This biographies series is so cute! I love the art style and it presents the information about the subjects' lives in a clear way that's easy for kids to understand. ( )

‘’The greatest sign of success for a teacher...is to be able to say, the children are now working as if I did not exist.’’
Dr. Maria Montessori

When you decide to become a teacher, you know that you are going to fight against misconceptions, conflicting opinions on how you ''should'' (or...''must'') teach your classes, parents who absolutely, undoubtedly know your job better than you, and students who have grown bored -and rightfully so- of the same-old, same-old lessons. The way to deal with these issues is to educate yourself, make sure your patience resources are always intact no matter what and keep the levels of creativity and resourcefulness to high levels. As a teacher, I am more than grateful to pioneers like Maria Montessori who paved the way and turned the focus to the children instead of the established education system.

Dr. Maria Montessori grew up in a household full of books and the love for learning. She understood how effective the learning process can become when aided by games and defied the norms by becoming the first woman in Italy to study medicine. Unwilling to regard people through the lens of social classes, she fought hard to become a doctor, joined the Women's Rights movement and offered her services at the psychiatric clinic of the University of Rome. It was there that her love for children whose special abilities were viewed as a plague by the majority of society led her to introduce new ideas and methods that revolutionized the field of Education.

A deep love for what we do, an unquestionable love for our students, creativity, patience and a firm belief in adaptability are fundamental in the long, difficult, ever-evolving way to become a teacher. Regarding each young soul as an individual, not as an empty vessel that needs to be filled with our undoubted wisdom and excellence, is the key to a much-needed balance between learning and actually enjoying the learning process. Easier said than done but I'd like to believe that it has become our reality.

This is Dr. Maria Montessori's legacy to children, educators and parents all over the world. This is her invaluable gift to humanity.

‘’The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.’’
Dr. Maria Montessori

Many thanks to Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/ ( )

Our first foray into the "Little People, Big Dreams" series of biographies for young readers, and a great place to start!

Maria Montessori (Italian, 1870-1952) was the first woman in Italy to go to medical school. Eventually she transformed the educational system, proving that all children could become their own teachers with engaging activities and the freedom to explore. ( )

Thanks NetGalley for the review copy. I learned a lot about Maria and her life in Italy. She had a wonderful impact on education. ( )

Maria Montessori is the reason Montessori schools exist. And while her history and background is very interesting, I wish the book had gotten into just a little detail of why a Montessori school was different from other schools. It does talk about learning stations and play, but not why it is so much different. I think kids who don’t go to a Montessori school, might not realize why this was/is so unusual. ( )