Something Happened in Our Town Written by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard Illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin This is a child’s story about racial injustice. I was trying to decide how old a child should be to either read the book themselves or to have it read to them. Honestly, I’m still not sure about the answer. What I do know is that parents know their own children best, and they know their values and beliefs.

As with many subjects, such as death, sexuality, injustice, or divorce, parents need to decide when and how to tackle sensitive or disturbing subjects. Most importantly, parents need to make it safe for their children to ask questions, answer truthfully, and answer age appropriately. We know that young children often hear about things that we wish they did not; from television, the internet, older siblings, or adults talking. We don’t want them to hear about violence, hate, pandemics, or injustice. But the truth is – they do.

Sometimes, we don’t answer because we don’t want them to lose their innocence or to worry about things that we think they can’t understand. In reality, it can be more upsetting to a child if their questions go unanswered, because we don’t know how to or are uncomfortable about answering them. The good news is that this book will help parents with the very difficult subject of racial injustice. It looks at a situation that involves a police shooting of a black man and how two families of different races explained the incident to their lower elementary-age children. These families were honest and emotional when answering their children. They also helped their children see that there are things they could do to make changes in how people treat each other. Both children put the lessons from their parents into practice at school the next day.

It reminded me of the famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” The illustrations are realistic. They depict a town/city and the children at home with their families and at their school. They do not show the shooting itself. The authors also included eight pages of “Notes to Parents and Caregivers” to help adults answer their children’s questions about racial injustice.

My grandson will be five years old in June. He and his family live in City Center, Philadelphia, PA. He’s bright, curious, and is very aware of things that happen in his city. This story could (and does) take place where he lives. I’m sending this book to him now that I’ve reviewed it for you.

 

Kindness

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.

 

 

Jack Goes to Montessori School By Allyson Collins Illustrated by Lindsey R. Smith This book is written by a Montessori mom who wanted other families to know how terrific Montessori school is. I think it would be a good way to help prepare three- and four-year-old children for the three-to-six (or primary) classroom. It’s about a boy who loves his classroom, his friends, and his lessons. In the story, the author has pointed out quite a few of the basic materials, which are illustrated well.  There are many, many more in activities and lessons in an actual Montessori classroom. Reading this book to children who have never been in a Montessori classroom before will give them a sense of how the day goes and some of what’s in store for them. It could be a real help with the transition from home to school or from the toddler level to primary.