An airy but far-from-superficial spin past Big Questions and some of the thinkers who have tackled them.
A slightly buggy but enticing introduction to philosophy, based on the first of a print series published in Canada (2011).
Squired by Sophia, an extroverted child resembling Dora the Explorer, young enquirers not only get exposure to broad definitions and basic ground rules for “Doing Philosophy”—meaning thinking about or discussing important ideas in systematic, civilized ways—but considerable drilling down into the topic, too. She lays out the purviews of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and other branches of the discipline in simple but specific language. This is followed by introductions to five prominent practitioners (“Hannah Arendt here, and boy, oh boy, did I learn a lot of important things from philosophy!”) with overviews of their distinctive “fave subjects." The app closes with a list of 13 brain benders like “What does it mean for something to be ‘normal’?” Aside from two screens of appended historical and geographical sliders with pop-up texts that are only fitfully functional, this quick but informative tour scores high for its overall design, easy navigation, optional audio and cartoon illustrations highlighted by caricatures livened up with small animations. And where else will readers learn that “Jean-Paul Sartre was afraid of being chased by lobsters”?
An airy but far-from-superficial spin past Big Questions and some of the thinkers who have tackled them. (coloring page) (iPad informational app. 10 & up)Pub Date: Dec. 9, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Enable Training and Consulting, Inc.
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
Essential.
A guidebook for taking action against racism.
The clear title and bold, colorful illustrations will immediately draw attention to this book, designed to guide each reader on a personal journey to work to dismantle racism. In the author’s note, Jewell begins with explanations about word choice, including the use of the terms “folx,” because it is gender neutral, and “global majority,” noting that marginalized communities of color are actually the majority in the world. She also chooses to capitalize Black, Brown, and Indigenous as a way of centering these communities’ voices; "white" is not capitalized. Organized in four sections—identity, history, taking action, and working in solidarity—each chapter builds on the lessons of the previous section. Underlined words are defined in the glossary, but Jewell unpacks concepts around race in an accessible way, bringing attention to common misunderstandings. Activities are included at the end of each chapter; they are effective, prompting both self-reflection and action steps from readers. The activities are designed to not be written inside the actual book; instead Jewell invites readers to find a special notebook and favorite pen and use that throughout. Combining the disruption of common fallacies, spotlights on change makers, the author’s personal reflections, and a call to action, this powerful book has something for all young people no matter what stage they are at in terms of awareness or activism.
Essential. (author’s note, further reading, glossary, select bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-18)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7112-4521-1
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
Breathtaking dragon battles peppered with musings on forgiveness, teamwork, and love.
Lunar Jones joins other planetary guardians to unravel clues from Proteus and save the solar system in this third series entry.
Lunar, a 15-year-old dragoon, is known far and wide and regarded as a hero on Mars, but his personal life contains tension. He’s bonded for life with Dread, the savvy war strategist King-Dragon of Mars, but the Dread Knights are leaving one by one to pursue other opportunities. Though he’s unhappy about this, Lunar doesn’t try to hold them back. Sorting out his feelings for Rose Proctor is another can of worms. Plus he’s preparing for the upcoming Solar Summit, which is held by the planetary dragons once every 500 years. Reminiscent of a dragon family reunion, the summit includes equal measures of information exchange, camaraderie, and squabbles, but the appearance of a shape-shifting Fear Dragon brings everyone to laser-focused attention as they rally against a monstrous unseen enemy. Lunar’s first-person narration presents him variously as an awkward teen, pep-talking mentor, and battle-savvy commander. The dragon battles rock, innovations abound, and the Proteus messages tantalizingly reveal themselves right up until the cliffhanger ending. Names and skin tones cue some ethnic and racial diversity among the smart, strong teenage crew members surrounding the white-presenting Lunar. Knowledge of the previous books is essential to fully appreciate this volume, which explores characters and situations from earlier entries; a prologue introduces the formidable new characters Doom and Gloom.
Breathtaking dragon battles peppered with musings on forgiveness, teamwork, and love. (Fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9781665982016
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
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