The four March girls work hard while their father is away at war. Meg, the eldest, teaches. Jo has to read to a bad-tempered old aunt every day. Beth helps at home with the housework, and Amy, the youngest, must go to school. Life is hard, but the girls still have time for fun. They enjoy going to parties and dances, even if they are too poor to buy new party dresses. They act in plays at Christmas, and when it is cold, they go skating on the river. Things get really interesting when Jo meets Laurie, the grandson of the rich old man who lives next door. The girls all learn something, and grow up a little, while their father is away. When he finally comes home, his 'little women' have a few surprises for him.

The New Oxford Progressive English Readers offer a great selection of classic novels and plays at six levels from renowned authors that have been abridged in the form of easy-to-read stories for children to enjoy.

The readers contain:

Adaptation of popular classics and modern fiction by well-known writers Wide range of titles within each grade allows students to read widely,enabling them to progress to the next level confidently Illustrated throughout Questions,activities,and background information such as cultural context,character profiles,and author biographies included A template at the end of the books to assist students in writing book reports Each book includes a complete list of all titles available in the series and relevant teaching resources