I think a .35 would be a little too much for an eight year old. break her in slowly with a .22 centerfire and make it fun like a few others mentioned water jugs are great, an unopened pop can is explosive even with a .22LR. When I took my girls out to the range we would stop in the garden first and pick some , tomatoes,cucumbers, and what ever was avalible at the time. They had a blast vaporizing that kind of stuff. Keep up the good work. The world need more women who are not afraid of guns. The way is to educate them that a gun is a tool and can be fun.My one daughter is a hunter, the other doesn't hunt but enjoys plinking and target shooting.