Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom - by Claudia Mills Hardcover

About the Book

""Difficult" student Callie joins a philosophy club seeking the wisdom she needs to keep her beloved but equally difficult dog"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

"Difficult" student Callie joins a philosophy club seeking the wisdom she needs to keep her beloved but equally difficult dog in this hilarious, heartfelt middle grade novel for underdogs and dog-lovers alike!

Once Callie (Calliope Callisto Clark) starts saying something, it's hard for her to stop. The opinion gets bigger and bigger, her voice gets louder and louder--and she gets in more and more trouble. She's in trouble with her teacher, who likes order and not Callie. She's in bigger trouble with her Grampy, who blames Callie and her dog (a.k.a. Best Ever Friend) Archie for his ever-rising blood pressure. Then there's the biggest trouble of all... just one more strike, and Callie could lose her beloved Archie forever.

When she turns to Greek philosophy for answers on how to solve her problems, she only gets more questions: What is justice? What is fairness? And as her problems get bigger, so do her questions: Is it Callie's fault when Grampy has a stroke?

Told in Callie's endearing, energetic voice, Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom is sure to speak to any student who's ever been called "disruptive." Acclaimed children's book author and retired philosophy professor Claudia Mills delivers a heartfelt middle grade for misunderstood readers who feel like they're living their own Greek tragedies.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Review Quotes

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. . . . A love letter to seekers, as heartfelt as it is wise.
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

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. . . .A recommended purchase, great for fans of Janae Marks or Dusti Bowling.
--School Library Journal

About the Author

Claudia Mills has written over sixty books for children, including The Lost Language, an NCTE Notable Verse Novel, a Charlotte Huck Recommended Book, A Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year, and A Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book. Her most recent book, The Last Apple Tree, received a starred review in Kirkus Reviews. She is a recipient of the Kerlan Award for her contribution to children's literature. She was a professor of philosophy for more than two decades at the University of Colorado. She lives in Boulder, Colorado. Visit her at claudiamillsauthor.com.