Het boek voor meisjes met lef

by Caroline Paul

Als Lena Dunham en Pippi Langkous samen een boek zouden schrijven, zou het 'Het boek voor meisjes met lef' zijn. Dit boek stimuleert een nieuwe generatie meisjes om hun angsten te overwinnen, uitdagingen aan te gaan en een leven na te streven vol zelfvertrouwen en plezier.
Caroline Paul stimuleert hen grenzen op te zoeken en er dan, met beleid, overheen te gaan. In dit boek laat ze zien hoe je het leven stoer tegemoet kunt treden aan de hand van leuke illustraties, ervaringsavonturen en moderne heldinnen, onder wie het Nederlandse zeilmeisje Laura Dekker.

Het boek voor meisjes met lef is een avonturengids compleet met instructies, inspiratie, verhalen, journaalvragen, planningsmiddelen, moderne heldinnen en meer.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Memoir, Childrens, Parenting, Womens, Self Help

175 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

Caroline Paul is an American writer of fiction and nonfiction. Trained as a journalist and documentary filmmaker at Stanford University, she instead pursued a career as a firefighter, as one of the first women hired by the San Francisco Fire department. She worked most of her career on Rescue 2, where she and her crew were responsible for search and rescue in fires. Rescue 2 members were also trained and sent on scuba dive searches, rope and rapelling rescues, surf rescues, confined space rescues, all hazardous material calls, and the most severe train and car wrecks.

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[adelina gabriela]

save this for your kiddo

[Helen Marquis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for young impressionable female minds about how to take smart risks, be strong and adventurous and push yourself beyond your comfort zones. Whether it's about not taking no for an answer, when dealing with the #everydaysexism of the Olympic Skeleton Bob president and his "NO GIRLS" policy, to breaking the mold and becoming a female firefighter, this book should inspire the younger generation that they can be anything they want to be.
Interspersed with the tales of derring-do from the author are loads of awesome quotes from female heroines that the average teenager may only be vaguely aware of - these aren't bland reality celebrities, famous for being famous, these are Olympians, round-the-world sailors - women who have genuinely achieved greatness and who are far more inspirational than the modern day's crop of media celebrities. It made me wish that the Daily Mail used its popularity for good, focusing on these women as role models, and putting them up on gilded plinths to be adored and emulated, rather than the likes of the Kardashians.
While not all the tales in here are advisable to copy (such as climbing the Golden Gate Bridge), there is much to be inspired by. I recently reviewed a book about Thoreau for Kids, which I felt was too old and staid in its activities for kids - this book really gets it right in this respect, keeping it fun and inspirational and making you want to go out and live a great life. Highly recommended.

[Grace Ellen Hanna]

Was gifted to me by a friend.. feels weird to rate a children’s book, but this was really cute. We should all go on more adventures!

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! It was such a fun book with awesome stories. I read the premise of this book and thought it would be a great book to read with Mya. Mya sometimes has fears and anxieties that seem to keep her from being adventurous and I love how this book discusses that and then tries to help you through out. Great book- highly recommend as a mother/daughter read.

"I've worked too hard and too long to let anything stand in the way of my goals, I will not let my teammates down and I will not let myself down." Mia Hamm

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit is echt een leuk boek! Caroline vertelt in korte hoofdstukken wat voor avonturen ze heeft meegemaakt - van avonturentochten op zee en door bergen, haar belevenissen met skeleton en rodelen tot bijna doodgaan tijdens haar werk als brandweervrouw. Voor mij was het een perfect boek voor tussendoor, het leest lekker snel door de korte stukjes en is heel vermakelijk en spannend tegelijkertijd.

Kern van het verhaal; 'ga voor de uitdaging, niet voor het resultaat.' Tof, beetje feministisch en ook goed voor wat jongere lezers. Er zitten namelijk opdrachten in die je zelf kunnen maken en tips en tricks over de grappigste dingen als je op een écht avontuur wilt - dierensporen herkennen, water zoeken in het bos als er geen water is & jezelf een sterke zelfverzekerde houding aanmeten. Awesome, ook als je niet zo'n avonturier bent zitten er lessen in de verhalen van Caroline. Begin met kleine dingen en uit je comfortzone stappen is het begin van ieder groot of klein avontuur.

