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What Can I Do When I Grow Up?

A young person's guide to careers, money – and the future

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
A unique, illustrated guide to the world of work, bringing clarity to children's essential questions on potential future careers.

It's impossible for a child to spend too long around adults without one of them coming up and asking, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, "What do you want to do when you grow up?" They mean for this to be a relatively simple question; the idea is that you'll quite easily be able to say something like, "A teacher" or "A doctor" and then the adult will move on—and bother someone else.

But the truth can be a lot more complicated, and if you've ever felt confused or annoyed by the question, you have every right: Knowing what you might want to do with your working life is one of the biggest, oddest, and hardest questions of all. It might take many decades to find a good answer to it—and it's one that most adults are still grappling with...

This is a unique book about careers and the world of work written expressly for children. It takes us on a journey around some of the most essential questions within the topic: How can one discover one's passions?, what should a "good" job involve?, what is a good amount of money to try to make?, how does the economy function?—and acknowledges that the job you might do one day probably doesn't even exist now. The result is a book that should spark some exceptionally fruitful conversations and help children look to their future work life with positivity and anticipation.

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  • Reviews

    • School Library Journal

      April 1, 2020

      Gr 4-9-The School of Life, a global organization founded by author and editor de Botton, aims to provide people with tools and techniques to gain knowledge and lead more fulfilled lives. This volume focuses on careers and finding a satisfying way to answer the question, "What do you want to do when you grow up?" The book begins with a historical look at careers, including tracing the increasing specialization in jobs. There are chapters on concepts that are seldom addressed in the typical career guide, including why it is hard to do, visible vs. invisible jobs, and how professional work is different from school. Some chapters discuss the role of money in career choice and why some people get paid more than others, as well as what it means to have meaningful work. The easy-to-read text is entertaining and contains examples and analogies that are both creative and relatable. Mason's colorful cartoon-style illustrations greatly enhance the text. Most chapters end with an activity to reinforce and apply the concepts presented, a feature that would be especially useful for teachers and guidance counselors. VERDICT Recommended as an entertaining and thoughtful volume on careers and the many factors that influence career choice.-Theresa Muraski, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Library

      Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Kirkus

      April 1, 2020
      This British import helps young people consider the factors that go into discovering work that is right for them. Aimed at any young person who has been flummoxed by the question, "What do you want to do when you grow up?" this book deconstructs the absurdity of aiming this question at a child, then helps readers see the many considerations that go into choosing a career and lifestyle. The short chapters answer questions such as "What is a job?" and "How do jobs get invented?" and "How important is money?" Many chapters end with an exercise for readers to think and write about as they consider their futures. Readers will learn how work is and is not like school as well as the difference between competitive business-to-consumer jobs versus business-to-business jobs that are less "visible." While readers will not close this book knowing what specific job they want to aim for, they will have a broader sense of the world of work and a head start in understanding the concepts that make it hard to know what one wants to do. Unfortunately, the book does not acknowledge the roles that class, race, and globalization often play in career outcomes, which detracts somewhat from the volume's stand-alone value. The easy-to-read type and clean, colorful illustrations of diverse people at work make for pleasurable reading. Broadens horizons and provokes critical thought about an essential issue. (Nonfiction. 8-16)

      COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:1110
  • Text Difficulty:7-9

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