Top-Ten Lists for High School By various Practical Homeschooling associates Printed in Practical Homeschooling #98, 2011. Top ten eyeopening books, life skills resources, documentaries, and more! Tweet

Top 10 Books to Open Teens’ Eyes (Plus 5 More)

• The Bible (Yes, even non-Christians need to read this, as much of Western history, philosophy, and literature makes little sense without it. Most of its critics have never read it. For best results, use the KJV.)
• Pilgrim’s Progress (a spiritual classic, it is also the first novel in the English language and the second best-selling book of all time—essential to anyone studying Western lit)
• Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, and Meaning by Nancy Pearcey (explains all of Western philosophy, theology, art, plus university professor shenanigans, and is readable by teens)
• The God Who Is There by Francis Schaeffer (you know you’re going to read books and articles by atheists, so read this, too)
• The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto (Where has all the weirdness in modern America and the school system come from? What might a real education look like? By the former New York State Teacher of the Year)
• The “Uncle Eric” books by Richard J. Maybury (These explain our judicial system, political system, economic system, and how these all ought to work. Counters the typical textbook happy talk.)
• Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister by Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay. Get the TV series, too! (How politics really works. And it’s funny!)
• The Law by Frederic Bastiat (the classic case for freedom)
• Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville (Why is America different? French nobleman who traveled here in 1813 tells us. A classic.)
• One Blood: The Biblical Answer to Racism by Ken Ham (read it and pass it around)
• BONUS! The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek (brilliant defense of economic and political freedom against the “planners”)
• BONUS! Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (amazes everyone when he/she first reads it)
• BONUS! Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt (it is what it says)
• BONUS! Black Rednecks & White Liberals by Thomas Sowell (“gangsta” culture and redneck culture: both from the old English borderlands!)
• BONUS! The postscript to Yellow Eyes by John Ringo & Tom Kratman (Who are the “Tranzis”? The younger generation needs to know. Plus, Yellow Eyes is great military sf.)

Top 10 Books on Friendship, Sex, and Love

• The Definitive Book of Body Language by Allen & Barbara Pease (recognize liars and manipulators)
• How to Say No and Keep Your Friends: Peer Pressure Reversal for Teens and Preteens by Sharon Scott and Richard J. Murnane
• When to Say Yes and Make More Friends by Sharon Scott
• Straight Talk About Teen Dating by James Wegert (ignore the word “dating”— it’s really about becoming a worthy marriage prospect and detecting who is . . . and isn’t)
• I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris You will want to read these following books yourself and decide how much of each to share with your teens:
• The Marketing of Evil by David Kupelian (why everything most teens think about the world and relationships is wrong, and how these wrong ideas are sold to them)
• Unprotected: A Campus Psychiatrist Reveals How Political Correctness in Her Profession Endangers Every Student by Miriam Grossman (how students’ bad life choices, made by following the media and what they learned in school, result in disease, depression, and suicide)
• Seductive Delusions: How Everyday People Catch STDs by Jill Grimes (what today’s sex ed leaves out—lots of realistic stories—a book to share with friends and dorm mates)
• Your Kids at Risk: How Teen Sex Threatens Our Sons and Daughters by Dr. Margaret J. Meeker
• Sexual Sabotage: How One Mad Scientist Unleashed a Plague of Corruption and Contagion on America by Dr. Judith Reisman (and how the media to this day cover up the truth about Kinsey)

Top 10 Life Skills Resources

• Alpha Omega Home Economics LIFEPacs
• A Beka or BJU Consumer Math
• Is There Life After Housework? book and DVD by Don Aslett (my son watched the DVD and decided he now loved to clean, as long as he could use Don’s tricks and tools!)
• Clutter’s Last Stand by Don Aslett
• Who Says It’s a Woman’s Job to Clean? by Don Aslett (give this one to your sons!)
• The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
• Confessions of a Medical Heretic by Robert S. Mendelsohn (it’s never too early to lose your awe of doctors!)
• All The Way Home by Mary Pride
• Red Cross First Aid course
• Hands-on training in cooking, gardening, carpentry, car maintenance, and home repair

Top 10 Documentaries

• How Should We Then Live? series by Dr. Francis Schaeffer
• Whatever Happened to the Human Race? by Dr. Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop
• The Truth Project (Focus on the Family)
• Commanding Heights (PBS)
• Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
• John Adams series from HBO (short scene of man being tarred and feathered has some nudity)
• The Future of Food
• Indoctrinate U
• Hacking Democracy
• Waiting for “Superman”