Jo's Story: Portraits of Little Women [Paperback]

Susan Beth Pfeffer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 14, 2001 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Portraits of Little Women

Tomboy Jo March would rather die than spend time with wealthy, proper Aunt March. She’d much rather race against the boys at school or star in all the swashbuckling plays she writes. But when Aunt March offers to adopt one of the March sisters to help ease the family money problems, Jo decides to make the ultimate sacrifice. She’ll tear herself away from her beloved sisters and parents–if it means they’ll have a better life. She’s determined to become the perfect lady. Now Jo has to convince her family that she’s sincere about her decision by taking on a role that may be too difficult to act.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5?As hard as it must be to write a sequel or prequel to one's own book, it must be doubly difficult to write a new story using someone else's creations, especially such well-known characters as the March girls. Pfeffer offers a slight story that takes place before Alcott's book; it's set when the girls are younger (Jo is 10), before the war and Pa's absence from home. The family members seem familiar, but the language of the story is simplified. Missing is the slightly acerbic, yet sentimental voice of Alcott's Jo, whose rich language and firm beliefs in her sisters' innate goodness and abilities are imbued with an ageless innocence. Here, Jo spends much of the book agonizing over her decision to offer herself as the logical daughter to be sent to live with her wealthy great-aunt, which, of course, never happens, and all ends well. The story is followed by a recipe for apple pie that suggests buying a prepared crust, and directions to make a family tree just like Jo's, which is illustrated. This genealogy leaves out Aunt March, but does include details of Beth's death, and the spouses of the other sisters, thereby giving away most of the plot of Alcott's Little Women. Flagrantly self-promoting sample chapters from the other series titles follow these activities, plus a one-page biographical note about Alcott and Pfeffer. This mediocre effort ultimately comes across as an attempt to cash in on books and characters best left to enjoy the limelight of our historical regard on their own.?Carol A. Edwards, Minneapolis Public Library
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Little girls, parents, and teachers will cherish these original stories, inspired by the timeless classic Little Women, which capture each of the March sisters at age 10, as they experience the joys and sorrows of sisterhood, family life, and a changing America. Written by award-winning author Susan Beth Pfeffer, each hardcover book is packaged with a beautiful portrait cover, cloth bookmark, and black & white illustrations throughout. Each book also includes a section with crafts, recipes, and other activities that bring the stories to life.


From the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (August 14, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440413486
• ISBN-13: 978-0440413486
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,256,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

SUSAN BETH PFEFFER is the author of many books for teens, including Life As We Knew It and the bestselling novel The Year Without Michael. She lives in Middletown, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well, excuse me!, February 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Jo's Story (Portraits of Little Women) (Hardcover)

This review is directed to all readers, but particuarly to "a reader from California." Just cause a book messes up on the cover....well, there's nothing wrong with that! Lots of illustrations make mistakes. I have seen illustrator's whose work is considered classic, yet they make small mistakes! And there happens to be nothing wrong with spinoffs! I liked these stories better then the orriginal! The orriginal was written to old fashiondly. And the girls were closer to my age in these stories, so I could relate to them!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What's so wrong with spin offs ?, January 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Jo's Story (Portraits of Little Women) (Hardcover)

This goes directly to " A reader from California" spin offs aren't always bad because this one is good . Plus it doesn't matter what the cover looks like ! Have you ever heard the saying "don't judge a book by its cover? I guess not because you are judging this book by its cover ! I've read the book and I think iot's one of the best books I've ever read ! So what if Jo is pretty and glamourous . So what if it doesn't look like a tomboy read the book and it even says Jo's a tomboy in the book and she is a little akward! I really like this book ! It's really cool ! It's sad , happy , and angry in some parts but, that's the best part of it !

5.0 out of 5 stars It was a great book, December 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Jo's Story (Portraits of Little Women) (Hardcover)

I thought that this was a great book. It was about a girl who decides that she will live with her aunt, because she thinks that she fits the description best. I recommend it because you can relate the problems to your own, only in a different way.