Elfie: Reasoning About Thinking

As a first grader, Elfie is shy. She finds it hard to speak in class but she enjoys observing and puzzling over everything that happens around her. So, when the school principal proposes a contest aimed at improving reasoning, Elfie finds herself caught up with her whole class in figuring out how sentences work and how distinctions and connections are made. In little to no time, Elfie and her classmates begin discovering many distinctions fundamental to philosophical inquiry: appearance and reality, the one and the many, parts and wholes, similarity and difference, permanence and change. This novel touches upon the ethical concepts of: friendship, love, self-esteem, respect for others, teasing, choosing, and parent-child relationships. Blank pages are also included for young readers to illustrate! Grade Range: K-2. Target Grade: 1