Little Men

So Little Men has got to be one of my favorites so far. It is up there with The Lonesome Gods and The Secret Garden. So many great lessons learned. I need to read it again and see how the Mrs. Bhear reacts to things better. I need to work on this. My boys learned a lot. If they apply it today... that is another question. I am taking a class online right now through Abigail Adams Academy and we have talked about doing character mapping. This is kind of like doing a web brain storm or a pedigree chart about the characters. You can just work on character relations. Or you can also note personality traits and take note of what made you believe this.

I wish I would have done this for this book because I found it a little hard to keep the kids all strait. Who are the biological children and who has what traits. What faults is Mrs. Bhear trying to refine in each child. There are just a whole lot of children to keep track of. We are not starting The Red Pony and I plan on doing character mapping with my kids with this book.

At the end of each book we love to sit down for movie night and watch the movie. I did not think we were going to get to do this for Little Men. But at Wal Mart I happen to run across the 1940 version. I was so excited and it was the final push I needed to get the kids to really sit still and want to finish the last few chapters. It is not a small book. We sat down with out no bake cookies and low and behold. The movie was nothing like the book at all. We were all disappointed. The characters had the same names and Dan had a bad attitude but that we about it. Mrs Bhear was a strong headed lady who talked to her husband as if he was an idiot and Nat was just in the back ground. They even changed Dan's back story. To say the least. Don't waist a second of your life on the movie. It is a waste. There was one done in 1934 but I do not know anything about it.



I just found out that there is another book after this one titled Jo's Boys(Alcott's 1886 novel) 

For tose of you who decide to read this wonderful book here is a little character help. As you can see...there are a lot of characters.

The Boys and Girls of Plumfield

• Nathaniel "Nat" Blake: A twelve-year-old orphan, who lived as a street musician. He was discovered in a cellar by Mr. Laurence and brought to Plumfield. Although he has a habit of lying and is far behind the others in school at first, he is thoughtful, caring, and talented with a fiddle, quickly becoming one of the "favorites".
• Daniel "Dan" Kean: A neglected fourteen-year-old orphan, who is brought to Plumfield by Nat. At first, he proves to be a rough, ill-mannered boy, who doesn't seem to trust or care about anyone, aside from Baby Teddy. After breaking nearly all the rules of the school, he is sent away, although later he finds his way back to Plumfield, where Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer take him in again, helping him become a kind and responsible person.
• John "Demi" Brooke: John and Meg Brooke's nine-year-old son. Demi is scholarly, and would much rather read a book than play sports with the other children. He loves to spend time with his twin sister, Daisy, and his Grandpa March. He has been nicknamed "the deacon" and is very innocent and sweet, and is another one of the "favorites".
• Margaret "Daisy" Brooke: John and Meg Brooke's nine-year-old daughter. She is Demi's twin sister, and loves her brother very much. Although she has many dolls that she lovingly cares and cooks for, she had to spend a lot of time alone because the boys wouldn't let her play games with them. Mrs. Jo tried to solve this problem by providing a miniature kitchen, but, later, Daisy's loneliness is primarily ended when Nan came to live at Plumfield. She is described as "sunshiny and charming" and delights in housework such as cooking, cleaning, washing, and sewing.
• Thomas "Tommy" Bangs: An eleven-year-old boy who means well, but manages to get himself into some kind of trouble constantly. However, he is very well-tempered and friendly, and in spite of his many pranks and carelessness, he gets along well and is another "favorite".
• Annie "Nan" Harding: A ten-year-old girl who is determined to prove that girls can do anything boys can. When her mother died, she ran wild, so her father readily agreed to send her to Plumfield when Mrs. Jo proposed the idea. She is quite skilled when it comes to caring for the boys' minor injuries and wants to become a doctor when she grows up, deciding she doesn't want any family to "fuss over", to Daisy's shock.
• Robin "Rob" Bhaer: Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer's five-year-old son. He is attached to his mother and is very loyal to her. He also likes to be a part of the other children's activities, such as huckleberry picking.
• Teddy Bhaer: Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer's two-year-old son.
• Emil Hoffmann: A fourteen-year-old boy who is raised by his uncle, Mr. Bhaer. He has an intense love for the sea, and wants to be a sailor when he grows up. He is very determined, refusing to give up in a fistfight with Dan. Although he is guilty of having a bad temper, he is outgoing and friendly.
• Franz Hoffmann: Emil's responsible sixteen-year-old brother. He goes on errands into town for the school until Dan takes the job. He is the oldest boy at Plumfield and helps Mr. Bhaer teach classes.
• Ned Barker: A fourteen-year-old boy, called "Blunderbuss" because he regularly runs into, trips across, or knocks things over by accident. He likes to brag but isn't very brave and is described as someone that "could very easily be led astray".
• Jack Ford: A twelve-year-old boy who was sent to Plumfield because it was cheap. He steals Tommy's money and allows Nat and then Dan to be blamed for the theft. After this uproar, he runs away, leaving a letter confessing that he was the thief. After Jack's uncle hears about these events, he thrashes Jack and forces him to return, not realizing that his nephew was only following the example he put forth.
• George "Stuffy" Cole: A twelve-year-old boy, spoiled by his mother and her many sweetmeats. He is overweight, constantly talks about food and hates exercise.
• Dick Brown: An eight-year-old boy with a crooked back. At first, some of the boys make fun of him, but then they learn to accept him. He is an amiable boy, so much that Demi solemnly asks if having a crooked back makes a person good.
• Billy Ward: A mentally challenged thirteen-year-old boy. When younger he was remarkably intelligent, until an episode of brain fever. Although the Bhaers struggle to teach him things as simple as the alphabet, they continue to patiently and tirelessly work with him. Billy is especially fond of Nat and loves listening to him play the violin.
• Adolphus "Dolly" Pettingill: An eight-year-old boy with a stutter. Mr. Bhaer tries to cure him of it by making him talk slowly.

