My friend Faith Elizabeth Hough (who blogs HERE) and I decided to create a fun reading challenge called Vintage Kidlit Summer. If you missed any of the details on how this challenge works, just go here and find out! Basically, we’ve done 12 categories over 12 weeks, and each week had its own theme. All you had to do was choose a vintage/classic book that fit that week’s theme, read it, and share about it! (Especially on Instagram, using the hashtag #vintagekidlitsummer.) And we compiled our recommendations in this blog post!

Our Vintage Kidlit Summer has been amazing. I have loved all the wonderful comments of what you’ve been reading, and other Instagram and blog posts detailing different reader’s picks.

Our twelfth week’s theme was A New Book with a Vintage Feel, and for this theme I re-read The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. It’s not really very new, I suppose—it was published in 2005—but it’s certainly much newer than our vintage books. 🙂

Here is what I said about the book on Instagram some time ago:

I remember the first time I read this book so distinctly. I was 14, it was a perfectly breezy day at the height of summer, and we stopped at a cute local bookstore. From the jam-packed shelves, I selected this book to buy, and spent the ride home drinking a milkshake and immersing myself in the appropriately breezy summer story!

I’ve read it all the way through three times now, listened to it on audio twice, and reread my favorite sections approximately zillions of times. 😊

I’m actually listening to the second Penderwicks book (also a huge favorite) on audio right now. As always, I pick up on different details listening to a story for the first time, and I’m enjoying the experience a lot.

Of all the Penderwick sisters, I’m especially partial to Batty, whose love of animals and tenderness makes my heart happy! The parallels between Batty Penderwick and Beth March are also fabulous, as this is a loose Little Women retelling.

I have discussed before (in detail) my love of the Penderwicks series, particularly its connections to Little Women. But even if you discover The Penderwicks before Little Women (as I did), there is still so much to enjoy.

Instead of a plot description, which I’m sure you’ve read elsewhere, I’ll highlight some of the things I love in this book: Batty. Hound. The butterfly wings. The Arundel attic. (MY FAVORITE SCENE.) Churchie’s kitchen. Jane thinking that a writer must have visited the cottage. The banter between Skye, Jeffrey, and Jane. Rosalind’s sudden interest in the Civil War. 😉 The Fimbriata rosebush. The awkward birthday party. The wistful ending.

If you’ve never read this book … go read it!

What did you read for the Vintage Kidlit Summer this week? Let me know in the comments!

I recently had the delightful opportunity to interview Sarah Mackenzie, author of The Read-Aloud Family and host of the popular Read-Aloud Revival podcast. I’ve listened to Sarah’s podcast for several years now, and I love her book recommendations, author interviews, and the wonderful way that she helps homeschooling families connect and discuss great stories! In this Q&A, I asked Sarah about her new picture books in the works, favorite authors, Little Women film adaptations, and more!

First of all, I’ve really enjoyed your book The Read-Aloud Family and, of course, your podcast! What’s the most fun thing about helping families find great books to read?
Thank you so much! I think my favorite part is when I hear from either a parent or a child that one of my book recommendations turned them into a reader, or helped them fall head-over-heels in love with books. As you know, I’m a big believer in helping kids find the books that light them up … and sometimes that takes a little trial and error! But once you’ve found a book to capture your heart and your mind, everything changes. Sometimes the biggest change isn’t in falling in love with books (because maybe they already did love books), but reading aloud has helped their family relationships grow stronger and more delightful. I love being a small part of that process.

I’ve heard that you have a couple of picture books in the works! Can you tell us a bit about them?
Yes! I have a couple picture books coming out each year over the next several years, and I couldn’t possibly be more excited about it.

The first is called Lou Alice and the Girl Who Noticed, about an old woman who makes life a little more beautiful for everyone around her, but whom no one really sees. Well, no one except our little heroine. She not only helps the woman, but also finds something beautiful only she can offer the world. It’s a book about carrying on the important work of those who’ve gone before us, about noticing the invisible women in our lives who make the world more beautiful, and about finding a small way to add beauty, wherever we find ourselves. It’s being illustrated by Breezy Brookshire, and if all goes according to plan, it will be out in the world Summer of 2022.

