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Little Women
There are many editions of Little Women. This educational edition was created for self-improvement or in preparation for advanced examinations. The bottom of each page is annotated with a mini-thesaurus of uncommon words highlighted in the text, including synonyms and antonyms. Designed for school districts, educators, and students seeking to maximize performance on standardized tests, Webster’s paperbacks take advantage of the fact that classics are frequently assigned readings. A running thesaurus at the bottom of each page is useful to students who are actively building their vocabularies in anticipation of taking PSAT, SAT, AP (Advanced Placement), GRE, LSAT, GMAT or similar examinations. This edition exposes the reader to a maximum number of “difficult, and often encountered” words in examinations. Rather than supply a single synonym, many are provided for a variety of meanings, allowing readers to better grasp the ambiguity of the English language, and avoid using the notes as a pure crutch. Having the reader decipher a word’s meaning within context serves to improve vocabulary retention and understanding. Each page covers words not already highlighted on previous pages. PSAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation neither of which sponsors or endorses this book; SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board which neither sponsors nor endorses this book; GRE, AP and Advanced Placement are registered trademarks of the Educational Testing Service which neither sponsors nor endorses this book, GMAT is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admissions Council which is neither affiliated with this book nor endorses this book, LSAT is a registered trademark of the Law School Admissions Council which neither sponsors nor endorses this product. All rights reserved.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
47 people are currently reading
1288 people want to read
About the author
Lucia Monfried
20 books5 followersLucia Monfried is a retired senior editor from Dial Books for Young Readers, where she specialized in picture books, chapter books, and early novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
January 3, 2020
Beautiful classic. My daughter and I took turns reading it aloud over our Christmas break. We both agree Jo was our favorite character. Now we want to see the movie together.
June 26, 2021
So good !! My second fav classic now !
April 1, 2020
this is a good book I gave it 3 stars cause it was abridged and there were to many time gaps.
December 31, 2019
We read this together for school. I wish we didn't pick an abridged version because a lot of it was choppy and out of the blue but still a good book!
June 26, 2008
this was probably my favorite book until I read To Kill A Mockingbird...
May 30, 2019
I read this yesterday in an attempt to learn about 19th century speech for my own book. It didn't help much. ;) But I'm still glad I read it. Considering some of the heavy events that happen within the novel, it's actually a surprisingly light read. You won't find an exciting, riveting conflict in this novel, rather, you're treated to smaller events woven throughout a sweet coming of age tale.
My one complaint is with four main characters, the narration was never able to spend enough time on any one of them. Thus I never felt emotionally invested in any of the sisters. I also don't care for omniscient narration. It makes the reader's relationship with each character feel less personal. I wish Alcott had chosen to go with a limited narrator and followed Jo's thoughts/internal struggles so I could have felt more connected to at least one of the sisters.
I loved the warmth within the March family. All four sisters were flawed, but their love for each other was unconditional.
Okay, I'm off to read Little House on the Prairie now. Alcott's got me on a classic children's lit kick.
My one complaint is with four main characters, the narration was never able to spend enough time on any one of them. Thus I never felt emotionally invested in any of the sisters. I also don't care for omniscient narration. It makes the reader's relationship with each character feel less personal. I wish Alcott had chosen to go with a limited narrator and followed Jo's thoughts/internal struggles so I could have felt more connected to at least one of the sisters.
I loved the warmth within the March family. All four sisters were flawed, but their love for each other was unconditional.
Okay, I'm off to read Little House on the Prairie now. Alcott's got me on a classic children's lit kick.
October 15, 2021
This time, unlike Ann of Green Gables, I liked the novel more than the 2019th movie. The movie was much more worse than the novel, it has the same events like the novel but ended up as shrouded scenes that took me effort and time to understand the relation between the scenes or what was behind the events.
In the movie, it is almost forgotten to clear or mention the consequence of each events or the series of events, the scenes are put together and the audience must read the novel to figure out what caused an event to happen.
The novel has it better, the only thing that is again missed is to describe. To use more description in the narration and I think it was common between Lucy M. Montgomery and Lucia Monfried.
In the movie, it is almost forgotten to clear or mention the consequence of each events or the series of events, the scenes are put together and the audience must read the novel to figure out what caused an event to happen.
The novel has it better, the only thing that is again missed is to describe. To use more description in the narration and I think it was common between Lucy M. Montgomery and Lucia Monfried.