Other characters[edit source | editbeta]

• Josephine "Jo" Bhaer: The owner of the school and the "mother" to all of the children. She lives a very busy life, taking care of her husband, sons, and students at Plumfield, and visiting her mother and sisters. She is described as having a "merry sort of face" and rightly so, for she is cheerful person, still tempted to play the children's games.
• Friedrich (Fritz) Bhaer: Mrs. Jo's husband, Rob and Teddy's father, and Franz and Emil's uncle. Originally from Germany, he is a kind-hearted, wise and caring man, taking the time to talk and spend time with each child as well as directing their education.
• Theodore "Laurie/Teddy" Laurence: Amy's husband, and good friend of Jo, who is the only one allowed to call him "Teddy". He is a fun-loving, wealthy young man, and is very generous when it comes to the needs of the school and its students. He makes frequent visits to the school, usually taking his daughter Bess with him.
• Elizabeth "Bess" Laurence: Laurie and Amy's five-year-old daughter, nicknamed "Goldilocks" or "Princess". She often visits Plumfield, where she is almost worshipped by the pupils. She lives a very sheltered life and is horrified by cruelty or dirtiness.
• Asia: The cook employed at Plumfield. She is sometimes irritable but loves the children.
• Mary Ann: A pretty maid employed at Plumfield.
• Margaret "Meg" Brooke: Daisy, Demi, and Josie's mother, John Brooke's wife, and Mrs. Jo's oldest sister. She loves her family dearly, and quietly cares for each of them. 
• Amy Laurence: Jo's youngest sister, Mr. Laurence's wife, and Bess's mother. A feisty character in "Little Women", she lacks any distinctive personality in "Little Men".
• Josephine "Josie" Brooke: John and Meg Brooke's four-year-old daughter and Daisy and Demi's sister. She receives many hand-made clothing articles from Daisy.
• John Brooke: Meg Brooke's husband and Demi, Daisy, and Josie's father.