Amy Austin, Deputy Principal and PhD student, asks ‘Can children do philosophy?’; ‘What does it entail and who benefits?’; ‘What stimulates philosophical thinking?’ Detail from Frog and Toad, by Arnold Lobel For many, the picture that first comes to mind of a philosopher could be that of an academic or scientist: white, male, old, perhaps wearing a cardigan (or even a toga). However, any conversation with a three year old (“But why?”) should prompt one to question, are childr

How many children's books have you read that tell stories of family violence and abuse? Today author, speaker and survivor of family violence, Tim Tipene, argues for more books that show the reality of life for far too many children in Aotearoa and beyond. Content note: this essay contains descriptions of child abuse and family violence. As a child I grew up in two worlds. In the first, I had to deal with the anger and misplaced hurt of the adults in my family. I was beaten a

Babies don't come with manuals, or book lists. Today journalist and broadcaster Guyon Espiner recounts how he and his daughter have discovered zen pandas and Roborovski hamsters along their bilingual reading journey. My reading life with Nico began the day after she was born and would establish something of a pattern for my parenting: curious decisions based on limited information leading to surprising consequences. I knew so little about looking after this little matahīapo t