Intentional Connections: Building Parent Teacher Partnerships

Written by Dorothy Harman

Parents, this is a book to put at the top of your “must read” list! It’s so user friendly and packed with such important information for all of us: parents, teachers, caregivers, and extended family. When I was halfway through it, I couldn’t put it down. My grandson is in Montessori school, and I wanted to send a copy to his parents immediately!

Dorothy Harman has so much wisdom to share and inspiration to offer about parent-teacher relationships, keeping the child’s best interests as the common goal. She has created a book that has only 39 pages, and it is formatted in such a way that you can read whatever topic is of interest to you or is needed for your child. AND, there is a section within almost all the topics called “An Idea for Consideration,” where you can write notes. This section includes the idea, your reflections, your next steps, and discussion with the child’s teacher. It is such a great tool for gathering your thoughts.

You can purchase it through Montessori Services: www.montessoriservices.com/building-parent-teacher-partnerships

JUST A WORM

Written & illustrated by Marie Boyd

This book is illustrated using quill art techniques except for the worm (pen and ink) and the blue sky (digital). Its eye-catching colors and designs are quite beautiful. The author gives readers a lesson in quill art at the end of the book. The story itself is about the worm affirming that it is more than ‘just a worm.’ Along the way, the worm discovers how other garden insects contribute to the garden world. If you look closely, you’ll find the creature coming up on the next page. Although the story is wonderful for children from 3 to 7 years old, the quill art takes quite a bit of fine-motor control. It may be frustrating for children 3, 4, and possibly 5 years old, while 6 and above may really get into making quill art.

Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away

Written by Meg Medina
Illustrated by Sonia Sánchez

Touching. Meg Medina captures in a lovely way the feelings friends often have when they become physically distant from each other, as in a move to another town or city and the changes that occur in their relationship. The illustrations are vivid and quite realistic. They are reminiscent of Ezra Jack Keats’ style. The words come alive through these images. Jumpstart and Read for the Record are two organizations whose purposes are to help reduce the cycle of poverty through providing high quality books and reading. They have provided ideas for adults to enrich the reading experience with children through notes about how to interact with your young reader. Children 4 to 8 years old enjoy exploring the subject of friendships and how life circumstances can change relationships.

THE CIRCLES ALL AROUND US

Written by Brad Montague
Illustrated by Brad & Kristi Montague

This is a delightful story for children 3 to 7 years old, using ever enlarging circles to illustrate how we broaden our number and kinds of relationships among our human contacts and our world. It starts with a small child who draws a circle around himself that is only large enough for him. It shows the reader how small our scope is when we are infants. In fact, in infancy, humans really don’t know that there is anyone else except themselves. Gradually they begin to realize that there are others around them. And so, the circle becomes larger to include immediate family and primary caregivers. I’ll let you read this book to find out how far the author goes in expanding the circles. I will be a spoiler, though, and tell you the ending because it is so important. “…remember the first circle started with just the love you hold inside.”

Recipes for Change

Written by Michael Platt
Illustrated by Alleanna Harris
Reviewed by Cheryl Allen

This book brings together so many interesting types of books. It is a cookbook, with stories from history and biographies. Each month of this book about Black history depicts an act of resistance and a recipe that is connected to the event. At the back of the book are short biographies of the leaders in the book.

Some of this information may be new to you, and some of it may present a slightly different angle of a piece of history. We may feel we know the leaders of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In the December entry, you will learn about Georgia Gilmore and how she used her baking skills to help raise money for transportation for people who boycotted the bus system for more than a year. You can make her pound cake.

The recipes are easy to follow, and most need patience and possible adult guidance. While waiting for any of the recipes to be ready to eat, the stories can be read, and the detailed illustrations admired. In addition to the biographies in the back, there is a glossary and additional book suggestions.

This book is suggested for ages 8-12. It could be enjoyed by younger children, although they may need more assistance to make the recipes.

Jonathan and His Mommy

Written by Irene Smalls
Illustrated by Michael Hays

Jonathan loves to take walks with his mom. They enjoy each other’s company and find all kinds of fun ways to move and to use their voices as they go through their city neighborhood. This time I won’t spoil the surprises you’ll find as you read this charming book. Children 3 to 7 will find this an interesting story and may want to try out some of the moves that Jonathan and his mother make together.