Louisa May Alcott Summer Reading Challenge Week 2

Louisa May Alcott Summer Reading Challenge Week 2

Jo: A Graphic Novel 

by Kathleen Gros

Middle Grades/Young Adult Graphic Novel

Jo March is an ordinary 8th-grade girl about to start her final year of middle school. She decides t blog about her life at home with her three sisters and their mother and also write about her daily life at school. Jo chronicles her attempts to become a "real" writer by joining the newspaper club and how failure makes her feel. With the encouragement of her new friend Freddie, a budding editor, Jo begins to find her voice and make it count. She learns some important lessons by the time graduation rolls around.

As an adaptation of Little Women this book fails. It misses the whole little women point. I missed Jo's temper, her fights with Amy and Marmee's wisdom. I missed Father's letter and his illness that provides the catalyst for Jo to get to DO something to help her family. Even Beth doesn't fall ill in this version because she's already been ill with leukemia and must go for tests and treatment. The family is recovering from the worry. Dad is away doing top secret stuff with the Army and video chats when he can. The video chat scene consists of the girls sharing their news- things we already know- and not Dad sharing any thoughts with his little women. The scenes taken from the original are out of order. It was all just too bland and nice. Meg likes a boy named Jon, she tutors some bratty kids who don't want to pay attention; Beth likes music and when she tries the flute it doesn't sound nice; Amy wants to be creative but her teacher makes her draw; Jo wants to be a writer and they all work hard and are rewarded at the end. I even missed the Hummel family. Decorating the hospital at Christmas does not equal giving up Christmas breakfast to a less fortunate family.

Laurie is an average teenage boy with living parents who travel for work. He speaks with them as often as they can and he knows they love him. His grandfather is kind. Snooze. I was confused why Laurie randomly comes down with chicken pox and why all the March sisters had it. There's a vaccine for that! Kids don't get chicken pox anymore! When Laurie reveals his feelings for Jo and she freaks out, it doesn't equate to the original. First of all, 1860s Jo is older, at 17 she's old enough to marry but she doesn't want to- not because she doesn't like men, but because she's immature and Laurie is too. Jo is facing the breakup of her nuclear family and the loss of her childhood. She's struggling to accept change and worried about what it means for her future. 1860s Laurie is grown but still a boy. He acts like a boy and Jo thinks of him as a brother. Husbands were typically older than the wives because they needed to be able to support a family. Enter Professor Beher. Jo gets to know him, matures a little, goes home, Beth dies, Jo is lonely and ready to open her heart to love. I'd really prefer to see Jo as Louisa intended, a literary spinster content to paddle her own canoe.

That being said, I think Jo's journey will resonate with young readers, whether they're gay or not. It's about finding yourself and figuring out who you are more than focusing on the GAY issue. She just happens to figure out she likes girls. Freddie is adorable. She's fun, playful and smart. She encourages Jo and helps Jo become a better writer. They have a lot in common and it should be obvious to anyone who sees them, probably to the faculty advisor, that at least Freddie has feelings for Jo. Jo takes a little longer to get there but it becomes obvious as well. Jo figures out a lot more about herself and life before she's ready to announce her understandings to the world. Her coming out plot was so not an issue. I wanted a little more discussion on that front. (view spoiler)[ Everyone is just like "OH OK! We love you!" (hide spoiler)] Sometimes it is that way and it's important to put into the story but it's just sort of glossed over.

The other Marches are rather bland and boring. Amy is delightful, mispronouncing "big" words she can't remember. Beth is kind of a non-entity. She's brave and tough but sometimes she doesn't want to be the sick one. She doesn't want to keep fighting and she does, in her own quiet way. Meg is a typical teen with boys on her mind and busy with high school and her after school tutoring job. Unlike the original, she doesn't long for fine things and envy her wealthier friends. Marmee is kind and loving but not home very often.

The illustrations are OK. They're more realistic than some I've seen but not my favorite style. I'm not a fan of graphic novels to begin with. I prefer a little more meat with my story and no pictures. I always want more depth, stronger character development and more conversations. This book is no exception. I'm going to run it by my niece and see if she's read it and what she thinks. She's the graphic novel expert and Little Raphael of the family!

Louisa May Alcott Summer Reading Challenge Reviews

Norna Or, the Witch's Curse by Louisa May Alcott; edited by Juliet McMaster for Juvenilia Press

This is the play that "Jo" wrote. The March sisters perform a similar play at Christmas in the early pages of Little Women. In 1848 Louisa and her sister Anna collaborated to compose this bloodthirsty tale of yore about a wicked villain who stops at nothing to attempt the win the woman whose fortune he covets. A kindly witch steers the action in the right direction with her vengeful curse! The editors' notes explain when this was written, the history of publication (Anna Alcott Pratt oversaw the original publication as a companion to Little Women and the original manuscript is now missing). The textual notes explain the archaic language and the influences of Shakespeare, Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens and the other writers Louisa and Anna enjoyed. While Louisa liked the villains and heroes, Anna preferred the romantic bits and leading lady role.

