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Goodbye Jesus

Family-Friendly Reads For Self-Education And Raising Non-Believers


seven77

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I was conversing with an ex-c parent in chat last night. He is currently trying to ween his preschool aged son off of nighttime television viewing. I've also come across parents on another forum I used to frequent who were looking for secular or science-friendly books to read with their preschool and elementary aged children, as well as books that featured skeptical, questioning, spiritually ambivalent, analytical and/or independently-minded characters.

 

As I was putting together book lists for the Heathen Bookworms Club, I came across several that I thought would be worthwhile reads for those with children. Or those that enjoy kid-lit and/or YA. The following is the product of several months of research and is by no means exhaustive. I've tried to break them down by level and included content notes where I thought it applicable. Unfortunately, my spreadsheet with the master info is on my now RIP laptop, so I'm working from an old backup copy.

 

Some links are included. Sequel books in some series you will have to search for yourself. Most of these are available on the US version of Amazon. As always, try your local library first. wink.png

 

FAMILY-FRIENDLY READS FOR SELF-EDUCATION AND RAISING NON-BELIEVERS   
 

BOOKS FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN
ALL I SEE IS A PART OF ME  --  http://tinyurl.com/nngq837
AN ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF BAD ARGUMENTS  --  http://tinyurl.com/k6elso7

BEEGU  --   http://tinyurl.com/nm49c5f
DREAMS COME TRUE...ALL THEY NEED IS YOU  --  http://tinyurl.com/k9g9ngd
EACH KINDNESS --   http://tinyurl.com/l322h2r
EVOLUTION: HOW WE AND ALL LIVING THINGS CAME TO BE  --   http://tinyurl.com/onqvayn

HORTON HEARS A WHO!  --   http://tinyurl.com/oxzreqd
HOW DO YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE?  --   http://tinyurl.com/kgbc6qf
ICARUS AT THE EDGE OF TIME  --  http://tinyurl.com/opaq993
INFINITY AND ME  --  http://tinyurl.com/pj6py4q
MAYBE RIGHT, MAYBE WRONG --   http://tinyurl.com/l2ap2xe
MAYBE YES, MAYBE NO --   http://tinyurl.com/ppn59e5

ME & DOG  --   http://tinyurl.com/pqtsgux
OLDER THAN THE STARS  --  http://tinyurl.com/qcwnf2s
ON A BEAM OF LIGHT: A STORY OF ALBERT EINSTEIN  --   http://tinyurl.com/q4slysu
ONE BEETLE TOO MANY: THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF CHARLES DARWIN  --  http://tinyurl.com/qcqj2wl
OUR FAMILY TREE: AN EVOLUTION STORY  --  http://tinyurl.com/qgxd9ph
REALLY, REALLY BIG QUESTIONS  --   http://tinyurl.com/ova4fwm
STARRY MESSENGER: GALILEO GALILEI  --  http://tinyurl.com/q9qwntp

THE ELEMENTS: A VISUAL EXPLORATION -- http://tinyurl.com/m8jja7l
THE GOLDEN RULE  --  http://tinyurl.com/kbegnou
THE LIBRARIAN WHO MEASURED EARTH  --   http://tinyurl.com/kvvdg7k
THE SHORTEST DAY: CELEBRATING THE WINTER SOLSTICE  --  http://tinyurl.com/kd2xysa

THE WAY BACK HOME  --   http://tinyurl.com/nrv5y2y
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?  --  http://tinyurl.com/lzck2mb
WHY DON'T WE GO TO CHURCH? --   http://tinyurl.com/o3z9r6j
YOU ARE STARDUST  --   http://tinyurl.com/ooky2x3
 

 

INTRODUCTIONS TO MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE

D'AULAIRE'S BOOK OF GREEK MYTHS  --  http://tinyurl.com/q7nl2xr
D'AULAIRE'S BOOK OF NORSE MYTHS  --  http://tinyurl.com/n47kz4u
JAPANESE TALES --   http://tinyurl.com/mxnmwrc
RUSSIAN FAIRY TALES  --  http://tinyurl.com/ozwkryg
AMERICAN INDIAN MYTHS AND LEGENDS  --  http://tinyurl.com/p754jxe

 

 

NON-FICTION CHAPTER BOOKS FOR SELF-EDUCATION AND FAMILY READING

**SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS -- http://tinyurl.com/oxe4a5h (This should be a read aloud. Good but dense!)
A CABINET OF MEDICAL CURIOSITIES  -- http://tinyurl.com/loyltoz
A WORLD IN ONE CUBIC FOOT: PORTRAITS OF BIODIVERSITY -- http://tinyurl.com/q6s6zca
DARK BANQUET: BLOOD AND THE CURIOUS LIVES OF BLOOD-FEEDING CREATURES -- http://tinyurl.com/luqd259
GIRLS THINK OF EVERYTHING: STORIES OF INGENUIOUS INVENTIONS BY WOMEN  --  http://tinyurl.com/k9bxycl
KING SOLOMON'S RING -- http://tinyurl.com/p5k6s3j
LIFE: A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE FIRST FOUR BILLION YEARS OF LIFE ON EARTH -- http://tinyurl.com/oosrohq
LIFE EVERLASTING: THE ANIMAL WAY OF DEATH -- http://tinyurl.com/owdh3f2
MUTANTS: ON GENETIC VARIETY AND THE HUMAN BODY -- http://tinyurl.com/n8ts2e2

