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Littler Women: A Modern Retelling
The March sisters encounter new friends, challenges, school dances, and more in this fresh, modern retelling of the perennial classic, Little Women.
Thirteen-year-old Meg March and her sisters Jo (twelve), Beth (ten), and Amy (nine) are a close-knit group who share in one another’s hopes and dreams, as well as struggles and frustrations. Over the course of one year they get to know their neighbors the Lawrences, attend school dances and sleepovers, have first crushes, and grow closer as sisters despite their differences.
This sweet, contemporary take on part one of the beloved novel Little Women is the perfect introduction for young readers to the March family. With a craft project or recipe at the end of every chapter, Littler Women is sure to become a cherished favorite.
Thirteen-year-old Meg March and her sisters Jo (twelve), Beth (ten), and Amy (nine) are a close-knit group who share in one another’s hopes and dreams, as well as struggles and frustrations. Over the course of one year they get to know their neighbors the Lawrences, attend school dances and sleepovers, have first crushes, and grow closer as sisters despite their differences.
This sweet, contemporary take on part one of the beloved novel Little Women is the perfect introduction for young readers to the March family. With a craft project or recipe at the end of every chapter, Littler Women is sure to become a cherished favorite.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2017
About the author
Laura Schaefer
42 books132 followersLaura Schaefer is the author of A LONG WAY FROM HOME (Lerner Book Group, October 4, 2022); LITTLER WOMEN: A Modern Retelling (Paula Wiseman Books, Sept. 5, 2017), The Secret Ingredient (2011), and The Teashop Girls (2008).
Visit Laura online at lauraschaeferwriter.com and follow her on Twitter (@teashopgirl).
Visit Laura online at lauraschaeferwriter.com and follow her on Twitter (@teashopgirl).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
November 3, 2021
Indeed, Laura Schaefer's Littler Women: A Modern Retelling has for the most part been both very much personally enjoyable as a reading experience in and of itself and is also in my opinion (and quite importantly) a fitting (and thereby also complimentary) contemporary reimagining of Louisa May Alcott's classic Little Women.
And with this I mean to say that while Littler Women: A Modern Retelling is of course set in today's world, in modern day United States of America, author Laura Schaefer has thankfully not veered all too much from the original with regard to how she has depicted and portrayed character and personality-wise the four March sisters in particular and that yes, you do generally very much and very clearly see Louisa May Alcott's Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March present in Laura Schaefer's versions of them, except that they are all a bit younger in Littler Women: A Modern Retelling and that Beth, while of course still shy and introverted, is not nearly so almost pathologically afraid of strangers as she appears to be in Little Women. And to tell the truth, I for one even appreciate and find this deliberate authorial difference inherently positive, since Beth March's massive introversion and extreme shyness in Little Women often does tend to make me feel a bit frustrated, as Louisa May Alcott almost seems to depict her as a behavioural stereotype of sorts, something that in Littler Women: A Modern Retelling Laura Schaefer has in my opinion thankfully and fortunately avoided by making her Beth March a bit more rounded and not so one-sidedly bashful and afraid of life outside of her home sphere (and yes, I also have to admit that I do very much both enjoy and appreciate that when Beth falls ill with a bad case of influenza in Littler Women: A Modern Retelling she seems to make a full recovery, as even though Little Women is one of my all time favourite novels, I have never been all that personally comfortable with Beth March's scarlet fever illness and subsequent death and whenever I do reread Little Women, I in fact tend to get annoyed and personally miffed that Louisa May Alcott basically kills off one of my favourite characters).
A high three star ranking for Littler Women: a Modern Retelling, but yes, not quite yet four stars, since as much as I have generally loved Laura Schaefer's narrative and how she has adapted Louisa May Alcott's original text, I have to admit that I did and do find the inclusions of the recipes, crafts etc. somewhat distracting and that furthermore, I would definitely have liked to have had Jo and Laurie discuss the contemporary book titles mentioned in Littler Women: A Modern Retelling a bit more thoroughly than having them generally just be presented as somewhat of a large book list. For in Little Women, when Louisa May Alcott has Jo March allude to works by Fouqué, Goethe et al, there is also and usually some discussion and analysis provided, something that I do kind of miss with regard to Jo and Laurie's book listing and their rather on the surface literature and authors conversations in Littler Women: A Modern Retelling.
