The Brownie and the Princess & Other Stories [Hardcover]

Louisa May Alcott (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

A poor farmer's daughter changes the life of a spoiled princess . . .

A fearless young girl saves her town from British soldiers . . .

Two elderly sisters come up with a plan to help a sickly child . . .

A country girl shows her city cousin that simple can be best . . .

From the author of the beloved classic little women come ten short stories to delight and charm. Throughout her life, Louisa May Alcott published many stories in children's magazines, and now ten of the best of these tales have been collected here. Filled with characters who have all the warmth, liveliness, and appeal of Jo March and her sisters, these stories will open up a whole new world for Alcott fans, and remain every bit as captivating as when they were first written, over a century ago.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up-This volume presents 10 of Alcott's short stories, which were originally published in children's magazines during her lifetime. Beginning with the title piece, in which a country girl is much happier than a pampered princess, the selections celebrate the honest, hardworking pastoral life in which simplicity is far more valuable than extravagance. In "Tabby's Tablecloth," a girl foils Tory spies; "Baa! Baa!" tells how two young sisters make certain that sheep being delivered to farmers by train are routinely given water. In "Jerseys, or the Girls' Ghost," a motivating teacher at a girls' school inspires her students to find strength in physical exercise and healthy food. Throughout the stories, selfless characters are rewarded for their good deeds. The female protagonists are courageous and outspoken and improve their own lives as well as the world around them. Alcott's 19th-century prose style may sound didactic to 21st-century ears, but even though style and events are different, the themes and issues are still important. Readers who enjoy Little Women and those interested in the 19th century and feminist authors will appreciate this volume.
Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI
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About the Author

Louisa May Alcott was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in Boston and Concord, Massachusetts, the setting for Little Women. Jo is based upon Louisa herself, and Meg, Beth, and Amy are inspired by Louisa's own three sisters. This timeless favorite was the first American children's novel to become a classic.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (February 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006000083X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060000837
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,860,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Louisa May Alcott was both an abolitionist and a feminist. She is best known for Little Women (1868), a semi-autobiographical account of her childhood years with her sisters in Concord, Massachusetts. Alcott, unlike Jo, never married: "... because I have fallen in love with so many pretty girls and never once the least bit with any man." She was an advocate of women's suffrage and was the first woman to register to vote in Concord, Massachusetts.