In Louisa May Alcott’s charming coming-of-age-tale, Jack and Jill go up a hill-and then suffer a terrible accident; it is at this point Alcott’s novel deviates from the classic children’s nursery rhyme. Jack and Jill are close childhood friends, but one day that bond is threatened when they are seriously injured during a sledding accident. Jack is left with a broken leg and Jill with an injured back. As they recover from their physical injuries, Jack and Jill, along with their group of friends, enter into a process of emotional and moral healing. Jack and Jill’s parents and friends come up with various creative activities to help pass the time as they recuperate, including the development of a personal mail system and a theatrical production. During the process, the friends learn important lessons about self-improvement, individual growth, and moral responsibility. A story that will appeal to both boys and girls, and the young and old alike, Jack and Jill’s creative revision of the nursery tale results in an inspiring narrative of real depth about the surprisingly positive effects of traumatic events. (dailylit.com)