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A review by jpsbooks
What If I'm an Atheist?: A Teen's Guide to Exploring a Life Without Religion by David Seidman
2.0
I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I think it's important to have a book like this in a middle and high school library, as many teens are questioning their faith at this time. The book serves as a much-needed guide to students navigating the sometimes tricky waters of becoming (or staying) an atheist. Atheism is a rich topic with an abundance of sources to cite for both background information and personal experiences. I was bothered by the author's reliance on quotes from teens in various message boards on the Internet. He quotes these types of sources extensively using their screen names. I wouldn't accept these types of sources from my students, and I would have expected more robust sources of information in a published book. I would have enjoyed the books more if he had interviewed and quoted real teens instead of getting information from random people on the internet.
I think it's important to have a book like this in a middle and high school library, as many teens are questioning their faith at this time. The book serves as a much-needed guide to students navigating the sometimes tricky waters of becoming (or staying) an atheist. Atheism is a rich topic with an abundance of sources to cite for both background information and personal experiences. I was bothered by the author's reliance on quotes from teens in various message boards on the Internet. He quotes these types of sources extensively using their screen names. I wouldn't accept these types of sources from my students, and I would have expected more robust sources of information in a published book. I would have enjoyed the books more if he had interviewed and quoted real teens instead of getting information from random people on the internet.