This is a beautifully written and illustrated book by Jim Arnosky. It is a story of autumn and wildlife in the wilderness, as a bear gets ready for winter hibernation. It is perfect for setting the stage for more in-depth research into the life of wild animals in the Northern hemisphere. Children may be curious about hibernation. They may ask questions like, “Do other animals hibernate or just bears?” “How can they sleep so long?” “Don’t they get hungry?” What do other animals do during winter?” It made me very curious about the lives of bears and other animals. I would recommend this book for children ages 4 to 8 years old.
The Montessori Family Alliance is an integral program of the Montessori Foundation, bringing you a variety of parenting tools. We appreciate your continuing support, ideas, and involvement in creating Montessori-inspired family life, as well as in choosing Montessori education for your child. By doing so, you are providing your child with consistency and alignment with two of the most important aspects of their lives: their family and their school.
During the 2022-23 school year, we spent a great deal of time searching for information to better serve you, your family, and your school, whether it be the content we provide or the method of delivering it. You helped by answering surveys, attending focus groups, and volunteering to assist in pilot parenting programs. Thank you.
All of you who are reading this letter are already members of the Montessori Family Alliance.
Because of your participation, we are starting off the 2023-24 school year with some new and exciting offerings for you and your school.
Montessori.org—home of the Montessori Foundation, the International Montessori Council, and the Montessori Family Alliance—officially released The Montessori App in the iOS and Android app stores. This new app organizes all Montessori.org resources into one central spot in a user-friendly, personalized way. Anyone can join the app, free-of-charge, to discover upcoming events and webcasts, receive notifications about news, navigate through our shop, access our website, schedule meetings with consultants, review archived articles and book reviews, and access helpful resources, such as job boards and information about parenting programs, all in one spot.
The Parenting Puzzle: ‘Peacing’ It All Together is a trusted parenting program that many schools offer to their parents and caregivers, either in person or online. It is a family leadership program that is in alignment with Montessori principles and answers the question, “How do the teachers get the children to work and live together so peacefully?” This year, any school that purchases a bulk membership to the Montessori Family Alliance receives a one-year school license to offer this program at their school, valued at $995.00.
In addition to our weekly webinars during the day, we have begun to offer Wit & Wisdom: a family chat on the last Wednesday of each month at 8:00 pm ET. It is an online ZOOM discussion group created for parents and caregivers. Each month, I will host an open discussion on topics of interest in child/adolescent development, children’s behavior, and education. We will share ideas and information together. It is open to all, and it’s free! We truly hope you will join us.
As we continue to provide programs and services for our members, we hope that you will let us know how things are going, because when you feel heard and supported, so do your children.
Whenever I think of summer, I think of National Parks, hiking in the woods, climbing mountains, enjoying beautiful waterfalls, the smell of campfires, and I could go on about appreciating the joy of being outdoors! So, when I saw this series of books, I wanted to find out what there was to it.
I’ve just read Yosemite #7, and I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, I bought the series of seven books for my just-turned-7-year-old grandson. They are reminiscent of the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, or The Boxcar Children in that it is a series of adventures. In each book, the setting is a different National Park in the USA with the same family enjoying each other, learning new things, and solving mysteries along the way.
In this particular one, the family went on a trip to Yosemite National Park in search of a hidden treasure. They soon found that they were not alone. that they were not the only ones there. Due to a forest fire, there were many other people working to fight the fire.
The fire also caused a herd of over 200 wild horses to flee from their normal habitat. The children rescued an injured foal that had not been able to keep up with the rest of the herd. It’s quite an exciting and emotionally charged story. I’m not going to give away the end of the story. You and your child will have to read it together. There’s lots to talk about. If the rest of the series is similar, I think any Elementary child will want to read them. Five- and six-year-olds will love reading them with you as well.
Back to Work After Baby: How to Plan and Navigate a Mindful Return from Maternity Leave
Written by Lori K. Mihalich-Levin, JD
Let’s face it, the vast majority of parents have (or want) to go back to work sooner or later and it’s really difficult to find a guide for how to do that in the most healthy and practical way possible. The author wrote this book specifically with moms in mind and from a mom’s perspective. However, I think that any parent or primary caregiver, who is about to go back to work after family leave, would benefit from the ideas and suggestions in it.
