Manhattan Beach, California-based The Sharpe Company has snapped up North American licensing rights for The Dangerous Book for Boys series that features boy-centric snippets on everything from famous battles to racing go-carts.

UK-based literary agency AM Heath and Rocket Licensing assigned rights to Sharpe and tyhe US agency plans to build a program that mirrors the books’ focus – encouraging boys’ natural curiosity. Sharpe is on the look out for toy, science, math and how-to kits, apparel, stationery and gifts licensees.

First published in the UK in June 2006, a US version of The Dangerous Book for Boys was released this past May and made it to the top of The New York Times bestseller list. Two more books, The Pocket Dangerous Book for Boys – Things to Know and a yearbook have since been released in the UK, and publisher HarperCollins says more titles will follow in 2008.