[Kate McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stole a read off of this book on its way to my niece as a birthday gift, careful not to crease the binding or dog-ear a page. Shhhhhh. At seven, my niece may be on the young side for this book, but I can imagine her reading it with her gutsy mom and really enjoying it. Plus the book is full of tips and tricks and writing activities that she may go back to. This book is amazing in part because its author, Caroline Paul, is a completely inspiring adventurer, and I get the impression that the adventure stories told here are just a start. I like how she relates each of the 10 adventures to some practical application with variations so they’re accessible to diverse readers. She also delivers all of this with tons of encouragement and zero condescension. Kudos for making a book that is empowering for gutsy girls of all ages and gutsiness levels.

[Krystle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think tween/teen me would have loved this. Caroline Paul shares adventurous stories including mountain and bridge climbing, white water rafting, and being a firefighter. There's tips & journaling prompts that would especially be fun for a nature loving girl. There's lots inspiring quotes & girl hero blurbs throughout each chapter, which I liked, but I wish they had been confined to the beginning & end of each chapter because they were distracting when placed in the middle of the chapter.

There were a couple of stories where the author was behaving more recklessly than she should have been, but I think she does a good job at promoting being prepared through the book. I might make a few notes in the margins for any girls that I may gift this to for those particular stories.

Overall, this would be inspiring for any young girl. It tells stories of girl heroes who have set records, accomplished goals, and who are truly inspiring. Caroline Paul also touches on some of the troubles that a girl may experience in male dominated sports and jobs, which is something that unfortunately girls may need to confront.

[Celine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Door mijn interesse in feminisme die onlangs is op komen dagen wilde ik dolgraag meer boeken lezen die iets te maken hadden met feminisme. Ik dacht dat dit boek perfect in het rijtje met feministische boeken paste, dus ik begon er enthousiast aan.

Note to self: Dit is geen feministisch boek.

Nou ja, niet per se. In plaats van feministisch zou ik dit boek eerder omschrijven als een boek met girlpower. De auteur vertelt in een aantal korte verhalen avonturen die ze heeft meegemaakt met tussendoor korte stukjes met informatie over andere vrouwen die iets avontuurlijks hebben meegemaakt. Denk aan rotsen beklimmen of in een kano over een oceaan varen.

Dus ik was natuurlijk teleurgesteld. Daar ging het boek met informatie over coole vrouwen. In plaats daarvan zat ik met een half dagboek opgescheept. Toen ik over mijn teleurstelling heen was, bleek het boek niet heel verkeerd te zijn. Het was misschien niet per se feministisch, maar het was inspirerend. Nu heb ik om eerlijk te zijn best wel veel zin om op avontuur te gaan!

[Britt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit boek heb ik gekregen in mijn goodiebag van YALfestNL. In eerste instantie was ik er niet heel enthousiast van. Ik lees nou eenmaal meer in het Engels en vaak ook fictie.
Ik was dus aangenaam verrast toen ik dit boek oppakte met het doel het voor het einde van 2019 uit te lezen en de beschreven avonturen van Caroline Paul begon te lezen.
Het boek bestaat uit 10 hoofdstukken waarin Paul één van haar avonturen beschrijft, samen met quotes en korte biografieën van Meisjes of Dames met Lef. De quotes en beschrijvingen vond ik erg inspirerend en Paul's avonturen ook. Verder staan er nog tips in voor je eigen toekomstige avonturen.
Alhoewel het boek meer gericht is op jongere meiden, ben ik net zo geïnspireerd als dat Paul hopelijk voor ogen had.

[Alicia Endicott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to find a book to send to two of my nieces who love to read and who are really close to becoming teenagers. I read it before sending a copy to them and realized that it really is a good book for girls of all ages.

It reminded me of the fearlessness I had when I was a kid and shined a light on how time and experience has broken down that fearlessness and replaced it with calculated cautiousness -which tends to stifle my creativity.

We could all stand to reconnect with our childhood curiosity and dream a little more and take more risks (adventures).

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sounded a bit like humble bragging to me, but a fun read. Maybe I should have been introduced earlier in life to a woman grabbing life by the balls. Her adventures are definitely not the norm for me but great to read about women ( many little sidebars of various women adventurers) taking a bite out of life!!! Since the book is geared toward a younger reader, I wonder what I would have thought about her adventures if I read this as a kid.

[CreativelyRed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories were fun and facts interesting. It's definitely for kids/girls but enjoyed it non-the-less.