My suggestion to readers who are not female, and the birth mother is, try not to be distracted or to become defensive or offended by some of the language and ideas specifically for “mommies.” If you can extrapolate the messages she is making, you will probably get some very useful information from this book.
Back to Work After Baby addresses both the reader’s “soft side” (the emotions that often accompany returning to work) and “hard side” (the logistics that must be figured out for the return). It is well organized, and the reader can easily access the specific areas of interest. Chapters include:
• A Mindful Mindset for Return
• All Those Logistics
• Turning Leave into Leadership
• Building Community
Whether this is your first child or any number after that, you will find information, ideas, and understanding in this book. You can purchase it from most booksellers.
The Hug Who Got Stuck
Written by Andrew Newman, Illustrated by Alexis Aronson
Our friend and author Andrew Newman has added another bedtime book to the collection, including Snuggle Breathing. This is a lovely story for just before going to sleep about the power of hugs to help ourselves and others stay disentangled from negative thoughts. It also reminds us that hugs have a ripple effect in our families and throughout the world.
This whole series by Andrew is filled with books that help children fill their minds with positive, warm emotions when they are getting ready for a peaceful night’s sleep. They are available from www. consciousstories.com.
We Gather Together: Celebrating the Harvest Season
Written by Wendy Pfeffer, Illustrated by Linda Bleck
Wendy Pfeffer is one of my favorite children’s book writers. As usual, I really appreciate how she not only tells interesting stories but also helps children learn about scientific events, such as the fall equinox and the history of humans around the world. We Gather Together is no exception, and it is wonderfully illustrated by Linda Bleck.
I loved reading about harvest celebrations around the world and their history. However, I am a bit skeptical about the description of the United States legend concerning the Pilgrims and Native Americans. Please read the two-page spread in advance before reading to your children, then decide for yourself whether to read it as written. I would recommend this book for children 4 to 8 years old.
I Am Enough
Written by Grace Byers, Illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo
I am enough. What does that mean? Enough what?
The author, Grace Byers, describes in rhyme what she means by the title. Young children love rhyming, and they will love the rhythm of the words in this book. It is beautifully illustrated with realistic drawings of girls of all kinds. Yet, it is a book for boys and girls that sends messages about loving oneself, respecting others, and being kind to one another. Highly recommended for children from 3 to 8 years old. It is available from most book sellers.
Every Autumn Comes the Bear
Written by Jim Arnosky
This is a beautifully written and illustrated book by Jim Arnosky. It is a story of autumn and wildlife in the wilderness, as a bear gets ready for winter hibernation. It is perfect for setting the stage for more in-depth research into the life of wild animals in the Northern hemisphere. Children may be curious about hibernation. They may ask questions like, “Do other animals hibernate or just bears?” “How can they sleep so long?” “Don’t they get hungry?” What do other animals do during winter?” It made me very curious about the lives of bears and other animals. I would recommend this book for children ages 4 to 8 years old.
A Handwashing Story: Told with Tiny Hands
Written by Pat Prisk, Illustrated by Jason D. McIntosh
This is a wonderfully fun, imaginative story of getting cleaned up! The illustrations are very colorful and fanciful! They make cleaning up a joyful adventure rather than drudgery. Pat Prisk shows (down in the corner of each page) the steps to washing hands. She then reinforces the process by putting each of the steps to handwashing on one page at the end of the book. She also includes ideas for parents, caregivers, and other adults involved in caring for children. I think youngsters 2 to 7 years old will love this book.
Montessori: A Dictionary for Families
Written by Faye Lundberg
This book is a paperback booklet originally created to fill a need in the author’s school. She found that parents were interested in knowing more about their child’s classroom experience. Her idea was to share information about the basic principles of a Montessori classroom and the activities within the 3–6-year-old (Early Childhood) classroom.
Ms. Lundberg briefly describes each curriculum area and then some of the key lessons in those areas. She has included photos of the materials along with their descriptions. She has also added a short biography of Dr. Montessori and some ideas for the home.
