The nice thing about most phonetic readers is that they follow the Pink, Blue, and Green Series pretty closely. Most begin with 3-letter, short vowel words (Pink Series). They usually progress to short vowel words with consonant blends (Blue Series), and then lead to “phonemes”, which are all the other letter combinations that make sounds in English (Green Series).

Even though most phonics readers have many of the same elements (cute pictures, fun stories, words that become steadily more challenging), there are also many differences too. Some books do a better job than others at leading kids down the path of reading.

I’m going to take a look at a few different phonetic readers in this post. I had fun putting this together! (Note: I’m not going to link to specific websites; if you’re interested in any of the books mentioned, Google their names and you’ll find them available at many places, sometimes used but in good condition, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and eBay).

Sound Out the Word Phonics Readers from Scholastic – I bought Sets 1 & 2 of these after seeing that they were “based on recent research on how children learn to read”. Each set comes with an audio CD featuring all the sounds used in each story.

The child listens to a phonetic sound on the CD, and then says the sound while looking at the letters. Each book also shows a picture of what your mouth looks like when saying the sound, so the child can imitate it.

The books themselves feature cute, easy-to-read stories that progress very systematically. The first set is mostly short-vowel words, and the second set moves into blends.

I would highly recommend these books for a child who was needs some additional help with hearing, learning, and understanding sounds. A child could use a mirror and use the pictures of what your mouth should look like as a guide when making sounds.

My son had some difficulty forming certain sounds early on, and we used these sets quite successfully. I like that they combine hearing and seeing the sound. These books would be a nice companion to speech therapy.

Itty Bitty Phonics Readers from Creative Teaching Press – Most teacher stores have a carousel display featuring these cute books. They are written by a teacher with over 20 years of experience. Each book focuses on just one phonetic sound. The drawings are very simple but cute.

I have used these with my daughter and we do like them. I sometimes feel that the stories are too simple, and that too many of the words on the pages are phrases, not whole sentences.

Also the focus is more on a specific sound (say, “short a”) than word difficulty, which means you might find a longer “short a” word in the “short a” book that is too difficult for the child to read. While sight words have their place too, it can break the rhythm of the story to come across a word like that.

Sight Word Readers from Scholastic – These books are exactly as described: they teach sight words rather than phonetic words. I like them because they introduce only 1-2 sight words per book, making them ideal for new readers. The stories are short and fun, and the pictures are engaging.

They also include little flashcards at the back of each book that can be used to review the sight words or for a matching game. Rather than using these books alone, I think they would be a nice companion to a set of true phonetic readers.

“Character” Readers from Scholastic – The title of these books isn’t actually “character readers”, so don’t search for it! I’m referring to all the beginning readers from Scholastic that feature children’s favorite characters: Dora the Explorer, Clifford the Big Red Dog, the Backyardigans, and so forth.

Books like these are usually fun, although the story quality is not necessarily high. I would recommend them for a reluctant reader who has an interest in the particular character featured. Giving them books with their favorite character may inspire them to read.

However, using them does promote the character in question, which seems commercial in nature. Unless you inherit these from someone else, I’d go for a different type of phonics reader.

BOB books – these books are considered classics in the field of phonics and reading, and have established the standard for beginning readers that includes simple drawings, engaging stories, and easy-to-read text.

I find that the stories appeal more to some children than to others (my son liked them more than my daughter), but they are certainly a good choice for any child who is learning to read. I do feel that Set 1 is the best of the BOB books; after that, the story quality declines somewhat and the characters are not as appealing.

Dick & Jane – I’m including Dick & Jane books here even though they are generally more about sight words than phonics. Written in the 1930s, they were used in schools to teach reading up until the 1970s. They rely heavily on repetition, but there is also a progression of phonetic words used as well.

These books have been re-issued in newer editions in recent years, and someone happened to give me a few of them so I used them with both of my kids. I found that my daughter, especially, adores the drawings which are really quite cute.

Far more of the story takes place through the drawings than the text; for instance, one picture may show Jane falling down the stairs while the text says “Oh, Jane! Oh, Jane!”. The text (while applicable) is not actually describing what happens in the pictures, which I think makes for strange reading sometimes.