And with this I mean to say that while Littler Women: A Modern Retelling is of course set in today's world, in modern day United States of America, author Laura Schaefer has thankfully not veered all too much from the original with regard to how she has depicted and portrayed character and personality-wise the four March sisters in particular and that yes, you do generally very much and very clearly see Louisa May Alcott's Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March present in Laura Schaefer's versions of them, except that they are all a bit younger in Littler Women: A Modern Retelling and that Beth, while of course still shy and introverted, is not nearly so almost pathologically afraid of strangers as she appears to be in Little Women. And to tell the truth, I for one even appreciate and find this deliberate authorial difference inherently positive, since Beth March's massive introversion and extreme shyness in Little Women often does tend to make me feel a bit frustrated, as Louisa May Alcott almost seems to depict her as a behavioural stereotype of sorts, something that in Littler Women: A Modern Retelling Laura Schaefer has in my opinion thankfully and fortunately avoided by making her Beth March a bit more rounded and not so one-sidedly bashful and afraid of life outside of her home sphere (and yes, I also have to admit that I do very much both enjoy and appreciate that when Beth falls ill with a bad case of influenza in Littler Women: A Modern Retelling she seems to make a full recovery, as even though Little Women is one of my all time favourite novels, I have never been all that personally comfortable with Beth March's scarlet fever illness and subsequent death and whenever I do reread Little Women, I in fact tend to get annoyed and personally miffed that Louisa May Alcott basically kills off one of my favourite characters).
A high three star ranking for Littler Women: a Modern Retelling, but yes, not quite yet four stars, since as much as I have generally loved Laura Schaefer's narrative and how she has adapted Louisa May Alcott's original text, I have to admit that I did and do find the inclusions of the recipes, crafts etc. somewhat distracting and that furthermore, I would definitely have liked to have had Jo and Laurie discuss the contemporary book titles mentioned in Littler Women: A Modern Retelling a bit more thoroughly than having them generally just be presented as somewhat of a large book list. For in Little Women, when Louisa May Alcott has Jo March allude to works by Fouqué, Goethe et al, there is also and usually some discussion and analysis provided, something that I do kind of miss with regard to Jo and Laurie's book listing and their rather on the surface literature and authors conversations in Littler Women: A Modern Retelling.
December 16, 2018
Thirteen-year-old Meg, twelve-year old Jo, ten-year-old Beth and nine-year-old Amy are sisters but they could not be more alike. Meg works hard and loves romantic comedies, knitting and .... maybe... boys, while Jo could care less about boys other than as friends. She prefers reading, writing poetry and movie scripts, acting out her movies and video games. Sweet, shy Beth prefers to stay home and bake or knit and little Amy plans to be a world famous artist. Despite their differences in temperament and interests, they love each other through thick and thin. This direct retelling of Little Women tells the story of these modern day March sisters through one difficult year as they learn from their mistakes and grow into little women.
Oh my gosh I love this book and I want to hand it to my nieces right now! This is the most direct retelling I've read. I wondered how a classic 19th century novel would translate to modern day and for the most part, the author did a wonderful job. She captured just about everything in the original and made it accessible for modern tweens. The only thing I really missed was Amy's malapropisms.
I didn't like the boy/girl stuff at the end. It's hard for me, as an adult, to accept 13 and 14 year olds "like liking" each other but I know some kids in my school did feel that way. Like Jo, I wasn't interested. In this story that sort of thing feels a little forced and not as well developed because the characters here are younger than the originals.
The only other thing I wasn't super crazy about was Beth's illness. Beth comes down with the flu. After careful care from family friend Hannah and her sisters plus some Tylenol, Beth fully recovers. I am glad the author made this decisions. The idea of children dying is a tough one for modern kids to understand or accept. I did have a talk with my nieces after visiting Orchard House about how they didn't have medicines back then to make people better and something happened to Louisa's sister that made her very sick and eventually waste away and die. They were Ok with that because Lizzie was older and I kept it vague and focused on the real woman. I did NOT tell them in the story Beth, as a 12 year old girl, nearly dies of Scarlet Fever. I think that would be more upsetting than hearing about some long ago woman they don't know. I also applaud the author for NOT killing Pip the parakeet as older niece has her own Pip the parakeet and would be extremely upset by that minor detail most readers have long forgotten.
The modern day March family and friends are just as well developed as their 19th-century counterparts- for the most part. I got a sense of who each of the sisters was and of course strongly identified with Jo. She's ME! Like Jo I live in hoodie sweatshirts and jeans and wear my long brown hair in a ponytail! I love reading and writing but emphatically was NOT interested in boys or growing up when I was 12. I also have a temper. Like her 19th-century counterpart, Jo is athletic, energetic and has a temper. She sees Laurie as her best friend not as a romantic partner. Jo struggles to control her temper and has a tough time accepting the growing up process. Yes, she's just like her original counterpart. She's wonderful! I can't relate to Meg or Amy at all. Meg is hard to redefine for a modern age but like her original counterpart, this Meg longs for the finer things in life like new clothes from the mall, wifi and cell phones. The Marches don't believe in these things and can't afford them. Sweet, shy Beth is pretty close to the original but ends up coming out of her shell more. Obviously this Beth also has more opportunities afforded her as a female than 1860s Beth would have. Her future looks brighter as she starts to overcome some of her anxiety. Young Amy is spot on. She is a bit bratty like the original and artistic in temperment. Amy is very young and a bit more immature than her older sisters, naturally. She's been spoiled but I think she complains less the original Amy. Her trouble at school is hilarious and didn't deserve the punishment. Laurie is similar to Jo. He loves reading, video games, being anti-social like Jo, playing hockey, soccer and being with Jo. He's spoiled and loved by his grandfather, attends private school but is still lonely despite all he has. Laurie enjoys hanging out with Jo and Meg feeling like part of a warm, loving family.
