Humanism, What's That?: A Book for Curious Kids [Paperback]

Helen Bennett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2005

This work is aimed at ages 10+. Complete with discussion questions, suggestions for activities, and a bibliography, this innovative approach to presenting humanism to young adults will be welcome by parents and teachers looking to expose their children or students to a secular philosophic perspective.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. "But the Bible says that God created man in His own image!" "Humanists believe just the opposite: that man created God in his image." In a lively fictionalized discussion, a humanist teacher and a group of students talk about secular humanism. They confront the big issues, including evolution ("the best hope . . . is science," says the teacher), abortion, capital punishment, anti-Semitism, bullying, and much more--even the causes of 9/11. The kids' voices are insistent and informal, and the teacher calls for tolerance, for asking questions, for doing good right here on earth. The book, which is bound to cause controversy, is set up for adult-led discussion in school or at home, with activities, suggested discussion topics, and a brief bibliography for older teens and adults. But the readable dialogue will also reach individual children who have doubts and questions. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"This book definitely meets a need. And still, this book is more than just the only thing out there. I'd go so far as to say that it's good, and it covers a lot of ground." -- Ayuddha.net, blog of children's librarian, May 2009

Product Details

• Paperback: 77 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (June 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591023874
• ISBN-13: 978-1591023876
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #548,438 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must if you want your kids to be able to think., January 9, 2007

By 

G. R. S. Godwin "GRSGodwin" (Naperville, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Humanism, What's That?: A Book for Curious Kids (Paperback)

I read this to my 11 year old. He loved it and uses it's concepts and ideas in his dealings with friends and teachers at school.
If you want to teach your kids HOW to think instead of WHAT to think, this book is a must.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars humanism - the ultimate universe, May 13, 2007

By 

C. G. Carney "rational thinker" (new jersey) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Humanism, What's That?: A Book for Curious Kids (Paperback)

This is a fine book for teachers and or anyone who is not a theist trying to answer questions about "non-belief." The world has always had non believers. Unfortunately fear from any and all religious sects kept the secular/humanistic point of view hidden beneath the thundering voice of authoritarian religion. We need more people to speak out.

45 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Teaching tolerance to youngsters, August 12, 2005

By 

William R. Harwood (somewhere in Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Humanism, What's That?: A Book for Curious Kids (Paperback)

Helen Bennett's book is written in the form of a dialogue between a teacher and her pupils on the subject of Humanism and its role in human relations. It has all the appearance of nonfiction, in the sense that it takes the form of questions asked by pupils and the teacher's answers. It is, however, too carefully designed to be an unedited transcript of a single discussion that occurred at a specific time and place, and is in all likelihood a synopsis of several discussions with different groups of pupils. The teacher's answers to the pupils' questions are at all times intended to teach tolerance as well as other Humanistic principles espoused by the more enlightened religions. But perhaps the most significant paragraph in the whole book is the description of what happened when the fictional teacher asked her pupils to have their parents sign a permission slip for them to attend a discussion group to talk about Humanism.
"The class took permission slips home and six children (out of thirty-two) were allowed to take Mrs. Green's after-school class on Humanism. When the discussion group met, here is my best recollection of what happened" (p. 13) The rest of the book is the dialogue from their discussions.
When twenty-six out of thirty-two pupils are refused permission by their parents to attend a discussion of what Humanism is all about, it is self-evident that trying to overcome religious bigotry by reasonable discussion has little chance of making a difference. Bennett presumably wrote her book in the hope of doing just that. She should not hold her breath.