Book review: Mary Jane - Her Book

Sweet, slower-paced, simpler times...the reasons Mary Jane - Her Book is so enjoyable. My 5-year-old daughter and I read this together and thought it was wonderful! The story opens with 4-year-old Mary Jane standing speechless as her cherished doll lay irreparably damaged in the middle of the street. Poor Marie Georgianna! From there you witness Mary Jane's daily discoveries and adventures. She learns that her doll has a twin (with a funny name!), she tries to help the baby robins in her backyard get a drink, her dad plans a secret for her, she shows her little friend Junior the "water from the sky in the house", her mother teaches her to sew, and much more! The book wraps up with a birthday party, a letter, and a train trip. The adventures are continued in Mary Jane - Her Visit when her journey on the train brings her to her great-grandmother's farm in the country.

My final verdict: It's a very sweet book and very fun, easy reading for the little ones to listen to and even read for themselves (the book cover suggests ages 6-10). First published in 1918, Mary Jane - Her Book is a great change in pace from more modern children's literature. The family members are loving, the children are respectful and obedient, the adventures are wholesome. My daughter and I both enjoyed reading about Mary Jane, her family, and her friends and hope to get our hands on the sequel, Mary Jane - Her Visit, soon! Both books are available from Salem Ridge Press in either hard or softcover. Read the entire first chapter of Mary Jane - Her Book.