The Philosophy Resistance Squad

by Robert Grant

Overview

A funny philosophical romp about a group of kids who use the power of critical thinking to take on a wicked headmaster.

Milo is thrilled to be starting at the country’s most prestigious school. But it soon becomes clear that something sinister is going on. The headmaster, Dr Pummelcrush, is bent on brainwashing the students and turning them into mindless, unthinking human robots.

When Milo stumbles across a bright and colourful secret garden and meets its joyous gardener, he and his friends begin to open their minds to a whole new way of thinking: philosophy. Can the Philosophy Resistance Squad use their new questioning skills to resist Pummelcrush’s evil project and save their classmates from being zombified?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781912417308
Publisher:	Little Island Books
Publication date:	09/20/2022
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.80(h) x (d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Robert Grant was born in Waterford, Ireland. He has a PhD in philosophy from Trinity College Dublin, where he was an Irish Research Scholar. He has taught philosophy both at Trinity and in several other institutions. Rob is founder of the Philosophy in the Community project and a member of Philosophy Ireland, and has taught philosophy in schools, prisons, community centres and many other places. He has written and talked about this work for The Irish Times, RTÉ radio and television, BBC radio, Newstalk radio and many other places. He lives in Dublin, but is still from Waterford.

Editorial Reviews

"A dramatic adventure, with an engaging side of philosophy on the side."

Sara KeatingThe Irish Times

From the Publisher

2022-07-13
Being chosen to go to the Secondary Training Institute for Lifelong Employment is a good thing, right?

Milo’s mam and dad are thrilled—times are tough, but with his entrance to the Institute, the top school in Ireland, Milo knows he has a bright future ahead of him, and as a first-year student, he’s ready to shine. It is a little unnerving that the prefects walk in military formation, look through Milo rather than at him, and speak in a monotone, but Milo’s parents are impressed by the school and the “mastermind” behind it, Dr Pummelcrush. However, Milo and his friends Katie and Sarah-Louise learn very quickly that they are expected to surrender to the system and that they will be watched closely by the prefects, known as the Disciplods. Things get worse as Milo sees Katie taken away and brainwashed and then returned to the classroom, where she follows Dr Pummelcrush’s every command. Luckily, Milo meets a woman named Ursula, who used to teach philosophy at the school and whose lessons are literally lifesaving. The writing, unfortunately, is stilted, and the messages—that rote learning and an overemphasis on grades and productivity are harmful—feel heavy-handed, as do names such as STIFLE (the acronym for the Institute) and Digitally Unique Personalised Education Database (Du-Ped). The discussions among the students are at times interesting and thought-provoking, but the message, rather than character development or story, is the focus here. Characters are cued White.

Delivers preachy lessons but not much of a plot. (Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews