I was interested to see that you think of Miss Minchin’s as a school that’s not “horrible, just not perfect”. I would edge it toward horrible, myself, but I guess it depends on what criteria one uses. When I think of her school I think of Miss Minchin’s horrid favoritism, poor Ermingarde with her ignored learning disability, the general abuse of Becky, the apparent lack of real education. But I guess you contrast that with schools where the students are physically abused or something… my sister Kathleen and I were bemused once when we discovered that she thought of the boarding schools in Madeleine L’Engle books as bad places and I thought they sounded great.

Judy Abbott from Daddy-Long-Legs fits right in there with Sara and Anne. I always wish for more orphanage reminiscences from Judy, or that we were party to the scene where she finally admits to Sallie what her background is and tells her about the orphanage.

I wish I had kept a book journal as a kid. I know what I read but not when. And then after joining Maud-l, I was shocked at how much I had missed as a kid — and I thought I was fairly well-read!

I did read ALP and would guess it was in 6th grade or so because my best friend gave me a copy. I’ll always associate this title with her. Like you, I have not read it in decades. I do have a copy so will need to do that. Also like you, I give gifts to little girls who as obsessed with the Disney Princesses. That’s a great idea to give them a new twist on being a princess.