Under The Lilacs Author:Louisa May Alcott A Heartwarming Tale of Two Little Girls and Two Circus Runaways. Louisa May Alcott's gift for discovering adventure in everyday life shines as brightly in this book as it does in her other young people's classics. The story starts with a surprise when the golden-haired sisters Betty and Bab discover sad, tattered, little Ben Brown hiding in th... more »e coach house. With him is his only friend in the world, a bedraggled white poodle named Sancho. The two runaways from the circus delight the girls and their mother with all sorts of wonderful tricks. Then laughter turns to sadness as Ben tells them ofo his cruel life after his father went away.
When word comes from far-off California that Ben's father will never return, kindly Miss Celia invites the boy and his dog to live with her and her sickly brother, Thorny, at the Lilacs. Ben's happiness in his new home is interrupted when the circus comes to town and his beloved Sancho disappears in the crowd. As hope of the poodle's return fades, Betty makes a miraculous discovery that sets the stage for an exciting ending.« less
Reading level 9-12 ... ha! A 9 to 12 year old can certainly read and enjoy this, but so can this 53 year old. IfI EVER get too old for LMA, go ahead and start digging.
What a delightful, gentle story. I would recommend it to all children and everyone else who thinks they would enjoy a break of the dark, intense, complex novels we most often read. This is a story of innocence and of children, but there is certainly some mystery that gives it a bit of tension. The characters are authentic, including the poodle! I rate everything I read on a 1-5 system and this one got a rare five.