The Mother-Daughter Book Club

By Heather Vogel Frederick

The book club
is about to get
a makeover....

Even if Megan would rather be at the mall, Cassidy is late for hockey practice, Emma's already read every book in existence, and Jess is missing her mother too much to care, the new book club is scheduled to meet every month.

But what begins as a mom-imposed ritual of reading Little Women soon helps four unlikely friends navigate the drama of middle school. From stolen journals, to secret crushes, to a fashion-fiasco first dance, the girls are up to their Wellie boots in drama. They can't help but wonder: What would Jo March do?

Acclaimed author Heather Vogel Frederick will delight daughters of all ages in a novel about the fabulousness of fiction, family, and friendship.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Release date: May 11, 2010
• ISBN: 9781439107324

Heather Vogel Frederick

Heather Vogel Frederick is the award-winning author of the Mother-Daughter Book Club series, the Pumpkin Falls Mystery series, the Patience Goodspeed books, the Spy Mice series, and Once Upon a Toad. An avid fan of small towns like Pumpkin Falls, Heather and her husband live in New England, close to where Heather grew up. You can learn more about the author and her books at HeatherVogelFrederick.com.

Reviews for The Mother-Daughter Book Club

[emelymac · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This one is about four 12 year old girls and their mothers who start a book club. It was a quick read, but is was good. I loved all the Louisa May Alcott references.

[cecilturtle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a charming book about four unlikely girls who strike a friendship thanks to their mothers' initiative of creating a book club. The author cleverly emulated the girls' personalities around Alcott's Little Women, a modern rendition that weaves with the book and with Alcott's life and experiences. Never preachy, this book is a great way to learn about a classic and its author while tackling some of life's disappointments.My greatest criticism is the ease with which problems are resolved: these isn't much ambiguity and everything ends on a happy note of success and validation - a lovely thought, but a poor life lesson.Nonetheless, a well-written educational and entertaining book which is sure to please both daughters and mothers.

[vavaviolet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely enjoyed reading the first book in this series. It's about well-meaning parents who organized a book club for their reluctant daughters. Soon the girls discover that they have a lot in common with the characters in Little Women (their first assigned reading). As the story progresses positive changes happen, family ties become stronger and new friendships are formed. It's a feel-good book that I wish I discovered sooner when my daughter was younger. I'm so looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Read for CB on GR, the Fiction Club. Never would have picked it up myself, with that pastel cover and the fact that the book they read is Little Women. Characters superficial, HEA hugely impossible. The author had good intentions, and I can readily imagine certain kinds of readers enjoying this, but I believe that, if anything, it perpetuates stereotypes of the Mean Girl, the Artist, the Shy Girl, the Poor girl... even the moms: the Librarian, the Actress, the Widow, the Model... Gag me.

[carolvanbrocklin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very popular with my girls here and I can see why since the girls and their relationships are quite believable. The only nit picky problem I had with it was Cassidy and her mother constantly pulling out the "contract" so that she is supposed to be more ladylike. Leave the kid along lady! She's a tomboy but a good kid. The Fab 4--they exist in every school and are just as nasty as these gals are. I know I was their "target" in school and that 40 years ago. Some things just never change.

[lucybrown_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My daughter and I read this together, and it gave us the opportunity to discuss some generational and middle school quandries. That said, as great young teen reading it missing by quite a long stretch. Good points: may get girls interested in Little Women, good way to get girls talking about issues of popularity, "mean" girls, and cliques.
Weak points: predictable, stereotypical portrayals, less than brilliant dialogue.

I imagine that girls between the ages of 9-12 will like this. It is easy reading and with characters with whom it will easy to identify. My 11 year really enjoyed it and is eager to read the sequel.

A better book which touches on some of the same growing pains would be Kris Kros.

[stevencwon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is honestly one of my favorite books ever!!

