Book request

[Inquorate]

I have my two eldest sons only part time. Their mother is a non practicing Greek orthodox Christian, and they go to a Catholic school.

My eldest boy, 11, said tonight during story time before bed (Harry potter, order of the Phoenix), that he has been thinking about death lately, and about where we go, if we go anywhere.

I told a few stories about family members and a few of my own experiences, which lend credence to life after death, but suggested we find him a book with some "evidence" of people who seem to remember past lives..

Then he asked about how to know our future, We discussed clairvoyance and clairvoyants. The nature of future uncertainty, then finished off with simple breathing techniques for calmness.

I figured someone here might know of a good book for him / them. He (11) has had problems with concentration and reading, so it may be something I read to them both. The younger boy is 8, which may be a bit young. Also, he (8) is quite jesus-centric at the moment.

Side note, precognition, sending messages to family members, being aware of each other's thoughts is not unheard of in our (my) family. This particular son (11) said when he was little (3) that he was talking to his then just passed on great grandmother about his toys, or to use his words, " the lady in the photo". He also said he gave her his truck, which we found in her locked grave head stone.. he doesn't remember this anymore, but is a spiritual little fellow. Not so much Mr 8, but he takes everything in.

Thankyou in advance for any advice or recommendations.

 

[brandon]

This isn't exactly what you asked for, and just fiction... but the first author I thought of was Richard Bach.. I haven't actually read much of his, just Jonathan Livingston Seagull as a kid, and years later some of his Ferret Chronicles childrens' books.. they feel sort of relevant. You familiar with them?

The Ferret Chronicles - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The setting of The Ferret Chronicles is similar to the real world, except many animals are intelligent and have the power to speak. Many cities including (among others) Anchorage, Hong Kong, London, Paris, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Tokyo. Humans and animals peacefully live parallel lives side by side, generally sharing spaces but having differently scaled buildings and facilities as appropriate. The books focus on the lives of ferret characters and there are not many direct interactions with humans or other animal species.

Ferret society is similar to real-world human society, with its businesses, governments, regulations, and laws. While there are sometimes overlaps between ferret and human societies in these areas, often they instead have their own ferret variations; for example, the giant international company MusTelCo is led by CEO and founder Stilton Ferret and appears in more than one book. While ferret society is no Utopia, it tends to run more smoothly than human society due to the attitudes and behaviors of the ferrets, and the series explores some of these differences in detail.

A small number of ferrets are shown to have some types of psychic powers. Additionally there are occasional supernatural elements. The two with the largest impact in the series are philosopher ferrets and angel ferret fairies.

Philosopher ferrets are more than just philosophers; they are beings with mystical powers, but rely far more on their wisdom. Exceptional ferrets are sometimes suspected of secretly being philosopher ferrets.

Some ferrets after death can become angel ferret fairies. Angel ferret fairies travel around invisibly trying to guide characters toward good choices. They can psychically influence characters with varying degrees of success and can rarely make themselves seen. It is not clear if angel fairies exist for other species or if they are unique to ferrets.

I only had the first two books.. just saw the fifth one is about a psychic ferret detective, trying to solve the mystery of the origins of ferret civilisation! :)

As for Jonathan Livingston Seagull, I can hardly remember it now but I do recall it affected me greatly as a kid..

Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The book tells the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a seagull who is bored with daily squabbles over food. Seized by a passion for flight, he pushes himself and learns everything he can about flying. His increasing unwillingness to conform finally results in his expulsion from the flock. Now an outcast, he continues to learn, becoming increasingly pleased with his abilities while leading a peaceful and happy life.

One day Jonathan meets two gulls who take him to a "higher plane of existence" in which there is no heaven, but a better world found through perfection of knowledge. There he meets another seagull who loves to fly. He discovers that his sheer tenacity and desire to learn make him "pretty well a one-in-a-million bird." In this new place, Jonathan befriends the wisest gull, Chiang, who takes him beyond his previous self-education, and teaches him how to move instantaneously to anywhere else in the universe. The secret, Chiang says, is to "begin by knowing that you have already arrived."

But, unsatisfied with his new life, Jonathan returns to Earth to find others like himself to tell them what he'd learned and to spread his love for flight. His mission is successful, and Jonathan gathers around himself a flock of other gulls who have been outlawed for not conforming. The first of his students, Fletcher Lynd Seagull, ultimately becomes a teacher in his own right, and Jonathan leaves to teach other flocks.

 

[mARTinSky]

I bought this 6 or 7 years ago from a stall with cheap books and found it a very good and easy read: Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife: Amazon.co.uk: Alexander, Eben: 9780749958794: Books