Most public schools don’t offer any courses in Critical Thinking or Logic, yet these two subjects offer skills that are crucial to lifelong learning and good decision-making. It’s the lack of critical thinking and logical reasoning skills that leads so many adults astray when it comes to separating fact from opinion and fiction, as well as in the ways advertising and scams mislead otherwise intelligent people, often with disastrous results.
The Logic To The Rescue series aims to change that, with books intended to painlessly teach these skills to kids aged 11 up.
Logic to the Rescue (4/5 stars, currently priced at 99 cents)
Logic to the Rescue is designed to teach kids science and critical thinking. A combination of fiction and non-fiction, it weaves examples of logical fallacies into a fictional sword-and-sorcery fantasy. Simple examples for testing a hypothesis and setting up experiments in chemistry, physics, and biology are integrated into the plot.
Logic to the Rescue is the first book in the series. The second book in the series is The Prince of Physics. The third book is The Bard of Biology (coming to Amazon in December 2015).
When Nikki Murrow lost her first High School debating match she did what anyone would do – she hid in a closet. She found comfort hiding among the mops and cleaning supplies, but she also found two imps – tiny creatures from a magical kingdom who lead her on a strange journey into the Realm of Reason.
There is Fuzz, an imp with a fondness for breaking the rules. And Athena, a model of impish manners, decorum and spotlessly clean clothes. Together they convince Nikki to join them in the battle against the king’s evil advisor, Maleficious.
In her debate class, Nikki learned the value of logic and reason, but who knew her ability to formulate a hypothesis would help a mud-splattered Knight redeem his tarnished reputation? Or that her knowledge of logical fallacies would rid the Realm’s Haunted Hills of ghosts?
Maleficious’s hold on the king is strong, but Nikki and the imps are determined that the Realm will not fall into his clutches. Will their mastery of logic and science rid the kingdom of the ignorance Maleficious is spreading, or will the inhabitants of the Realm fall back under the sway of centuries-old superstition?
The Prince of Physics (4/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99)
In The Prince of Physics Nikki Murrow’s adventures in the Realm of Reason continue. After her escape from the Confounded Castle she flees to the headquarters of the imps with her companions Fuzz and Athena. Safety is short-lived, however, as the Knights of the Iron Fist pursue them into the Trackless Forest. The evil, power-hungry Rufius has convinced the knights to depose the King of the Realm. Nikki begins to wonder if she will ever get home again as she is drawn deeper into the power struggles of the Realm of Reason.
The Logic to the Rescue series is designed to teach kids science and critical thinking. A combination of fiction and non-fiction, it weaves examples of logical fallacies into a fictional sword-and-sorcery fantasy. Simple examples for testing a hypothesis and setting up experiments in chemistry and physics are integrated into the plot.
This series is for kids ages 10 to 14, though adults who want to brush up on their knowledge of logical fallacies and basic science may also enjoy the books.
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