Little Little

by M.E. Kerr

Little Little La Belle is the daughter of the wealthiest businessman in town. She is everything an heiress should be -- beautiful, independent, and perfect in every way. Except for one she is only three feet, three inches tall. And now that she is about to turn eighteen, her parents are conspiring to get her married to the perfect young man. But Little Little has plans of her own. With characters who play their cards close to the vest and closer to the ground, Little Little is a love story unlike any other.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Teen

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

M. E. Kerr was born Marijane Meaker in Auburn, New York. Her interest in writing began with her father, who loved to read, and her mother, who loved to tell stories of neighborhood gossip. Unable to find an agent to represent her work, Meaker became her own agent, and wrote articles and books under a series of pseudonyms: Vin Packer, Ann Aldrich, Laura Winston, M.E. Kerr, and Mary James. As M.E. Kerr, Meaker has produced over twenty novels for young adults and won multiple awards, including the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her lifetime contribution to young adult literature.

Reviews

[michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I can remember reading by M. E. Kerr. I read it as an adult in my YA literature class and was mesmerized. I never read anything like it. Like all of M. E. Kerr's books, the protagonists are teenagers and it is about finding the balance between individuality vs. conformity and friendship and love. But the characters are so unusual and vividly drawn out. The teens are dwarves and grapple with acceptance even within the community as some are "perfectly" proportioned while others are not. Then Kerr adds a father of one of the teens as being an Evangelist preacher. Come on? What's not to grab your interest and keep you going until the very last page an on to every other M. E. Kerr book? Nothing! That is exactly how I discovered her and became such an ardent fan!

[Sarah Rigg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a huge ME Kerr fan as a preteen and young teen, and this was my absolute favorite.

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 1 out of 5]

D-. fiction, YA, dwarf, contemporary, difficult to follow, highlight of book was mention of Rex Humbard, from stash, discard

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the emotions covered, and makes a great lesson for people being people, even if they appear different. Little Little is just a regular 18 year old girl despite being so small. She thinks her parents are smothering her, her sibling is embarrassed of her, she competes with another girl in class over who has the best essay, and she gets miffed when she doesn't win every week. In short (no pun), she is HUMAN.

[Lauren]

About to turn eighteen, Little Little La Belle is beautiful, smart, and independent. She is also only three feet, three inches tall. And to top things off, Little Little's parents are determined to have her engaged at her upcoming birthday party to a young handsome man named Little Lion. But, when to everyone's suprise a dark horse decides to enter the race for Little Little's hand, than all the bets are off.

[Sheather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a young adult book where the main characters are all little people. While that might be the hook to get readers to look at it, these kids have the same problems as teens of standard height.

I loved this book back in the 1980s. When I recently found it on my library's shelves and re-read it, I couldn't believe how well it held up 30 years later. This title is well written, funny, and touching.

[Liz Whittaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books from one of my favorite authors. Quirky straight-forward writing about distinct and engaging characters. Little Little is about two midgets from different backgrounds and the strange circumstances that bring them together. I recommend anything by M.E. Kerr.

[Betsy Withycombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished reading this to M&M. It is a copy I received for Christmas as a child. I remember liking it more when I was younger. I think the girls thought it was just okay...not too many books on the market about dwarves...

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

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