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Uncle Eric books for 8th grade, are they necessary?
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I would like my up and coming 8th grader to read these books, especially the first 4, but can’t quite fit them in our schedule for this upcoming year. Should we try to read them, even if it’s 1 per term/quarter, or what??
I think that my ds would like them and we can probably fit them in…but I don’t want to overload him this year.
Thoughts??
I’ll bump you again:) I really don’t know. My 7th grader will read Penny Candy next year, and also Justice at some point. Not sure about the rest. I’m not sure how necessary, but always see them rec. so plan to use them! I hope moms of olders will chime in for you:) Gina
I do think they are good to fit in at some point. I mean, we teach our kids math and literature and art and music–shouldn’t we prepare them for the future by teaching them how to manage a career, how money works, what is going on in politics, how to tell which folks are telling the truth and which are full of beans . . . and these are an easy and engaging way to learn and bring up for discussion those things. I do include them in my kids’ junior high reading.
I know that Uncle Eric books have been mentioned before, but I can’t seem to find a post that talks more specifically about them. Since I’m not familiar with them, can someone describe these books?
Well, we have Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? (and as of yesterday, I ordered the other 3 on my list…there are more). I’ve only read this one, but it is a short read on economics by an “uncle” answering questions his nephew has asked him (hope that made sense). This one is really good, not too long (or boring), engaging, interesting, and does make you want to learn more about the subject.
And, as Bookworm mentioned, they are just as necessary as literature, and so on. I really don’t want to wait until hs for these gems and *then* try to fit them in, so it’s this year, for sure.
Thanks for the encouragement, just what I needed.
Here they all are:
http://www.bluestockingpress.com/uncle-eric-books.htm
I would say the first six are a good idea for EVERYONE. The next two are great for someone who might go into business. The last three are more history/foreign policy focused. My kids have read or are reading them all.
I just discovered this series of 11 books and I would like to fit them all in at some point. At what age would these start at? I read on one site that said age 14 and up, but the talk here is about jr. high ages to start. What would be a good big picture reading plan to fit in all 11 books, plus a Notgrass Government book?
Would you start at 7th grade and read 2 books per year? Is that too young to start?
Also, are the guides worth using along with it?
http://www.bluestockingpress.com/click-save-guide-package.htm
Order of books:
I’m having my up-and-coming 7th grader start Penny Candy this next year. Don’t know if he’ll get through another one, but I don’t think two a year is too much.
I am going to plan to use the guide for PC, but it’s not necessary if you don’t want to.
We were a bit behind the 8-ball when we finally started and we’re on the 3rd book and I may try to squeeze in two this year, but we’ll see. I think 7th grade is perfectly fine, but of course you know your student better than we do.
We’ve never used the guides, mostly oral narrations and discussions.
I plan to cover them by scheduling some as part of each school year, but have others as summer reading. Here’s the plan for our 13yos…those who’ve used them before, please suggest changes if some would work better in a different spot. I’m not planning on using the guides at this point.
Our DC read Economics in One Lesson, by Hazlitt and go through Godonomics over their jr/sr years. If we must leave some of these out, I’m not going to stress over it.
(Y=school year, S=summer)
S13-Uncle Eric Talks
Y13/14-Penny Candy
S14-Justice
Y14/15 WWI & WWII
S15-Evaluating Books
Fall 15-Lib/Cons/Confused?
Y15/16- Thousand Year War
S16- $ Mystery
Y16/17-Ancient Rome
S17-Godonomics
Y17/18-Clipper Ship Strategy
🙂 Good question. Those that are history/government titles were shifted into places that fit better with the order in which we will study time periods, or when we will have opportunities for political campaign service, etc.
HTH,
Becca<><
Should mention that some are just fit in where I could fit them. The government titles will hopefully be finished prior to community service situations that I mentioned above. It may not make sense posted here, but it’s understandable with the rest of the plans. ;0)
Becca<><
I will say that I will not have my children read the history/politics books alone. I believe there may be some conspiratorial positions (or hints at one) regarding Roosevelt and an underestimation of Hitler and the Japanese culture’s willingness to die; not to mention the moral component. The Holocaust didn’t cause the re-establishment of Israel – the process had already begun in earnest – however, admittedly, it did speed things up. And thank G-D it did.
If he thinks we shouldn’t have gotten into WWII, then needless to say, I disagree with him. (I actually think Britain’s PM Chamberlain’s weakness embolden Hitler and we should’ve gotten involved sooner, at least in warning the world about Hitler’s tyranny, which began early) Now, WWI, that’s a different story. If that had been handled differently (Progressive prez. Wilson messed things up for his part), then WWII may have been prevented; but I also don’t share the it’s “America’s foreign policy that causes all the trouble in the world” attitude. Of course, Hitler was just practicing the ultimate case of eugenics, which is fine with Progressives esp. at that time (and even now); but I’ll save that for another day’s conversation.
If I am mistaken about his perspective, then I will be corrected when we read the books fully-I have read only excerpts and reviews.
I do think it’s important for them to read this certain segment of Libertarian views on this topic, but we’ll do it together to discuss and remember it’s one man’s opinion; to encourage them to do their own research and measure his statements with historical facts of which they already know.
Same goes for the Mideast and Rome books.
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