When your life feels like it is falling apart where do you turn? How do you pull it together? In today's book, our orphaned sixth grader turns to Greek philosophy. She tries to find wisdom to change so she can keep her dog and not get in trouble as much. The book is Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom by Claudia Mills. There is a giveaway after my review!
About the Book:
Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom Written by Claudia MillsAges: 9+ | 272 Pages | Publisher: Holiday House (2026) | ISBN-13: 978-0-8234-6050-2
Publisher’s Book Summary: “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 novel for misunderstood readers who feel like they’re living their own Greek tragedies.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Purchase Links:
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.
From Me:
Calliope is a sixth grader struggling to figure out life. She lives with her grandparents after her parents died in a car accident. Her grandfather is grumpy and her grandmother tries her best. They adopted a dog for Callie, but he seems to cause a lot of problems and Callie's grandfather does not like him. She is called by many adults as a difficult kid. She is the type that asks a lot of questions and has big feelings and opinions. She struggles with self control when she gets started on something she feels strongly about. Her grandparents are threatening to take her dog back to the shelter. Her grandmother gets injured due to a phone call from one of Callie's teacher and the dog tripping her. Over and over there seem to be issues caused by Callie's persistence and her dog. Callie turns to Greek philosophers for wisdom on how to be perfect so she can keep her beloved friend. However, it is hard to truly understand the wisdom of philosophers even when the librarian begins a club for her. Plus, it is hard to act perfectly all the time. Life is hard for poor Callie.
This book is a fun read. Callie struggles but some of the issues are truly humorous. She is always getting in trouble, but it is because of her passionate nature. As a teacher I see Callie is a pretty typical middle school student who is struggling with figuring out her place in the world. She is described as difficult, but the truth is she is asking questions and trying to figure out right from wrong. She overreacts at times, but she is trying to find fairness and justice. She wants to stand up for herself, her believes and her friends. She just does this at times in ways that teachers and other adults find disrespectful and difficult. At times it seems like the adults are forgetting she is a kid who has lost her parents. She also wonders if her grandparents really wanted her. Their neighbor shares her pity for them for having to deal with a difficult kid at their age. Her friends describe her as weird at times. Her dog is the one thing she feels truly loves her and her grandparents are threatening to take him away. With all of this going on in her life is it a surprise she is "difficult." However, some of the situations Callie gets herself in are humorous and will have the reader enjoying.
I love how the philosophers and Ancient Greek history is pulled into the story. With a generation of readers who love Percy Jackson, this will resonate. Greek gods and goddesses are mentioned throughout the book as well as some Greek mythology. This is a book for kids who are interested in both as well as dog lovers and middle grade readers who are just trying to figure out their place in the world and how to be the best themselves. The characters are well developed, and the point of view is Callie. We learn so much about Callie and her thought process quickly in the book. It truly gives the reader a sense of how she thinks and her life. It is a wonderful book for reading independently but also a great one for discussions in a book club or class. I think readers will enjoy it.