The second is a bedtime story called Moonflower Song, about a small shrew who follows her curiosity out into the night to find a flower that blooms by the light of the moon. My hope for this one is that it just begs to be read aloud. That’s what I was going for, anyway! It’s being illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard, and will be released Fall of 2022. The sample illustration I’ve seen is just gorgeous. I can’t wait.

There are a couple more slated to come out in 2023, including a picture book biography about Barbara Cooney, but I’ll save telling you about those for later.

What are some read-alouds you’ve enjoyed with your children recently?
We recently listened to the entire Zoey and Sassafras collection on audio (written by Asia Citro) and my kids just loved them. I was surprised by how many of the scientific nuggets have stuck with them, as well! We’ve also just loved A Place to Hang the Moon, Kate Albus’s debut novel set during WWII, and Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Etsby Dagg, about a family settling in Palmer, Alaska, during the Great Depression.

What are your favorite historical time periods to read about in MG fiction? What time periods do you feel are underrepresented?
I love reading WWII stories and Great Depression stories. And then some of my favorite historical fiction pieces have been set in times I haven’t learned much about, like Inside Out and Back Again, which is set during the Vietnam War.

I’m not sure which time periods are particularly underrepresented in historical fiction, but I will say that I love reading books set in times and places I know very little about. For example, I recently read When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed (it’s a graphic novel, but I listened to the audio version) and learned so much about the lives of Somali refugees. I love it when a book does that— gives me a window to peek through, and opens my heart up in a surprising new way.

I’ve heard that you like the Little Women series! Little Women is one of my top three favorite novels, and I love both the 1994 and 2019 films for different reasons. Do you have a favorite film adaptation?
Oh, I love them both, but I think I like the newest version, directed by Greta Gerwig, best. My teens and I just re-watched it a few weeks ago, in fact! I was surprised by how many new layers Gerwig was able to uncover in this story. Those of us who love books like Little Women are fanatic re-readers, right? And then a new adaptation like Gerwig’s comes along and shows us that there is even more to be seen and loved than we had realized. While watching this newest movie, I felt like I was visiting my familiar friends, the March sisters, but seeing them for the first time, as well. I loved it.

Who are your very favorite authors?
Oh my, what a question! There are so many ways to answer this. I’ve got favorite authors for reading aloud (E.B White, Maria Parr, Gary Schmidt), favorite picture book authors (Tomie dePaola, Mary Ann Hoberman, Robert McCloskey, Barbara Cooney, Barb Rosenstock, Chris Van Dusen, and at least a dozen more), favorite authors to read on my own (Susan Meissner and Julie Berry), and then there are authors who make me want to write. Those are some of my favorites of all, because a book that makes you want to write is MAGIC. Karina Yan Glaser and Jeanne Birdsall come to mind right away. Classic favorites like L.M. Montgomery, E. Nesbit, and Edward Eager make me want to write. And every time I read the picture book, Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, I want to write a new picture book. That book feels perfect to me.

I’m a huge proponent of re-reading books—in fact, I spent most of my childhood reading a handful of favorites, rather than discovering new books. Can you tell us why re-reading is an important factor for children in their reading life?
I couldn’t agree more—re-reading gets a bit of a short shrift, because we tend to prioritize reading new stories over re-reading those we’ve read before. But it’s helpful to remember that when we read a story for the first time, our brains want to know what happens next. We’re reading for plot, so we miss a lot of what’s going on— the nuanced language, the beautiful turns of phrase, those deeper levels in the storytelling. When we re-read, we already know what happens next, so now we get so much more of the language and so much more of the story. I also firmly believe that if we want books to become our children’s companions, we’ve got to give them the time and space to reread those they love best. That’s how a book becomes part of us.

There’s some interesting research that shows that kids retain more knowledge and vocabulary from a book when they’re reading it for the second or third time (not the first!), which is a strong case for re-reading favorites, rather than always reaching for something new.

Are there any particular stories you’d love to see told by current authors? What would be your dream children’s book to read aloud to your family?
I want to see homeschooling families show up in middle grade fiction! I also think the world needs more stories where siblings band together to get their family out of a pickle—where sibling relationships aren’t perfect or saccharine, but they’re healthy and uplifting. Where the family members are all better for banding together and supporting each other, even when it’s hard, as opposed to a main character who needs to ditch the family in order to reach his/her potential, which is happening a lot in modern fiction these days.

