http://www.perlmonks.org?node_id=28849


in reply to Perl as a first language

I picked up Andrew L. Johnson's Elements of Programming with Perl specifically because it was directed at someone new to programming. Although I was cheating (I've got some limited C++ experience), I thought it did a good job of explaining the basics of programming (theory/style/design) and then later the basics of Perl. If you're thinking of teaching someone programming, this book might be a great place to start.