The American Boy's Handy Book

Amazon Item: 

The American Boy's Handy Book: Build a Fort, Sail a Boat, Shoot an Arrow, Throw a Boomerang, Catch Spiders, Fish in the Ice, Camp without a Tent and 150 Other Activities

Author: Daniel Carter Beard

Publisher: Ulysses Press (2008)

Binding: Hardcover, 288 pages

Parts of this book are of course outdated. There is a sexist emphasis on boys and exclusion of girls that is inappropriate today. There is the naive patriotism and nationalisism undertone so typical of empire-building eras. On the other hand, the book is filled with practical ideas from a simpler age. It is ideal for parents and teachers who work to preserve the best of childhood--wonder, imagination, free exploration, discovery and adventure.