Jo: An Adaptation of Little Women (Sort Of)

Product Description

A modern-day graphic novel adaptation of Little Women that explores identity, friendships, and new experiences through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Jo March. A must-read for fans of Raina Telgemeier.
With the start of eighth grade, Jo March decides it’s time to get serious about her writing and joins the school newspaper. But even with her new friend Freddie cheering her on, becoming a hard-hitting journalist is a lot harder than Jo imagined.

That’s not all that’s tough. Jo and her sisters—Meg, Beth, and Amy—are getting used to a new normal at home, with their dad deployed overseas and their mom, a nurse, working overtime.
And while it helps to hang out with Laurie, the boy who just moved next door, things get complicated when he tells Jo he has feelings for her. Feelings that Jo doesn’t have for him…or for any boy. Feelings she’s never shared with anyone before. Feelings that Jo might have for Freddie. What does it take to figure out who you are? Jo March is about to find out.

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-A middle grade graphic novelization on the tail end of Little Women’s latest resurgence. As aspiring writer Jo March begins eighth grade, she maintains an anonymous blog and, despite initial trepidation, joins the school newspaper while supporting her sisters-Meg, Beth, and Amy-and mother Marmee, who’s balancing work, family, and her husband’s deployment. When best friend Laurie confesses unrequited romantic interest, it only makes things more complicated-especially since Jo’s smitten with Freddie Bhaer, the paper’s female editor. Whether fitting in, coming out, or taking care, Jo leads a life that’s at once conventional and convoluted, but the March women always get by with a little effort and a whole lot of love. Over 150 years, Little Women has been reimagined for every conceivable medium and succeeding generation. Gros’s version, told through Jo’s introspective blog posts and dialogue, pops with clean, bright digital illustrations. Generally, characters map one to one with source material. All named characters except for Freddie, who is brown-skinned, are white; numerous characters of color are featured in the background. Superfans may spot a few Easter eggs: Meg’s high school, for instance, is named after Little Women’s original publisher, and the middle school is named after the editor who helped shape the book. And since some readers must know in advance, Beth doesn’t die. VERDICT A super-cute, heartstring-strumming, accessible rendition.-Steven Thompson, Bound Brook Memorial P.L., NJα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

“This book deals with attraction in a way that will be comforting to readers . . . Louisa May Alcott would approve.”   —
Kirkus Reviews

“This gentle, warm graphic novel adaptation will remind readers why the March family is long beloved.” —
Publishers Weekly

“A super-cute, heartstring-strumming, accessible rendition.” — School Library Journal

About the Author

Kathleen Gros is a cartoonist living in Vancouver, British Columbia. She graduated with a BFA in illustration from Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and she published her first graphic novel, Last Night at Wyrmwood High, soon after. To learn more about Kathleen and her comics, visit her online at www.kagcomix.com.