"Tomorrow I shall put away my fuss and feathers and be perfectly good again"

When I was younger I always judged books by their cover. I choose to read the pretty books with the vibrant covers and cute characters plastered on the front over the old worn and dull books. That being said, the fact that I ever even gave the plain and shabby olive green book sitting on the public library shelf a second glance was a wonder on its own.

Little Women. It seemed like a slightly unusual, yet cute name for a book. I read the inside cover and despite the book’s appearance and musty smell, I decided to give it a try. I don’t remember exactly how old I was when I discovered this book, probably in the 5^th or 6^th grade, but once I started reading it I remember not being able to stop. I couldn’t get enough of the adventure, love, and interaction among the March sisters throughout the story. I loved the oddness a girl being named Jo, and the boy next door being named Laurie. I never could wrap my head around the fact that Laurie, Jo’s soul mate, never ended up with Jo, but instead her bratty younger sister; however I eventually learned to accepted it because, after all, Jo ultimately found love and success in the end. I figured if that was good enough for Jo it would have to be good enough for me.

While this was the first time I read Little Women it wasn’t the last. I checked that book out every summer for the next few years and eventually purchased my own copy to read whenever my heart desired. Not only did this become my favorite book for years to come, but it also taught me a very important lesson. It made me wonder how many great books I had missed out on because I passed them over. As cliché as it may be, reading Little Women taught me to never judge a book by its cover.