Little Women and me

One summer, I read Little Women 20 times.  Summers were longer back then and responsibilities, fewer.

THIS summer, I read Little Women and Me by Lauren Baratz-Logsted. Once.

Fourteen-year-old Emily March has to write an essay naming three things about a book she really enjoyed and one thing that she would change.  She picks Little Women.

She is sucked into the book and becomes the FIFTH March sister, the one in the middle.  And there she stays throughout the entire book of Little Women.

Emily learns a lot about herself, relationships and family while stuck in Marchville. 

Baratz-Logsted uses a couple of clever devices to get Emily from one end of Little Women to the other.  For one thing, if it didn't happen in the book, it doesn't happen to Emily.  So, Emily is forever trying to remember what did happen in the book to understand who new characters are or what she is supposed to know.  Emily remembers the big events and tries hard to prevent catastrophes.  But Baratz-Logsted finds ways for things to occur the way they did in the book - or close to it - no matter what Emily does.

Fans of the original Little Women will enjoy Little Women and Me.  The ending will cause some discussions.  And anyone who is a middle sister, or who has sisters, or wishes they had sisters will relate to Emily and her March sisters - both the 19th century and the 21st century clans.


The Jack Gantos giveaway has a few more days.  It ends on August 31st at 11 :59 pm.  Leave a comment to enter.