"Mom" March is the director of the local community center. She works long hours and tries her hardest to help the less fortunate members of the community. Mom counsels her daughters with wise advice without being too didactic. While Transcendentalist philosophy doesn't make an appearance in this novel, modern Mrs. March wants the same things for her daughters and has the same advice (in fewer words, perhaps). Daddy is in the National Guard, deployed somewhere overseas. The girls video chat, e-mail and send care packages but it's not the same as having Dad home with them. They miss him and his good listening skills and long for the day he returns. Mr. Lawrence is kinder and more loving than Louisa May Alcott's Mr. Lawrence. This Mr. Lawrence allows his grandson to have a gaming room for video games, something I suspect the original wouldn't approve of. I loved this kind, gentle Mr. Lawrence who has tea time every day with his grandson. He wants what's best for Laurie and acknowledges he doesn't really know how to motivate Laurie to be the man he knows Laurie can/should become. I like his friendship with Beth and how he seems to understand her. There's no mention of family drama or what happened to Laurie's parents. Finally, there's Hannah. A maid relegated to the background of the original novel, here Hannah is a family friend who moved in to help care for the girls while Dad is away. Hannah is no nonsense and not the warm and sympathetic sort but the girls care about her and respect her.
While this book doesn't have the same charm as The Penderwicks, it's different because it is so close to the original. The March sisters include recipes, crafts and copies of their JAMB 'zine, making this book extra sweet.
Recommended to 4th-6th grade girls and their adult friends who love Little Women. Also for readers who have a hard time reading the original.
Oh my gosh I love this book and I want to hand it to my nieces right now! This is the most direct retelling I've read. I wondered how a classic 19th century novel would translate to modern day and for the most part, the author did a wonderful job. She captured just about everything in the original and made it accessible for modern tweens. The only thing I really missed was Amy's malapropisms.
I didn't like the boy/girl stuff at the end. It's hard for me, as an adult, to accept 13 and 14 year olds "like liking" each other but I know some kids in my school did feel that way. Like Jo, I wasn't interested. In this story that sort of thing feels a little forced and not as well developed because the characters here are younger than the originals.
The only other thing I wasn't super crazy about was Beth's illness. Beth comes down with the flu. After careful care from family friend Hannah and her sisters plus some Tylenol, Beth fully recovers. I am glad the author made this decisions. The idea of children dying is a tough one for modern kids to understand or accept. I did have a talk with my nieces after visiting Orchard House about how they didn't have medicines back then to make people better and something happened to Louisa's sister that made her very sick and eventually waste away and die. They were Ok with that because Lizzie was older and I kept it vague and focused on the real woman. I did NOT tell them in the story Beth, as a 12 year old girl, nearly dies of Scarlet Fever. I think that would be more upsetting than hearing about some long ago woman they don't know. I also applaud the author for NOT killing Pip the parakeet as older niece has her own Pip the parakeet and would be extremely upset by that minor detail most readers have long forgotten.
The modern day March family and friends are just as well developed as their 19th-century counterparts- for the most part. I got a sense of who each of the sisters was and of course strongly identified with Jo. She's ME! Like Jo I live in hoodie sweatshirts and jeans and wear my long brown hair in a ponytail! I love reading and writing but emphatically was NOT interested in boys or growing up when I was 12. I also have a temper. Like her 19th-century counterpart, Jo is athletic, energetic and has a temper. She sees Laurie as her best friend not as a romantic partner. Jo struggles to control her temper and has a tough time accepting the growing up process. Yes, she's just like her original counterpart. She's wonderful! I can't relate to Meg or Amy at all. Meg is hard to redefine for a modern age but like her original counterpart, this Meg longs for the finer things in life like new clothes from the mall, wifi and cell phones. The Marches don't believe in these things and can't afford them. Sweet, shy Beth is pretty close to the original but ends up coming out of her shell more. Obviously this Beth also has more opportunities afforded her as a female than 1860s Beth would have. Her future looks brighter as she starts to overcome some of her anxiety. Young Amy is spot on. She is a bit bratty like the original and artistic in temperment. Amy is very young and a bit more immature than her older sisters, naturally. She's been spoiled but I think she complains less the original Amy. Her trouble at school is hilarious and didn't deserve the punishment. Laurie is similar to Jo. He loves reading, video games, being anti-social like Jo, playing hockey, soccer and being with Jo. He's spoiled and loved by his grandfather, attends private school but is still lonely despite all he has. Laurie enjoys hanging out with Jo and Meg feeling like part of a warm, loving family.