Many thanks to Sarah for participating in this interview!
Photo of Sarah Mackenzie by Audrey Menck 

Related posts:
On Revisiting Little Women and Parallels to the Penderwicks
My interview with Karina Yan Glaser, author of The Vanderbeekers of 141^st Street

Discovering a Classic

I recently reread Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. When I first read this book two years ago, in February 2018, I immediately added it to my list of treasured favorite novels. I couldn’t put the book down once I started it, and I found the same to be true even in rereading. There’s something so compelling about this age-old classic, something that has clearly transcended the decades and continues to delight generations of readers.

When I first read the book, it was like flinging open a newly-discovered door of possibilities. After I picked it up and devoured it whole (reading the entire 180k+ word book in a week), I rushed to read its sequels (Little Men and Jo’s Boys) and found them entertaining (but not nearly as incredible as their predecessor). I hurried to watch the 1994 film, a modern classic in its own right, directed by Gillian Armstrong and full of lush sets, gorgeous costumes, and a beautiful soundtrack. I hastened to read Invincible Louisa, the 1934 Newbery medal-winning biography of Louisa May Alcott. Since then I’ve also listened to a BBC radio adaptation (which I highly recommend)!

Going back to the beginning, I tried to read Little Women when I was nearly eleven years old, and bogged down somewhere around the time that Meg goes to “Vanity Fair.” The lengthy descriptions were too long for me to get through. I wanted to love Little Women—it was such a thick, substantial volume with lovely illustrations—but it was a bit too difficult.

Fast forward to 2018, and I decided to give it another chance.  I was curious to read the book because I had just read Edward Eager’s The Time Garden, a witty story in which the contemporary characters time-travel to the world of Alcott’s characters in 1860s Concord. (I appreciated the allusions in fuller context after I’d read Little Women.)

I also had just finished reading Jack and Jill, which I also enjoyed immensely. (Little Women was not my first introduction to Alcott’s work—a heartwarming collection of Christmas short stories, gifted to me by my grandmother in 2016, was the first book of hers I ever read, followed by An Old-Fashioned Girl.)

Books like Little Women don’t come along every day, and I am endlessly glad now that I didn’t read it until I was old enough to truly appreciate the story.

Connections to Jeanne Birdsall’s Penderwicks series

The main reason that I gave the book another try is because the finale of the five-volume Penderwicks series was releasing in May 2018. “The idea of the original four Penderwick sisters came from Little Women,” Jeanne Birdsall, the author of the series, wrote on her website[1]. I was tremendously curious to find out if Jeffrey was going to marry Skye (the Jo character) or Batty (the [possibly] Amy character—more on this later). Hoping to find clues in Little Women to the outcome of my beloved series, I began reading.

I was already fairly convinced that Jeffrey would fall in love with Batty. The careful foreshadowing in the first books in the series strongly indicated this conclusion, and seemed to echo the wrap-up of Little Women. But although I liked Jeffrey and Batty as a couple, I braced myself to dislike the Laurie/Amy pairing, since everybody did. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I didn’t mind that ending. Of course I would have preferred Jo to “relent and marry Laurie,” as author Maud Hart Lovelace put it so aptly[2], but because I knew the ending beforehand, I was able to appreciate the subtleties of Laurie and Amy’s relationship and their whirlwind European romance. I was less impressed by Jo’s marriage to Professor Bhaer, but I also wondered if that outcome—the Jo character marrying an older man—meant that her Penderwicks counterpart Skye would eventually marry the “older man” character of Nick Geiger. The fact that Nick showed up all of a sudden in the fourth book and staked his claim as a major character made me wonder if he would play a significant role in the series finale.

Well, I was correct about Jeffrey and Batty, but wrong about Skye and Nick. (Nick hardly appeared in The Penderwicks At Last). I recently read someone else’s theory online, suggesting that Skye’s marriage to a student from the Czech Republic was actually an even more pointed parallel to Professor Bhaer. I loved this theory, and wish that this had been explored and expanded so that we could come to know Skye’s husband as well as we know the professor. I also wish that he could have had more lines (and at least one in English).

