Cynthia Rylant
Recognized in the Creative Minds Montessori 2026 Teacher’s Choice list.
Cynthia Rylant is one of roughly one hundred authors whose work was selected by the Montessori-certified teachers at Creative Minds Montessori for the 2026 Teacher’s Choice list — 120 books chosen across four reading stages, from first lap-reads to first chapter books. The selected book was chosen for how precisely it meets children at a real developmental moment. This recognition cannot be bought: no author or publisher paid to appear on our lists, and we take no commission on any book sale.
About Cynthia Rylant
Cynthia Rylant is a Newbery Medalist (Missing May) whose hundred-plus books span the whole ladder from easy readers to novels; Henry and Mudge, drawn from her son and their 200-pound dog, set the standard for early-reader warmth.
Rylant grew up in coal-country West Virginia without running water or many books; she has said she became a writer to preserve the people and porches of that childhood, starting with the acclaimed When I Was Young in the Mountains.
Also by this author: When I Was Young in the Mountains · The Relatives Came · Mr. Putter & Tabby Pour the Tea
Official website: www.cynthiarylant.com
Selected for the 2026 Teacher’s Choice list
Part of The Best Children’s Books by Age, chosen by the teachers at Creative Minds Montessori in Frisco, TX.