Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom
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Junior Library Gold Standard Selection
How I Came to Write This Book For much of my professional life, I pursued two careers: as a professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado, specializing in the field of ethics, and as a children’s book author. As the years passed, the two became more and more intertwined. I sometimes used children’s literature in my undergraduate classes to express a philosophical point more forcefully or playfully. And I often tried to raise ethical issues in my books for young readers. Here for the first time, I decided to let my protagonist engage philosophy directly herself. My favorite philosopher of all time is the great Stoic Epictetus. In this book I let Callie fall in love with his bracing, thrilling ideas the same way I did when I first encountered them as an adolescent. They changed my life; they change her life; and I hope they may change the lives of my readers, too. Published: 2026 |
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Reviews: A curious sixth grader discovers that modern problems may require ancient solutions. Calliope Callisto Clark has a lot to worry about. Her history teacher is strict to the point of being unfair, her strong emotions lead adults to label her “difficult,” and her grandparents are threatening to send her dog, Archie, back to the Humane Society after he caused Granny to fall and break her wrist. Calliope, who was orphaned as a toddler and lives with her grandparents, is determined to become the perfect version of herself so she can keep her dog. After briefly covering ancient Greek philosophers in history class, Calliope forms a philosophy club to pursue perfection with the help of best friend Peggy Anderson, nemesis-turned-friend Philip Kumar, and school librarian Mr. Davenport. She soon realizes that Socrates, Plato, and Epictetus may not have the answers she seeks, but they do have the questions that guide her to integrity, courage, and compassion. Calliope is an amusing narrator who displays both the remarkable insight and flawed logic realistic to an 11-year-old. The novel is exquisitely sensitive to the injustices of childhood, and equally celebratory of the comforts of friendship. The slice-of-life plot has momentum without feeling rushed, and the philosophy discussions are written to be understandable for a middle grade audience without being excessively simplified.
– Kirkus – STARRED REVIEW
Eleven-year-old Callie has strong emotions that she sometimes struggles to control. And right now, at the start of sixth grade, much is happening that is making her feel big feelings. First, her boring, old teacher Miss Kippenberger is being completely unfair. Second, her beloved dog Archie is not exactly well-behaved, and Grampy is threatening to rehome him if she can’t get him under control. Callie decides to seek guidance from the ancient Greek philosophers she’s heard about in Miss Kippenberger’s class. She and her best friend Peggy, along with Callie’s nemesis Phillip, join their school librarian for a weekly Philosophy Club where they discuss Plato and Epictetus, and Callie hopes some of their wisdom will wear off on her. The protagonist is feeling increasingly out of place at home, at school, and in her friendships. Grappling with Socrates’s complicated ideas about justice and fairness and Epictetus’s concept of “the purple thread” helps her make sense of her own place in the world. Mills (The Last Apple Tree), a Philosophy professor, adeptly makes Socrates and Epictetus understandable and relatable, and readers will find the various scrapes that Callie finds herself in with Archie and at school hilarious and heartwarming. – School Library Journal |