[kayden-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an adorable read! Middle school girls are brought together with their mothers to a book club, reading Little Women. In this book club they learn to face reality, gain friendship, and face a lot of challenges. There are several conflicts between the parents, girls, and the "fab four". I would definitely recommend for little girls to read this.

[untitled841 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a great start to the series. Each chapter of the book is written in the voice of one of the four girls in the book club. Each of them different from the others but their bond strengthens over the course of the book and they learn to work together rather than against each other over the course of the book.

The book explores the relationships between mothers and their tween/teen daughters, you can laugh out loud at some of the situations. Honoring all mother/daughter relationships in one way or another.

[satyridae · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

People who know me will be surprised to see me reading this non-dystopian, non-historical series, but I am friends with Heather, and it's always interesting to read outside one's comfort zone.

The plotting was solid. I liked Cassidy best, natch.

I had some trouble distinguishing the voices of the various characters at first, but that resolved as I got further in.

Some of the characters remained more caricatures than not, most notably the "mean girl" Becca and her mother, the fat-assed Mrs. Chadwick. I also was put off by the fact that the size of her ass was so risible.

I didn't like the characterization of things as "lame", primarily because I've recently been sensitized to this terminology- had I read it last year, it would have sailed over my head like "retard" in the 70s did.

I enjoyed the Alcott allusions & trivia. I remain deeply loyal to Little Women despite its faults.

Overall, an interesting excursion outside my milieu. I plan to read the whole series, especially the newest one which has the girls reading the Betsy-Tacy books.

[bridgetrwilson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great book. If you like Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, this is a must read. I'm looking forward to the 2nd book Much Ado about Anne where the book club reads Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.

[theepicrat · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The mother-daughter book club goes international with one of its duo goes across the pond for a year. What better book to discuss than Pride & Prejudice – and what better way to hold weekly discussion than webcams? In the States, Jess, Cassidy, and Megan must face freshman year with a pining heart, figure skates instead of hockey sticks, and an anonymous Austen-esque fashion blog, respectively. The 2 British boys who replace their friend are NOT making high school any easier. Emma, on the other hand, is making the best of her last-minute move to England, but the queen bee Annabelle is set on making it memorable in the worst possible way. Will the book club survive the distance – or will they crumble like pies topped with shaving cream?Pies & Prejudice sounds cute and it IS cute, but if you are expected a modern-day P&P this is not that sort of book. It is actually a 4th book in a series, although I felt that it could stand on its own merits. Previous books would simply serve to build relationships with these girls and their family. What threw me off was the story was told in 4 different voices. They didn’t seem very distinctive from each other, so I had to go back to the chapter heading to double-check the narrator every once in a while. I also found myself favoring certain storylines over others, which doesn’t allow for a smooth reading in case you are wondering. Pies & Prejudice definitely works to stimulate discussion between mothers and young daughters, especially in a book club, and I think this series is a neat idea!

[booklady123 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel FrederickFrom the back of the book: " The book club is about to get a makeover . . . Even if Megan would rather be at the mall, Cassidy is late for hockey practice, Emma's already read every book in existence, and Jess is missing her mother too much to care, the new book club is scheduled to meet every month.But what begins as a mom-inspired ritual of reading Little Women soon helps four unlikely friends navigate the drama of middle school. From stolen journals to secret crushes to a fashion-fiasco first dance, the girls are up to their Wellie boots in drama. They can't help but wonder: What would Jo March do?"What I liked about the book: I think the idea of a mother/daughter book club is just wonderful! If I had daughters, I would start one. (I'm not sure I could talk my sons into it - they love to read, but a mother/son book club would probably not interest them.) Frederick's characters are well developed and very realistic. They are not perfect teens nor are they the total stereotypical teens. They are just typical teens. I like how we get to see events from each of the characters' points of view. Each chapter focuses on one of the four girls. There is the usual drama of dealing with a clique of mean girls (but that's part of real life and it's not just something that happens to teens. Mean girls sometimes grow into mean adults.) Of course, I just loved that one of the mom's is a librarian. I've two quotes from the book to my list of favorite quotes: " . . . she's a librarian and knows just about everything else under the sun. And whatever she doesn't know she can find the answers to" and "I swear she knows everything. It's probably because she's a librarian and gets to read all day."What I didn't like about the book: The mean girls. This is a personal thing - I don't like mean girls and I like mean adult women even less. (Mrs. Chadwick really should realize what a horrible example she is setting for her daughter.) This doesn't take away from the book. It adds to the drama and is part of what makes it a good story. The ending was a little like the happy ending of a 30 minute TV sitcom without the humor. But this did not bother me enough to keep me from giving it 5 stars.I highly recommend this book to anyone who has daughters - whatever age they may be.Recommended for 4th grade and up.AR Level: 4.6Mrs. Archer's rating: 5 of 5!

