Rating: Summary: It's great! Review: A trustee of the John Grier orphanage has offered to send Judy Abbott to college The only requirements are that she must write to him every month, and that she can never know who he is. She explores the world of college and its encounters. She meets Jervis Pendleton and adores him. She can't stop writing. You should definitely red this book. It has very funny pictures!
By Julie,10,New York City
Rating: Summary: I recommand to everyone in everyage Review: An unusual story that does not happen to anyone but possible.
Rating: Summary: A Worderful Story In My Life Review: At first,when i read this book,i feel a little bit bored.But till now,i think it is quite lovely & the ending also surprised me a lot.I also love the character,Judy Abbott!
Rating: Summary: A Great Book to Read during the Summer Review: Daddy Long Legs is a story about an orphan girl who is sent to college by an anonymous benefactor. Most of the book is the smart, witty, charming letters she writes to him. Even if this book was originally written in 1912 (and is therefore based in such a time period), it is a great summer read if you are feeling like you might need to be excited about school before you go back to it. Jerusha Abbott is very funny and sweet, and readers will love her. Also, her writing is very descriptive, so it's easy to get a picture of her life. I make it a tradition to read this before I go back to school. I hope you read it and like it as much as I do!
Rating: Summary: Daddy-Long-Legs is #1 Review: Daddy Long Legs is one of my favorite books of all time. It looks like an old book, but it is as current as any of todays best seller. Throughout the years, I have re-read Daddy-Long-Legs, time and time again. When I read this novel, I laughed and I cried. Each event that happens in this novel has you glued to your chair. In every letter that Judy (aka, Jurusha Abbott) writes to her favorite Daddy-Long-Legs, she tells of her daily life. She shares her happiness, her sadness, her everything, to a man that she doesn't know, but loves so much. I strongly recommend this book to anyone that has a dream that they think will never come true. After reading this book, you will know there are miracles. Dreams do come true.
Rating: Summary: Daddy Long-Legs is a wonderfully enjoyable story Review: Daddy-Long-Legs is a story about an orphan girl named Judy. One of the trustees of the orphanage decides to send her to college, and in return, she must write monthly letters. The gentleman refuses to give her his name, so she decides on Daddy Long-Legs. This book is the collection of Judy's letters. They are pages of fun to read (I read the entire book in one afternoon!) and the ending will really be a surprise. Ages 10 and up.
Rating: Summary: A Time-Less Classic Review: Daddy-Long-Legs is a story about an orphan named Jerusha Abbot, who lives in the John Grier Home. She is the oldest girl resident and therefore has countless responsibilities. All her life, she's lived in an orphanage, worn other people's used clothes, and therefore has been made fun of for being too poor to afford her own clothes. You would think that somebody growing up in a place as dull and uninspiring as the JGH would be dull and uninspired themselves, but Jerusha is anything but dull. In fact, she is a talented writer and her writing actually becomes her ticket to freedom from the horrible orphanage she's lived at all her life. While visiting the JGH one Wednesday, one of the trustees takes a particluar interest in Jerusha's writing and agrees to pay for her entire college tuition. All Jerusha has to do in return is to write him a detailed letter once a month, describing her education. As part of the agreement, the trustee refers to himself as "John Smith" and Jerusha is expected to know that he will never respond to her letters, so she shouldn't expect anything. Suddenly, naive and innocent Jerusha Abbot, whose first name comes from a tomb stone and last name was picked from the telephone directory, is released into the real world and she doesn't quite know what to do. Changing her name to Judy immediately after she arrives at the college, she tries her hardest to fit in and make up for the past 18 years of her life that she has lived completely without even the slightest access to the outside world. The entire book is composed of letters that Judy sends her benefactor, whom she calls Daddy-Long-Legs because the first and only time that she saw him, she saw his shadow stretching on the wall and making his legs appear very tall. There are also humorous illustrations that Judy drew of things that she saw from her perspective. Despite the fact that this book was published in 1912, Judy's opinions are surprisingly modern. This is a book that you'll read again and again, without ever getting tired, even though you already know the ending. It is a wonderful writing achievement and Jean Webster has truly got a grasp on what young adults like Judy think and say. I recommend this book to anyone over the age of 11 or 12. It's true that even 8 year-olds can read and enjoy this book, but I think that maybe younger readers may not understand the meaning and the message of the book and may not appreciate it the way older readers do. Also, if you like this book, you should also read "Dear Enemy", which is the sequel, and is written from the perspective of Judy's best friend and roommate, Sally McBride. Bravo Miss Webster, for writing two heart-warming and humorous books.
Rating: Summary: strong female book Review: Daddy-Long-Legs is an epistolary novel, written as a series of letters from Jerusha "Judy" Abbot to her anonymous benefactor, whom she calls Daddy-Long-Legs. A sixteen-year-old orphan earning her keep in the John Grier Foundling home, Jerusha has an active mind and pen. An anonymous benefactor sends her to college to become a writer, paying all her bills and providing a wardrobe and allowance, in exchange for monthly letters on her progress. Jerusha, having caught a glimpse of her extremely tall benefactor, begins addressing her letters to Daddy-Long-Legs. She tells him more than her academic progress in her chatty letters. She shares her insecurities about her social status, her crush on Jervis Pendleton, a floor mate's young uncle. She is outspoken and opinionated, never afraid to tell her "Daddy" about her political or moral views. She is a socialist, a suffragette, and a satirist. She lets him know when she is angry with him, and does not take his orders submissively. She questions everything. The plot is very much based on a Cinderella tale-poor Judy Abbott, orphan, falls in love with the rich Jervis Pendleton. The set-up of the story is not entirely realistic, and the resolution of the love story plot is rushed at the end of the novel. Daddy-Long-Legs, who heretofore has only financed boys' education, decides to send Jerusha to college based on a funny essay criticizing the very orphanage of which he is trustee. Mrs. Lippet, head of the orphanage, tells Jerusha, "On the strength of that impertinent paper, he has offered to send you to college" (12). Based on Jerusha's observations of the dignity bordering on oppressiveness of the trustees, this decision seems to go against her characterization. The communication between Jerusha and her benefactor is strange-he does not want his identity to be revealed, and she cannot address him as "Mr. Smith." She immediately starts addressing her letters to Daddy-Long-Legs and often refers to him as simply "Daddy." He is obviously a father figure to Judy, which is disturbing when it is revealed that Daddy-Long-Legs is also her love-interest, Jervis Pendleton. After Daddy-Long-Legs' identity is revealed, Webster quickly ties up the novel in a few paragraphs, but never resolves the father-figure as love interest. Judy writes in her final letter concerning addressing her Daddy-Long-Legs as Jervis, "Just plain Jervie sounds disrespectful, and I can't be disrespectful to you!" (160). The first person point-of-view of this novel allows the reader to get into the head of the main character, but limits characterization of others in the novel to Judy's impressions. She says of two of her classmates, "Sallie is the most entertaining person in the world-and Julia Rutledge Pendleton the least so. ...Sallie thinks everything is funny-even flunking-Julia is bored at everything. She never makes the slightest effort to be amiable. She believes that if you are a Pendleton, that fact alone admits you to heaven without any further examination. Julia and I were born to be enemies" (22). Despite the fact that Judy has such opinions of Julia, they become roommates, travel to New York City together, and Julia invites Judy to spend Christmas with her. Through her attempts at friendship, Julia doesn't seem as bad as Judy writes. However, because the point-of-view is limited, Julia is an uninteresting snob. Despite limitations, the voice and opinions revealed through the point of view seem authentic to the time and place of the novel. After learning her crush, Jervis, is a socialist, she decides to do some research on socialism. In her next letter to Daddy-Long-Legs, she writes, "Hooray! I'm a Fabian. That's a Socialist who's willing to wait. We don't want the social revolution to come tomorrow morning; it would be too upsetting" (119). The enthusiasm with which Judy embraces socialism, shopping, and Jervis Pendleton is typically adolescent. Her triumphs and failures expressed with enthusiasm or despair, and her letters reflect the vacillation of adolescent emotions. Key adolescent experiences and problems include embarrassment concerning family background and the flush of first love. Judy is justifiably embarrassed by being an orphan and wary of sharing her background with her upper class schoolmates. Most teenagers experience a certain amount of family embarrassment. Of course, for most teenagers, being raised in an orphanage is not something that they are familiar with. Judy's infatuation with Jervis Pendleton is also typically adolescent-she loves him, but doesn't realize she loves him. She cannot stop writing about him, and thinks about him a lot. She doesn't realize she's in love until late in the novel. To the reader, Judy clearly has a crush. It is interesting to watch her deal with her crush as an observer, hoping she is brave enough to share her feelings, and knowing that she already has in her letters to Daddy-Long-Legs.
