King Monte Book Series

Monte, a ten-year-old, navigates challenges in his school’s honors program, balancing new expectations, friendships, and the impact of a Black male teacher who transforms his outlook on success and identity.

King Monte: Are You My P.E. Teacher?

Ten-year-old Monte has always been surrounded by his best friends: kids who look like him, live near him, and go to class with him. But when his mother pushes him into the school’s honors program, Monte feels like he’s stumbled into a whole new world, and despite the fancy calculators and college banners, he’s still not sure this world is better than the one he left behind. One thing that’s certainly different, is Monte’s fourth grade teacher who’s unlike any teacher he’s ever had – he’s a black male.

Monte must decide if succeeding in the honors program is worth the effort – and the risk of failure. Even more importantly, he must convince his old friends that he’s still there for them after the school bell rings, when they all head back to the south side neighborhood and the challenges that await them around each corner.

In a potent blend of realism and hope, Michael Woodward, Jr.’s King Monte: Are You My P.E. Teacher? illustrates a talented African American child’s struggle to find the right role models, conquer self-doubt, and change not just his own life but the lives of the people he loves.

King Monte: The Lost Tiger’s Eye

What happens when a King drops his crown?

From avoiding snapping canine jaws to trespassing in search of a prized possession, life as a fourth-grade honors kid in the Southside neighborhood goes on for Monte.

Each day presents a new challenge at keeping his friends, maintaining good grades, and avoiding hot water at home. Yet lately, Monte has been making some incredibly poor choices that could lead to losing those friends, being expelled from the honors program or worse.

Monte must continue to push through his faults and fears all the while risking friendship and failure. He must learn that he always isn’t right and, sometimes, doing the right thing isn’t always the easy thing to do.

In a whirlwind of social-emotional learning, vulnerability, and hope, Michael Woodward, Jr.’s follow-up King Monte: The Lost Tiger’s Eye illustrates a talented African American child’s struggle to be a leader, make better choices, and be the King [almost] everyone sees him as.

King Monte: Life’s Toughest Choices 

Life’s toughest choices sometimes are in choosing between the easy path and the right one.

Monte Driarson always tries to make the right choices and live up to the “King Monte” nickname his parents gave him. But when his friend Darren falls in with a dangerous crowd, Monte faces some of the toughest decisions of his life.

To make matters worse, there’s a new cop that has been recently assigned to the neighborhood and he’s been asking a lot of tough questions.

When every choice, and answer, has the potential to shape his future, Monte must learn that the path to becoming a true friend often lies in facing life’s toughest challenges head-on.

Dr. Michael Woodward, Jr.’s King Monte: Life’s Toughest Choices draws readers back into Monte Driarson’s inspiring world—where being true to your friends, your family, and yourself can turn any young man into a king.