But is it true that Skye equals Jo, and Batty equals Amy? Obviously Jeffrey is Laurie, having been cast in the role of the next door neighbor boy who is accepted into the family. Skye resembles Jo because of her status as the second-oldest sister in the family, her feisty temper, and the fact that she has the one tomboyish name in the quartet (Skye being a much different name than Rosalind, Jane, or Elizabeth [which is Batty’s full name]). Readers have pointed out that Jane is the writer in the family, the aspiring authoress with all the wild ideas and imagination, while Skye is prosaic to a fault. But it is Skye, not Jane, who rejects Jeffrey’s attentions and has issues with her youngest sister Batty—which mirror Jo’s rebuff of Laurie’s proposal and arguments with Amy.

So does this mean that Batty is Amy? I’m more inclined to link Batty to Beth—both are sweet, quiet pianists who love animals. Batty has little common with Amy, save being the youngest of four sisters and eventually winding up with the Jeffrey/Laurie character. (Also notice the fact that Batty and Beth share an initial.)

More credence can be given to the Batty/Beth theory if you consider the section in Little Women when Jo mistakenly thinks that Beth has fallen in love with Laurie. I was surprised by this scene when I read the book, because it’s such an interesting addition to the story. It is partly because Jo is hoping that Laurie will forget about her and focus on Beth that she leaves for New York, where she meets Professor Bhaer. Fascinatingly, you can compare this sequence of events directly to the Penderwicks series: Skye leaves her family (and Jeffrey) behind when she heads off to her California college, where she meets the intellectual foreign man whom she ends up marrying. Skye also harbors hopes that Jeffrey will end up caring for Batty instead of her.

Additional Observations

I had a major revelation during my reread of the book. A highly important order of events in Little Women were shifted for the ’94 film, influencing my own reaction to the story. In the book, Jo goes to New York, meets Professor Bhaer, and—upon her return—rejects Laurie’s proposal of marriage. In the film, the order is reversed (to the story’s detriment, in my opinion). I think the Jo’s coming-of-age character arc is much stronger in the book, leaving you with a better opinion of her marriage choice.

As much as I love the film, it still doesn’t quite capture the nuances of the story and characters that I love best. The March sisters are extraordinarily multidimensional, a fact that tends to get lost in adaptations that have to compress the story to adhere to a shorter length.

Here’s a Twitter thread that I created during my reread, with more notes that I took:

1 – There’s an interesting subplot in which Jo thinks Beth is in love with Laurie. What might have happened if this was true, and if Beth had lived and told Laurie about her feelings?

2 – In the second half of the book, the chapters about Meg feel disconnected from the rest of plot. Jo’s, Beth’s, and Amy’s stories weave seamlessly together, but Meg’s do not. I wish Meg’s subplots had been more vital to the overall plot.

3 – As soon as Professor Bhaer is introduced, it’s immediately clear that Jo will end up marrying him. What if there had been a third possible love interest thrown into the mix? Perhaps one of her editors? That might have been fascinating.

4 – Although Jo and Amy have a difficult time getting along throughout the novel, they are the sisters who are most alike. Both are highly independent and determined, and even Amy has some tomboyish aspects to her character. In personality, Beth and Meg are similar as well.

Not long ago, I read a review of Little Women in which the reviewer felt that the characters didn’t seem real to her…I was a little shocked. The Alcott sisters seem like some of the most realistic and relatable girls I’ve ever read about (and not surprisingly, since they were closely based on the author’s own family). The humor of their family life and foibles, particularly in the first half of the book, is so spot-on. For me, rereading the book was like reuniting with old friends—and I think many other readers feel the same way.

There is a new film version of the book out now—it premiered last Christmas. I have yet to see it, but I am looking forward to comparing it to the 1994 movie and to the novel itself. I have read about director Greta Gerwig’s careful attention to detail, her array of inspirations, and the unusual story structure that she chose for telling the story in a new way. I am curious to see how the new cast interprets the characters.

In my mind, films and radio dramas and audiobooks and illustrations—and yes, even sequels—are complementary aspects to the books themselves. They enhance and allow you to look at the story in a new way. But they can never take the place of the story itself. This story is one of the finest, and therefore, one of the hardest to improve upon.