If you do use them, which I think is perfectly fine, they should be in addition to a phonics-based series and not in place of it.

Now I’m Reading! by Nora Gaydos – I kept seeing this series at Barnes and Noble and was a bit turned off by the wild colors and designs on the covers of the books. It seemed distracting. But one day I picked up a set and quickly realized that they are quite well done.

More than any of the sets I’ve mentioned so far, the author does a fantastic job of writing a coherent story using a limited selection of words. The stories and pictures are quite entertaining, and the vocabulary progression is excellent. (I should mention that set two includes both blends and long vowel sounds, but it’s done in a way that makes sense.)

The books come 10 to a set, and include stickers so a child can mark their reading progress. If it seems like these are my favorite, I think I will have to admit that they are

Here is a round-up of the phonics readers and reading systems you guys have mentioned so far; what a big help this is!

Websites with free printable reading booklets:

Starfall
Enchanted Learning
ABC Teach

Phonics Readers and Teaching Manuals

Sundance Publications
Jolly Phonics (UK)
Primary Phonics
Books to Remember (Flyleaf Publishing)
Brand New Readers
AlphaPhonics
Modern Curriculum Press (search to find places to buy)

Thanks for sharing!

Wow! That’s a lot to ask of just one book. As I thought about it, I realized that there really isn’t just one book that fills every reference book need. Rather, there are a few specialized books that are excellent references for Montessori elementary children.

Here are some of my favorites; this list is just a suggestion, but hopefully it gives you some ideas the next time you’re adding to your classroom library:

1. Dorling Kindersley Big Book of Knowledge

This is a nice all-in-one reference book with thousands of color photographs and easy-to-understand text. It covers natural science, physical science, the world around us, and hundreds of other topics.

2. Barron’s Illustrated Fact Finder

The Michael Olaf catalog calls this “the Montessori elementary curriculum in a book” and that’s a pretty apt description. It includes maps, diagrams, charts, and information about history, geography, language and literature, mathematics, computers, physical science, natural science, English grammar, and arithmetic.

3. Dictionary – Scholastic or Webster

A good dictionary is the gateway to creative, interesting writing. Not only can kids look up spellings (the most common use), they can use the dictionary to discover multiple meanings, pronunciations, synonyms for words, and the history of words.

4. Poetry Anthology

A good poetry anthology should have a wide variety of poems from different time periods and different cultures, presented in an easy-to-read format.

Here is an excellent one:

A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children by Caroline Kennedy

5. Atlas

There are many versions of atlases for kids, from companies like Rand McNally, Scholastic, and Dorling Kindersley. You may want to have both a world atlas as well as an atlas for your specific country and/or continent.

A good atlas should have several types of maps for each continent or country (geographic, political, and environmental) as well as helpful statistics (population, square miles/kilometers) and pictures.

6. A Quality Magazine Subscription

While I was teaching elementary, I subscribed to Highlights magazine and used it in the classroom. It was fun for the kids to get something new to read every month. I’d get just one copy, and leave it on the shelf in the same place every month. Not only did the kids enjoy reading it, but I could easily grab it off the shelf and read a short story or brain teaser if I needed to fill 10 minutes. Homeschooled kids enjoy receiving monthly magazines too. A few of my favorites include:

Highlights – this perennial favorite features fiction and non-fiction, jokes & riddles, science facts, puzzles, and other fun activities

Ranger Rick – nature-themed stories, crafts, activities, and more

Cricket – a story magazine filled with fiction, fantasy, folk tales, adventures, poems, history, and biography

Muse – for kids age 10 and up; includes intriguing articles about science, history, and art

7. The Childcraft How & Why Library

This set is a classic blend of photos, illustrations, fiction, and nonfiction to capture and keep the interest of a young student. Its varied content works with children’s different learning styles and developing comprehension skills. I remember reading through these by the hour when I was growing up.

Unlike traditional encyclopedia sets, the information in these volumes generally does not go out of date, as it mostly contains stories, poems, and craft ideas. So if you can get your hands on a used set of these at a reduced price, it would be a great value. They can be found on eBay or other auction sites, and used copies can be bought at Amazon as well.

