Big Thinkers and Big Ideas: An Introduction to Eastern and Western Philosophy for Kids

Lo uso en clases de Filosofía de la sección bilingüe, y es muy asequible, con mucho vocabulario y muy ameno.

Sent this to my nephew who is 11 almost 12. He always asked deep questioned so thought this would be great. Normally he doesn’t “read books” but he just told me today that he has been “reading it!” With a big smile. Pretty amazing. Totally recommend 🥰

I'm a middle school Humanities teacher at a private school. I'm currently evolving my curriculum to include more discussion of philosophy, particularly ancient philosophy. Honestly, I could rely on this book as a core text, like a sort of textbook. It's that useful. Divided into four sections (Reality, Knowledge, Ethics, Logic), the book brilliantly pairs each branch of philosophy with essential questions that young kids can understand. It draws examples from every corner of geography and time, and in that way is remarkably inclusive. Each student will find themselves reflected in what they read, and will be able to identify with a great thinker of the past. Accessibility is this book's greatest strength, and not just because of the language used, but also the thought experiments proposed (well-chosen to apply to a child's world), images and layout (not overwhelming or boring) and constant engagement (each three-page section ends with a fun and inviting question that students can reflect on, either in writing or discussion). It really doesn't pull any punches, either. Don't expect "One fish, two fish, morally right fish, morally wrong fish". It provides brief paragraphs that are deceptively laden with big ideas, in kid language, or the closest one can get when dealing with such weighty concepts. This book is a wonderful example of how advisory SEL learning can and should be happening within classes, woven-in to content, and measured as a skill. Too many teachers shy away from holding tough discussions that do not necessarily arrive at concrete, testable concepts. The result is a generation that does not know how to have productive disagreements, and who may believe that philosophy is a "me vs you" zero-sum shouting game. Misinformation LOVES people who were not taught philosophy. The internet is waterlogged with these people, today. I must add that this book can also serve as an amazing crash course in philosophy for adults who didn't study it at length in college, for instance. For those of us adults who are not above learning from a simplified kid's source sometimes, this book will come in handy as a survey of the world's most important philosophers, both very ancient and very modern. Enjoy! And please help create future adults that know how to productively interact with ideas!

I am thrilled with this book! My kids are older than ‘recommended’ yet they will still be able to read this book without being too bored, or feel they aren’t learning enough etc. it is well organized and well written, with seemingly little bias. I am looking forward to my own refresher course with this book! Philosophy is the ultimate critical thinking exercise, and we don’t do enough of this today. We need to make sure our kids are learning how to think and question for themselves- and innovate, create, and discover new things. Overall, a perfect book for my needs, and one that should be read in schools too.

I think this book is great and answers many interesting questions in a relatable way, but my kid would rather read her other books and I kind of have to encourage her to pick this one up and keep reading.