This play was considered shocking at the time. It's very much over the top and bloody. The villain is absolutely wicked and remorseless. The hero is noble and kind and the heroine not too overly sweet and good. She knows her own mind and isn't too proud to show it. I can't say I liked the play. I'm too old for that kind of nonsense but as Anne Shirley would probably have loved it, I would have too in my youth. The student drawn illustrations are comical and add to the absurdity of the play. 

I recommend reading this play to see how Jo/Louisa's writing developed and if you're curious about that play in Little Women. It's a great addition to my library! Thank you to Juliet McMaster for providing me with the advance release flyer at the Jane Austen Society of North America Annual General Meeting in 2016. 

Louisa May & Mr. Thoreau's Flute by Julie Dunlap & Marybeth Lorbiecki; illustrated by Mary Azarian--picture book/early readers

In Concord, Massachusetts seven-year-old Louisa May Alcott is not quiet and obedient like her sisters. Her father tries and tries to teach her to be quiet, obey her parents and follow the rules. Louisa would rather jump from hay lofts and be wild and free outdoors. When she learns a neighbor, Mr. Thoreau, is leading the children on an outing to pick berries, Louisa begs to go.  Mr. Thoreau is odd but magical! He teaches the children about the beauty of nature and plays his flute. Louisa is enchanted by the unusual man. She senses a kindred spirit in him. Louisa wishes her words would come as easily as Mr. Thoreau's notes. Can she ever create something so beautiful?

This story may not be 100% true in facts but it is a good introduction to Louisa May Alcott. The spirit of the story is true even if the facts are not. Louisa was a wild, wilful girl who hated being forced into the narrow box prescribed for girls and women at that time. Mr. Thoreau was an odd duck who didn't fit in, much like Louisa. His teachings and his music inspire Louisa to become a better writer. This is a lovely message for children. I think nature loving niece and nephew will especially enjoy this book and niece who identifies with Jo March, will sense a kindred spirit in Louisa. I certainly did when I first read about her. This book also provides a great introduction to Henry David Thoreau though I think my nieces and nephews may have read the Henry bear series (by D.B. Johnson) based on Thoreau's life. It provided me with a better sense of who he was as a person. 

The woodcut illustrations are wonderful! An old-fashioned craft that gives both the old-fashioned feel but also the bold splash of color modern kids like. I like wild Louisa with her hair flowing and her ink blots. She reminds me of Laura Ingalls. The colors seem accurate for the period (I'm not seeing any wild colors that don't appear in nature) and show kids that old doesn't mean dull. 

Daniel on the Run by Claiborne Dawes, illustrated by J. Stephen Moyer--early middle grades historical fiction (grades 1-3)

It's the 1840s in Concord, Massachusetts and young Will Crawford likes to tease girls with frogs. The one girl who isn't creeped out is Louisa Alcott. Two years Will's senior, twelve-year-old Louisa is gutsy and strong. She's Ok for a girl. When Louisa shows Will the best berry patch, she loses Anna's good hat but finds a surprise- an enslaved boy running north to Canada. Can Louisa and Will help the boy on his journey?

As a realistic, historical factual event this incident never happened and the book is too much fiction for my personal taste. I find it highly doubtful that Louisa would identify herself and Will and share so much about the Underground Railroad. The broadside shown on the title page shows just why this would be detrimental to the abolition cause. Louisa's parents could be arrested and jailed. Anyone Louisa mentions or brings in to help could be arrested. The point of the Underground Railroad is that it operated in secret! The people, the signs, the signals, they're all secret! It was against the law to help a runaway slave and slave catchers could come and haul the enslaved person back in chains. People got scared, feared arrest and imprisonment so would turn on their neighbors if they had to. Louisa's parents were extraordinarily unusual in their attitudes and beliefs. They're way ahead of their time even today.

I didn't particularly care for the sketch style illustrations. I don't think Louisa looked like herself. We don't know what she looked like at 12 but I don't think this is an accurate representation. To quibble, I'd say she would wear her hair down or pulled back in braids and her skirt should be shorter because she's a child and not a grown woman. We know this from Little Women!

Now, evaluating the story from the perspective of my nieces who are just learning about the Underground Railroad, I think they will enjoy the story. They don't know much about Louisa and this is a good, brief introduction to her personality. Will is fictional and I don't really like him because he's kind of mean and a tease. Will learns a lot in a brief amount of time and I believe it will shape his character. I bought this mostly for my nieces and I will put it downstairs in my library for their little hands to grab and read. I hope it will later introduce my nephews to my hero.