"Mom" March is the director of the local community center. She works long hours and tries her hardest to help the less fortunate members of the community. Mom counsels her daughters with wise advice without being too didactic. While Transcendentalist philosophy doesn't make an appearance in this novel, modern Mrs. March wants the same things for her daughters and has the same advice (in fewer words, perhaps). Daddy is in the National Guard, deployed somewhere overseas. The girls video chat, e-mail and send care packages but it's not the same as having Dad home with them. They miss him and his good listening skills and long for the day he returns. Mr. Lawrence is kinder and more loving than Louisa May Alcott's Mr. Lawrence. This Mr. Lawrence allows his grandson to have a gaming room for video games, something I suspect the original wouldn't approve of. I loved this kind, gentle Mr. Lawrence who has tea time every day with his grandson. He wants what's best for Laurie and acknowledges he doesn't really know how to motivate Laurie to be the man he knows Laurie can/should become. I like his friendship with Beth and how he seems to understand her. There's no mention of family drama or what happened to Laurie's parents. Finally, there's Hannah. A maid relegated to the background of the original novel, here Hannah is a family friend who moved in to help care for the girls while Dad is away. Hannah is no nonsense and not the warm and sympathetic sort but the girls care about her and respect her.
While this book doesn't have the same charm as The Penderwicks, it's different because it is so close to the original. The March sisters include recipes, crafts and copies of their JAMB 'zine, making this book extra sweet.
Recommended to 4th-6th grade girls and their adult friends who love Little Women. Also for readers who have a hard time reading the original.
January 26, 2022
I absolutely loved this! While I'm typically wary of modern adaptations of beloved classics, this one came highly recommended and I have long wished for more modern children's books that capture the feel of beloved classics from my youth. While certainly I am grateful many different types of books exist today for children, to reflect changing times and changing needs, it's also nice to have a novel about present-day middle school girls that doesn't feature undue drama or "mean girls" or overly romantic relationships or sibling skirmishes or other family troubles. I feel Schaefer was successful in bringing the LW characters and themes to present-day while allowing it to very much retain the feel of the original. It follows the original story very closely and the updates make sense for today while remaining true to the spirit of the original. For example, the father is currently deployed, the mother runs a community center. Jo still writes plays and the sisters perform but they also film the skit using the iPhone -- it felt "modern" but kept the essence of their "old-fashioned" fun in writing and performing a skit together. Perhaps the biggest departure (but one that I, personally, really appreciated) is that Beth does not die or have a very dire illness . I didn't feel that Amy had quite as much of a presence in this book as she did in the original LW but that didn't bother me much. I do wish there had been a few more 'zine publications (those included were delightful) but, again, not enough of a quibble to knock down my star rating. The inclusion of recipes and craft instructions at the end of each chapter was surprising to me, but, again, not a negative. This would make an especially lovely read around Christmastime as story takes place over one year and Christmas chapters bookend them.
August 1, 2017
A big thanks to Simon & Schuster for an advance digital copy of this delightful book. I found this story to be very faithful to the original while giving it a modern makeover.
The girls are about 3 years younger than the classic at the beginning of the novel so this book should appeal to tweens and preteens who may feel a bit intimidated by the original yet.
Each chapter includes an inspirational quote at the beginning and most have a recipe, craft instructions or some other helpful hints at the end. I copied some of the recipes myself. They look delicious.
This is an all-around feel-good book that evokes the spirit of the original Little Women. The characters are real and people you would love to have next door. I was enchanted and hope that Laura Schaefer will plan a sequel to cover the second half of the novel.
Recommended!
The girls are about 3 years younger than the classic at the beginning of the novel so this book should appeal to tweens and preteens who may feel a bit intimidated by the original yet.
Each chapter includes an inspirational quote at the beginning and most have a recipe, craft instructions or some other helpful hints at the end. I copied some of the recipes myself. They look delicious.
This is an all-around feel-good book that evokes the spirit of the original Little Women. The characters are real and people you would love to have next door. I was enchanted and hope that Laura Schaefer will plan a sequel to cover the second half of the novel.
Recommended!
March 8, 2020
This is a cute book and I liked how it was a modern retelling but also kind of like the original book in some ways. I love retellings, I just think with having read Little Women: The Original Classic Novel with Photos from the Major Motion Picture in January and loving it so much that I'm not going to enjoy retellings of Little Women.
September 19, 2019
This book is... delightful.
It has the charm and warmth of the original LITTLE WOMEN, with writing style that is easier to understand for kids.
