Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly Educator Diamond has worked with the younger set for 25 years. Most recently, she taught kindergarten at New York City's P.S. 87, the setting for this memoir and sourcebook for current or aspiring teachers and parents. In the foreword, artist and writer Feiffer reminisces about his own school days, reveals that Diamond taught one of his daughters and offers words of praise for the book, citing its rich sense of inquiry, observation, mission and self-examination. Indeed, Diamonds passion for her work, affection for the kids and her dedication to their improvement is evident throughout the book. Even as she describes her experiences with her pupils, she details the times she questioned her own judgment. She is also frank about how to engage a child and when to involve his or her parents: for example, she describes a student named Henry (whose Welcome to the Aquarium sign inspired the books title), who is initially reluctant to participate in artistic projects, and decides to call in his parents to talk about her concerns. Diamond's honesty makes for a highly informative if overlong narrative. (Dec.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist At the age of 60, Diamond has spent 25 years teaching mostly in the New York City public schools. Grounded in the progressive education methods of Bank Street College, Diamond began her career amid the social tumult of the 1960s. From the perspective of her long career, she offers not only techniques and lesson plans but also personal observations of her students and an appreciation of how important it is to understand children. She describes the rituals and routines of Room K-104, her kindergarten class at PS 87 in a highly diverse neighborhood on the Upper West Side. At the heart of the book is Henry, a boy who starts off reticent but becomes an essential part of the art class. Diamond details her journey as a teacher to reach Henry and his personal journey to grow and find his place in the shared experience of Room K-104. She intersperses accounts of the school year with analysis of literacy, classroom engagement, and the challenges of education standardizations and also writes candidly of her “mistakes, confusions, and good guesses.” --Vanessa Bush Review [Diamond] has captured the world of the class at times chaotic, always busy, usually inspired. Los Angeles TimesDiamond’s book is an extraordinary resource for parents and teachers at all stages. It is honest and masterful, engrossing and unique. And it is utterly real. Ruth S. Charney, co-founder of Northeast Foundation for Children and author of Teaching Children to CareHighly informative. Publishers Weekly About the Author A graduate of Swarthmore and Bank Street College of Education, Julie Diamond taught for over twenty-five years, first in Georgia, and then in a day care center and in private and public schools in New York City, where she lives. She has taught at Bank Street and City College, and her fiction and nonfiction have appeared in various journals. Jules Feiffer is a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, children's book author, and playwright. He lives in New York City. Read more