8. My Book House Collection
Consisting of 12 volumes, this set contains everything from nursery rhymes to fairy tales, from folktales to mythology. Beautifully illustrated, it’s been a favorite of children for generations. The My Book House books are now out of print, so you’ll have to find a used set on eBay, Amazon, or other auction site.

A Note About Encyclopedias

Many elementary classrooms have sets of encyclopedias (Britannica, World Book). While these can be a helpful resource, the information in them can go out of date pretty quickly, especially when it comes to the areas of science and technology. I don’t recommend buying a used set for that reason.

I do recommend buying one book (like numbers 1 and 2, above) that is an all-in-one encyclopedia rather than a whole set. It’s much cheaper, and easier to buy a new version every few years to insure the materials are up-to-date.

If your classroom has a set of encyclopedias, they can certainly be used for research and fact-finding, but any information found should be cross-checked with other sources for accuracy.

Where Do Computers Fit?

Most classrooms and homes today have computers, and oftentimes finding the answer to a question is as easy as a quick Google search. Sometimes we might wonder, why have so many books?

Here are a few reasons to keep some good reference books around:

1. Books are more intimate and invite exploration; it’s easy for a child looking up a word in the dictionary to end up flipping through the book to look at more words as well

2. Books can be more accurate, have a more thorough overview, and a more consistent tone if written by one author or team of authors

3. Using the computer does pose a certain amount of risk for the young child; even with blocking programs and safe search settings, there is still the a chance the child will be exposed to unsavory pictures or other content

4. When using a computer, a child must be supervised closely, but when reading an age-appropriate book, they have the freedom to work alone

Children have more information available to them than ever before. By selecting quality books to have in your classroom, you will ensure that their learning, reading, and research is based on the very highest quality of information available.

Option 1: Basal Readers

These are the thick, hardback books that so many of us remember from grade school. They are basically textbooks, with stories that teach reading and reading skills in a sequential way. Companies that publish Basal Readers include Scott Foresman and Harcourt Publishers (also known as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt or Harcourt Brace Jovanovich). Used Basal Readers can be found on eBay; just be sure to check shipping costs and seller feedback (stick with 98% positive & up) before buying.

Pros:

1. They usually contain many kinds of literature, like fiction, non-fiction, poetry, fairy tales, and folk tales.
2. They often contain discussion questions and background information for the teacher or parent
3. You only have to purchase and store one book per child
4. Children can read in a group (round-robin) since each child has a copy of the same book

Cons:

1. They can be really, really expensive
2. Many times they can only be purchased in bulk, making it difficult to buy for a home, or school with only a few children per grade
3. They can be too traditional and formulaic, and they don’t allow for a child to choose reading materials based on his/her interests
4. Because they are organized by grade, they don’t provide flexibility for children who are reading slower or faster than other kids
5. They often contain stories written specifically for Basal Readers; many times the quality of literature is low

Are Basal Readers anti-Montessori? They are so inextricably linked to traditional education that it might feel strange to use them in Montessori. However, several of the (very excellent) Montessori schools I’ve taught at used these kinds of readers in elementary. One of the main reasons was because the parents found them reassuring.

Since many Montessori teachers don’t like to give homework but parents often want their children to get homework, it was easy to assign a few pages per night to each grade level. Also, since the readers teach skills systematically, there is little chance of having “gaps” where the students haven’t covered important information.

Verdict: This type of reader won’t be an option for everyone. They are expensive and difficult to replace if lost. The kinds of stories featured may not match with an individual child’s reading level or interest. The quality of writing is often low, and the stories included may not fit with the values of the Montessori curriculum.

Option 2: Leveled Readers (individual books)

Leveled readers are smaller, shorter books that are specific to a certain grade or reading level. Books that fit this category include BOB Books, Dorling Kindersley Readers, ‘I Can Read’ Books, Welcome Books, and Scholastic Time-to-Discover Books. They dovetail nicely with a phonics reading approach, since the writing increases in phonetic difficulty as the reading level goes up.

These types of readers can be found through Scholastic Book Clubs, or at major vendors like www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com. You can also find new & used readers at eBay, and of course, these books can be checked out at your local library.

