Louisa May Alcott, more famously known for her âLittle Womenâ series, takes a familiar nursery rhyme and creates a whole novel out of it in one of her last books âJack and Jill: A Village Storyâ. The story follows the lives of two 13-year-old neighbors, Jack and Jill, in the fictional Harmony Village. They go sledding on the first day of the season whereupon their adventurous natures and competitiveness get the better of them. After sledding down a particularly treacherous slope, both are seriously injured. Patience and sweetness of temperament arenât Jack and Jillâs strong suits, and both struggle at times to control their tempers. Luckily they have the influence of their sweet mothers and a group of steadfast friends to show them the virtues of patience and fill their days with the joys of Christmas preparations, a theatrical production and many other imaginative events. As an early forerunner of the âtough loveâ philosophy of child rearing, âJack and Jillâ is indeed an interesting and entertaining read.