Rating: Summary: I loved this book! Review: Daddy-Long-Legs is an epistolary novel, written as a series of letters from Jerusha "Judy" Abbot to her anonymous benefactor, whom she calls Daddy-Long-Legs. A sixteen-year-old orphan earning her keep in the John Grier Foundling home, Jerusha has an active mind and pen. An anonymous benefactor sends her to college to become a writer, paying all her bills and providing a wardrobe and allowance, in exchange for monthly letters on her progress. Jerusha, having caught a glimpse of her extremely tall benefactor, begins addressing her letters to Daddy-Long-Legs. She tells him more than her academic progress in her chatty letters. She shares her insecurities about her social status, her crush on Jervis Pendleton, a floor mate's young uncle. She is outspoken and opinionated, never afraid to tell her "Daddy" about her political or moral views. She is a socialist, a suffragette, and a satirist. She lets him know when she is angry with him, and does not take his orders submissively. She questions everything. The plot is very much based on a Cinderella tale-poor Judy Abbott, orphan, falls in love with the rich Jervis Pendleton. The set-up of the story is not entirely realistic, and the resolution of the love story plot is rushed at the end of the novel. Daddy-Long-Legs, who heretofore has only financed boys' education, decides to send Jerusha to college based on a funny essay criticizing the very orphanage of which he is trustee. Mrs. Lippet, head of the orphanage, tells Jerusha, "On the strength of that impertinent paper, he has offered to send you to college" (12). Based on Jerusha's observations of the dignity bordering on oppressiveness of the trustees, this decision seems to go against her characterization. The communication between Jerusha and her benefactor is strange-he does not want his identity to be revealed, and she cannot address him as "Mr. Smith." She immediately starts addressing her letters to Daddy-Long-Legs and often refers to him as simply "Daddy." He is obviously a father figure to Judy, which is disturbing when it is revealed that Daddy-Long-Legs is also her love-interest, Jervis Pendleton. After Daddy-Long-Legs' identity is revealed, Webster quickly ties up the novel in a few paragraphs, but never resolves the father-figure as love interest. Judy writes in her final letter concerning addressing her Daddy-Long-Legs as Jervis, "Just plain Jervie sounds disrespectful, and I can't be disrespectful to you!" (160). The first person point-of-view of this novel allows the reader to get into the head of the main character, but limits characterization of others in the novel to Judy's impressions. She says of two of her classmates, "Sallie is the most entertaining person in the world-and Julia Rutledge Pendleton the least so. ...Sallie thinks everything is funny-even flunking-Julia is bored at everything. She never makes the slightest effort to be amiable. She believes that if you are a Pendleton, that fact alone admits you to heaven without any further examination. Julia and I were born to be enemies" (22). Despite the fact that Judy has such opinions of Julia, they become roommates, travel to New York City together, and Julia invites Judy to spend Christmas with her. Through her attempts at friendship, Julia doesn't seem as bad as Judy writes. However, because the point-of-view is limited, Julia is an uninteresting snob. Despite limitations, the voice and opinions revealed through the point of view seem authentic to the time and place of the novel. After learning her crush, Jervis, is a socialist, she decides to do some research on socialism. In her next letter to Daddy-Long-Legs, she writes, "Hooray! I'm a Fabian. That's a Socialist who's willing to wait. We don't want the social revolution to come tomorrow morning; it would be too upsetting" (119). The enthusiasm with which Judy embraces socialism, shopping, and Jervis Pendleton is typically adolescent. Her triumphs and failures expressed with enthusiasm or despair, and her letters reflect the vacillation of adolescent emotions. Key adolescent experiences and problems include embarrassment concerning family background and the flush of first love. Judy is justifiably embarrassed by being an orphan and wary of sharing her background with her upper class schoolmates. Most teenagers experience a certain amount of family embarrassment. Of course, for most teenagers, being raised in an orphanage is not something that they are familiar with. Judy's infatuation with Jervis Pendleton is also typically adolescent-she loves him, but doesn't realize she loves him. She cannot stop writing about him, and thinks about him a lot. She doesn't realize she's in love until late in the novel. To the reader, Judy clearly has a crush. It is interesting to watch her deal with her crush as an observer, hoping she is brave enough to share her feelings, and knowing that she already has in her letters to Daddy-Long-Legs.
Rating: Summary: A wonderful, delightful book that captures a long-gone era! Review: Daddy-Long-Legs was one of my favorite books when I was about 12 or 13. What a great story - told by an enthusiastic, genuinely nice narrator. Judy Abbott is a great character, and the way her story unfolds thru her letters is great! Her friendships, life at a private girls college, and growing romance with her secret benefactor are all totally captivating to the reader. I look forward to reading this book again some 25 years after I first read it!
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