Books on politics for kids?

[timegoingtoofast]

DS is nearly 11. He's developing an interest in politics. He's already had Usbourne's beginner's guide to politics which he really enjoyed.

He's currently interested in climate change and Brexit specifically but also politics more generally.

My DM suggested Animal Farm, which I think is a good idea.

Can anyone else recommend anything else, could be reference or fiction?

Also are there any kids news sources online other than newsround? Thanks.

Any history wise? Teaches frame of whose talking and why, what's the agenda and background of the socialists, communists as well as right wing. It astonishes me how many hold left up as halo party of people... When their death and misery numbers are far higher.

Frome there further back to origins of democracy? Ancient Greece and Rome etc?

My daughter reads The Week Junior, which is excellent. She hears radio 4 as we have it on a lot and she asks questions about what she hears, which I try to answer. We do talk quite a lot about politics ( and philosophy/ ethics/ political theory) in our house, so she's developed a reasonable understanding through osmosis and general chat.

My DD enjoyed 'Politics for Beginners' by Louie Stowell, Alex Frith et al. At first glance it might appear a little simplistic as it's an illustrated book with lots of bright colours. However, she found it explains complex concepts and introduces subject specific vocabulary in a good way. The pictures and the design layout (flow charts, lists, mind maps as well as conventional paragraphs of text) support the content. It starts with the historic origins of democracy and works in a logical way through systems, ideologies, political parties, voting, elections etc.

Your poor kids

FuckFacePlatapus

Some kids are into it.

BoogleMcGroogle this looks great, thanks! And it turns out they're doing a free trial, so I've signed DS up for that.

PommePoire that's the book we've got, it's great isn't it.

DS has reread it several times now so I'm looking for something else.

FuckFacePlatapus what an ignorant comment!

DS is genuinely interested, this is coming from him.

Should I squash his personality and interests and try to make him more like other kids. Is that what you'd recommend?

Autumnintheair Ancient Greece is DS's topic this term, funnily enough.

I guess I'll have to brush up on my knowledge of ancient Greece to make sure I can keep up with him!

Both of my DD's learned lots about politics from the kids newspaper 'First News'. It explained each political party and their respective views very simply during the last GE.

There's other news in it and both of my kids really enjoy it.

I have a subscription to the weekly for my 11 yr old. It's has loads of news aand current affairs

I think it’s refreshing that an 11 year old is taking an interest. I wish a few more people were well informed about how politics works in this country!

I would look at GCSE politics books. They are designed from 13 plus so he’s not far off. They will cover the basics of how politics works but not individual topics, eg climate change policy.

Animal Farm is fiction, albeit interesting. I wouldn’t recommend autobiographies either as they are too heavy. Reading The Times or similar broadsheet with high quality political writing is also informative. He could try the easier to understand articles.

The Week Junior is excellent.

time If you can get to London the family tour of Westminster is brilliant for kids.

The Doring Kinderlsey book, All about politics is good.

fuck part of the reason this country is in a mess is because people don't pay enough attention to politics. mine were first taken to walk around the outside of Westminster at 3.

There’s a comedian called Tiernan Douieb who who has a politics show for kids which I have heard is excellent.

He might like Talking to My Daughter: A Brief History of Capitalism by Yanis Varoufakis. His books are very readable and he explains even quite complex things clearly.

yy bert. We saw the show last year. It was Tiernan and Tatton Spiller who does Simple Politics.

As there are virtually no politicians worth their salt nowadays, perhaps a biography of someone from history. Nye Bevan (written by Michael Foot) or one on Winston Churchill (not the one by Mr Johnson of course), perhaps.

Malorie Blackman's work for issues around race Fiction is a way to go as it's more indirect. Books that have themes and issues around inequality and power through metaphor.