This is a great little tool to get parents started in their knowledge and understanding of Montessori at the Early Childhood level. You can purchase this booklet at amazon.com.
A Spider Named Itsy
Written by Steve Light
This book brings new light to the children’s song about an itsy-bitsy spider! The illustrations are action packed, the spider is persistent, and in the process Itsy not only builds a new house but makes new friends as well. The words to the song are written out at the end of the book. Fun to read, fun to sing, and fun to imagine! I would recommend this book for children 2 to 7 years old.
Calling all teachers, parents, & children!
We would love to publish reviews of your favorite books. Send book reviews to Lorna at: lornamcgrath@montessori.org
Ellie and Talia Campbell are a mother-daughter team who have written and published a book together called “Monster Tea Party.” They will join us to share their real life experience with childhood anxiety, how they are managing it in their own family, and how they hope to help other families with theirs.
All of us use multiple senses as we go through our everyday lives. Many rarely think of how different, interesting, and beautiful life would be if one of those senses were impaired.
This is the story of a girl who experiences daily life more intensely through her sense of hearing than through her other senses. As she travels through the city to her violin recital, she offers us a glimpse into her world. The city is a place of many sights, sounds, and smells. But what if you had limited sight? Travel with her as she hears the city speak to her.
This richly illustrated book provides the reader with a moment to reflect on how we and others learn about and navigate the world we live in. It offers a refreshingly different perspective.
I got this book last year (just a little bit too late for the traditional graduation season) and kept hanging on to it until the season came again. Although, I suppose I could have written a review at any time of the year, as there’s no limit on when we can move up and move on.
I love this book because you can get it for a person at age six or twelve or eighteen or even fifty-six! Good, you finished something. What’s next? Yay, You! points out that there are lots of choices and plenty more to do. It’s filled with fun illustrations to let you know there’s plenty more to come. No pressure though. Just as there are all kinds of choices, there are all kinds of people, too. It asks the readers to explore who they are, what they want to do, how, and where they want to go as they continue their life’s journey.
What powerful minds we have! We can create our lives as we want to with the power of thought. The ideas presented by the author are expressed lavishly through colorful, thoughtful, and full illustrations. Page after page excites the imagination and allows us to reflect on and absorb what it can mean to be able to make changes in our lives by the things we are thinking. Thought becomes action and reality, if we are aware of it and let it (for bad or for good). This is a book that shows us how hope and affirmations can guide us through storms as well as calms.
Springtime always makes me think about new beginnings and new hope for our lives and our planet. That reminds me of a song by a greatly loved Montessorian, Sanford Jones… at the beginning is a good place to be. what will each day bring for you and me? New life, new hope, new things to see, at the beginning is a good place to be!
I digress. On Earth is a beautiful beginning to understanding about the Earth’s constant motion; how we measure it with calendars and candles; how we experience it with changes in the weather, and the amount of light in a day; how we made up points on the Earth like the equator and the north and south poles; what helps us stick to the Earth and not fall off. It’s filled with wonderful illustrations of all these things and begs us to do more with globes, flashlights, and imagination!
This is a wonderful hardcover book with sturdy, somewhat water-proof pages. The illustrations are richly colored and very realistic. The story is all about a boy and his dad spending time together while preparing for their delicious dinner. The author takes us back to planting the seeds for vegetables and herbs. Later, the boy harvests some of the fruits of the plants that are ripe and counts how many of each type they will need. The illustrations are there for your child to count as you read. Then the washing of the plants, the measuring, mixing, kneading, and rising of the dough. Meanwhile, the chopping takes place as the boy uses his senses to enjoy the smells of the fresh food. While the sauce is cooking and the dough is rising, dad, son, and family dog play outside and enjoy each other’s company.
It’s time for the dough to wake up. They punch it down and roll it out. The sauce is then awakened and blended. They are ready to put it all together and bake it in the oven. Wonderful, simple directions, and illustrations! As they wait for the pizza to bake, they play together some more, and mom makes a salad. When the pizza is done, the family enjoys the meal together! At the end of the book, there is a more detailed recipe for the sauce, the dough, and the “putting it together.” Think of all that this child has experienced — intellectually, emotionally, and sensorily — during the process of creating and sharing family time together at home.
