Louisa Learns to Write

★ “Hannigan’s biographical picture book offers a lively introduction to Louisa as a child and as a young woman living in a close-knit American family during the 1800s and sharing her experiences with generations of girls. Fans of Little Women will enjoy the appended section comparing facts from Louisa May Alcott’s life with parallel experiences from Jo March’s life in Little Women.”—Booklist, starred review

★ “…here Hannigan employs a checklist of “ten habits for becoming a writer” that offers younger readers with similar ambitions a particularly promising road map to follow… Over and above offering helpful guidelines for fledgling authors, this introduction to Alcott and Little Women will prime yet another generation of readers and listeners to fall in love with a perennial classic.”—School Library Journal, starred review

“Parallels between life and art come into sharp focus in this tribute to a woman who produced an American classic. Peppered throughout with strong quotes from Louisa May Alcott’s personal and professional writing, this picture-book biography sets the author within the context of her best-loved work. Readers learn about Louisa’s early years and overwhelming desire to write. Yet her need to support her family through her words hits roadblocks, like the discouraging words of editors, one sister’s death, and another’s marriage. Even so, her pen continues to move, and after modest success, she produces a work intended for a female audience—a most welcome addition at a time when books for boys dominated the market… Hannigan’s clear love for Louisa and the impact of her work shine through… A loving ode to an inspiring and incredibly talented writer.”—Kirkus Reviews

Kate Hannigan is the author of several children’s books, including A Lady Has the Floor, which received four starred reviews; Josephine and Her Dishwashing Machine, a 2024 NSTA-CBC Best STEM Book; and Nellie vs. Elizabeth, one of Smithsonian Magazine’s Ten Best Children’s Books. Kate’s other books have also made the 2022 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List, the 2023 Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year, and were nominated for the 2023 Illinois Bluestem Award, among many other honors. Her most recent title is Rachel Carson’s Wonder-Filled World.

Sofia Moore is a Ukrainian-American artist and illustrator. She loves painting traditionally and layering textures both on paper and digitally. Her recent book Dream By Dream by Geri Kolesar was a 2024 Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year. Her other titles include Pencilvania by Stephanie Watson, named one of the best books of 2021 by the New York Public Library, and A Beam of Light by Elisa Boxer.

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