Mary Jane - Her Book [Paperback]

Clara Ingram Judson (Author), Frances White (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 29, 2007

This story, the first book in the Mary Jane series, recounts the happy, wholesome adventures of five-year-old Mary Jane and her family as she helps her mother around the house, goes on a picnic with the big girls, plants a garden with her father, learns to sew and more!

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Salem Ridge Press (November 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934671142
• ISBN-13: 978-1934671146
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,468,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun book for early readers!, December 7, 2008

By 

M. Lewis (NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mary Jane - Her Book (Paperback)

Sweet, slower-paced, simpler times...the reasons Mary Jane - Her Book is so enjoyable. My 5-year-old daughter and I read this together and thought it was wonderful! The story opens with 4-year-old Mary Jane standing speechless as her cherished doll lay irreparably damaged in the middle of the street. Poor Marie Georgianna! From there you witness Mary Jane's daily discoveries and adventures. She learns that her doll has a twin (with a funny name!), she tries to help the baby robins in her backyard get a drink, her dad plans a secret for her, she shows her little friend Junior the "water from the sky in the house", her mother teaches her to sew, and much more! The book wraps up with a birthday party, a letter, and a train trip. The adventures are continued in Mary Jane - Her Visit when her journey on the train brings her to her great-grandmother's farm in the country.

My final verdict: It's a very sweet book and very fun, easy reading for the little ones to listen to and even read for themselves (the book cover suggests ages 6-10). First published in 1918, Mary Jane - Her Book is a great change in pace from more modern children's literature. The family members are loving, the children are respectful and obedient, the adventures are wholesome. My daughter and I both enjoyed reading about Mary Jane, her family, and her friends and hope to get our hands on the sequel, Mary Jane - Her Visit, soon!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, simple stories for little girls, December 12, 2008

By 

Jennifer Bogart "@ Quiverfullfamily.com" (Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mary Jane - Her Book (Paperback)

Mary Jane is a sweet and innocent little girl living in the early twentieth-century. Her days are filled with delightful discoveries, playtime and adventures. On the cusp of turning five, her actions and behaviours often cause disastrous results (always easily remedied), but are never undertaken with malignant intent.

Each chapter reads like a snapshot, or short vignette - capturing sweet memories of childhood and little-girlisms. Chapters featuring strong attachments to dolls, imaginary friends, helping father in the garden, birthday parties, delighting in nature, and so many more adventures are strung together like sparkling glass baubles on a string threaded by awkward, childish fingers. They reflect the glittering, dancing joy of the endless, timeless days that make up childhood.

Mary Jane - Her Book was originally printed in 1918, written by prolific award winning author Clara Ingram Judson. With over 70 children's titles to her name this multi-genre author was a recipient of several Newberry Honour Awards. Judson posthumously became the second recipient of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for a substantial and lasting contribution to children's literature; the award's first recipient was Laura Ingalls Wilder herself.

The first of the Mary Jane series of stories for young girls, Mary Jane - Her Book was republished in 2007 by Daniel Mills of Salem Ridge Press. A recent graduate from his family's Christian homeschool, Daniel carefully chooses notable out-of-print titles to republish and offer to new generations of readers. Each of his selections emphasizes wholesome moral character while offering glimpses into diverse historical periods and locales. Careful design including wide margins and larger text size produce the perfect amount of white space for young readers striking out into chapter books on their own.

Many in our jaded society would consider an innocent book for young girls featuring scenes of dress-up, picnics, and childish mishaps somewhat dull. Judson's keen insight into the mind of a child and the simple pleasures found in the smallest details of life proves otherwise. When read aloud to my standard audience, ages five, two and five months, everyone listened closely, while the two oldest asked questions and I laughed aloud in delight on many occasions. If possible, I think I may have enjoyed reading this book more than my daughters enjoyed hearing it read - though they certainly appreciated it as well. The similarities of Mary Jane to my own dear children amused me to no end. Judson's experiences as a mother of two little girls shine through in her portrayal of an idyllic childhood.

At the time of the novels original printing it would seem that children did not engage in `stranger-danger' training with their children. Mary Jane goes to the corner store alone at the age of four, and her neighbour Doris hops into the family car with Mary Jane and her father without informing her parents. In our culture we must vigilantly warn our children against such behaviours. Some of the incidents depicted in Mary Jane led to further discussion and instruction regarding child safety while explaining that some periods in the past were safer for small children.

Based upon my children's enthusiastic reception of Mary Jane and her family into our home, I hope to make them regular guests on our family's bookshelves. Well, let's be honest - I look forward to reading more of her adventures myself!