Modulo

Dangerous Book for Boys

Recommended Ages

3rd–8th grades

The Dangerous Book for Boys is a modern classic that celebrates creativity, curiosity, and adventure through a mix of how-tos (like tying knots, building go-karts, or making paper airplanes), historical mini-essays, and random fascinating facts. While its tone and examples skew traditional and may feel dated in spots, many families adapt the projects and ideas for all children who enjoy hands-on exploration. Parents appreciate its encouragement of offline play, tinkering, and shared parent-child projects. It’s best treated as a springboard for activities and conversations rather than a strict manual.

Adventurous kids around ages 8+ who love hands-on projects, practical skills, and stories, and families who want a fun “idea bank” for weekend activities, summer projects, or low-key unit studies.

Pros

Nostalgic, project-filled compendium of how-tos, games, and stories (from building go-carts to learning knots and bits of history) that many families use as a springboard for outdoor play, tinkering, and shared parent–child adventures. 

Cons

Not a curriculum and not particularly structured; some content reflects older gender norms and cultural assumptions, so parents may want to pick and choose projects and passages, and it doesn’t explicitly cover academic standards.

Because it is a trade book rather than a formal curriculum, some ESAs and charters may not classify it as instructional material, while others allow it under literature or enrichment. If funding is important, check categorization with your program before ordering.

About $12-15 on Amazon

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Dangerous Book for Boys
$6.00 USD

Skills

What kids will learn
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History
History
Science
Science
Life Skills
Life Skills
Creativity
Creativity

Dangerous Book for Boys Mission

The mission of The Dangerous Book for Boys is to rekindle children’s curiosity about the real world—knots, paper airplanes, tree houses, history, and hands-on experiments—in an age dominated by screens. Packed with projects, stories, and how-tos, it invites kids and parents to explore practical skills, classic games, and bits of knowledge that used to be passed down informally. The tone is nostalgic and adventurous, encouraging time outdoors, tinkering, and shared family experiences.

Dangerous Book for Boys Story

Brothers Conn and Hal Iggulden created The Dangerous Book for Boys in 2006 as a celebration of the hobbies and lore they remembered from their own childhoods, before smartphones and constant internet access. Conn, already a successful historical novelist, and Hal, a theatre director, filled the book with everything from making a go-cart to understanding famous battles and constellations. The unexpected success of the book turned it into a publishing phenomenon, spawning sequels, spin-offs, and even a television adaptation. Many families now treat it as a bucket list of skills and projects to work through together.

About Modular Learning

FAQ: Additional Details about Dangerous Book for Boys

A day with this book might involve your child curled up on the couch reading about legendary explorers or classic games, then racing outside with you to test a new paper airplane design or practice a simple magic trick. The smell of grass, the crinkle of folded paper, and the satisfaction of “getting it to work” become part of the experience. Evenings might end with you reading a short section aloud as a kind of “old‑fashioned” bedtime story.

“The Dangerous Book for Boys” is a richly illustrated reference and activity book filled with projects, historical snippets, games, and how‑tos aimed at sparking curiosity and hands‑on exploration. Families typically use it as an inspiration source rather than a day‑by‑day curriculum—picking chapters on knots, paper airplanes, famous battles, or DIY gadgets and turning them into weekend projects or reading sessions.

Parents and caregivers are key curators here—they choose which projects fit their child’s age and temperament, supervise hands‑on activities, and often join in the fun. Younger children especially benefit from shared reading and guided exploration.

There are no academic prerequisites, but many projects assume basic reading ability and some fine‑motor coordination. Adult supervision and judgment are important; some activities are better suited to older kids or teens, especially those involving tools or outdoor adventures.

This book is nostalgic and project‑based; it can appeal to ADHD and hands‑on learners who like tricks, outdoor skills, and tinkering. Some content reflects older gender norms and risk‑taking, so families may wish to selectively use activities and frame them thoughtfully, especially for anxious kids or those with impulse‑control challenges.

Refunds are handled by whichever bookstore or retailer you purchase from; most have standard return windows for new, undamaged books. Be sure to review those terms if you think you may need to return it.

Not a good fit as a stand-alone academic resource or for kids who are uninterested in outdoor play, building, or “old-school” activities; families who prefer explicitly progressive or fully inclusive resources may prefer to supplement or skip certain sections.

“The Daring Book for Girls” as a complementary volume (with some sections many secular families skip), DK maker and experiment books, scouting handbooks, or online maker channels like Mark Rober and other kid-friendly STEM creators.

The book is a modern classic and has spawned related titles and updated printings. While the core content remains the same, some families supplement with more inclusive or contemporary resources alongside it.

Let your child choose a project or topic from the book as a weekend or summer challenge, source materials together, and keep a simple “project log” with photos and notes to turn spontaneous fun into a light record of learning.

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Meet Conn and Hal

Conn Iggulden is a British author best known for his bestselling historical fiction series about figures like Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan, and he previously taught English before becoming a full-time writer. His brother Hal Iggulden is a theatre director and artistic director of the Holdfast Theatre Company in Leicester, with a love of astronomy, gadgets, dogs, and football. Together they brought their storytelling and stagecraft sensibilities to The Dangerous Book for Boys, crafting a book that reads like a blend of manual, almanac, and adventure story. A fun fact: at one point Conn simultaneously topped the UK fiction and nonfiction bestseller lists, thanks in part to the popularity of this book.