A boy book

November 11, 2010

One of the (late-coming) presents we got for Yo-Yo’s birthday was a book called The Dangerous Book For Boys, by Con Iggulden and Hal Iggulden.


He also got walkie-talkies, the Big Shebang Gift, the gift that inspired the jumping up and down happy dance and spontaneous bear hugs. But after a couple days of walking and talking, interest in the battery-powered objects faded a bit and the new book started getting more face time.


The book has rapidly become a prized possession. There’s crafty fun (the kids have made water bombs out of paper and the world’s best paper airplane, and it really is good), directions for games, and tons of useful facts and information, including first aid of which Yo-Yo has already tried out on himself after ripping off a scab on his foot while he was in the shower. (Unfortunately all the blood didn’t stay in the shower.)

“You know how I stopped the blood? he asked. “I pressed down on my leg right above the wound to cut off the flow and it stopped real fast. I learned that in my book, and it worked!”

So now, thanks to this book, when my kids interrupt me on the phone, instead of my standard screening question of Is anyone bleeding or dying? I’ll be able to say, If you’re bleeding, take care of it. If you’re dying, let me know.

The kids got (fresh) inspiration for a treehouse from the book.


For two days now, they’ve been loading up the wagon with old wood, nails, and hammers, and tromping down through the field to the construction site. It entertains them for hours.


It’s fun to watch Yo-Yo. He gets fully engrossed in his work.


He whistles when he’s happy, and while building, he whistles constantly. He only leaves off the pucker flute to pause, take stock of what he’s doing, and make disgusted statements such as, “That board is seven inches off!”


And then the whistling resumes.

It cracks me up, this focus that washes over him when he’s in possession of a hammer and some nails. He’s totally his papa’s son.


(Though Mr. Handsome is not a whistler and I’m sure he’d like me to inform you that he is never ever off seven inches of anything. Ever.)

This same time, years previous: chicken and white bean chili and peanut butter cream pie

fb-share-icon
Tweet

12 Comments

  • adadof7

    February 21, 2020 at 6:40 pm Reply

    I see you used the term"pucker flute". Is this a common expression to you? I thought I just came up with it and searched google for it. You seem to be the only other person in the universe to use this term.

    Thanks in advance

    • Jennifer Jo

      February 21, 2020 at 6:47 pm Reply

      I have no idea! I wrote this a long time ago and have no memory of it. Just something I came up with, I guess? Unless I read it somewhere?

  • Mavis

    November 12, 2010 at 5:01 am Reply

    It's a great book! My son received it last Christmas (or the year before) it's a keeper.

    FYI> I too have found the perfect husband for my daughter and a wife for my son 🙂 If only we could pick them out 🙂

  • You Can Call Me Jane

    November 11, 2010 at 11:35 pm Reply

    Thanks for the run-down of the topics covered. Right now, in the other room, Jamey is teaching Sam how to make invisible ink. Sam's been asking us for days to teach him. This book will be right up his alley.

  • Jennifer Jo

    November 11, 2010 at 2:25 pm Reply

    ThyHand, The book doesn't say, but I'd guess ages 8-14, though the book would be interesting to people much, much older, too.

    Some of the areas covered include: Marbling Paper, Fossils, Timers and Tripwires, Making a Battery, Juggling, Girls, Secret Inks, Sampling Shakespeare, Tanning a Skin, The Origin of Words, and so on.

  • You Can Call Me Jane

    November 11, 2010 at 2:16 pm Reply

    Do you have an age recommendation for the book? Also, I just can't believe how much older Yo Yo is looking these days. That boy is growing up.

Leave a Comment