It is finally, FINALLY, starting to feel like Fall here in Austin.
We are busy trying to fit in all the usual Fall things like painting pumpkins, doing leaf stamping, and baking all of the delicious pumpkin and apple treats.
We’re also trying to cram in as many Fall books as we can before it’s time to move on to a holiday selection. The window of Fall-like weather before the holidays is pretty short here, so I took some time to find some must-read books for our house this season.
Some of these we’ve already read and loved and others are on my library waiting list and I’m keeping my fingers crossed we get to read them before Thanksgiving.
I also included some books for older kids that I came across for anyone with big kids in the house! When I find a great book for older kids, I always add it to my Amazon cart and save it for later so that I have good ideas ready as my kids grow.
For anyone new to Montessori, Montessori-friendly books for young kids are a little different. They focus on real-life and realistic images, rather than adult-created fantasy. This doesn’t mean we don’t read fiction, it just doesn’t usually focus on talking animals or dragons and unicorns.
I will say though that now that my son is older (at the ripe old age of 3…) and likes to help choose books at the library, I certainly let him select fantasy books. I think it’s important to let kids choose what they want to read, in addition to introducing them to the books we want them to read.
When we read books with animals in clothes (he LOVES Richard Scary right now), we just take a minute to talk about how real animals don’t wear clothes and this is a pretend story. He actually loves pointing out which parts of a book are real and which are pretend.
We have not yet read some of these books, so I can’t guarantee that they are all free of talking animals, etc., but from reading the descriptions and reviews, I believe they are Montessori-friendly and we can’t wait to read them in our house!
Books for Babies and Toddlers:
A Pile of Leaves
Fall (Bright Baby Touch and Feel)
Baby Loves Fall! This one does not have super realistic illustrations, but it’s a lift the flap book, which is always fun and does talk about things young kids will be experiencing, like clothes for colder weather.
Books for Toddlers and Young Kids:
Apples and Pumpkins
Mystery Vine: A Pumpkin Surprise
Little Home Bird This is a beautiful book about migration and would be especially great for a child who is moving homes.
Autumn
Books for Bigger Kids:
Rosco The Rascal Visits The Pumpkin Patch
(The following portion of this post is sponsored – all opinions are my own. Thank you for your support!)
Ferocious Fall: Our Wild Weather Escapes – Even though my kids are not old enough for this book, which is recommended for kids 8 and up, I was immediately interested when I was contacted about it. I love historical fiction, both for kids and adults, and this book is set in the 1950’s which I haven’t seen a lot in kids’ books.
I think this would be such a fun book for a grandparent or older relative to read with a child. I imagine it would spark conversations and stories that might otherwise never be passed on.
Unfortunately, my kids don’t have any living great grandparents (and my parents were born at the very end of the 1950s), but I can definitely picture James and Lilah reading this with my mom when they’re older. My mom loves family photos (what mom doesn’t?!) and I can imagine her pulling out old black and white photos of her parents while reading this book and passing along stories that might have otherwise been lost.
In addition to the interesting setting, this was a genuinely enjoyable book! I actually love reading kids and young adult fiction. When the characters are good (as these are!), it can be really enjoyable and totally relaxing.
One thing I loved about the book was how it wove in educational elements, while still telling a compelling story. The book includes a lot of information about different types of clouds, different types of weather events, and historical events but it always fits naturally into the story. I think it would be especially interesting for a kid from California, as it talks a lot about the history of the area.
I also really enjoyed the use of 50’s slang and language. It definitely added a fun element to the book and I imagine kids would love it! There is a fun glossary of 1950s slang in the back that I found really fun to read.
The characters in Ferocious Fall face challenges like bullying, sibling issues, and everyday childhood fears like public speaking. I love that the story focuses on these timeless challenges of childhood, making it easy to relate to characters from another time.
One thing to note is that Ferocious Fall does include a lot of references to Bible verses. The main character in the book writes down Bible verses to reference when she’s scared, stressed, etc. Just something to note because I didn’t realize that going into the book and I know some people might not be comfortable with it. Again, it fits into the story pretty naturally!
If you’re traveling to see family over the holidays, it would be a great time to gift this book to a grandparent or older child who might enjoy it. The award-winning author, C. A. Hartnell, also has three other books in the series: Wild Winter, Scary Spring, and Sinister Summer, and a couple of really fun coloring books as well! Check them out here!
Do you have any favorite kids’ books for Fall? Please share in the comments!
Montessori abc Book
My Montessori abc book uses phonetic sounds. Montessori teaches phonetic sounds, rather than letter names, to help children learn to read.
The book also uses one letter and image per page. This helps the child focus and not be overwhelmed. Photographic images are used to spark curiosity and encourage the child to learn about the real world.
You can purchase the book here!
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