kids need a little daring and danger to grow up, right? let them discover the good, old-fashioned kind in these encyclopedic and delightful best-sellers.

for girls: everything today's girl needs to know, but won't find on facebook or tv: heretical and hyper-cool historical heroines, secret note-passing and other spying techniques, cool science projects, bird watching, perfecting your cartwheel or double dutch, short-sheeting a bed, etc. more than just a guide to giggling at sleepovers - fab tips and tantalizing info for tomboys, girly-girls and all adventurers in between.

for boys: herein lies essential boyhood skills like: how to build a tree house, learn to fish, find true north, tie knots, skim stones, identify spiders, create the best paper airplanes, etc. plus inspirational tales of true boy courage and moxie, key latin phases every boy should know and other undeniably boy-appealling facts and activities.

both are stellar for stimulating curiosity and exciting the imagination of tweens and teens (and maybe even you). both books talk to kids like the creative and cool people they are!