[cinnamonowl_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cute book for young adults. I enjoyed the tidbits about Louisa May Alcott's life, and this book made me want to visit Concord!

[mommablogsalot · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although this was not the best book I’ve ever read, I did really enjoy it. I think for it’s target audience (middle school girls) it was very well written and I loved how chock full of literary references it was. It also has plenty of good moral lessons, but not delivered in a preachy way – like I said, perfect for middle school girls.

[stephaniewa · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the possibilities that this book offered for a real-life Mother Daughter Book club, with the possibility of reading both this book and Little Women, however the possibilities for discussion may end up coming from how dissimilar the characters are in both books. The author has tried to make ties to Little Women in the girls' situations, but they way in which they, and the adults in their lives, react to their problems is very different from how the March sisters would have. The plot is a bit forced, but I think it will still appeal to teenage girls who are in a similar book club and would be an incentive for them to read the much loved classic.

[marykatec_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a good book. This is simple reading, but thorough enough not to bore you. Would be a fantastic book to kick off a real Mother-Daughter book club! :)

[osmith6 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My mom and I read it one after another for a book club; we love this book!

[emmahawthorneluvr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick was very good. The author did a good job of picking four very different types of girls and their moms and putting them in a book club in which they read and discuss Little Women by Louisa Alcott for one year. There's shy Jess, whose mother left her to become an actress for awhile; book-loving Emma, who is constantly teased at school; tomboyish Cassidy who is constantly having issues with her queen-like single mom; and fashion-loving Megan who only cares about being popular like bratty Becca Chadwhick and the clothing. As the story unravels, the girls face middle school bullies, a surprising first dance, and heart-throbbing secrets. Frederick does a good job of writing that girls can actually relate to. I think this makes it more enjoyable and interesting for pre-teens alike. Whether you're just looking for something to read, or using this book, I can assure you that you'll enjoy it!

[4sarad_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought this was a really cute book. I can definitely remember middle school enough to know how horrible it would be to be put into a group with people you don't get along with well at school... especially if they tease you. I thought the characters developed well and were pretty well-rounded. I do think it's lame that each girl sort of corresponded with a girl in Little Women, but what can you do. The mother-daughter relationships were the best part of the book and it was great to watch them develop and grow. Pretty good book.

[mzonderm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fondness for Little Women is a definite requirement for enjoying this book. It takes place in Concord, Massachusetts and is replete with colonial and Transcendental history, as well as the more personal history of Louisa May Alcott and her family.These historical factoids are sprinkled throughout the story of 4 sixth-graders whose mothers decide to form a mother-daughter book group. They read Little Women over the course of the school year, and as they progress through the book they draw parallels to their own lives. Unfortunately, these parallels sometimes feel forced, as though the author had said "Oh, this is a lovely quote, now let's write a scene to demonstrate it."The four girls themselves are well-drawn characters. Unfortunately, other characters come across as flat, if not as caricatures of a type.For all that, the device of rotating the perspective among the four girls works well to keep the story moving along, and one might get some nostalgic enjoyment from it, especially if you remember reading Little Women with your own mother...

[bookbabes_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Girls and their moms learn and grow as they bond in a mother/daughter book club.