Big Ideas from Literature
Great stories are often universal: our very souls shine with new ideas when we read them.
Books can be so powerful, helping us through tricky times, offering us wisdom we haven’t learnt yet, showing us that there are people like us, or showing us the opposite, that other people live very different lives. Books can be a friend when you need one the most and you can use them to help and inspire others, too.
Big Ideas from Literature helps the child discover key ideas that lots of different books are trying to teach through the stories they tell – and helps the growing child develop empathy and resilience.
This book teaches children (and adults!) about the history of literature, from the first ever story that was written down to the invention of books just for children. The best children’s books become our dearest friends and companions. Children discover characters from a diverse range of books – including J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Young Dark Emu: A Truer History by Bruce Pascoe – and learn how these stories can help them better understand the world around them.
The School of Life publishes a range of books, games and learning tools for children introducing curious young minds to brilliant ideas from psychology, philosophy, literature, science, art, architecture and beyond, that can help them grow into happy, healthy and emotionally mature adults. Our team of psychologists, writers and designers work together to produce engaging, beautifully illustrated, age-appropriate teaching that can be put to work in everyday life. We never dumbdown or over-simplify; rather, trusting in the intelligence and curiosity of our young readers, we aim to make our wisdom as engaging and relatable as possible. We seek to provide what the traditional curriculum often lacks: an emotional education.
Anna Doherty is an author illustrator living in Cambridge, whose work grabbed the attention of publishers at her Children’s Book Illustration MA graduation show. Her final year project on Ada Lovelace was picked up by Wren and Rook and was transformed into the successful Fantastically Feminist series. Since then, Anna has enjoyed working across a range of projects featuring illustrations that are full of warmth, humour and adorable characters. Awards include Winner of the 2023 Derby Children’s Picture Book Award (2023), Books for Topics’ Book of the Year in the EYFS (Ages 3-5), Best Children’s Favourite (2021), English 4-11 Picture Book Awards (2020), Non-fiction 4-7, What are Kids Reading Awards(2020), Quiz Writers’ Choice Award Shortlist.