Reviewed -- Fall 2007

The Girls' Book: How to be the Best at Everything

by Juliana Foster

Scholastic
Ages 9-up
128 pages

Hello girls. It was only a matter of time, wasn't it? Once "Dangerous Boys" hit the shelves, it probably took New York Publishers all of sixty seconds to launch a girl's companion. And lucky us, it looks like we might be deluged with such books for both boys and girls this season.

Still, "Everything" is a good book to read and own. In a refreshingly simple graphical layout, this book uses a question-and-answer format to share information on a wide range of topics, including: How to do a sudoku puzzle, survive in the desert, make an origami frog, annoy people in an elevator, deal with a bully, make a crystal, analyze handwriting, and master math. This, and the companion book for boys, are as useful and interesting a read, as a similar new arrival, "The Daring Book for Girls" and "The Dangerous Book for Boys."

Review by D.