Well, I have been so busy with school that I haven’t taken a second for new books that support Montessori Cultural Education.
I am thrilled about the following books:
When the Shadbush Blooms by Carla Messinger.
We (just incredible) by Alice Schertle.
Thank you, World by Alice McGinty.
Here’s a great site for Montessori Librarians interested in book reviews: http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/detailListBooks.asp?idBookLists=77
There are increasingly great titles to share for the experience of creation stories from various traditions. The latest book that is simply remarkable is The Golden Flower: A Taino Myth from Puerto Rico by Nina Jaffe, illustrated by Enrique O. Sanchez. It’s such a rich and lovely tale of the people who came to live on a verdant mountain top after a great flood sprung right out of a beautiful gourd that had been a stunning flower. The colors are Mediterranean, there are forms that evoke the Aztecs. Much sun and light and creation is here for the enjoyment of all.
Mordicai Gerstein. The Wild Boy: Based on the True Story of the Wild Boy of Aveyron. c 1998.
This story about the wild child discovered in 1800 in the forests of Aveyron, France, captivates children because its drama engages the empathic imagination. The child is tested by scientists to see if he can learn — he has come from living in the forest, having passed his sensitive period alone, without benefit of other humans. He has not learned to speak and will never learn to do so, however, he seems to develop over time, with the care of his adoptive family, an understanding of how language works. He learns to keep himself clean, to use eating utensils, to spell with cut out letters. Most importantly he learns the meaning of love within a family, something he lived without as he survived in the woods. Dr. Montessori often referred to this child, Victor, in her writing about the Absorbent Mind; and she is mentioned, along with Dr. Itard, at the back of the book.
I just read The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron. Readers will love Lucky. Here’s a book filled with wonderful characters. Even the town is a sort of character –Hard Pan, California– a place where miners once lived. In this very small place a lot of love grows. I loved reading about Lucky and found her an amazing, courageous, young person. She will make your heart swell.
Ms. P
