Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy – generation after generation, young readers open Little Women for the first time and meet these girls, so much like Louisa and her sisters. “We really lived it,” said Louisa after writing Little Women, “and if it succeeds that will be the reason of it.”
But the life Louisa “really lived” was even more dramatic than the stories that made her famous. As a child, she survived real poverty, hunger, and cold, and as a young woman, she almost died while nursing soldiers in a Civil War hospital. And through it all Louisa wrote, wrote, wrote, supporting her whole family as well as delighting her readers.
Louisa May Alcott
Famed author Louisa May Alcott created colorful relatable characters in 19th century novels. Her work introduced readers to educated strong female heroines, such as with her most famous novel Little Women. As a result, her writing style greatly impacted American literature. Today, readers continue to enjoy Alcott’s writings and her novels still appear on bestseller list throughout the world.
Childhood of Famous Americans is still one of the most popular series ever published for young Americans. The classics comprising this series have been praised by parents, teachers, and librarians. These lively and inspiring biographies are easily read by children of eight and up. In the end, today’s youngster is swept right into history.
