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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Teacher Resources: EDUCATOR'S GUIDE |
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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
In this sweet but heartstring-tugging tale, sixth-grader Calliope Callisto Clark worries that her grandparents will take away her dog, Archie, after he accidentally causes her grandmother’s broken wrist. She spends the book trying (and failing) to be “perfect” to save her dog while also learning about herself. Calliope loves Greek mythology, so much so that she has expanded her legal name, Callie, to reflect that love. Calliope is also incredibly opinionated, emotional, and brilliant—much of the time to her detriment in school and at home. A philosophy club started by Callie leads to wonderful discussions around Stoicism and its reverberations throughout modern life. Calliope is also an excellent best friend, standing up for her best friend, Peggy, several times. Topics like death, bullying, and empathy are woven into the narrative without being overt; seeing how 11-year-old Callie responds to different stressors will mirror readers' own big emotions in their small bodies. A wonderful coming-of-age story serving as an introduction to complex theories, hopefully sparking curiosity about philosophy for young readers. – Booklist
Callie is hoping to be extraordinary in her first year of middle school, and a unit on Greek mythology inspires her to take on an extraordinary name: Calliope Callisto Clark. However, her request that everyone use her new moniker turns out to be just another reason people think she’s too weird, too emotional, and too much. She lives with her grandparents, and when her grandma trips over Callie’s beloved but poorly behaved dog, her grandparents say that she can only keep him if she starts acting more maturely. Now, every mistake feels enormous, and Callie is trying to learn wisdom through the Greek philosophers club she founds with her best friend, the school librarian, and her erstwhile-nemesis teacher, but she can’t always keep her mouth closed in class and doesn’t always think before she acts at home. When her grandpa has a stroke, Callie is convinced it’s because she’s stressed him out. But the crisis ultimately makes the whole family realize how much they all need each other, even the dog, whose barking alerted the neighbor who called 911. Callie is a chatty, personable narrator who is trying her best in situations that are both hilarious and heartbreakingly cringeworthy, though she often gets in her own way. Her perspective is too heated for anything to feel didactic, and while the conversations in the philosophy club are informative and might help more reticent kids get interested in ancient Greece, finding community is the core here. There’s nuanced growth and understanding in every relationship Callie has, from her connection with her grumpy but forgiving grandpa to a BFF who’s supportive even in the roughest times. – Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books |