[Dominika★]

Dla dzieci git dla mnie niezbyt, więc nie będę oceniać.

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Activitatea mea favorită e să merg acolo unde nu am fost niciodată. "

[Ardys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book. When I checked it out of the library I thought it was her new one which I intend to read. Good girl power reminders in this one.

[MsArdychan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very happy when the publisher, Bloomsbury, contacted me to obtain a copy of the book for review. Since my blog is only about a year old, I was very flattered. The Gutsy Girl, is a non-fiction book written for middle grade girls by author Caroline Paul. The illustrations, by Wendy MacNaughton, are a hugely important feature of the book. They are creative and captivating, setting the tone for this inspirational book.

The adventures that the author chronicles in this book are amazing (as in, "I am amazed that Caroline Paul is alive to recount this!"). This person is a serious adrenaline junkie. She climbs mountains, does hang-gliding, and was a San Francisco fire fighter! It seems as though she is invincible. But as I read this, I came to understand that the author is very human.

She has loads of practical advice on planning adventures, goal setting, and risk-taking. With chapters such as, "Aim High! But, Sometimes, Not Too High", Caroline shows the very real obstacles she faces. There are many mistakes, missteps, and mishaps on her journey to continue to be a gusty person. Many times her adventures go horribly wrong, but she still values these experiences for what they taught her.

As a parent, I did cringe when she described doing some highly illegal exploring of the Golden Gate Bridge. Although she did insert many disclaimers, I do wonder if some young readers will try to do similarly dangerous stunts.

But that is a small criticism. I would definitely give this book to girls aged 9 and up. I think the illustrations are engaging, and the stories show a life of adventure is possible for anyone.

[Yolanda Sfetsos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a surprise copy of this book, and the first thing I noticed was how cool it is. It looks more like a notebook than your average novel.

As soon as you get started, you get the feeling that this book is going to be unique. It might begin as a personal story about the first time the author decided to embark on a daring adventure--because she wanted to have fun, instead of letting fear hold her back--but soon becomes a lot more.

There are Girl Heroes featured throughout the book. And She said... quotes from women who achieved or inspired to achieve. Then there's the How To diagrams, and the Journal This! pages for you to actually write whatever you want for each prompt. Not to mention the Derring-Do sections full of encouragement.

Combine all of the different features, plus some very cool illustrations, and you have an awesome handbook for all young feminists who aren't sure whether to pursue their choice of adventure/s.

The Gutsy Girl is a very cool non-fiction book that inspires and empowers young girls because it encourages them to chase their dreams. It also helps them realise that as girls--and women--we don't have to settle for anything less than what we want.

Personally, I think this should be required reading in primary school.

(My daughter helped write this review.)

[Shae]

Oh my lands, that was so much fun! Little Me would have eaten this book up. I know this because Adult Me ate it up, too! The writing is breezy and fun, just the right level for a middle school girl without sounding patronizing or condescending. (No head pats here!) Tales of Caroline Paul's real-life adventures are paired with practical tips for how the reader can bring adventure into her own life, barring access to burning buildings, cliff faces, or white water rapids. One aspect I really appreciated was Paul's willingness to talk about the mistakes she made while adventuring. It shows a trust in the readers that they will appreciate and also provides valuable lessons. I, for one, will stay far from cumulonimbus clouds should I ever attempt to paraglide. Another aspect I appreciated were the sidebars highlighting past and present female adventurers of all ages and backgrounds. It's one thing to hear about a super-cool writer who's nothing like you doing super-cool things, but to see that others--some of whom are still only kids!--have also gone on to do amazing things? That's inspiring.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is split into ten chapters, each of which follow the author on one of her adventures. Some examples include her experience paragliding, kayaking through Croatia, and running into a burning building (as a firefighter). I enjoyed all of her stories, and I think young girls would have fun reading about her crazy adventures. On each page, there is some kind of quote or blurb about a "Gutsy Girl" who made history by doing something extraordinary. At the end of each chapter, there is a writing prompt that somehow relates to the moral of the chapter and space to journal. There are also practical survival tips scattered throughout the book, as well as cute maps/checklists/etc to inspire adventure.

I can definitely think of a few girls I know who I'd like to purchase this book for. I think it would be a fun way to get them reading, not to mention inspire them to push themselves a little further every day.