Pros:

1. Children can choose books that fit their own interests
2. It’s easier to adjust for variances in reading levels among children in the same grade; each child can be reading a different book at the same time
3. Books usually contain high-quality photos or drawings and text that is carefully chosen for reading-level appropriateness

Cons:

1. You may end up purchasing and storing dozens of books to cover many interests and reading levels
2. Children can’t read stories in a group, since you’ll generally only have one of each book
3. The quality of the writing may be less than excellent, since writing specifically for one reading level limits the choice of vocabulary words that can be used

Verdict: This is a nice option if you can find books for a wide range of interests and reading levels.

Option 3: Junior Great Books

The Junior Great Books program is a research-based K-12 reading program that stresses reading comprehension and critical thinking through guided discussion. Many Montessori schools use JGB as their main reading curriculum, or as a supplement to another reading program.

Pros:
1. The literature choices are excellent – only high-quality writing is chosen
2. All stories come with in-depth questions to be discussed
3. Each grade level also comes with optional workbooks, to be used as homework or classwork
4. Promotes reading comprehension and analytical skills

Cons:

1. JGB can be expensive, especially if the workbooks are purchased as well
2. The literature selections can be difficult, since they are not written for a specific grade level but are “real-world” stories and excerpts. A child struggling with reading may find JGB too challenging.

I remember being in Junior Great Books when I was in grade school. It was often led by a parent volunteer, not a teacher, and we met once a week. There was a relaxed, “there is no wrong answer” feel to our discussions, and since we weren’t graded on any aspect of JGB, it was freeing and inspired some excellent discussions.

Verdict: JGB fits very nicely with Montessori; the quality of stories is high, and the open-ended questions inspire lots of critical thinking and “give-and-take” discussions. Children should still receive some phonics instruction; learning words simply by sight recognition has it weaknesses.

Option 4: Classic Literature

In this approach, children use selections from classic literature as the basis of the reading curriculum. There are many curriculums that use classic literature as a basis, including the popular Charlotte Mason program. Using classic literature is part of the whole language approach, which focuses on content over reading skills or phonics.

Pros:

1. The quality of the selections is unparalleled
2. Children often read the entire work rather than just an excerpt, giving them context and a broader understanding of the work
3. Children are exposed to the authors and works that form the basis for culture; they will be able to recognize famous quotes and spot literary allusions with ease

Cons:

1. Parents and teachers may not always be sure about the appropriateness of certain selections, both for reading level and content. There are some nice tools available, including this book finder at SimplyCharlotteMason.com where you can search by topic, keyword, or grade level.
2. It may be hard to find true classical literature for the beginning reader

Verdict: This approach has numerous advantages, and is definitely in line with the Montessori curriculum. In some ways, it overlaps with Junior Great Books, which also uses classical literature for many of its selections. However, JGB may use excerpts rather than entire works.

In Conclusion

Sister Mary, my Montessori trainer, always said that the Montessori language curriculum should be a balance of phonics and whole language. In other words, children should be taught the specific sounds that letters and groups of letters make, and should also be exposed to quality literature. Since many programs embrace one approach or the other, I really like that Montessori attempts to use both.

The debate about the best reading methodology has raged for decades and there is still no universal agreement. I encourage everyone to do a little reading about the different approaches before choosing one, or do as Sister Mary recommended and combine them together.

There is no one perfect reading solution for every home or school; budgets differ, as do the expectations of teachers and parents. I’ve tried to present each option without bias, so that you can make the decision that’s right for you and the children in your care. Regardless of the reading approach you choose, it is important to put thoughtful care into the kinds of books young children read.

All of these books are all available through Amazon or other retailers; a quick Google search should turn up many options (including other books by the same authors). I’ve categorized them loosely, but due to the nature of the stories, they can probably move up or down age-wise based on the child’s interests. Most of the books in the 6-9 category, for instance, could overlap with 9-12.

