Mischievous Meg

I was first introduced to his book when I was 8, my mom read it with me because my name is Megan. I love it and it is one of my childhood favorites. I plan to read it to my children when the time comes. An absolute classic, I would suggest it to anyone.

I have loved this book since I was a child. Astrid Lindgren always had strong, female characters that I could readily identify with and cheer and Meg is no exception. Bright and spirited, Meg is never at a loss for concocting well intentioned mischief. She fashions a parachute out of an umbrella and jumps off the roof. She suffers from a concussion and has to endure the gloating of her bratty little sister and the foolish housekeeper who gloatingly insist that it is not Meg who gets into trouble; rather, it is the mythical imp, "Sebastian Loki." The pair taunt poor Meg into a frenzy with their Sebastian stories, which I thought was mean. Meg rebounds and is back with a BANG! In fact, she cuts her own bangs, defaces a picture of the Queen in one of her history books and blames her recent spate of mischief on a classmate named "Richard." As you have already guessed by now, there was no Richard. Meg was just being..well, bright, irrepressisible, high spirited MEG! I love her! I also loved the cultural enrichment this book provided. The description of the Swedish Christmas was a bonus treat. This is the kind of book that binds generations. It is timeless.

This is a delightful children's book. I remembered it fondly from my childhood, and my daughter was equally enchanted when I read it to her. Months after reading the book together, we still laugh at some of the unforgetable misadventures of Meg. The beautiful description of a Scandinavian Christmas, seen through a child's eyes, is also memorable. I have never understood how this treasure by the author of "Pippi Longstocking" could have been so overlooked.

This is a wonderful book that I read as a child and bought as an adult. If you were mischievous yourself and remember what it was like, get this book for your child or yourself. Great fun.