In the "Creative Minds'' series, Italy's first woman physician (1870-1952)--a pediatrician who later pioneered educating children by using real-life experiences and sensory materials (e.g., sandpaper letters), as well as by observing children to find out how they learn--is an inspiring figure, of special interest to children at Montessori schools but also relevant to others as an influential thinker responsible for many of the precepts of modern education. O'Connor's brief book is undistinguished but easily read, focused on Montessori's struggles to get an education and on the period in her 20s and 30s when her most significant ideas were developed, with enough revealing detail to give a sense of the person behind the legend. Campitelli's drawings are better than average for the series, although their heavy cross-hatching sometimes outweighs the impressionistic figures. With nothing else for children in print on the subject, a useful purchase. Brief bibliography. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.