LMA Challenge: Jack and Jill

Welcome to book review #2 for the Louisa May Alcott challenge! I had fun reading this one, first published in 1880 after Miss Alcott's successes with Little Women, Eight Cousins & Rose in Bloom (review for this last I'll share later this week!). I hope you enjoy this review. Thank you for stopping by today! :D

Jack & Jill

by Louisa May Alcott

      Neighbors and friends Jack and Jill (who's real name is Janey) begin their tale of adventure and woe one great sledding day, and take you along their year-long journey of physical recovery after the accident, growing up, responsibility, and friendship. Each chapter takes you on a new adventure with the children and teaches a new lesson. Come along with Jack and Jill, their mother's, and a host of creative characters and children as they travel by bike and by boat, practice their lessons and make May baskets, travel to the seaside, create a telegraph system, go to the fair, and a host of other marvelous activities!

My Thoughts:

      This is just the sort of story my mother would have read to us growing up. Like Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder and many other wonderful stories for both girls AND boys, this book shares many interesting tales filled with wonderful lessons to be learned. The stories feel real, as if the boys and girls actually lived, and the lessons learned are those young ones can glean from and even laugh at, bringing comfort and encouragement for those tumultuous growing up years. Jack and Jill and all the other children are good role models, even with all the scrapes they get into, and their adventures are certain to set the imagination soaring.

I love when Jack's mother encourages Jill on her longer road to recovery after teh sledding accident, helping her to bare her trials patiently, without complaining, and to learn all she can during her injury. It's not something every young person deals with at such a young age, but I'm sure it's from reading many stories such as these that has given me strength in my own trials in my older years, and I'm thankful such beautiful stories exist. :)

      One trouble I had, however, was determining what ages the children in the story were. It was a bit confusing to figure out, but didn't detract too much from the actual story itself.

      One thing that did detract from the story, in my opinion, was a lack of overall plot and purpose to the story. Perhaps it's the time period it was written in, and thus not the style of writing in that era, but it was very slow reading for me in the first half or so, as much of what is taking place surrounds the invalids, and the end didn't share a very large overall lesson at all, though there is much to take away from this book. It's more of a collection of short stories that connect by the characters more than the events themselves. No biggy though. :) I still loved it, and think this one will soon find it's way into my book collection at home.

My Rating:

    **** 4 out of 5 stars

      I hope you've enjoyed these reviews of Louisa May Alcott's writings so far, and perhaps you've even found something new to read for yourself. Tomorrow I'll be sharing a short picture book about Louisa herself, so please stop by again. I'd love to have you visit! :D