Here is an essential classic. Short and easy to read. Cuts through a LOT of political rhetoric:
Economics in One Lesson
https://mises.org/library/economics-one-lesson

Also, online:
http://steshaw.org/economics-in-one-lesson/

Some of these have been mentioned.

Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater is a pretty easy, straightforward read.

Sowell's Basic Economics series.

Economics in One Lesson by Hazelitt is very good.

Anything by C. S. Lewis or J. R. R. Tolkein.

Reagan's speeches.

America's founding documents. The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution are both fascinating reads. Include the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers to learn what arguments were being made when the ratification of The Constitution was being debated.

The Five-Thousand Year Leap is excellent. Its author studied the writings of the founders for years and came up with a set of principles built into our founding. The author was Mormon, and the book was pushed by Glenn Beck, also a Mormon, so I was skeptical, but there is no Mormon content and it really is an excellent, comprehensive work.

Animal Farm, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451.

When old enough, watch the movies Doctor Zhivago, Schindler's List, and The Lives Of Others. Watch a documentary on Chernobyl.

That should be a good start.

I agree with the federalist papers, but pretty much anything by the founding fathers. Theyd have hung the left starting in the 60s for treason. We missed that boat

Have her start with this one to see what life was like before the commies took over.

When I Was A Kid This Was A Free Country - G. Gordon Liddy

An easy read and quite poignant.

quote:

Originally posted by bionic218:

Fahrenheit 451

Lost my copy in a fire.

In about Two years, consider "Please Enroll Responsibly" by Lee Doran

https://smile.amazon.com/Pleas...entries%2A=0&ie=UTF8

All of the home school series of classes I have seen are more balanced than local schools. Many of the English and History classes have suggested reading lists.

Many of the local groups swap, trade, sell these materials. Some even have lending libraries.


This may network you with people who are more conservative than what I usually find in the PTA or PTO groups at local schools.

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:
We’re talking about a 14 yo here, don't forget.

Are these age appropriate?

I had to read Dante’s Inferno in Italian at 13 years old. Besides the classics, Catch 22, Deliverance and The Godfather were on my reading list for English classes. High school kids should be reading anything an adult would read.

In response to the OP, the mandatory reading list should include Animal Farm, 1984, The Prince, and the works of Cicero. Cicero is as relevant today as he was 2000 years ago.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Have her start with this one to see what life was like before the commies took over.

When I Was A Kid This Was A Free Country - G. Gordon Liddy

An easy read and quite poignant.

Why would you want her to read ideas from a nut job, criminal, who tried to undermine our system of government by illegally tampering with an election.

Liddy is NOT an example of someone whose ideas should be followed.

Kids can easily watch long, thoughtful debates by folks who can disagree rationally, reasonably and politely. Learn to learn how to disagree reasonably.

See Yuval Levin, Dr. David Berlinski, Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, Bill Krystal, Gen. James Mattis, VDH, Stephen Meyer, Mike Rowe, William F. Buckley Jr. and their philosophical opponents.

My sons follow these guys and the eldest has learned a near-PHD in political science from these materials. He is also an avid reader of Thomas Sowell and Clarence Thomas which were early key inputs for him. Also American History from William Bennett.

I’ve learned a lot from them this past year. I’m quite proud of them coming to classical liberalism aiming to optimize liberty while not losing touch with virtue. (The Ying and yang “issue” with maximizing classical liberalism/libertine behavior always clashes against maintaining virtue.)

A lot of young men “get it”. Tired of progressive indoctrination from the leftist education system.

They give me a lot of hope for the next generation.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SIGnified,

This Reagan speech is an excellent one:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=qXBswFfh6AY

Everyone should read and understand the cautionary tales within these works:

The Prince
1984
Animal Farm
Brave New World
The Handmaid's Tale

And for good measure:

The Art of War (the Shambala Dragon Edition from Shambala Press is good / easy to read)