I received an ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first glance, this appears to be one of those "Be brave you can do anything" books for young girls. And possibly the author thought this was her message.

But after a few adventure-light chapters, she was illegally climbing the cables of the Golden Gate Bridge in the middle of the night (I think I would also do it if given a chance) or getting dangerously close to being sucked into a thunder cloud while paragliding in Brazil. I'm all for Girl Power and doing some high adventure stuff, but the escapades in this book made me think twice and gave me the feeling that the author just needed a place to write down all her incidents of endangerment. (But kudos to her!)

There were some positive journaling prompts at the end of each chapter that are applicable for evaluation and goal planning and some cute infographics for knot-tying and adventure preparedness. Overall, fun to read.

[Ani J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book SOOOO much!! I loved hearing Caroline Paul's tales of adventure, and daring acts. This book is a book that has a ton of short stories, and all of them are entertaining and fun. I personally loved all of them, but I really loved the HMS Homogenized. This is a story about when Caroline was in her early teens, and decided to sail a boat down the local river that was kept afloat by milk cartons! I also love this book because it includes nifty things to have, know, and do on an adventure. This book really inspired me to go out and adventure outside, and to try new things, even if they may be scary. I would recommend this book for all ages. I think anybody would really enjoy it, and be inspired to go gutsy!!

[Roberta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book via a Goodreads Giveaway. The main audience for this book is young girls and having said that I enjoyed reading this book a lot.

The book contains inspirational quotes, info on adventurous women, journal entries for your adventures, and Caroline Paul's own adventures.

The book deals with sexism, travel, fear, belonging and many other things girls go through (and adults).

It's a very feminist book and a great gift for a Gutsy Girl to start her off in her own adventure.

[Zara Boss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is filled with epic adventure and dangerous acts of excitement. A perfect fit for girls of all ages who long for adventure. This action packed book also has fun charts and illustrations, and even space for an adventure journal of your own! I highly recommend this fast-paced book to anyone with an optimistic mind, and adventurous determination!

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this and found myself wishing I could give this book to a 9-year-old me. Such a great independent spirit to the whole thing with lots of room for reflection and journaling within the pages of the book. I really appreciate that it's less typical hero writing (she doesn't always accomplish her objective) but the more human version of "we do our best, and that's enough."

[Meg]

Stories and lessons on fear, adventure, and planning for the younger girls. Fun, cautionary, full of quotes and examples of badass and normal girls and women getting stuff done and being awesome.

[Eloise Vanbrabant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a joy to read. It made me laugh out loud so many times and I think the author is very inspiring. She shows that you can have such epic adventures no matter your age or gender!

[Angelica Moranelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questo libro è un’iniezione di positività, fantasia e coraggio. E vi farà venire voglia di vivere incredibili avventure, soprattutto, anche se non siete più dei ragazzini. Leggendolo, mi sono resa conto di che mondo meraviglioso è quello dell’infanzia: un momento in cui tutto è (e deve essere) possibile, anche sognare di navigare su una zattera costruita con scatole del latte!
La cosa più incredibile è che tutte le epiche avventure di cui Caroline Paul ci parla sono tratte dalla sua vita! L’autrice si raccomanda, all’inizio, di non ripetere le sue “bravate”, alcune davvero pericolose, ma, strizzando l’occhio, dice anche che un’avventura per definirsi tale deve avere anche degli imprevisti.

A tutte le bambine coraggiose
che si sono sentire dire:
“Non puoi, non devi, non fa per te…”
e se ne sono infischiate.
Grazie.

L’autrice racconta, così, i tentativi fatti da ragazzina, ma anche da adulta, gli imprevisti, appunto, le sconfitte che conducono alla vittoria: tutti gli elementi di una vera avventura. Una zattera costruita con i cartoni del latte è lo spunto per parlare di Laura Dekker, la più giovane circumnavigatrice in solitaria del globo, o per inserire una citazione di Amelia Earth, la prima aviatrice ad attraversare il Pacifico, ma anche per imparare qualcosa di nuovo, ad esempio come costruire una barca con i cartoni del latte seguendo la scheda e le istruzioni dell’autrice o come eseguire alcuni nodi base.

La scalata del Golden Gate di San Francisco (un’idea, questa sì, talmente pericolosa e folle da essere assolutamente affascinante) è l’occasione per conoscere Marie Antoine, botanica che lavora sulla cima degli alberi più alti del mondo, le sequoie, o Ashima Shiraishi che a soli tredici anni affrontò l’arrampicata del Golden Shadow, in Sud Africa: la disciplina è quella del Bouldering e consiste nell’arrampicarsi su enormi massi.

