Big Ideas for Curious Minds: An Introduction to Philosophy

Featured in The Guardian's Best Children's Books of 2018: "Our pick was Big Ideas for Curious Minds: An Introduction to Philosophy – a plain-speaking guide to philosophers, what matters and how to deal with things. A nine-year-old of my acquaintance was struck by a Mary Wollstonecraft idea – “why we hate cheap things” – about rarity and value."

"The first book for children from The School of Life seeks to connect young readers to influential thinkers … The volume distills “big ideas” from 25 heavy-hitting philosophers … into simple precepts. Each idea sits in a dedicated chapter, presented in a conversational style … and explained with accessible scenarios. A useful … introduction to emotional intelligence via philosophical thought."

“An ideal introduction to philosophy, as well as a charming way to open up conversations between adults and children about the biggest questions we all face ... Big Ideas for Curious Minds is especially and unreservedly recommended for family, school, and community library collections.”

"An eye-opening introduction to philosophy for young readers … the book makes great ideas accessible without watering them down, showing confidence in its audience’s ability to wrestle with real questions. Within Big Ideas for Curious Minds, philosophy isn’t useless, boring, or just for grownups; it’s vibrant and full of wisdom for preteens and young teens, too."

"Introspective, thoughtful kids ages 8 and up may find this book interesting to ponder. Parents nearing the end of patience for their tweens may want to leave this book lying around for browsing."

"A formidable introduction for a middle schooler interested in philosophy and a reference book that offers more than Wikipedia. Strongly recommended for middle school libraries looking for high quality nonfiction reference books."