"Louisa May Alcott is the only author who remains both popular and literary today? Little Women was widely read, but its sequel Little Men even more so, perhaps because it was checked out by boys, too." (New York Times)

"Six generations of readers have found in the story of the March family universal truths about girls, families and growing up" (Guardian)

"The best boys - in the literary sense - that we have ever come across" (Spectator)

?We always allow one pillow-fight Saturday night?

Did you ever wonder what happened to Jo March from Little Women? She grew up, of course, and followed her dream to become a writer. In addition, she opened a school, home to her two children and twelve other boys. There?s accident-prone Tommy, bookish Demi, and greedy Stuffy. Into this large, unusual family arrives Nat ? a skinny, nervous orphan boy with no schooling, just a fearless talent for the violin. Amid all the scrapes and japes of twelve rambunctious boys, can little Nat find his place at Plumfield?

Includes exclusive material: In the 'Backstory' you can find out what inspired the author and test your knowledge of Jo?s enormous family...

Vintage Children?s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice?s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Louisa May Alcott was born on 29 November 1832 in Pennsylvania. Her father was friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreau. Alcott started selling stories in order to help provide financial support for her family. Her first book was Flower Fables (1854). She worked as a nurse during the American Civil War and in 1863 she published Hospital Sketches, which was based on her experiences. Little Women was published in 1868 and was based on her life growing up with her three sisters. She followed it with three sequels, Good Wives (1869), Little Men (1871) and Jo's Boys (1886) and she also wrote other books for both children and adults. Louisa May Alcott was an abolitionist and a campaigner for women's rights. She died on 6 March 1888.