For Preschool (3-6):

Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni

Busy Bugs: A Book About Patterns by Jayne Harvey

Counting Caterpillars and Other Math Poems by Betsy Franco

The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns

The Go-Around Dollar by Barbara Johnston Adams

For Lower Elementary (6-9):

The Coin Counting Book by Rozanne Lanczak Williams

Can You Count to a Googol? by Robert E. Wells

The Great Graph Contest by Loreen Leedy

How Much is a Million?, Millions to Measure and If You Made a Million by David M. Schwartz & Steven Kellogg

Apple Fractions, Count to a Million, and One Hundred Ways to Get to 100 by Jerry Pallotta & Rob Bolster

The Count Your Way through… Series (11 different countries) by Jim Haskins

The Grapes of Math by Gregory Tang

For Elementary (9-12):

The Sir Cumference Series and Mummy Math: An Adventure in Geometry by Cindy Neuschwander

What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure by Julie Ellis

The Great Number Rumble: A Story of Math in Surprising Places by Cora Lee

Fractals, Googols, and Other Mathematical Tales and The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat by Theoni Pappas

For Parents:

Montessori Play & Learn: A Parent’s Guide to Purposeful Play from 2 to 6 by Lesley Britton
Teaching Montessori in the Home: the Preschool Years by Elizabeth Hainstock
How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin
Basic Montessori Learning Activities for Under-Fives by David Gettman
Montessori Read and Write by Lynne Lawrence
Montessori from the Start by Paula Polk Lillard & Lynn Lillard Jessen

Special Needs:

Children Who Are Not Yet Peaceful: Preventing Exclusion in the Early Elementary Classroom by Donna Bryant Goertz
Autism: A Montessori Approach – Program Tracking Manual & Curriculum Guide by Michelle Lane

Books by Maria Montessori:

The Montessori Method
Dr. Montessori’s Own Handbook
The Discovery of the Child
The Secret of Childhood
The Absorbent Mind

Biographies:

Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work by E.M. Standing

Montessori Theory:

Montessori in the Classroom by Paula Polk Lillard
Montessori: A Modern Approach by Paula Polk Lillard
Montessori Today by Paula Polk Lillard
The Essential Montessori by Elizabeth G. Hainstock
Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius by Angeline Lillard

Baby Photo Board Books published by Checkerboard Press
Little Spot Board Books by Eric Hill
Touch and Feel Books published by Dorling Kindersley;
Little People Books published by Fisher Price/Reader’s Digest

For Preschoolers

If I Ran the Zoo and other books by Dr. Seuss
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Corduroy and A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman
Make Way for Ducklings and Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie/Moose a Muffin/Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff
Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse and other books by Leo Lionni
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
The Mitten by Jan Brett
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault
The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
Are You My Mother? By Philip D. Eastman
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino

Series Books for Preschoolers

Berenstein Bears books by Stan and Jan Berenstein; Clifford books by Norman Bridwell;
Curious George books by H. A. Rey; Madeline books by Ludwig Bemelmans;
Peter Rabbit books by Beatrice Potter; Franklin (series) by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark; I Spy Books by Maureen Roffey

Special Mention (classics every home should have):

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by DuBose Heyward
This classic celebrates a mother bunny’s triumph when she gets to deliver Easter eggs. Gorgeous illustrations and inspiring message.

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
A sweet story of love, faithfulness, and the joy of coming home.

Animals Should Definitely NOT Wear Clothing by Judi and Ron Barrett
What would happen if you went to the zoo, and a goat was wearing the same pants you were? The silly illustrations in this book definitely give kids the giggles.

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
One evening, Harold draws himself a wonderful adventure with his magical purple crayon. A classic bedtime story.

Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch, illustrated by Sheila McGraw
This tender story traces the love of a mother for her baby as he grows into a little boy, then adult. Hard to read without getting choked up but well worth the tears.

For moms:

365 Days of Creative Play for Children 2 Yrs. & Up by Judith Anne Gray & Sheila Ellison.
365 TV-Free Activities for You to Do With Your Child by Steven J. Bennett & Ruth Bennett

Once a child reaches first or second grade, they can begin to understand books that are up to five grades above their own grade level. By picking challenging books, you can be exposing them to vocabulary and ideas that they themselves could not yet read on their own. This is a neat concept that can be very beneficial to families with children of different ages.

Let’s say you have an eight year old, a six year old, and a four year old. By picking a book that is fun and engaging for more than one age group (e.g., Charlotte’s Web), you can read to all the kids together. I’m not saying that the four year old will understand everything or get the same things out of it as the six and eight year old, but kids usually surprise you with the way they can follow a story.

