
- The Fantabulous website
- Totally wicked video trailers
- A cool publisher contest to win free books and badges
- Damn cool interview and appearance on The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
- The Amazon link with a snazzy (and insightful) interview
Let's rally around our childhood... join the boy's club (even if just spiritually) and check this book out. Honestly, it is a blast from the past. And a much needed reminder that I can be a pretty darn good mom to my son. Oh, and thanks Dad! You really did teach me more than you knew!
