Maybe Yes, Maybe No: A Guide for Young Skeptics [Paperback]

Dan Barker (Author), Brian Strassburg (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1990

Encourages having an open mind and checking things out to find the truth, rather than blindly accepting everything we hear.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (December 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879756071
• ISBN-13: 978-0879756079
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dan Barker (1949-) is co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and co-host of Freethought Radio. After 19 years as an evangelical minister, Dan "saw the light" and announced his atheism in 1984. His first public appearance as an atheist was on Oprah Winfrey's "AM Chicago." Since that time he has traveled extensively, lecturing and performing on college campuses, and participating in more than 90 public debates defending atheism. A former composer of Christian songs and musicals (for which he still receives royalties), Dan is now a jazz pianist and writer of freethought music, including the albums Beware of Dogma and Friendly, Neighborhood Atheist (FFRF, Inc.) Dan has 5 children, 7 grandchildren, and lives with his wife (and co-president) Annie Laurie Gaylor in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo at window by Tim Buchanan. Photo at piano by Brent Nicastro. Photos at microphone by Bruce Press.)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

137 of 139 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Introducing a kid to critical thinking, August 4, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Maybe Yes, Maybe No: A Guide for Young Skeptics (Paperback)

MAYBE YES, MAYBE NO by Dan Barker. This is definitely a kid's only book, with annoying little characters drawn in "see it go, see it go up" style, with a dog and a few other cuddly critters as well. But, it's good stuff on how and why a skeptic thinks as he/she does that prods a kid to question in ways I never experienced growing up, at least not till I was, oh, maybe 32. (Of course I'm kidding.) Barker provides simple illustrations of what is proof, why it's unwise to believe everything you hear, how to listen carefully, ask questions, seek clear answers, display curiousity andlook for better explanations--all illustrated in an unfolding story about kids looking for ghosts. The reasoning processes that apply in the search for ghosts also are shown to apply to a skeptic look at claims for UFOs, ESP, telepathy, telekinesis, prophesy, out of body experience, dowsing, levitation, astrology, horoscopes and faith healing. The refrain throughout to the young reader is, "What do you think?" For a taste of the writing style, sample this: "Some religions teach that there is an invisible world with strange creatures like angels, demons, ghosts and dead people. Some religions teach that storms are caused by gods or devils. Or that gods or devils cause sickness, fires, earthquakes, floods, plant growth and animal growth. But skeptics try to explain these things without ignoring the rules of nature." The rules of science are explained, including different ways to check things out, tools for these purposes, the importance of being able to repeat a test, as in, "If someone says they predicted the future, ask them to do it again. If someone says they healed a sickness with magic or a prayer, ask them to do it again. If something is really true, you should be able to repeat it again and again." The bottom line, prudent response for a skeptical kid and grown ups too, according to Barker's wise little book, seems to be this when confronted for a claim of one kind or another: "Maybe yes, maybe no." Check it out--and the book, too. It's quite good.

92 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent non-pushy kid's introduction to skepticism, December 29, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Baltimore, MD, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maybe Yes, Maybe No: A Guide for Young Skeptics (Paperback)

I read this book to my kids, ages 8 and 10, and they absolutely loved it. One took it to bed that night to re-read and the other took it to school the next day. I've never seen such a strong positive reaction to a book from them. Yes, it's simplistic, but it's a kid's book; it has to be. As a parent, what i liked the most about it is the gentle manner in which difficult questions are introduced. "maybe yes, maybe no, what do you think?" We had to pause many times for thoughtful discussion. Kudos to Mr. Barker for an excellent book encouraging children to question the world around them and to try to apply scientific methods to understand it.

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read with kids at the right stages..., August 11, 2007

By 

S. Kuhns (Illinois USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Maybe Yes, Maybe No: A Guide for Young Skeptics (Paperback)

I read this book with my 10 year old daughter. We enjoyed several good discussions as a result of the book. We have since been incorporating "maybe yes, maybe no" into our discussions of many topics. As a parent, this book gave me a starting point in talking with her about healthy skepticism. I'm sure "maybe yes, maybe no" will come up often during this future school year as she attends 5th grade in a parochial school. I also tried reading the book with my 8 year old son and it seemed he is not quite ready to grasp it. I think I will save it for next summer's read with him. I would recommend the book for any parents who are interested in helping kids learn how to think. We live in a very religiously conservative area, and this book already has been and likely will continue to be very helpful with my attempts to balance my humanism with the hyper-religious culture here.