[1] Jeanne Birdsall’s Frequently Asked Questions, www.jeannebirdsall.com/faqs

[2] The Betsy-Tacy Companion by Sharla Scannell Whalen, Portalington Press 1995, pg. 97

I’m always intrigued when the topic of re-reading comes up. Sarah Mackenzie at Read-Aloud Revival recently did a blog post/podcast about the importance of childhood re-reading, and I wholeheartedly agree with her assessment of its benefits and virtues. Sarah says:

A first read is a wonderful experience, indeed. But a second, third, or tenth time through offers riches that cannot be found any other way.

It surprises me when people say that they don’t often return to books they’ve read before, because I love revisiting old favorites… and not-so-old favorites! If I read a book and thoroughly enjoy it, I typically re-read it a few years later (or even sooner).

In fact, most of my childhood reading involved paging through my favorites for the thousandth time instead of (gasp) trying a new book. I’m a fairly choosy reader and I was even choosier back then, rarely venturing farther than my Noel Streatfeilds and American Girls and Saddle Clubs. (Speaking of American Girl, I’m in the mood to re-read a few of those mysteries; I have Secrets at Camp Nokomis on my desk. I don’t believe they’re publishing any new AG mysteries anymore, which is too bad – they were fun.)

There’s a select group of stories that I revisit constantly. These are the books that rarely sit for long before they get hauled out and re-read start to finish.

The list of “perfect re-reads” will be different for everyone, but this is my list of all-time favorite re-reads (which means they’re just my favorites in general) that I will continue to revisit industriously for … well, forever. 🙂

Maud Hart Lovelace’s Betsy-Tacy series, Emily of Deep Valley and Carney’s House Party

L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series, Pat of Silver Bush series (can’t I re-read these yet? I read them in autumn 2018… that was a long time ago!), Jane of Lantern Hill (pretty much every year), and the Emily of New Moon series

Anything Noel Streatfeild but particularly The Bell Family, Caldicott Place, Ballet Shoes, the Gemma series, Dancing Shoes, Theater Shoes, and The Magic Summer

Pollyanna and Pollyanna Grows Up by Eleanor H. Porter (These are the sort of books you have to re-read because you pick up different subtleties each time)

The Judy Bolton series by Margaret Sutton

Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen (I’ve technically never RE-READ this but I read some of it and didn’t finish it [2016], tried it again and loved it [2017], was in the mood to re-read it but instead listened to the whole thing on audio [2019] and I know I will revisit it again!)

From Anna and Listen for the Singing by Jean Little

Anything by Elizabeth Enright (I’ve read every single one of her novels and cherished each one. Time to re-read the Melendys again, right? No, not quite enough time has passed since I last went through the series…perhaps the Gone-Away Lake series! The last time I read the first book in the series was March 2018, that ought to have been long enough…)

What Katy Did and What Katy Did at School by Susan Coolidge

The Secret School by Avi

The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall (Let’s see, I read the first book in 2012 and re-read it in dribs and drabs for years and then read the whole thing again 2018 and listened to it on audio in 2019 and can’t I read it again yet??)

The Meg mysteries by Holly Beth Walker (I think it’s time to re-read The Treasure That Nobody Saw)

The Katie John series by Mary Calhoun

Hilda van Stockum’s Mitchells series, which are quite possibly the coziest re-reads you can imagine. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve re-read Friendly Gables, the third book in this unforgettably sweet trilogy. I think it’s time I finally tried her Bantry Bay series…I have never been able to convince myself that it will measure up. But maybe I will be proven wrong!

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

The Patty Fairfield series by Carolyn Wells (oh, these are such fun! And so…unbelievable! The first time I read the series, I tried to count how many marriage proposals Patty received, but it was a lost cause. The answer: far too many to count.)

Beverly Cleary’s Ramona series, but especially Ramona Forever

What books do you love to re-read? Which books are you always returning to? Leave a comment!

I found such joy in my 2018 Reading Challenge and my ongoing quest to find wondrous new books to inspire my writing. Throughout the year, I delved back into some of my favorite stories and rediscovered them with fresh eyes. I also made it a goal to read at least one book by a new author each month, and I ended up reading the works of twenty new authors! So with a mix of old and new, a bit of genre variety, a sprinkling of nonfiction, a blend of the humorous and thought-provoking, here is a general overview of my 2018 reading year. I’ve organized my favorites into fun categories, most of which are in no particular order. Happy Reading!

