Survivors Read

Kids are endlessly fascinated by people who've survived the most gruelling situations. While many of you, myself included, won't agree with the motives driving the contestants on the celebrated television game, there are many, more noble, examples you might prefer your kids to read about. The details of early explorers, pioneers, mountain climbers, even survivors of natural and man-made disasters are the popular subject of non-fiction books. You might like to point out how these famous, and not so famous, people's survival came down to a life and death struggle. Personal profit doesn't always figure in the equation.

Reading factual survival stories can teach your kids a lot about being a decent human being. Your kids can learn valuable skills for living the daily run of life, where risks appear minimal at best. Stories of survival show the resilience of the human spirit, how we can make it against incredible odds. They can learn to adopt an attitude of survival, through the experiences in non-fiction tales. They may never face the situations described, but they can absorb what they read and better face the tough choices their approaching years hold. They can learn the value of being ready and equipped for the worst. Also the risks and costs of not preparing correctly. Learning of this nature needn't apply to extreme situations alone.

Survival is an excellent topic for reluctant readers. The fact these events happened to real people usually hooks their interest. You won't have to look far to find plenty of reading material on the subject of survival. Apart from the suggestions above, there are also excellent handbooks and guides written by ex-servicemen, (army, navy, special services, etc,) which make fascinating reading on their own. What kid isn't intrigued by how to find water in a desert or construct a shelter from the elements? Such knowledge has a habit of coming in handy at the most unlikely times.