Some of my favorite memories as a child are of my dad reading out loud to me and my sisters—books that we wouldn’t have chosen to read on our own, like the Pilgrim’s Progress, but how we loved to listen to him read out loud. Plus we were getting huge doses of the one thing every child wants more than anything else: their parents’ attention.

Reading aloud does many awesome things, and I’m just going to list just a few:

1. Stimulates imagination
2. Expands vocabulary
3. Develops analytical and logical thinking
4. Strengthens the bond between parent and child
5. Gives children a love of books
6. Prepares kids for learning to read on their own
7. Increases attention span*

Study after study shows that children in classrooms where the teacher reads aloud each day do better in school and on tests than in classrooms that don’t. Also, giving kids time to read silently to themselves is very important and always improves academic performance.

Here’s something I do with my son even now: parallel reading. He and I read together but silently: he may be reading a Magic School Bus book, and I may be reading Dickens, but the idea is that we’re reading together. Make sure you pick something that you really enjoy reading. Not only is it fun (and gives me a chance to read something I’m interested in) but I’m setting a great example to him of how much reading means to me. And we all know that children copy what we do, not what we say.

A principle to keep in mind is that what you help a child love and desire is more important than what you help them learn. A sure sign of a reader is a young child who snuggles up with a book, although it might be upside down and the words on the page are still meaningless to her. She is showing evidence that she wants to read. That is the kind of love and joy that you want to nurture.

I highly recommend The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. It’s a great book on how and why to read to children. It’s in its fifth or sixth printing so try to get the most recent version if you can. It’s full of great info about reading aloud, as well as lots of recommendations for great “read aloud” books.

*adapted from the Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease.

Then I gave them all away.

I packed up several hundred books and donated them to the library. I don’t know exactly what I was thinking, but looking back, I know that part of it was a desire to move out of childhood. I was literally “putting away my childish things”.

When I became a teacher, I realized how wonderful it would have been to still have my childhood books. Sure, I kept really important things like my Childcraft How & Why Library, and the Little House on the Prairie set, but really I didn’t have very many children’s books.

So, I set out to rebuild my library. I bought books online, at discount stores, through Scholastic – whenever and wherever I could. Becoming a parent helped enormously, and now I’m proud to say that I’ve rebuilt my library and I’m pretty sure I have all my childhood favorites again.

One of those books, Call it Courage, was read out loud to my class in 3rd grade. I have vivid memories of how we would wait on pins and needles every day to see what would happen. A survival tale along the lines of Julie of the Wolves and Island of the Blue Dolphins, this Newbery Award winner is a riveting story. I’ve read this book aloud to several different elementary (1st – 3rd) classes, and it’s always a hit.

My son is really enjoying the I Wonder Why series from Kingfisher. There are lots of books in this series, and they cover all sorts of topics from science to geography, from health to nature.
One last book I highly recommend is The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes. I know it’s an Eastertime story, but I thought I’d mention it now so there’s time to find it if you’re interested. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the story is inspiring. I’ve read it aloud to both preschool and elementary kids with much success.

One more thing: if you homeschool, you can set up your own individual account with Scholastic Books to order through their book clubs. Click on “Customer Service” at the top right, then “Contact Us” along the left. Give them a call and ask that a catalog be sent to you. Place your first order and they’ll give you a call to verify that you homeschool. Then you’ll receive any of the catalogs that you choose after that on a monthly basis. Some of you might order from them through homeschooling co-ops, but I like the freedom to order when I want to, and also use all my bonus points for myself =).

Stories are always great ways to teach; from parables to fairy tales, they can be more persuasive than the most eloquently reasoned arguments. People who are resistant to Montessori would probably benefit greatly from reading this novel. (The word “Montessori” is never mentioned, so it can be given stealthily to someone who is particularly anti-Montessori). Of course, teachers and parents who are already fans of Montessori will enjoy it too.

I also think it could easily be read by (or aloud to) kids from about age 8 on up. If they’ve been in Montessori for any length of time, most likely they’ll get a kick from hearing their own experiences meshed with this turn-of-the-century story.