Praise for my Favorite Novels of 2018

It was such a joy to discover brilliant new novels this year that I excitedly added to my collection of favorite reads. Little Women tops my list first and foremost (as evidenced by my LW retelling novelette). I read this one in February when looking for a good classic to brighten up the dreary winter days—and it didn’t disappoint! I started reading LW at age ten but couldn’t get into the story, and indefinitely set it aside, but this time I loved the heartwarming, inspiring tale of four unforgettable sisters. (I also wanted to read the original LW to hunt for possible clues to the outcome of the Penderwicks series, which I’ll discuss later.) I quickly read Little Men and Jo’s Boys as well, which were entertaining but not nearly as good as their predecessor. If you haven’t read this one yet, don’t delay as long as I did!

A close second is Anne’s House of Dreams, which is simply stunning. Montgomery’s vivid descriptions and multifaceted characters are breathtaking. I read it during a very rainy week in June that was couldn’t have been better suited to the moodiness and melody of this mysterious story set by the sea. I’m sad that I have read every Anne book now, but they are quite re-readable, and I’m already looking forward to returning to this one soon.

It seems to be a year for finishing series, because I also read the third (and for me, last) book in Elizabeth Enright’s Melendy Quartet from the 1940s. You can read my quick recap of this enchanting story here. In addition to reading the first book in the lovely All-of-a-Kind Family series, I was also delighted to discover Karina Yan Glaser’s Vanderbeekers books, which feature a family enjoying plenty of fun adventures. You can read my interview with the author here. (Fortunately, book three comes out in 2019, so this series certainly isn’t over!)

I’ve always been an enormous fan of the Pollyanna books by Eleanor H. Porter, so I was *glad* (🙂) to discover that the author had also written another wonderful book. Just David is a sweet, uplifting story about an unusual boy who changes the lives of every person he meets.

Two others I loved this year include Beany Malone and The Baker’s Daughter, both of which featured determined heroines struggling to navigate the challenges of life, love, and family—but aside from that, the stories couldn’t have been more different. Beany Malone centers on a chaotic but cozy family in post-WWII Denver, while The Baker’s Daughter features a solitary girl who falls in love with an artist in a picturesque Scottish village in the 1930s.

I’ll admit, The Penderwicks At Last could have been better. I would have loved to see more of the original cast of characters (perhaps an explanation for why Skye has altered so drastically), and fewer new characters with somewhat irrelevant storylines, but the overall ending–and the adorable epilogue—more than made up for the novel’s shortcomings. Batty and Jeffrey were the highlight of the story—especially their matching cell phone ring tones. (Beethoven, naturally!) So this one was incredibly fun, and well worth the three-year wait.

My 2018 Reading Challenge

I pledged to read 100 books on Goodreads, and ended up finishing 115, which made me very happy. I found some wonderful new stories to read this year, and I found myself enjoying old favorites more than ever.

My 2019 Reading Challenge

My Goodreads goal for 2019 will be to read 75 books. I want to read some longer classics this year that might cancel out a larger volume of books. I have an ongoing list of books I’d love to read, and Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell heads the list. (One of my sisters has been endeavoring to convince me to read Pride and Prejudice, so we’ll see if I can squeeze it into my reading schedule.)

I’d also love to peruse some poetry and read even more books by my favorite authors—and hopefully discover some new ones to love. And of course, I will mainly be reading the vintage children’s books that give me so much inspiration for my own middle grade novels.

I’d love to read more books by Jean Little, Gene Stratton Porter, Jane Austen, E. Nesbit, Janet Lambert, and Hilda van Stockum in 2019, and also give Mary Norton, Grace Livingston Hill, Jacqueline Kelly, and Catherine Woolley a try. I might even attempt a Charles Dickens book….well, we’ll see. 😉

All in all, it was a fabulous book year and I can’t wait to read more! What were some books you loved in 2018? (Feel free to pass along some recommendations to me—I’m always on the lookout for new reads!)