By Jonathan Wolff

Kindness is one in a series of resource and activity books for parents and teachers of children ages three to nine years old. This series was inspired by and developed as an extension of “The Virtues Project.” The author, Jon Wolff, well-known in the Montessori community around the world, wondered how could parents and teachers explore virtues or universal qualities of character in fun, interactive, and imaginative ways with children. 

The series that he put together is called The Self-Awakened Child and includes the following titles: Kindness, Assertiveness, Caring, Creativity, Courage, Forgiveness, Loyalty, Peace, Respect, Responsibility, Self-Discipline, Tolerance, Trust, and Unity. Each of these short books has a variety of exercises and role-plays to help children build character, develop problem-solving skills, and nurture strong, healthy relationships. The exercises are meant to be adjusted according to the setting as well as the age and understanding of the child or children who are participating.

Today, more than ever, children need support in recognizing that what they say and do can make a difference in their lives and the lives of others.  As they internalize the characteristics from this series, children realize that they can make our world a more peaceful, sustainable, and united planet. The Self-Awakened Child series is a powerful guide for adults who wish to provide activities that support children in becoming “the change.” I recommend this series for use in schools and homes.

The Self-Awakened Child is available in the Montessori Foundation store at www.montessori.org.

By Kelly Starling Lyons

Illustrated by Nneka Myers

This is one in a series of Jada Jones early readers. The print is quite large and the illustrations are fun! This series is a great way to bridge the gap between easy readers to confident readers. The stories are engaging and relatable. This book is about Jada planning her first sleepover party with her friends. She planned what she thought would be so much fun for everyone – lots of science experiments because Jada loves science! Unfortunately, not all of her friends feel the same way and the party was almost a bust! In the end the girls decided on a fun game that they all liked, built a fort for all of them to sleep in, and had a dad-made pancake breakfast in the morning. All went well and they had a blast! I would definitely recommend this series for Lower Elementary age children.