Ask HN: What are some great books for children?

Re:Ask HN: What are some great books for children? by brudgers on Tuesday November 21, 2017 @02:46PM (#15750930)

Three Little Pigs provides a solid foundation in engineering cost benefit analysis and the risk assessment of black swan events. It provides the basis for an in depth discussion with your tiny tike of whether or not Pokey's prioritization of low initial cost and straw design was economically sound in light of Lazy's more costly wood construction suffering the similar catastrophic failure when encountering huffs and puffs. The child might be encouraged to write a formal analysis of the counter-factual in which the wolf crept up upon Will while his brick structure was incomplete rather than visiting the other structures first.

The more sophisticated child should probably be introduced to actuarial consideration of how pig lives relate to absolute construction costs and the potential negative effects of increased hut construction regulations on the overall economy. Extending the exercise to draft lobbying positions may or may not be appropriate, i.e. should the construction of wolf-proof structures be left entirely to the private sector seeing as public funding for wolf shelters would provide good projects for engineers?

STEM and 7 in the same sentence make me sad.

Good luck.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What are some great books for children? by DanBC on Tuesday November 21, 2017 @03:48PM (#15751386)

> STEM and 7 in the same sentence make me sad

Why? there are some excellent non-fiction for 7 year olds. In UK 7 year olds are learning science and math in school.

eg The Way Things Work https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0241227933/

If... https://www.amazon.co.uk/If-Mind-Bending-Looking-Ideas-Numbe...

The Awesome Body Book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Awesome-Body-Book-Adam-Frost/dp/140...

Just a Second https://www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Second-Steve-Jenkins/dp/132874...

Some children are naturally curious and can't get enough of this stuff.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What are some great books for children? by brudgers on Tuesday November 21, 2017 @04:34PM (#15751798)

Children are not curious abut STEM. They are just curious.

STEM is a non-word used to discount art and literature and dance and history and everything expressive. It reflects the idea that human existence is about getting ahead versus falling behind relative to the conveyor belt created by the Sputnik Crisis. Absent are notions of blossoming and flowering and joy. STEM is white papers by think tanks and research grants and educational politics. STEM is an agenda.

A book about trucks, ships, and planes is a book about trucks, ships and planes.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What are some great books for children? by sotojuan on Tuesday November 21, 2017 @05:14PM (#15752109)

Agreed. As a child, I read up on technology/computers as well as history (still a big hobby of mine), archeology, and random subjects found in the encyclopedias my parents bought me. I went through a bunch of phases (dinosaurs, Egyptian history, computer stuff, art, taking care of fish, etc.). My parents supported all of these with books and museums trips.

I understand the appeal of introducing your child to your passion, particularly if it's an employable skill, but IMO at 7 years old... just buy them whatever books or encyclopedias for children they find interesting. It's not going to hurt them! Though definitely share technology with them.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What are some great books for children? by DanBC on Wednesday November 22, 2017 @06:57AM (#15756112)

> just buy them whatever books or encyclopedias for children they find interesting

I'm curious why you think I'm not doing this? Why have you assumed I'm imposing what I want my child to read, rather than listening to what he wants?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What are some great books for children? by DanBC on Wednesday November 22, 2017 @07:02AM (#15756127)

> A book about trucks, ships, and planes is a book about trucks, ships and planes

Neuro-atypicallity exists, and some children do not enjoy fiction.

So a book like Budgie the Little Helicopter is a book about a helicopter, but I know my child will prefer a non-fiction reference book about helicopters. And this non-fiction reference book is a STEM book.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What are some great books for children? by muzani on Tuesday November 21, 2017 @05:57PM (#15752424)

Haha, this is going into my copypasta list.

[ Parent | on HN ]