**MY ISHMAEL -- http://tinyurl.com/pqxrw2q (I suggest this as read aloud for discussion. Philosophical fiction.)
OXYGEN: THE MOLECULE THAT MADE THE WORLD -- http://tinyurl.com/n54wcwu
PHINEAS GAGE: A GRUESOME BUT TRUE STORY ABOUT BRAIN SCIENCE  --  http://tinyurl.com/ls57x94
**TALES OF ADAM -- http://tinyurl.com/oszhcsb (I suggest this as read aloud for discussion. Philosophical fiction.)
THE ANIMAL DIALOGUES: UNCOMMON ENCOUNTERS IN THE WILD -- http://tinyurl.com/nw979n3
THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND  --  http://tinyurl.com/o2dp3v8
THE CAVE PAINTERS: PROBING THE MYSTERIES OF THE WORLD'S FIRST ARTISTS  --   http://tinyurl.com/kcc7nn9
THE CLOCKWORK UNIVERSE --   http://tinyurl.com/ka9u67o
THE DISAPPEARING SPOON  --  http://tinyurl.com/pmlbhxa
THE FOREST UNSEEN: A YEAR'S WATCH IN NATURE -- http://tinyurl.com/ngz6naa
THE GALÃPAGOS: EXPLORING DARWIN'S TAPESTRY -- http://tinyurl.com/ppt34kx
THE GREAT AND ONLY BARNUM  --   http://tinyurl.com/na3fbgs
THE KNIFE MAN: BLOOD, BODY SNATCHING, AND THE BIRTH OF MODERN SURGERY -- http://tinyurl.com/lenvtkx
THE SPECIES SEEKERS: HEROES, FOOLS, AND THE MAD PURSUIT OF LIFE ON EARTH -- http://tinyurl.com/qjkgvz8
THE TREE: A NATURAL HISTORY OF WHAT TREES ARE, HOW THEY LIVE & WHY THEY MATTER -- http://tinyurl.com/nlajdtn
THE WOMAN WITH A WORM IN HER HEAD: AND OTHER TRUE STORIES OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE -- http://tinyurl.com/kokqa9t
WICKED BUGS: THE LOUSE THAT CONQUERED NAPOLEON'S ARMY... -- http://tinyurl.com/oul5bd2
WINTER WORLD: THE INGENUITY OF ANIMAL SURVIVAL -- http://tinyurl.com/o9x5wy3
WITCHES: THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE TALE OF DISASTER IN SALEM  --   http://tinyurl.com/n3ggult
 

 

FICTION FOR THE INDEPENDENTLY MINDED AND YOUTHFUL

A GIRL NAMED DISASTER -- http://tinyurl.com/pnsa938
HATCHET -- http://tinyurl.com/o4h9xaa
HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE -- http://tinyurl.com/lb786nu
MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN -- http://tinyurl.com/qavzz7s
THE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND IN A SHIP OF HER OWN MAKING -- http://tinyurl.com/lqdj7h3
THE GOLDEN COMPASS -- http://tinyurl.com/ndnb8k8
THE LIGHT IN THE FOREST -- http://tinyurl.com/phsv59n

 

SERIES THAT ENCOURAGE CRITICAL THINKING AND PROMOTE SCIENCE    

NICK AND TESLA SERIES    
NICK AND TESLA'S HIGH-VOLTAGE DANGER LAB    
NICK AND TESLA'S ROBOT ARMY RAMPAGE    
NICK AND TESLA'S SECRET AGENT GADGET BATTLE    
    
GEORGE SERIES    
GEORGE'S SECRET KEY TO THE UNIVERSE    
GEORGE'S COSMIC TREASURE HUNT    
GEORGE AND THE BIG BANG    
GEORGE AND THE UNBREAKABLE CODE    
    
THE 39 CLUES SERIES    
THE MAZE OF BONES    
ONE FALSE NOTE    
THE SWORD THIEF    
BEYOND THE GRAVE    
THE BLACK CIRCLE    
IN TOO DEEP    
THE VIPER'S NEST    
THE EMPEROR'S CODE    
STORM WARNING    
INTO THE GAUNTLET    
VESPERS RISING    
    
THE HARDY BOYS ORIGINAL SERIES  --   http://tinyurl.com/m7v4fmd
NANCY DREW ORIGINAL SERIES  --   http://tinyurl.com/oj2uaot
ENCYLCOPEDIA BROWN SERIES   --  http://tinyurl.com/ovqbnqt

 

Note: Update happened: 10/1/2014. More to come. ;)

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Awesome, thanks for all of the links! I'm bookmarking this for my future kids (and for myself)!

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Thank you for taking the time to compile this list!  My son is only 7, but he loves science and he loves to read.  I tend to read him the classic adventure stories like Dr. Doolittle, Tom Sawyer, Wizard of Oz, Swiss Family Robinson, etc.  I have a few on this list already like Hatchet and Ishmel that I can't wait until he is old enough to share them.  I'll have to look into some of the younger children ones on critical thinking and science for him. 

 

Thanks again.

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Thanks seven! I'm going to make a trip to the library

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  • 3 weeks later...

I updated the list today. Woot. :)

 

Praise the Lard for rainy days! I actually get things done.

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