Eight Cousins, or the Aunt Hill — Louisa May Alcott

Orphaned Rose Campbell can't bear the thought of one more dreary day at boarding school. With nowhere else to go, she arrives at the "Aunt Hill" to live with her six aunts and seven boy cousins.

Life at the Aunt Hill is bewildering at first, and timid Rose often feels overwhelmed by the high spirits and antics of her mischievous cousins. To make matters worse Rose's guardian, Uncle Alec, won't let her drink coffee, makes her eat oatmeal -- which she detests -- and wants her to exchange her pretty dresses for baggy brown smocks. Will Rose ever feel at home with this noisy new family?

As in her other books, Louisa May Alcott describes American life after the Civil War. Yet these long-ago times are as alive as ever for today's readers, who will delight in this cheerful tale, continued in Rose in Bloom.