Things to look for if they're still around:
"Zoobooks"
"Wildlife Fact File Cards"
Dawkins put out or is putting out a kids book which sounds like it mimics the books my parents gave me as a child as well - that is, it discusses particular topics by talking about what people used to believe about thunderstorms, etc, and then tells you the science behind what it actually is.
Junior Skeptic - Dan Loxton edits this and does illustrations, and he's also helped put out books. On top of that, he's a swell guy.
Anything by National Geographic. Once your kids get to be about 8 or so, start introducing them to this - even if you think it's a little violent. They might not understand everything they read, but I guarantee you it will fascinate them. Nat Geo not only fired my imagination about so many subjects, it covered the photographer who continues to be my main source of inspiration to this day. I was able to keep and mine those magazines for all sorts of things in school. In French class, I was told to do a project on an export of France and I picked perfume, which I had a handy article on, with rich photographs, scratch and sniffs of things Cleopatra and Napoleon would have worn, and plenty of info about how many cultures operated their scent trade. It was engrossing. NG plunged me down into the depths of the oceans and took me up to the top of mountains. It plunked me into the middle of war zones, hurricane aftermath, animal poaching, habitat destruction, poverty and suffering. I learned about the art of glass making - from ancient times to now. I learned in multi-issue spreads about the history of cavemen, and the Greeks, and the mysterious and exotic Japanese. I learned about how the church covered up parts of Michaelangelo's frescoes and what happened when they were cleaned up. The thing about Nat Geo is they chock their articles FULL of info, and yet the thing that keeps you coming back is the consistently fucking AMAZING photographs that help children visualize everything they're talking about. Don't censor your kids from any of that - it's what helps make them realize there's a world outside of their relatively safe, middle class, and usually 'white' (and Christian) environment.
I'm trying to find the name of a mag I used to get back in the 90's. It was great - they not only highlighted bits of history (like female spies in the civil war) but they featured young people (kids through teens) who accomplished extraordinary or awesome things (either through smarts or through charity work). For the life of me I can't remember what it was, and haven't found it yet, but if you run across something like that, it's also great for keeping kids entertained.
Look for "girl" magazines for your daughter too - ones that focus on health of mind and body, not beauty. Magazines are a good way to tempt kids because they get to look forward to the mail arriving, and the pictures keep them reading. A lot of them focus on being multi-cultural, and this is another way to combat any religious inclinations (which are exclusionary usually) any adults might try to instill in them.
"Zoobooks"
"Wildlife Fact File Cards"
Dawkins put out or is putting out a kids book which sounds like it mimics the books my parents gave me as a child as well - that is, it discusses particular topics by talking about what people used to believe about thunderstorms, etc, and then tells you the science behind what it actually is.
Junior Skeptic - Dan Loxton edits this and does illustrations, and he's also helped put out books. On top of that, he's a swell guy.
Anything by National Geographic. Once your kids get to be about 8 or so, start introducing them to this - even if you think it's a little violent. They might not understand everything they read, but I guarantee you it will fascinate them. Nat Geo not only fired my imagination about so many subjects, it covered the photographer who continues to be my main source of inspiration to this day. I was able to keep and mine those magazines for all sorts of things in school. In French class, I was told to do a project on an export of France and I picked perfume, which I had a handy article on, with rich photographs, scratch and sniffs of things Cleopatra and Napoleon would have worn, and plenty of info about how many cultures operated their scent trade. It was engrossing. NG plunged me down into the depths of the oceans and took me up to the top of mountains. It plunked me into the middle of war zones, hurricane aftermath, animal poaching, habitat destruction, poverty and suffering. I learned about the art of glass making - from ancient times to now. I learned in multi-issue spreads about the history of cavemen, and the Greeks, and the mysterious and exotic Japanese. I learned about how the church covered up parts of Michaelangelo's frescoes and what happened when they were cleaned up. The thing about Nat Geo is they chock their articles FULL of info, and yet the thing that keeps you coming back is the consistently fucking AMAZING photographs that help children visualize everything they're talking about. Don't censor your kids from any of that - it's what helps make them realize there's a world outside of their relatively safe, middle class, and usually 'white' (and Christian) environment.
I'm trying to find the name of a mag I used to get back in the 90's. It was great - they not only highlighted bits of history (like female spies in the civil war) but they featured young people (kids through teens) who accomplished extraordinary or awesome things (either through smarts or through charity work). For the life of me I can't remember what it was, and haven't found it yet, but if you run across something like that, it's also great for keeping kids entertained.
Look for "girl" magazines for your daughter too - ones that focus on health of mind and body, not beauty. Magazines are a good way to tempt kids because they get to look forward to the mail arriving, and the pictures keep them reading. A lot of them focus on being multi-cultural, and this is another way to combat any religious inclinations (which are exclusionary usually) any adults might try to instill in them.
![[Image: Untitled2_zpswaosccbr.png]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=i1140.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fn569%2Fthesummerqueen%2FUntitled2_zpswaosccbr.png)
