Big Ideas for Curious Minds

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 Guardian

"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." – Publishers Weekly

“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.” – Midwest Book Review

"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." – Foreword Reviews

"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." – Youth Services Book Review

"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." – School Library Journal

“The book itself is genius with an introduction to leading figures of philosophy from around the world from all eras… Topics such as ‘Why you feel lonely’, ‘Politeness matters’, ‘People are unhappy not mean’, and ‘The mind-body problem’ offer invaluable insights into philosophy in a way that our children can really get on board with.” – Laura, blogger at five little doves

"I absolutely LOVE this book!!!!! This guide to wisdom and happiness is beautifully written. The tone and voice are exceptional for kids and the lessons are IMPORTANT. Positive self-esteem and coping strategies are necessary to mental health and stability; something that is often overlooked with our young children. As an adult, it reinforced all of the problem solving and self-talk techniques that I am constantly reminding myself to practice day to day! Big Ideas for Curious Minds should be a required read for all children and parents. This world would be a better place if we could understand ourselves and communicate and empathize with others. Thank you for the experience." - Maria Conn, Read-Ability

"This book is a wonderful collection of philosophical concepts. It takes ideas and questions that children have and provides good explanations of how everyone can grapple with these philosophical concepts. This is definitely a book I would recommend for everyone who has an interest in learning some of the basics of philosophy in a simplified way.” - Kids Book Buzz