Seen and Not Heard: Why Children’s Voices Matter, by Jana Mohr Lone (2021). Rowman & Littlefield.

Evoking the old saying that ‘children should be seen and not heard’, Jana Mohr Lone’s new book presents a powerful case for not merely hearing—but more, for listening to - children. Lone is the Executive Director of PLATO—the Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization affiliated with the University of Washington, Seattle (one of the leading forces for philosophy in schools in the USA)—and has been involved in bringing philosophical discussion into schools for over 25 years. She brings all this experience to bear in this book.

Before taking a good look at the book, I note that the publisher, Rowman & Littlefield, seems to have produced quite a few books in the philosophy in schools field recently, including Lone’s previous book The Philosophical Child, and a series edited by Tom Wartenberg. That a major publisher is interested in producing such books is a welcome sign indeed.