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A Girl of the Limberlost,
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Dorothy Douthit
My mother read it to me and my siblings when I was around 12. I loved it and all the other books she read to us. That's why I love to read now and read often to my 10year old grandson.
Evelyn
I also read it in high school and it became one of my favorites. Kilian is correct, there is no sex or graphic violence, although one of the supporting characters, Billy (along with his sister and brother) is malnourished and neglected by his alcoholic father at the start of the book. He's plucky and upbeat, <spoiler>and he gets rescued and adopted into a loving family (and his siblings are taken care of too),</spoiler> but the initial descriptions are sad and a little upsetting.
There are also mentions of children who died young of illness, a character in the process of dying of cancer (not described in detail), and references to childbirth and adultery that are so oblique to modern readers you'll probably need to explain them.
So I second Kilian's recommendation. 12 and up, maybe 10 if the child is unusually advanced and savvy (or experienced with vintage fiction), maybe 14 if s/he's sensitive or not great with older prose. Hope that helps!
There are also mentions of children who died young of illness, a character in the process of dying of cancer (not described in detail), and references to childbirth and adultery that are so oblique to modern readers you'll probably need to explain them.
So I second Kilian's recommendation. 12 and up, maybe 10 if the child is unusually advanced and savvy (or experienced with vintage fiction), maybe 14 if s/he's sensitive or not great with older prose. Hope that helps!
Kilian Metcalf
There is no graphic sex or violence. I read it in high school and loved it. I've reread it several times since, and it stands up well. I would say 12 years and up depending on the reader's ability to navigate the old-fashioned language and understand the underlying conflict between daughter and mother.
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