Big Ideas from Literature

Introducing children to books through the ages, showing how they can develop both empathy and resilience through exploring the stories they tell.

From an early age, we tend to be told that books matter, but very rarely are we properly allowed to examine why – and therefore we can miss out on a genuine engagement with books. Big Ideas from Literature dares to ask the obvious but crucial questions about the whole business of reading: What is reading really for? What are stories trying to do for us? Why should we care?

In a tone that’s engaging and playful, we’re shown how books help us to grow, why we cry about the fate of certain characters and how to read for genuine pleasure rather than to please a teacher or parent. Along the way, we learn about the history of literature and about some of the many fascinating books from around the world we might enjoy.

Always, the underlying concern is to foster a love of reading, while appreciating that this might require us to first bluntly question why we should even bother. Big Ideas from Literature helps us with the greatest challenge we can ever have around books: how to make them into our true friends.

Books can be so powerful, helping us through tricky times, offering us wisdom and showing us that there are people like us. Inspired by our book Big Ideas from Literature, we've created a creative writing pack which is designed to engage children and ask them to reflect on the ideas posed by the book, developing their writing skills and fostering empathy and resilience.

Clothbound hardback book with illustrations by Anna Doherty | 168pp | 246 x 180mm  | Ideal for Ages 9+