It has the charm and warmth of the original LITTLE WOMEN, with writing style that is easier to understand for kids.
November 23, 2017
This is a fairly straight retelling, with much of the work actually being paraphrased from the original. Unfortunately, however, many of the episodes are shortened. Perhaps this is partly why the characters seem to lack as much depth as they have in Alcott's work and why they also don't really seem to have any growth--even though the ending assures us they have changed. (One instance of someone being helpful or patient hardly seems like a character arc.)
The biggest change is that all mentions of religion have been removed (aside from a vague reference to "church" on Christmas). This is disappointing. Alcott's characters lived and breathed their faith, playing Pilgrim's Progress and reading their Bibles regularly to try to do better. But it appears that a "modern retelling" is too embarrassed to have characters motivated by faith. Or perhaps the implication is that religion isn't modern? Either way, I think much of the spirit and the heart of the story has been lost with these removals. No new motivation for improvement has been added, so the story and the characters feel rather empty.
I wanted to love this book, but it is merely pleasant and certainly not particularly moving or memorable. I didn't even care when Beth caught the flu and I should have been wrecked. Unfortunately, I didn't know her well enough to be invested in her story.
The biggest change is that all mentions of religion have been removed (aside from a vague reference to "church" on Christmas). This is disappointing. Alcott's characters lived and breathed their faith, playing Pilgrim's Progress and reading their Bibles regularly to try to do better. But it appears that a "modern retelling" is too embarrassed to have characters motivated by faith. Or perhaps the implication is that religion isn't modern? Either way, I think much of the spirit and the heart of the story has been lost with these removals. No new motivation for improvement has been added, so the story and the characters feel rather empty.
I wanted to love this book, but it is merely pleasant and certainly not particularly moving or memorable. I didn't even care when Beth caught the flu and I should have been wrecked. Unfortunately, I didn't know her well enough to be invested in her story.
May 28, 2017
I thought this was really well done for an update. I am extremely familiar with the original so I knew where we were in the story and when.
I'm not sure why it needed a pretty faithful modern re-telling but this does well with it even with Beth because Beth is the hardest to update since she is the Victorian Angel of the House martyr stereotype. But it works.
This is a re-telling of just the first half of the book not the whole thing.
I'm not sure why it needed a pretty faithful modern re-telling but this does well with it even with Beth because Beth is the hardest to update since she is the Victorian Angel of the House martyr stereotype. But it works.
This is a re-telling of just the first half of the book not the whole thing.
September 6, 2017
I'm not going to claim to be original when I say that Little Women has always been one of my favorite books. (It's on my bookshelf, right next to Little Men and Jo's Boys.) This modern retelling has all of the heart of Louisa May Alcott's classic and stays true to the characters, who are younger this time around. It's a quick, delightful read for nostalgic adults, and a great introduction for readers who are not quite ready for the original.
December 20, 2017
3.5 stars. Cute modern retelling of Little Women. The narrative style seemed a bit odd, but I believe the author was trying for something similar to Alcott's style. A quick, sweet middle grade read probably especially appealing to fans of Little Women (as I am).
December 24, 2021
3.5⭐️ This is a pretty faithful modernized
interpretation of the original, a book / story I love.
I don’t think the author did enough to create characters that stand on their own as fully developed in the context of this story, without the support of the original characters in readers’ minds in the background.
Still, this was sweet, and would be a lovely book to hand to a young reader before or after they experience the real thing. The crafts / recipes in almost every chapter were a delightful addition.
CW: I dare you to find any. This is as wholesome as it gets.
interpretation of the original, a book / story I love.
I don’t think the author did enough to create characters that stand on their own as fully developed in the context of this story, without the support of the original characters in readers’ minds in the background.
Still, this was sweet, and would be a lovely book to hand to a young reader before or after they experience the real thing. The crafts / recipes in almost every chapter were a delightful addition.
CW: I dare you to find any. This is as wholesome as it gets.
February 20, 2024
A very wholesome version of Little Women perfect for young girls that love the original and want to relate even more to the characters
December 31, 2019
I vaguely remember Little Women and this brought me back 💖 Really cute read, especially for girls who want to identify with characters with passion and light in their life.
Here are all the books I read in 2019! :)
Here are all the books I read in 2019! :)
February 21, 2020
This modern retelling was a good place to begin with an 8yo. The length was about right and the sweetness of the March sisters pervades in their middle grade years here. There are recipes at the end of each chapter. The adult in me wanted a more drastically different retelling. Rory and I both appreciated Rey Terciero's graphic edition more than this one.
December 27, 2017
This was such a cute story and a delightful retelling.
September 15, 2020
This book is my dream come true. While I happily tackled Little Women proper at age 9, not everyone can (or will enjoy it if they do), so this would be a perfect way to introduce the heart of the story to young readers who want a more accessible setting and language.
