Confucius: Great Teacher of China

Kids and adults will be reaching for Confucious because of its gilded cover or if they recognize the author, Demi. I am usually a big fan of the books by Demi, but this one didn’t seem as interesting as others I have read.

Confucious is a biography of the Chinese philosopher, and this book describes the most important events in his adult life. The author spent a lot of time including actual quotes, Chinese characters (and their pronunciation), and a lot of historical detail. As much as I enjoyed these details, it made it harder to understand the story as so much was included, and it made the writing awkward.

The biggest strength of the book is the beautiful two-page pictures that reflect the Chinese culture. I have only studied a little bit about Confucious and his religious teachings, so this was a good overview of his life. I can’t see a child under eight really understanding the story, but they might like the pictures. Overall, many may find it boring, but older students who are studying Confucius or religion could pull out some interesting facts.