One to Grow On

by Jean Little

Janie Chisholm doesn’t really mean to tell lies. It’s just that sometimes her stories get out of control and it gets her into trouble. No one in her family takes her seriously, and she’s not very well liked at school. So Janie is thrilled when her grandmother offers to take her to the cottage in the summer. Just when she thinks she’s gotten away from everything, Lisa, a girl Janie knows from home, has been invited to stay over and could ruin everything. Can she and Lisa become real friends?

Genres: Canada, Childrens

136 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Jean Little (January 02, 1932 - April 06, 2020) was a Canadian author, born in Taiwan, but who lived most her life in Guelph, Ontario.

Little's work mainly consisted of children's literature, but she also wrote two autobiographies: Little by Little and Stars Come Out Within.

She is a Member of the Order of Canada and a recipient of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Jean Little Public School, in Guelph, Ont. is named in her honour.

Little had been partially blind since birth as a result of scars on her cornea and was frequently accompanied by her guide dog. While her death occurred during the onset of the pandemic, it was not attributed to COVID-19.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only complaint I have about this book is it was too short. I would have loved to have the story of the entire summer and whether or not the three girls became real friends. But it's Jean Little so 4 stars!

[Rayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Janie will help you to stop and ponder your life and discover who you want to be. This girl is a perfect example of how all girls should be: she doesn't do things because it's what girls do, she doesn't let other people tell her what to do, and she doesn't accept anything without a reason. Strongly recommended for young girls who need some guidance or a teaching of life lessons.

[Audrey Ettinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent nostalgic re-read. Again, traditional family structures, but young girls being encouraged to think about themselves as having agency.

The property Aunt Tilly buys eventually gets called Gilead -- lovely, while watching The Handmaid's Tale at the same time!

Janie is a great heroine -- very real and flawed, but with a good heart. The other kids have fairly tragic lives (Pam is an orphan who lives with an elderly aunt, Lisa is a "poor little rich girl" whose parents neglect her to the point that she is a manipulative liar) which are treated rather matter-of-factly.

I especially love the list of "things to do" in their rustic retreat! Useful for a housebound summer.

[Ellen H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-reading the Jean Little books of my youth and I'm really surprised by how well they hold up. They're startlingly well-written for "issue books" -- written at a time when there weren't so many "issue books", and the issues were often different than you'd see to day in tween literature -- and they make me realize where my standards for good writing came from -- from reading both classics of children's lit and from reading well-written books of the time as well.

[Danielle Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet coming of age book for young people, with themes around telling the truth and seeing other people’s needs and problems. Wholesome, nostalgic, with a Gene Stratton Porter vibe. 4 stars because it’s short and I wanted more overall- I feel like young people will just get into and then it’s over, but excellent overall.

[Rita]

1969. Young Adult
I HAVE THIS LITTLE BOOK
No idea if I've read it

[WeeWaa13]

It was a really good book, that taught a lesson. Don't lie, because if you do, nobody will ever believe you even if what you are saying is true.

[Cws]

JAR5-Lit