“Wynken, Blynken, and Nod” is an American poem and children’s song dating back to the late 19th century. It’s a lovely bedtime story. How many of us would like a beautiful bedtime story or lullaby to send us off to sleep? No doubt sleep is an important aspect of physical wellness. Join our team to find out how much sleep is needed at different stages of development and some tips for helping children prepare themselves for the rest that their bodies need.
A friend of mine gave me a copy of this book, and I’m so glad that he did! Dr. Baxley is an interesting, honest, and insightful author. She has taken social justice and parenting (which makes some of us a bit uncomfortable) and delivered a book for parents and other caregivers for children. She has produced a work that not only goes straight to the heart of the American ‘legend’ that is more commonly known as American ‘history.’
Many of the ideas and strategies that Dr. Baxley espouses in her book are very much in alignment with Dr. Montessori’s pedagogical method and philosophy. She cites values such as: respect for self and others; giving children a voice; actively seeking change; problem solving as a family in preparation for problem solving in their community and country; and trusting intuition along with factual information as the main components for social-justice parenting. And she shares real life stories to demonstrate how to put these values into practice.
“Modeling Advocacy” is just one of the chapters in this book. The author states in many of the chapters that parents (adults) in children’s lives must model through their actions the values and principles that they want children to learn and practice in their lives. She states, “Self-education, effective communication, and maintaining a support system are the keys to self-advocacy.”
One of the main characteristics of Dr. Baxley’s writing is that she lets the reader know that parenting takes conscious awareness of ourselves and others, that it can be challenging, that she has made mistakes with her own children along the way, and that we can mend mistakes and move forward. Readers will feel encouraged, develop new parenting skills, and appreciate their own commitment to children and to helping make our world a better place to live for all people.
I highly recommend this book for your adult library and for parent or faculty discussion groups. It can be purchased from amazon. com and other booksellers.
For the most part, we wish more good, kind, and together things for our children than the opposite. The illustrations are wonderful as they capture in very concrete ways the ideas in the text. It has few words and two-page spreads for each wish. That gives lots of room for talking about the illustrations. I would recommend this book for children two years old through young adults. It can be purchased from most book suppliers.
This is a charming book with gorgeous illustrations and interesting descriptive and rhyming verses. The story is about how sometimes groups teach their children to guard themselves against other groups without knowing, interacting, or understanding. They fear and sometimes hate each other when in fact, they might be able to live like brothers.
The author uses a human child and a wolf cub as the characters that are influenced by their mothers’ warnings about the other. Although it can be a metaphor for developing care and kindness for each other, in reality, the adults in these species can be dangerous when confronted with each other. What happens to our childhood innocence when we grow in fear and protection? Maybe this is really a book for adults, not children.
I would recommend this book for elementary-age children because, to me, it is more than just a storybook. It is a conversation about figuring out the difference between real danger and simply lack of understanding.
Note: A while ago, I was wondering: Why aren’t there books for children about Maria Montessori’s life and work? So, I began to do some research. It turns out that there are quite a variety of books from which to choose. There are paperbacks, hard covers, cartoon-ish, realistic, factual, factual-ish, etc. I am going to review four of them and you will probably be able to find even more.
Each of these books has its own value for children. Some contain more accurate information than others; some have more of a story than others; and some are illustrated more realistically. All books about Maria Montessori will help children to understand what she did to change the way children are educated. By providing more information about Montessori, readers gain a better understanding of why the Method works so well for so many children and how the core value of respect leads to a more peaceful world.
Maria Montessori: A Biography for and by Children
Written by Ney, Seeley, Sesto, & Children’s House students from Stoneridge Children’s Montessori School
This is a paperback book. The teachers/guides wrote the content, and the children illustrated the pages. It seems like it was a wonderful project for the Stoneridge school. This little paperback is full of information about Maria Montessori’s life and work. It includes a timeline and a couple of activities for children. It was published ten years ago so, unfortunately, the website that is mentioned is no longer available.