December 16, 2023
5 / 5 - my favorite book
Fun fact: in sixth grade, I did so many book reports on Little Women that the teacher had to tell me that I was no longer allowed to read it and that I had to pick other books
Fun fact: in sixth grade, I did so many book reports on Little Women that the teacher had to tell me that I was no longer allowed to read it and that I had to pick other books
April 7, 2018
Since this is bridged, it made this a little choppy and made it feel like each sentence was a whole paragraph.
July 23, 2022
I can’t believe we used to buy these little gems for $2. The illustrations are laughably bad but I’ve read this kids version so many times I might have it memorized and I’m not sorry about it
August 4, 2022
Jo, you are relatable.
October 30, 2022
I will be reading the other version now. Not right now tho
April 11, 2024
Picked up this classic on a charity book sale. I enjoyed reading it so much even though it's a children's book. Classic!
January 20, 2023
This novel has a somewhat timeless feeling, which is enjoyable. The characters and situations are lovingly relatable. I'm glad I listened to the audiobook.
August 5, 2024
Another fun Great Illustrated Classics read with my four year old. This was just a sweet tale of four sisters as they grow up and experience life with its ups and downs. We both enjoyed this one.
June 17, 2015
I really enjoyed reading this adaptation of Little Women. It gave me an idea of what the story would be like and I look forward to reading the full-length version once I can find my copy of it (I think it's packed away in a box somewhere).
For younger readers, this is a good introduction to the story. The pictures that are scattered through it are well-done in a sort of coloring book style. A creative young person might even enjoy coloring them as they read the story.
For younger readers, this is a good introduction to the story. The pictures that are scattered through it are well-done in a sort of coloring book style. A creative young person might even enjoy coloring them as they read the story.
January 27, 2015
It's abridged, and I don't do abridged. It does capture the spirit of the story, though, so I guess you could say the editors did what they set out to.
February 28, 2016
It had its moments, but, overall, it felt dull and disjointed. Hopefully the original classic is better than this.
August 2, 2012
A childhood favourite :D
February 23, 2024
Is there a point to reading “Little Women” for the first time in 2024? Yes! I was surprised and intrigued by how rich and compact the text, how charming the illustrations, and how important the messages remain today.
Then I realized I was reading a special, condensed version reformulated for very young readers. Well, all I can say is this is the version to get your hands on!
Each chapter is 4.5-5 pages long, each sentence a workhorse packed with power to forward the narrative, to fill in the characters’ unique personalities, and to set the tone with dialogue and other use of quaint language to peg the moment in time. I marveled at how much is conveyed with so little words.
When did we become so blabby, bloated, and verbose?! See what I mean? That first sentence I wrote contains three adjectives. Why not just “blabby,” and let the sentence sit and breathe? No, we beat each other over the head today with repetition and hyperbole, intent upon the total submission of readers. This little novel offers one adjective sprinkled here and there: rosy, pale, chilly. It’s enough.
The book is 238 pages, and half are sketches with a 1970s flavor. It can be read in an hour or two. Is this book being taught in schools today, though? Wouldn’t it be great for young people to be exposed to something less crass, superficial, and jaded than TikTok or YouTube? Don’t you sometimes want to stop the car, turn around, and just go back for a minute? This is worth a minute.
An example: The oldest sister went to a party, drank too much, and acted like an ass, inadvertently creating gossip that their mom had plans to nab a rich neighbor as a husband for the daughter. When told, the mom calmly stated her “plans” with little drama and emotional reaction.
“I want my daughters to be admired, loved and respected; to be well and to lead useful lives; and to marry only for love and happiness.”
What succinct clarity regarding what’s important in life, the correct values. Not breast implants, snarky “tea,” or the latest vulgar fashion trend or hip-hop song.
Here’s another eye-opener. Jo burns her stories. Why? Because they are “sensational,” appealing to the basest in our natures. Sure, they sell (get clicks in 2024), but she makes a personal decision to write nobler things. She is not going to add garbage to the mass of garbage already in the world. She wants a higher purpose for her life.
Imagine a young person being “empowered” with that concept. Timeless.
Then I realized I was reading a special, condensed version reformulated for very young readers. Well, all I can say is this is the version to get your hands on!
Each chapter is 4.5-5 pages long, each sentence a workhorse packed with power to forward the narrative, to fill in the characters’ unique personalities, and to set the tone with dialogue and other use of quaint language to peg the moment in time. I marveled at how much is conveyed with so little words.
When did we become so blabby, bloated, and verbose?! See what I mean? That first sentence I wrote contains three adjectives. Why not just “blabby,” and let the sentence sit and breathe? No, we beat each other over the head today with repetition and hyperbole, intent upon the total submission of readers. This little novel offers one adjective sprinkled here and there: rosy, pale, chilly. It’s enough.
