What a great little book. I started this as a read-a-loud but just finished it myself. I think it should be a must read for every homeschool mom! Miss Agnes is inspiring. I think Charlotte Mason would be proud of Miss Agnes. Through Miss Agnes, the children "woke up to see the world around [them], and way beyond them" (p111). And the love of learning burned strongly in them. Miss Agnes played opera and read Robin Hood to them. She made a wall timeline and would pretend play, going back in time through a time machine to test them. Miss Agnes did not use written tests. She also did not like the "Dick and Jane" readers, so she made little books for each child, about the child. She encouraged the love of learning, and encouraged each child in his or her gifting/passion, whether it be sign language, science, music or printing, airplanes, making people feel happy, to running the house and dancing. She affirmed each child and made them feel good about themselves and each other.
It starts off a little slowly and uses "stupid" a couple times, and the use of poor grammar from the kids gets a little irritating sometimes, but the book gives an intimate look into the village life on the Alaskan frontier. Miss Agnes is absolutely inspirational in her one room schoolhouse. And the book is also full of practical teaching ideas and tips. What a great little book!