The Little Book of Big Questions

Christine Linge MacDonald, a past director of the Toronto & District
Parent Co-operative Preschool Corporation and a freelance writer, is an
elementary school teacher in Whitby, Ontario.

This volume went missing in my house and turned up beside my 12-year-old
son’s bed. I was surprised, because I had dismissed this book as yet
another “Why is the sky blue?” compilation of science questions,
probably too young for a Grade 7 boy. So I took a closer look, and was
surprised and very impressed.

There are indeed some science queries here—intriguing, open-ended
ones like, “Can machines think?” and “Do aliens exist?” The
latter investigation spans 18 pages, and moves from “Are there any
other planets like Earth?” to a consideration of the nature of human
belief in such things as UFOs and vampires. However, many of the
questions in The Little Book concern philosophical and ethical issues
that intermediate-aged children struggle with: “Why isn’t life
fair?”; “How do we know what is right or wrong?”; “Should we
treat animals differently from humans?”

Jackie French’s investigations are presented as a conversation
between the author and reader, the latter’s highlighted questions
probing further and more personally as the inquiry continues. French
does not hesitate to offer her own opinion in response to a “What do
YOU think?” prompt. While she endeavors to present balanced arguments
for all sides of each issue, she realizes that young people need to
examine an adult’s actual opinion to gain a point of departure in
their own investigations. Her frank honesty also models a desirable
willingness to ponder and feel out an issue, and to occasionally say,
“I don’t know. What do you think?” Highly recommended.