As a lifelong fan of the original, I found it to be almost seamlessly transposed into a modern AU, just like I've always wanted. Though the girls are aged down a bit so they're between 9 and 13 at the start (4th, 5th, 7th and 8th grade, respectively), it nevertheless follows the general scope of episodes from the classic novel up to the end of Part I.
Mr. March is away in the National Guard, Mrs. March is the director of a community center, Hannah is a "family friend" and former chef at a B&B who has moved in to help while between jobs, Laurie goes to a private school rather than being home schooled (but happens to also need a supplemental high-school-aged tutor), Amy gets detention instead of a hand caning for being trouble at school, Beth does get sick but only with the flu, and Jo raises money for the family by selling rather than her hair.
A myriad of other things need little to no changing: formal dances become school dances and Meg's frivolous makeover is accomplished with cosmetics and temporary hair dye, while the elder girls have the same part-time jobs, Beth is a homebody who enjoys the domestic arts, her kitten, the lure of a fine piano, and Amy is still dreaming of fame as an artist.
Additional fun supplements: the girls compile a monthly zine, an example of which is included; recipes, crafts, and other projects are included at the end of each chapter; and Jo & Laurie reference their appreciation of numerous books both classic and current, from Treasure Island to The Graveyard Book.
Long story short, it was simply a treat to turn every page and see familiar stories and characters come to life in new ways. Little Women is one of my favorite books and now this is too.
As a lifelong fan of the original, I found it to be almost seamlessly transposed into a modern AU, just like I've always wanted. Though the girls are aged down a bit so they're between 9 and 13 at the start (4th, 5th, 7th and 8th grade, respectively), it nevertheless follows the general scope of episodes from the classic novel up to the end of Part I.
Mr. March is away in the National Guard, Mrs. March is the director of a community center, Hannah is a "family friend" and former chef at a B&B who has moved in to help while between jobs, Laurie goes to a private school rather than being home schooled (but happens to also need a supplemental high-school-aged tutor), Amy gets detention instead of a hand caning for being trouble at school, Beth does get sick but only with the flu, and Jo raises money for the family by selling rather than her hair.
A myriad of other things need little to no changing: formal dances become school dances and Meg's frivolous makeover is accomplished with cosmetics and temporary hair dye, while the elder girls have the same part-time jobs, Beth is a homebody who enjoys the domestic arts, her kitten, the lure of a fine piano, and Amy is still dreaming of fame as an artist.
Additional fun supplements: the girls compile a monthly zine, an example of which is included; recipes, crafts, and other projects are included at the end of each chapter; and Jo & Laurie reference their appreciation of numerous books both classic and current, from Treasure Island to The Graveyard Book.
Long story short, it was simply a treat to turn every page and see familiar stories and characters come to life in new ways. Little Women is one of my favorite books and now this is too.
March 23, 2024
I'm usually wary of retellings, but I was thoroughly delighted with this one! I felt the author's love of the original Little Women, and like she wasn't trying to change or replace it, but introduce it to a younger audience but in a way that paid homage to the original, while updating it without replacing it. So what we end up with is a warm and cozy version (not that the original isn't as well), but one that I feel doesn't take away from the original. If you read this book, I think you'd still find a lot to enjoy and discover when it comes time to read the original. There are going to be a few story points that will be known by having read this first though. But if you're okay with that (and not knowing which have been changed in the book and which have held true) then I found this a total delight! Even the modernization still felt classic and fitting to the characters (instead of just inserting a cell phone or a text to "modernize" it). Anyway, I don't feel my review does the book justice - which was very beautiful written and full of warmth, love, and family.
November 24, 2019
This book was really sweet. Schaefer makes the March sisters younger and drops them into modern-day America, but does a wonderful job of keeping her retelling faithful to Alcott's original. You can still see the original Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy in this story of family and friendship, told at more of a middle-grade level. Each chapter of this story concludes with a craft project or a recipe to add to the fun.
December 27, 2020
This book was so cozy and I loved the bond the March sisters had. I also loved all the fun things the sisters and Laurie did and I also really liked Jo’s and Laurie’s bond they shared. I’m so happy this modern retelling was made and I hope to read little woman soon. I’m probably going to watch the movie today.
May 27, 2022
this was so cute. i have always been intimidated by classics such as little women (for no reason) so when this one got returned to the library, i knew i had to check it out. now that i know the general plot and the characters, i feel ready to read the original little women!
August 12, 2019
A sweet littler retelling.
February 14, 2024
This was such a heartwarming, cute book. Their JAMB 'zine club inspired me to start my own family magazine as well. It's going well so far and the new magazine also led to me writing a book. It will be in the family magazine and I'm very excited for it!
My favorite character was Jo because I'm in so many ways like her. I love to read and write just like her and I dress quite casual most days. I'm not at all involved or interested in romance-y, mushy stuff, haha!
