The Mother-Daughter Book Club is the first book in a series of six books that bring together four girls and their mothers to dive into a classic book, with the first book club selection being Little Women by Louise May Alcott; a wonderful idea to tie in a classic story with a modern setting. The author uses quotes and real facts from Alcott’s life throughout the story that hopefully entices the reader to go and read the actual book.

This book begins with the girls just starting down the path of middle school and all that comes with it. They deal with the mean-spirited, spoiled clique of girls, boy drama, and family concerns. In the beginning, the girls don’t really want to be a part of the book club, but as they come together throughout the year, they learn to appreciate what each has to offer and how to help each other out, all while gaining an appreciation for a classic book and its author and learning a little about themselves.

This first book sets up the series nicely and the author continues to use a classic book for each book in the series. I love how she uses books that are must reads, but are seemingly being left behind for more popular new books by this generation. Frederick also does a wonderful job in portraying the struggle that middle school can be, while making her characters likable and approachable.  There is a character for everyone to relate to, just like there is a sister for everyone to relate to in Little Women.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore:  None

Sex/Nudity:  None

Mature Subject Matter:

Death of parent, parental separation

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None