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Educational books for children as counterpoint to religious instruction

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    #32
    robindch
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 24,401 Mod ✭✭✭✭robindch


    Bannasidhe wrote: »
    My mother got Hermione (my 6 year old granddaughter) a CD and story books of Irish myths and Legends which has the Gaelic Gods in them - Dagda, Bridget, Morrigán etc and she loves them (some of the tales are fabulously blood thirsty [...]
    Snowflake and I have been reading through a kid's version of the Ancient Greek legends recently -- splendidly bloodthirsty too -- just the kid of stuff that the religious would be up in arms about if it weren't for the fact that their own religious books are just as bad.


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    #33
    robindch
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 24,401 Mod ✭✭✭✭robindch


    Jimoslimos wrote: »
    No mention for the Chronicles of Narnia yet?
    The first book isn't too bad, but the rest of them? Dreadful!


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    #34
    Bannasidhe
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 19,219 Mod ✭✭✭✭Bannasidhe


    robindch wrote: »
    Snowflake and I have been reading through a kid's version of the Ancient Greek legends recently -- splendidly bloodthirsty too -- just the kid of stuff that the religious would be up in arms about if it weren't for the fact that their own religious books are just as bad.

    Kids do love a splendidly bloodthirsy tale :D


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    #35
    wp_rathead
    Registered Users Posts: 10,067 ✭✭✭✭wp_rathead


    Personally- I loved Aesop's Fables growing up (or any fables with morals in them)

    My two favorites:
    The Mice and the Bell wrote:
    The Fable concerns a group of mice who debate plans to nullify the threat of a marauding cat. One of them proposes placing a bell around its neck, so that they are warned of its approach. The plan is applauded by the others, until one mouse asks who will volunteer to place the bell on the cat. All of them make excuses. The story is used to teach the wisdom of evaluating a plan not only on how desirable the outcome would be, but also on how it can be executed. It provides a moral lesson about the fundamental difference between ideas and their feasibility, and how this affects the value of a given plan.
    The Scorpion and the Frog wrote:
    The fable about a scorpion asking a frog to carry him across a river. The frog is afraid of being stung during the trip, but the scorpion argues that if it stung the frog, the frog would sink and the scorpion would drown. The frog agrees and begins carrying the scorpion, but midway across the river the scorpion does indeed sting the frog, dooming them both. When asked why, the scorpion explains that this is simply its nature. The fable is used to illustrate the view that the behaviour of some creatures, or of some people, is irrepressible, no matter how they are treated and no matter what the consequences.


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    #36
    Jimoslimos
    Registered Users Posts: 4,930 ✭✭✭Jimoslimos


    robindch wrote: »
    The first book isn't too bad, but the rest of them? Dreadful!
    :(


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    #37
    Bannasidhe
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 19,219 Mod ✭✭✭✭Bannasidhe


    Jimoslimos wrote: »
    :(

    Swallows and Amazons for the win.


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    #38
    Sarky
    Closed Accounts Posts: 31,967 ✭✭✭✭Sarky


    I prefer the story where the scorpion replies "I can swim".

    /Legend of the 5 Rings fan


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    #39
    Morag
    Registered Users Posts: 8,423 ✭✭✭Morag


    Bannasidhe wrote: »
    Swallows and Amazons for the win.

    Duffers drown.


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    #40
    Bannasidhe
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 19,219 Mod ✭✭✭✭Bannasidhe


    Morag wrote: »
    Duffers drown.

    and pirates are ruthless.


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    #41
    Hotblack Desiato
    Registered Users Posts: 34,134 ✭✭✭✭Hotblack Desiato


    wprathead wrote: »
    When asked why, the scorpion explains that this is simply its nature.

    Hey, no summarising The Crying Game without spoilers.

    Fingal County Council are certainly not competent to be making decisions about the most important piece of infrastructure on the island. They need to stick to badly designed cycle lanes and deciding on whether Mrs Murphy can have her kitchen extension.



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    #42
    Dades
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    wprathead wrote: »
    Personally- I loved Aesop's Fables growing up (or any fables with morals in them)
    I've been telling a few of those recently. :)
    The Scorpion and the Frog wrote:
    The fable about a scorpion asking a frog to carry him across a river. The frog is afraid of being stung during the trip, but the scorpion argues that if it stung the frog, the frog would sink and the scorpion would drown. The frog agrees and begins carrying the scorpion, but midway across the river the scorpion does indeed sting the frog, dooming them both. When asked why, the scorpion explains that this is simply its nature. The fable is used to illustrate the view that the behaviour of some creatures, or of some people, is irrepressible, no matter how they are treated and no matter what the consequences.
    A great one that.

    Alfred has something to say about that scorpion:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1pFMS81aoc


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