Their hobbies like painting, reading, writing, baking, cooking, and playing piano inspired me to keep up with my own hobbies which are very similar to the March sisters'.
Jo's comfy, cozy attic reading and writing room inspired me to make my own area to have fun and be comfortable and just a safe spot to hide away for a bit. Hide away and get lost in a good book or write stories and poems for hours on end.
So overall, amazing book. Extremely heartwarming and VERY inspiring. I've already grown so much from reading this book and I hope to continue the things I am doing which this book inspired. Thanks, Laura. 💕
My favorite character was Jo because I'm in so many ways like her. I love to read and write just like her and I dress quite casual most days. I'm not at all involved or interested in romance-y, mushy stuff, haha!
Their hobbies like painting, reading, writing, baking, cooking, and playing piano inspired me to keep up with my own hobbies which are very similar to the March sisters'.
Jo's comfy, cozy attic reading and writing room inspired me to make my own area to have fun and be comfortable and just a safe spot to hide away for a bit. Hide away and get lost in a good book or write stories and poems for hours on end.
So overall, amazing book. Extremely heartwarming and VERY inspiring. I've already grown so much from reading this book and I hope to continue the things I am doing which this book inspired. Thanks, Laura. 💕
November 9, 2017
Cute book for middle-grade kids that can be used to introduce the original Little Women to them. I liked the interactive feel with the recipes at the end of chapters. One thing I didn't like was how perfunctory a lot of the narration was. It was kind of like, "Then they did this, then they did that. Then they did this." Not a lot of variation in style or sentence structure. I would have also appreciated more showing rather than telling. There were a lot of descriptions like, "Jo was mad." Okay, show me how she was angry because her eyes were dilated, her face was red, and she was scowling. Don't simply tell me.
All in all, enjoyable, if flawed, read.
All in all, enjoyable, if flawed, read.
January 23, 2018
A considerably shortened and updated adaptation of Little Women that significantly decreases the girls ages from teens to 4th-8th grade and moves the action into the present. The broad plot from the earlier chapters in the original is followed with an emphasis on the self-contained stories in each of the chapters. Includes recipes and craft ideas. Not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I so loved Little Women, and I don't want the pleasure of discovering the book to be dimmed for some. But this updating might make the story more accessible to less persistent readers. Best for girls who like wholesome, quiet reads and probably best for grades 4-6.
October 11, 2017
I loved that "Littler Women" made "Little Women" accessible and relevant for a younger, modern audience; however, it just didn't go as in-depth as I would have liked. I really wanted more character development from this one. I LOVED the illustrations, quotes, recipes, and how-tos throughout--such a nice touch! :)
If you're looking for a classic for a middle grade audience, look no further!
Thank you, Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster, for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
If you're looking for a classic for a middle grade audience, look no further!
Thank you, Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster, for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
April 6, 2018
I really wanted to like this book. Little Women has always been one of my all-time favorites. I just couldn't get my head around the modern setting. I just couldn't picture the girls collaborating on a "zine" and Laurie playing ultimate frisbee. The author intersperses the story with recipes and crafts that connect to events in the story. If you weren't so attached to the original story perhaps you would enjoy it. It all seemed good in concept, I just couldn't connect.
September 9, 2019
This was delightful and left me wanting to re-read the original! A contemporary, aged down retelling of several of the events in the first part of Little Women. True to the spirit of the original, this is a warm, feel good story for younger readers. It reminded me of Susan Beth Pfeffer's Portraits of Little Women series that I adored when I was ten and trying to read through the original book.
June 23, 2022
Semua karakter dinovel ini berusia lebih muda. Bahkan Meg yang tertua baru menginjak 14 tahun. Memang target pembacanya adalah Young Readers, sehingga konfliknya pun disesuaikan. Namun tetap saja garis besar ceritanya hampir mirip.
Adalah March Sister yang harus menjalani kehidupan hanya brsama Mom. Sedangkan Dad bertugas keluar negeri untuk waktu yang cukup lama. Bersaudari ini saling membantu mengurus rumah, sementara Mom harus bekerja. Di sela-sela aktivitas, March Sister menyempatkan diri untuk melakukan hobi bersama Laurie, cowok tetangga baru yang tinggal di depan rumah mereka.
Yang menarik dari buku ini adalah bagaimana Mom selalu bisa memberikan nasihat untuk konflik anak-anaknya. Saya sebagai pembaca, jadi banyak belajar soal komunikasi dengan anak khususnya ketika anak mulai menginjak remaja.
Misalnya saat Jo kesal karena Amy membakar skrip teaternya. Mom tak lantas memarahi Amy tapi coba menemukan pemantiknya, apa yg membuat Amy kesal terhadap Jo. Mom juga meminta Amy merenungkan tindakannya itu agar Ia paham sendiri mengapa harus minta maaf pada Jo. Mom benar-benar bisa bertindak adil trhadap semua anaknya.
"𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴" - Mom, pg 83.
Kisah cinta antara Laurie dan Jo juga punya porsi sendiri. Meski tidak sekompleks aslinya, kita akan berempati terhadap Jo yang berprinsip untuk 'tidak cinta-cintaan dulu'. Ia menyayangi Laurie sebagai sahabatnya. Saya cukup setuju dgn keputusan penulis ini, mengingat mereka semua masih teramat muda untuk hubungan asmara.
"𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦" - Jo, pg 154.
Selain itu, terselip pula DIY, ilustrasi dan surat dari author yang semakin menambah kesan cantik. Fix saya cinta pada buku ini.
Adalah March Sister yang harus menjalani kehidupan hanya brsama Mom. Sedangkan Dad bertugas keluar negeri untuk waktu yang cukup lama. Bersaudari ini saling membantu mengurus rumah, sementara Mom harus bekerja. Di sela-sela aktivitas, March Sister menyempatkan diri untuk melakukan hobi bersama Laurie, cowok tetangga baru yang tinggal di depan rumah mereka.
Yang menarik dari buku ini adalah bagaimana Mom selalu bisa memberikan nasihat untuk konflik anak-anaknya. Saya sebagai pembaca, jadi banyak belajar soal komunikasi dengan anak khususnya ketika anak mulai menginjak remaja.
Misalnya saat Jo kesal karena Amy membakar skrip teaternya. Mom tak lantas memarahi Amy tapi coba menemukan pemantiknya, apa yg membuat Amy kesal terhadap Jo. Mom juga meminta Amy merenungkan tindakannya itu agar Ia paham sendiri mengapa harus minta maaf pada Jo. Mom benar-benar bisa bertindak adil trhadap semua anaknya.
"𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴" - Mom, pg 83.
Kisah cinta antara Laurie dan Jo juga punya porsi sendiri. Meski tidak sekompleks aslinya, kita akan berempati terhadap Jo yang berprinsip untuk 'tidak cinta-cintaan dulu'. Ia menyayangi Laurie sebagai sahabatnya. Saya cukup setuju dgn keputusan penulis ini, mengingat mereka semua masih teramat muda untuk hubungan asmara.
"𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦" - Jo, pg 154.
Selain itu, terselip pula DIY, ilustrasi dan surat dari author yang semakin menambah kesan cantik. Fix saya cinta pada buku ini.
October 30, 2017
I received this book to review. All opinions are my own. The classic Little Women is retold in modern times. Mr. March is abroad with the Coast Guard; Mrs. March works at a community center and the four girls are much like their original counterparts except that their peers have cell phones. Littler Women follows the four girls, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy in one calendar year as they begin to grow up.
I was prepared to dislike this book; the original is one of my favorite books of all time. I was enchanted by this sweet modern middle grade version of Little Women, however. The characters are translated beautifully to modern times. Some of the stories from the original book remain and are updated appropriately (the girls write a 'zine instead of a play), but other stories are new to this version. I especially love all the recipes and craft ideas that pepper the book. It's hard to rewrite a classic, especially in around 200 pages. The original is so much richer so at times it felt like the story was lacking a little or too condensed.
Students who aren't quite ready for the original yet or students who adore the classic and are curious about what it would look like as a modern retelling should try this book.
I was prepared to dislike this book; the original is one of my favorite books of all time. I was enchanted by this sweet modern middle grade version of Little Women, however. The characters are translated beautifully to modern times. Some of the stories from the original book remain and are updated appropriately (the girls write a 'zine instead of a play), but other stories are new to this version. I especially love all the recipes and craft ideas that pepper the book. It's hard to rewrite a classic, especially in around 200 pages. The original is so much richer so at times it felt like the story was lacking a little or too condensed.
Students who aren't quite ready for the original yet or students who adore the classic and are curious about what it would look like as a modern retelling should try this book.
February 8, 2019
Littler Women by Laura Schaefer is an extraordinary book because it is the kind of book that you can relate to. My favorite characters are Beth and Jo, because Beth is just the sweetest person that you can ever meet. Jo is almost exactly like me, she is a bookworm and adores writing. This wonderful story is about the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, and how they all grow up into little women. This book is such a classic that everyone will love it. I love reading about how all of the sisters lookout and care for each other so much. The March family lived in New England, and there they had depressing and cold winters. Their dad is serving in the military. One day, they receive a call from the military that he was injured during war, which made that winter even harsher for them. However, the girls leaned on one another to help brighten their days. The book is about their everyday tales during one year’s time. My favorite part of the story is a bit of a spoiler, and it happens at the end. It is a happy surprise that brought tears to my eyes.
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