  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 01/01/2018 K-Gr 4—In this engaging picture book biography, Pliscou emphasizes young Jane Austen's power through a refrain: she "watched, listened, thought." Page by page, the author's sharply observed girlhood stories evolve into "funny, thoughtful" novels. Pliscou pays careful attention to the young woman's artistic development within her family's literary culture. If Austen is a brave rebel as the title suggests, her artistic vision is one that is always supported by her relatives. As Pliscou notes, a "girl who didn't marry was odd. A failure. Maybe both," yet she was able to remain unmarried and craft stories with complex female characters. Austen's successful single life, her clear-eyed attention to social interactions, and talent for storytelling are presented as an act of rebellion. This story of quiet courage is emphasized by Corace's watercolor illustrations. Blocks of solid color set off details of books in a shelf or a quilt. In one remarkable spread, delicate silhouettes of her ladylike routine are juxtaposed by snippets of text that note how, "in between all this," she continued to write. Supplementary material includes historical context, favorite Austen quotes, and further reading. For older Janeites, Pliscou has also written a YA biography, Young Jane Austen: Becoming a Writer. VERDICT An eye-catching primer for appreciating literature and a remarkable woman.—Katherine Magyarody, Texas A&M University, College Station - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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