Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I believe I was in 4th or 5th grade when I read 'Little Women'. I loved it then. I related to Jo, who was a tomboy, as was I, and read voraciously, as did I.  Last year, I 'took one for the team' by reading Neil Gaiman books, even though I don't care for fantasy. This year, I decided to do my share by reading books written over a hundred years ago by going back and re-reading some classics. I started with 'Little Women'.

I confess, I  wasn't as enthralled by it as I was when I was 10, but I still enjoyed it. It was like visiting an  old friend, one that I was happy to re-connect to. The March sisters, Meg, Jo,  Beth and Amy have been beloved by girls everywhere for many generations.

It was published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869.  It follows the four girls from childhood to womanhood, and may been based on the author and her three sisters. The story begins during the Civil War with the girls and their Mother trying to keep the home fires burning while their Father is away acting as a chaplain with the Union army.  The family used to be wealthy, but Father had lost his money several years before, and the girls now consider themselves poor, as do their neighbors and friends. They do have a servant, Hannah, though, so the term is relative, and Mother tries to teach them that  money is not what makes a person wealthy. 

This is truly 'gentle and nostalgic fiction', reflecting a simpler life which I'm sure many of us yearn for at times. Entertainment consisted of writing and acting out plays, going on outings with friends, reading, and the occasional party. The girls fight, make up, befriend their neighbors, sew, garden, go for walks and do other 'old-fashioned' activities. I'm sure it would seem tame to today's girls, but I bet they would really like the book if they gave it a chance.


Published in 1868-69
560 pages

One of Fred's Girls by Elizabeth Hamilton Friermood

I just reread this book and it's aged a little bit.  It's 1891 and Bonnie Blair is the oldest of twelve children living in a small Indiana town.  She signs up to become a waitress for the Fred Harvey Restaurant company and heads out west.  I love the historical setting of this novel-the Southwest being opened up by the railroad carrying an influx of farmers, prospectors, and young women looking for adventure and a better life.  The part that's a bit dated is the whole go out West to get a husband story line.  But it is offset by some strong female characters and an atypical romance.  Great escape reading written by a librarian! 229 pages.

Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins

Vol. 2 of the Hunger Games series.  This was my treat for a vacation read.  There have been plenty of reviews of this series, and I generally agree that this 2nd volume is slower to get moving, but has a good cliffhanger finish.  The story starts with Katniss and her partner, Peeta, taking their victory tour for winning the Hunger Games.  During the tour, they visit each of the districts, and learn of the smoldering rebellion.  In this volume, Katniss moves from innocent to naive and sometimes clueless, to the point where the people really plotting the rebellion leave her out of the plannning, so she won't inadvertently mess it up.  The second half has the action that's expected, and leading well into the final book.
400 p.

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

A hilarious book about a little girl who always wants to help, but a lot of times gets into troubles, but she does not stop trying and she finally helped her daddy solved the great pigeon war. Love the part when Chementime calles her brother different veggie names because her parents named her after a fruit and thinks her brother should have a food name too.  136 Pages.

Sophie's Secret by Nancy Rue

I was on a lookout for a series that would appeal to girls who are 7-12 years old who are looking for a literary role model. I chose this book because it has a faith-based message, deals with real issues frequently faced by girls and involves a strong circle of friends. Sophie is a struggling 11-year-old who has low self-esteem and, in this book in the series, retreats to pretending she is an archaeologist on a trek to find hidden historical artifacts to escape from the troubles that surround her. I think girls might have trouble relating to some parts of the book, but it does have a fairly strong ending. This is book 2 in the Sophie faiTHGirlz! series. 128 pages.