Classic Connections

 Classic Connections is one of my favorite chapters in my book, and I find myself gravitating to modern re-imaginings of stories I know and love, so I can add them to the unit.  This month I am recommending Being Mary Bennet by JC Peterson, which of course references Pride and Prejudice, Great or Nothing, a retelling of Little Women written by Joy McCullough, Tess Sharp, Jessica Spotwood, and Caroline Tung Richmond, and Love and Other Great Expectations by Becky Dean, which involves a scavenger hunt in England to the sites of many British classics. 

Being Mary Bennet, a contemporary homage to Pride and Prejudice, introduces bookish Marnie Barnes, a typical middle child, who feels unseen in light of her older and younger sisters' accomplishments.  She decides to design a program for children to read to shelter dogs, in the hope of winning the Hunt Prize, which is given for innovation to a senior at her prep school.  When her roommate Adhira accuses her of being a Mary Bennet (nerdy and annoying), she goes on a quest to prove herself otherwise.  Adhira introduces her to Whit, a volunteer at the animal shelter, who helps her get her project off the ground, But despite his interest in her, Mary keeps coming back to her childhood crush on the odious Hayes Wellesley, who is wooing her to get her father to invest in his new company.  As Marnie struggles to come out of her shell and be generous to others and more understanding of her family, she realizes that she needs to embrace the positive qualities of Mary Bennet and become the heroine of her own story.

Great or Nothing, a reimagining of Little Women set in 1942, finds Meg at home with Marmee, as her boyfriend John, her father, and their family friend Laurie are off at war.  The family is struggling with Beth's death and grieves in a variety of ways.  The sisters have a falling out and Jo heads off to work as a riveter at an airplane factory, Amy lies about her age and joins the Red Cross in London, and Marmee buries herself in charity work.  Meg resents her sisters leaving and flirts with dating another man, Jo finds herself attracted to a female journalist, and Amy runs into Laurie in London, where they fall in love.  The stories, penned by four different authors, are told by Jo, Meg, and Amy, with Beth adding free verse observations between chapters. More than distance separates the girls, as they struggle toward adulthood and rediscovering their sisterhood. 

In Love and Other Great Expectations, Britt Hansen, whose soccer career has been ended by a knee injury, receives a mysterious invitation to go on a literary scavenger hunt through England. The $100,000 prize will keep her UCLA dreams alive after she loses her athletic scholarship.  Her English teacher has arranged an all-expense-paid trip for a scavenger hunt based on Canterbury Tales. The four student competitors must solve riddles that lead them to the sites of literary masterpieces, where another riddle awaits. Each student must complete a journal for the competition.  Britt is accompanied by Alexis, a snarky chaperone, as well as Al's cousin Luke who is avoiding problems of his own.  He is a literature major who helps her become acquainted with the books referenced on the hunt. As the outgoing Britt follows the clues, she makes friends and charms Luke in the process. Britt, who is not a strong reader or writer, must become acquainted with the great literary works that are part of the hunt and find a way to stand out in the process. Along with the history and backbiting competition between the four students, the mystery as to how and why this competition is being financed keeps the reader guessing.  The references to great British literature are informative for Britt and the reader, and the "will they or won't they romance" between her and Luke adds a sweet charm to this delightful novel.