The book is 238 pages, and half are sketches with a 1970s flavor. It can be read in an hour or two. Is this book being taught in schools today, though? Wouldn’t it be great for young people to be exposed to something less crass, superficial, and jaded than TikTok or YouTube? Don’t you sometimes want to stop the car, turn around, and just go back for a minute? This is worth a minute.
An example: The oldest sister went to a party, drank too much, and acted like an ass, inadvertently creating gossip that their mom had plans to nab a rich neighbor as a husband for the daughter. When told, the mom calmly stated her “plans” with little drama and emotional reaction.
“I want my daughters to be admired, loved and respected; to be well and to lead useful lives; and to marry only for love and happiness.”
What succinct clarity regarding what’s important in life, the correct values. Not breast implants, snarky “tea,” or the latest vulgar fashion trend or hip-hop song.
Here’s another eye-opener. Jo burns her stories. Why? Because they are “sensational,” appealing to the basest in our natures. Sure, they sell (get clicks in 2024), but she makes a personal decision to write nobler things. She is not going to add garbage to the mass of garbage already in the world. She wants a higher purpose for her life.
Imagine a young person being “empowered” with that concept. Timeless.
December 20, 2019
~3.5 out of 5 stars~
This may come as a surprise to those who know me, but this is my first encounter with anything Little Women related. I know this isn't the original version (I think it's meant for younger readers because of the easy writing and pictures) but again, it was the only version I had. I do wish now that I had read the original instead because the story came across, but not how I wanted it to.
Never have I read or watched anything to do with Little Women before this. I dove right in without any thought. Reading this copy of the book did get me interested in the story of the March sisters and their life adventures, but I wanted more complexity and feeling out of it. That's not to say I didn't wholly relate to Jo. She was the one sister that I liked more than the rest because, like me, she loved reading and writing and didn't fit in to what society wanted. I did like Beth as well, but only because of our shared love for playing piano.
Finishing this book made me really want to get the whole experience out of it by reading the original. Though if I have strong opinions about some of the things in this version, I may become a mess of feelings if I do. For example, And the part when
Reading this made me excited to see the new movie adaptation coming out this month. The trailer looks amazing, and I know all the drama and life experiences will feel more real. Saoirse Ronan was a great choice for Jo, and Timothée Chalamet with his perfectly tousled hair is too cute not to be Laurie. Is it wrong to hope that the movie adaptation will let them be together?
This may come as a surprise to those who know me, but this is my first encounter with anything Little Women related. I know this isn't the original version (I think it's meant for younger readers because of the easy writing and pictures) but again, it was the only version I had. I do wish now that I had read the original instead because the story came across, but not how I wanted it to.
Never have I read or watched anything to do with Little Women before this. I dove right in without any thought. Reading this copy of the book did get me interested in the story of the March sisters and their life adventures, but I wanted more complexity and feeling out of it. That's not to say I didn't wholly relate to Jo. She was the one sister that I liked more than the rest because, like me, she loved reading and writing and didn't fit in to what society wanted. I did like Beth as well, but only because of our shared love for playing piano.
Finishing this book made me really want to get the whole experience out of it by reading the original. Though if I have strong opinions about some of the things in this version, I may become a mess of feelings if I do. For example, And the part when
Reading this made me excited to see the new movie adaptation coming out this month. The trailer looks amazing, and I know all the drama and life experiences will feel more real. Saoirse Ronan was a great choice for Jo, and Timothée Chalamet with his perfectly tousled hair is too cute not to be Laurie. Is it wrong to hope that the movie adaptation will let them be together?
December 12, 2019
(4.5 / 5)
I knew the story fairly well already, having seen the 1994 movie adaptation, though I've never read the original book (yet). My daughter was new to the story though, and overall, she really enjoyed it. The rating reflects how much she liked it, and the missing half a star was because she was super disappointed that .
Though I worried that much of what I was reading to her was going to go above her head, even with the adaptation, she was able to understand most of it as we went. Or if she didn't understand something, she didn't really realize that she didn't. Now and then I'd stop and explain something that I thought she might not get (usually because of vernacular that is not in use these days) or that she questioned as we went.
I would recommend this book for children around 8-12, with the extra note that with younger kids, it might be helpful (and enjoyable) to read it with a parent or older sibling/friend.
