The cave children by A. T. Sonnleitner

[cave_children_fan]

I recommend a novel which I often read as a youngster (and still read today). It's called „the cave children“, or in German original „Die Höhlenkinder“ by author A. T. Sonnleitner. Although its not post-apocalyptic, but more Robinson-Crusoe style, it really gives you an interesting and quite thorough look at an orphaned boy and a girl reinventing civilization one tool after the other - starting with only a few skills they have learned from their grandparents.

I also find interesting, that the story is set during the late 1600's in the Alps, so the two kids actually manage to get back from the stone ages to their 'contemporary' level of inventions. Finally, the author doesn't just give short hints at how they rebuild the different tools or techniques, but goes at great length to actually describe each and every step of the inventions and there are quite good illustrations.

So overall not bad for getting back to the 1600'

P.S. : It looks like there is an English translation on http://www.amazon.com/The-Cave-Children-A-Sonnleitner/dp/0875991696, more in German can be found on Wikipedia at https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_H%C3%B6hlenkinder.

[lewis]

Thanks ever so much for that recommendation - I'd not come across The Cave Children anywhere else before! I've now added it to the recommended list: http://the-knowledge.org/en-gb/best-post-apocalyptic-books/

[germanforestgump]

Hello cave_children_fan!

I agree with you very much, because I read this book in the german original when I was about ten years old;

and for some years my friends and i played this story and maked experiences by building shelters in our Garden and the surrounding forrest, by creating tools from natural material, breeding plants,
and playing "neolithic farmers" with some living sheeps.
I learn to spin wool with a stick and to weave a piece of stuff fixed on a little tree.

And we collect wheat from the street, witch has been loosed by the modern farmers,
and make it to meal with a round stone on a stone plat for hours,
until we had enough to bake a bread in a earth oven.

This book is best for awakening the interest of school-kids making practical experiences of the evolution of mankind!