The Life of Maria Montessori
Written by Jane Kent
Illustrated by Isabel Muñoz
This is a hardcover version of Montessori’s life with quite realistic illustrations. This book is written in the first person as an autobiography. The content brings out Montessori’s determination, intelligence, and forward thinking more than other books. This book is a much more thorough account of all that she achieved during her lifetime. At the end of the book there is a four-page timeline for children to review and some questions to help children remember some of the details of the story.
Maria Montessori and Her Quiet Revolution
Written by Nancy Bach
Illustrated by Leo Lätti
This is also a paperback edition. I like the style of the illustrations regarding how the characters look in modern times (2013) and during Montessori’s time. I also appreciate how the modern Montessori classroom teacher is sharing the story of Maria Montessori’s life. However, I do question some of the information in this book. I also noticed that the classroom looks more like a traditional classroom. I did not see any Montessori materials and the children were sitting one in front of the other rather than in a circle or other shape as is usual for a Montessori school. The book does include some additional information about Maria Montessori’s life and a short quiz.
Little People, BIG DREAMS™ Maria Montessori
Written by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara
Illustrated by Raquel Martín
This one is a hardcover edition with quite accurate text and illustrations that used soft colors and characteristic images of the times in which Montessori lived and worked. The book includes a brief history and timeline with actual photographs of Maria Montessori.
Melissa Iwai is fast becoming one of my favorite authors! She writes and illustrates engaging books about preparing food with the family. Some of the many attributes of her books are:
• they have sturdy, hard-to-ruin pages, which is important when the recipe is included, and the book will be used as you prepare the food;
• the illustrations are realistic;
• they offer ideas for spending time together while the meal cooks;
• they include the process for getting the ingredients, whether it be from planting seeds to harvesting foods or going to the grocery store to find and gather them to take home;
• the illustrations show the steps to preparing the food;
• the parent allows the child to choose certain ingredients, such as which kind of pasta to use;
• the author includes using the senses of taste, sight, and hearing as the food is being cooked; and
• clean-up is part of the process.
Can you see why I love this book and others that she has written?
I recommend it for children two years old through lower elementary. It can be purchased from most book suppliers.
The author has included suggestions about how to use this book. She also includes resources and activities to help parents and caregivers define gender and to learn more about the topic.
Brook suggests that this book may or may not be the first introduction to gender discussions that you have with your child. I have learned that gender identification may be different than the sex assigned to a person at birth. It is more than the physical body. It includes what a person likes to do, how they like to dress, and how they express themselves. I love the way the book ends in bold letters:
There are lots of ways to be a boy. There are lots of ways to be a girl. There are lots of ways to be a kid.
This book allows adults and children to think about the question in the title, Who are you? It can be purchased from most book suppliers. Suggested for children four years old through the elementary years.
Well, I read this book several times, and I think this could be an introduction to reading together (an adult and a child) The aardvark shows confidence in its abilities and potential, and the mouse is delighted.
There are two characters – the aardvark, played by an adult, and the mouse by a child. The aardvark’s words are printed in blue, and the child’s in black. Many of the child’s words are the same as the aardvark’s and the child just repeats them, often only changing the nouns. It ends with a song that they sing together to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” The illustrations are simple, clear, and fun.
This book could introduce reading together as just fun for young children and adults. It can be purchased at amazon.com.
I had the pleasure not long ago of visiting a botanical garden known for its orchids and generously filled with many other kinds of flowering plants, etc. Whenever I go to places like that, I always visit their gift shop and purchase a book or two for the school, my grandson, or others who are near and dear to me. As usual, I found this wonderful book.
This Little Book of Bees is huge! It is full of very informative content and gorgeous illustrations! You and your child will probably learn so much more than you ever knew about bees. The story of bees is fascinating. Maybe you and your child will be inspired to learn even more about bees and maybe even inspired to do some things – small or large – to help bees in your backyard, your local community, or around the world to survive and thrive.
I highly recommend this book as an addition to your home or school library. Children from four to twelve years old will be intrigued by the wonder of bees! It can be purchased at botanical gardens, nature preserves, bookstores, and from Amazon.