I knew the story fairly well already, having seen the 1994 movie adaptation, though I've never read the original book (yet). My daughter was new to the story though, and overall, she really enjoyed it. The rating reflects how much she liked it, and the missing half a star was because she was super disappointed that .
Though I worried that much of what I was reading to her was going to go above her head, even with the adaptation, she was able to understand most of it as we went. Or if she didn't understand something, she didn't really realize that she didn't. Now and then I'd stop and explain something that I thought she might not get (usually because of vernacular that is not in use these days) or that she questioned as we went.
I would recommend this book for children around 8-12, with the extra note that with younger kids, it might be helpful (and enjoyable) to read it with a parent or older sibling/friend.
March 5, 2020
I only gave this 3 stars because it is a very abridged edition and I don't like to read abridged versions of books. Although, this time it was appropriate as Arely and I were reading it together and she is not quite ready for the full blown version in terms of the complicated vocabulary. Grandma gave her this book for Christmas and she was excited to read it. Of course, I have read "Little Women" several times and it is a timeless story that is well known and definitely worth reading. The best part about reading this book was that Arely looked forward to reading it every day and at the end she said, "Best book ever!" That thrilled my heart to hear her say that about a book. I told her that she has so much to look forward to if she loves books.
October 31, 2025
A brilliant semi-autobiographical book about Louisa Alcott and her family.
I do recommend watching the 2019 film "Little Women" because it added bits from Louise's real life, but Louisa did make the book a little more sweet to fulfil USA 19th Century expectations. In fact she in a later book got Jo married, because her publisher told her to! Louise's father was a feminist who encouraged Louisa to publish her book because he thought she would be a successful writer. All four sisters were talented. Two of them later pursued careers despite being married. Lawrie is undoubtedly based on their lifelong family friend Thoreau.
I do recommend watching the 2019 film "Little Women" because it added bits from Louise's real life, but Louisa did make the book a little more sweet to fulfil USA 19th Century expectations. In fact she in a later book got Jo married, because her publisher told her to! Louise's father was a feminist who encouraged Louisa to publish her book because he thought she would be a successful writer. All four sisters were talented. Two of them later pursued careers despite being married. Lawrie is undoubtedly based on their lifelong family friend Thoreau.
January 1, 2020
I read this years ago and loved it so much then. I admired and looked up to Jo, so much so that I wanted to grow up and be like her, a writer. Recently I came across an old paperback copy of the classic by Moby Books, an illustrated edition, no more than 5 inches tall. It's the sweetest copy with the text on the left and marvelous illustrations on the right, page after page! I would have loved reading this book when I was younger and the illustrations make it even better. I want to take my colored pencils (a la Amy ?) and color them all.
February 27, 2021
Having read the long, original version, I recently found this cheap (uh, free) and very much enjoyed this quick read with lots of illustrations. With much archaic language in the original, some of which I found to be quite amusing, I thought reading this would help me understand the overall story. It not only did this, but made me realize I had followed it just fine the first time in the original. I had read that electronically and am currently on the look out for a paper version but will also keep this, as it's a wonderful easy version that highlights the entire story. Absolute classic!
April 28, 2023
This is the book that changed my life. My aunt gave it to me when I was 6 or 7 and I read it over and over. When I was a severely depressed 13 year old Jo March I remembered the story that had always meant so much to me. I read the original book and it gave me strength and courage to survive. I really feel like I wouldn't be here now without this book. So by all means give this book to kids. It's a great introduction to a book that will help them find meaning and purpose in life, and a story that will stay with them always.
December 21, 2019
I've had this copy since I was a child and decided to read it again before the movie comes out. Although the story itself is very simple and choppy, as it is an abridged version for children, it was a great refresher for me! It was really nostalgic too. I remember the illustrations from when I was a kid and remember crying when reading about Beth's death. I'll have to go back and read the full version again soon but this was the perfect quick read before I see the movie!
February 16, 2021
The book Little Women by Lucia Monfried is a GREAT book!! My favorite part is when Joe cuts her hair for money to help with her sick father. I would recommend this book to girls of any age. It has So many great lessons in it! I would rate this book, definitely a 10/10! It throughs in curveballs, and makes you want to stay up late reading! I also love that it has a few pictures, it helps me visualize what is happening! Little women is a great book, with many important lessons, and stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2019
I read this book in my childhood, and I decided to read it again on Christmas this year. While it may have started out as a way to get read to see the movie, I thoroughly enjoyed this re-read. Very quick (I finished in the same evening), but chock full of meaning and symbolism. It took everything in me not to give it the 'AP Lit' treatment and sticky-note it up.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews