'Dangerous Book' Takes Boys to Fun of Yesteryear

Louis Medina - The Bakersfield Californian

Boys will be boys: They will look for adventure, build and invent, camp out under the stars, and receive much of the inspiration for doing all that and many other things from books.

Even the Internet-Xbox-PlayStation-iPod-Wii 21st century boys?

That's what brothers Conn and Hal Iggulden wanted to ensure when they wrote "The Dangerous Book for Boys," a HarperCollins best-seller that has many parents and educators hoping to get boys to get out and -- dare we say it? -- get some dirt and grease on their clothes and under their fingernails. And also get them to read.

"I want them to find joy in something other than sitting in front of the TV or playing video games," said Thomas Robinson, community relations manager for Barnes & Noble Booksellers on California Avenue.

Himself the father of 11- and 12-year-old boys, Thomas, like his counterparts at Barnes & Noble stores all over the country, is starting a book and activities club called "Live and Learn Dangerously -- with 'The Dangerous Book for Boys.'"

Also called the Dangerous Boys Club, the group is for kids of all ages, but especially boys 8 to 12. The first meeting is Saturday; monthly meetings will continue through at least summer, Robinson said.

The handsomely illustrated bright-red Dangerous Book is filled with fun facts and how-to mentoring from the Igguldens. Their tone is that of big brothers who care but also want to have fun, as can be seen from a description of how to make a simple battery on Page 16:

"Mix vinegar and a little salt together in the bowl. Vinegar is acetic acid and all acids can be used as an electrolyte. Sulfuric acid is found in car batteries, but don't fool around with something that powerful. It eats clothing and can burn skin -- unlike vinegar, which goes on your salad."

How to do coin tricks, build a tree house, decipher Morse and other codes, find where north is using a compass and the stars, and many, many other things every boy should know are explained in the same fun way by the brothers.

Bookseller Ryan Young, 22, has been chosen as the host for the local Dangerous Boys Club. Young is an Eagle Scout, a history major at CSUB, and wants to be a teacher. His face lights up whenever he talks about the book.

"I'm excited that we're bringing a bit of the past to the kids of today," he said. And he can't wait to teach the boys the secret handshake they'll need to begin each meeting, where they'll learn about pirates, spies, famous battles, how U.S. Marines used the Navajo tongue as a secret language in World War II, how to identify insects, create your own dinosaur and more.

Anne Willis, a reading specialist at Harris Elementary School, said the Dangerous Boys Club will make learning new skills fun and challenging. "I think Barnes & Noble is giving boys a wonderful opportunity to get out and experience activities that their fathers and grandfathers enjoyed," she said.

"And I think this book can get boys excited and enthusiastic about reading again and teach them that reading can be fun. It's for pleasure."

----

More book news