Questo bellissimo libro si legge d’un fiato e fa venire voglia di pilotare aerei, scalare montagne e avventurarsi alla ricerca di tesori: consiglio alle mamme e ai papà di comprarlo per le loro figlie (e in realtà credo sia una lettura meravigliosa anche per i maschietti, per imparare fin da subito che ciò che piace a loro piace anche alle bambine e viceversa!) e di sperimentare con loro la meraviglia “dell’avventura”, perché l’infanzia è momento giusto per sognare, prepararsi alla scoperta, a sfidare i propri limiti e il mondo, ed è anche quel periodo in cui gli adulti dovrebbero sostenere i bambini coraggiosi che vogliono vivere di avventure.

Il titolo inglese descrive perfettamente quello che contiene questo “Manuale delle Avventure”: La ragazza scapestrata. Bravate per una vita di epiche avventure. State attenti alle bravate, insomma, ma non troppo!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this biography(?), I would really recommend this book. The stories Caroline Paul tells about her adventures to become a gutsy girl (and woman) are interesting and extremely motivating for someone who wants to get outside more, or for the person who wants to become braver. The stories are full of adventure and contain tons of anticipation for the reader. (Like finding out if Caroline falls off the bridge or makes it out of the river.) The writer writes with lots of raw emotion and openly. She describes how she's feeling in the moment and how she learned from the experience so the readers can relate to the author and encourage them to go out and do something exciting. For example, the author writes about how she cries or how scared she feels when she skydives. I also love how the author writes in the voices of herself at different points of her life (such as her ten-year-old self to her twenty-year-old self)so we can understand the changes she has gone through. Additionally, the style that she wrote in is easily understandable and full of emotion. I was both moved and satisfied with what I read because I could really relate to the author when the protagonist describes her failures and I rejoiced with her when she succeeded with her dreams.
In the book, one line that stood out to me was "Usually, books end with the words THE END. Instead, I leave you, Gutsy Girl, with: the beginning." This line really stood out to me because it really reinforced the idea of starting something you wouldn't normally do. Additionally, these lines seem very encouraging and remind the audience that there is no end, just a beginning. This line also shows the style of the author and how freely she expresses herself/shares herself with her audience.
All in all, I really recommend this book and encourage anyone to read it.

[Rebecca K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good. I didn't give it five full stars because compared to another book it is not as good but I personally found this book very interesting. I didn't want to put this book down and stop reading. I felt that each chapter or story has a valuable life lesson to be learned. I think its cool that the author put little quotes and mini biographies about or said by girl heroes. This book is rather short and more of a light read. This book makes me want to try new things and maybe attempt some of the things the author has done. The Gutsy Girl is about the author's crazy adventures. She takes us into her world of climbing bridges, getting lost on mountains, breaking records, and doing the unthinkable. She explains about her adventures and some misadventures and how they changed her and lessons she has learned. This book really shows how to not give up on your dreams and be brave. One thing I didn't like about this book is the journals. Inside the book after every chapter there was an activity and journal. Though this is a cool idea I personally think the author should have added another story instead of the journals. I really liked this book and would recommend to anyone looking for a real life adventure book that can boost your confidence and inspire you to be brave. This is an amazing book that I felt was very well put together and has lots of life lessons and great chapters.

[Lekha B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gutsy girl is one of the best books that enhance young girls to go out and take life and the adventures that come with it. Gutsy girl I think was made to show girls that they are more than what they think they. So they can express themselves to the whole new world waiting to be taken over by people who are fair and consider everyone can do something and it doesn’t matter on what your gender is or what your colour is and everyone will and should be treated equally. The book has made me realize that I am a girl who has a lot to give to this world and I should express it all and not keep it hidden. Caroline Paul herself has been through things that not many girls have done and this should make a light switch go on in all girl’s mind and they should do whatever they want. That maybe hiking, crawling for hours, making a boat out of milk cartons it can be anything you all must just put your mind into it and do your best. This was the message I got from this inspirational book and all girls must read the book and learn something for themselves. I sure did. I want to say thank you to the author and I have really learned something and I hope this will help more girls out their to become great people to help the society.