An excellent story!
Bridie is one of the many youngsters selling matches on the streets of Victorian London. Her mother works long hours in dangerous conditions as a dipper in the Bryant and May Match Factory and even her six-year-old brother, Fergal, spends long hours making matchboxes in their tiny home. When trouble strikes and leaves Bridie hurt and alone, with just three matches left, magic happens when she strikes each one, allowing her to see visions of a different, brighter future. Realising she can change the future, the little match girl leads the factory workers out on strike and to achieve remarkable things.
Based on the real-life events of the matchgirls’ strike, this is a re-working of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic ‘The Little Matchgirl’. Like the original matchgirl, Bridie is cold, poor and hungry, but that’s where the similarity ends. Flame haired Bridie sparks with life, using her skill as a storyteller to charm people into buying her matches. Her determination and street savvy attitude, essential to her survival, make her a far more rounded, appealing character than Anderson’s ‘little child’. Her indignation at the injustices she sees all around her – the appalling conditions her mother works in, the bullying pettiness of the male supervisors in the factory, her mother’s encroaching illness- is infectious, leading the reader to empathise with her situation, but unlike the original, to feel a genuine – and justifiable- anger targeted at those responsible.
Emma has done a wonderful job of including elements from the original story- the loss of the over-large slippers, the boy who takes them, the danger of carriages, the longing for goose- but has transformed the story into so much more. Stories like this are essential for broadening children’s knowledge of historical events not taught in school. Information from both author and illustrator is included at the end, accompanied by photographs, adding to the reader’s understanding of these events.
Lauren’s illustrations and the use of varied typography add to the appeal of the story and the elliptical breaks in chapters will support children who feel overwhelmed by lengthy chapters, offering natural places for them to take a break in their reading should they need to do so.
An excellent story!
A fascinating, inspirational and feel-good story!
I loved reading The Little Match Girl Strikes Back. It was a magical and uplifting story. The book follows a girl called Bridie who sells matches on the streets of Victorian London to help feed her poor family. Bridie was a courageous girl who stood up for what she thought was right. She was fearless in her protests for better working conditions and pay for her friends and family who worked at the match making factory. All through the book I was able to really imagine what it was like to be one of the workers in the factory and how tough life must have been for them. I think Bridie was a real inspiration and the story has left me feeling that no matter how young or old you are you can do anything you put your mind to. The illustrations just added to this amazing book, they can almost tell the story by themselves! If you enjoy history, strong female role models with a touch of magic – this book is a must read!
Brilliant book. The book will inspire generations to come. The fight for good will be forever fought, and in the end, won. The Little Match Girl Strikes Back shows kindness and bravery at its heart.
Let me just say, I loved The Little Match Girl Strikes Back! I loved the characters, and how they fought for a better future for themselves and others. It makes me see how much people should do the same for the things they want to change or are passionate about. My favourite character is Kip because he's first shown in a bad light but then you realise how kind he is and how he wants his friend to be happy. Bridie is a strong character and always tries to do what is best for her family even if it means starving for a while (in relation to the strike) or working as hard as she can. She is just like her mum in that sense. Her mum just cares for her children, and she is ready to sacrifice her life for them. My complaint is short. I was hoping the book could be a bit longer because, don’t get me wrong, I was hooked on the story, but it was over like a dream. This serves as not only a complaint but a push in the direction of writing a second book. This book also reminds me of the Suffragette Movement, how the women eventually fought for power and rights, in this case, for a better pay, and safer working conditions.
This is a soothing story of family. A great retelling of the story of the match girl strike.
This is an amazing story of Bridie and her family. She sells matches on the streets of Victorian London, convincing the people she sells them to that they are magical. However, she has never tried for herself and never expected what happens next.
I found this book really interesting because it had a great story line and also a lot of historical information. I really enjoyed the illustrations, they were creative and eye catching because they were made from different materials and patterns.
I found this book really interesting because it had a great story line and also a lot of historical information. I really enjoyed the illustrations, they were creative and eye catching because they were made from different materials and patterns.
I really enjoy traditional tales with a twist and I thought it was great idea of the author to have had the main character Bridie explain how she has read the traditional tale of The Matchstick Girl. Bridie is a character who feels angered by the reading of this story, she doesn't like how people pity The Matchstick Girl because she is poor. This is mirrored in her own life experience. As the story unfolds she explains her life and I found this sad because you see how people are living in terrible, unfortunate conditions, often through no fault of their own.
Just like the original Matchstick Girl character, Bridie sells matches, the matches her mum makes. When Bridie finds three broken matches and manages to relight them she also gets to make three wishes and sees what her life could be like. I thought this was a really inventive way to allow Bridie to think about how her life could be different and could take a new turn at any moment. My favourite wish was when she saw into the future where her life had gotten better and her family was happy. This was a really emotional part of the book.
Later in the story, I liked the part where all the matchstick women and girls went on strike because they were angry about the poor conditions and about being poisoned by the phosphorus the matches are being made with. I was really shocked to hear about the working conditions and I understand why they needed to strike.
The story explores Bridie's story of anger and hope and gives you an insight into the hardship the poor and match stick workers had to live within. A really great read as well as lots of education about a period of life in our country.
This book tells the story of Bridie, a young match girl who is determined to rewrite the original match girl story, and, with her somewhat empowering spirit and bravery, she is sure to do just that.
This book certainly lives up to the standards the author has set previously. With the illustrations complimenting it so beautifully.
The Little Match Girl Strikes Back tells the story of Bridie, a young match girl who is determined to rewrite the original match girl story, and, with her somewhat empowering spirit and bravery, she is sure to do just that. When she notices the cruel conditions her own mother and many other women have to work in, day in and day out, she decides to put up a stand.
I loved this book and am sure you will too.
This book was amazing, I recommend it to curious readers.
The Little Match Girl Strikes Back is an interesting book about the people that work in a match factory in London. The dippers became awfully ill because of the white dust from dipping the match sticks in the toxic solution. Bridie came up witH the idea of strike for better working conditions. This book was amazing, I recommend it to curious readers.
A lovely positive story about a girl who wants to make life better for other people.
Bridie Sweeney is a girl who lives in London during the Victorian period. She works at a match factory, where her job is to sell the matches. She was a very believable character who felt very real to me.
The conditions that Bridie works in aren't very good, but one day she discovers she has 3 magic matches that grant wishes. She uses her wishes to make life better for the people at the match factory.
It's a new version of the story of the Little Match Girl - but much happier! I like Lauren Child's drawings, and I've read a couple of Emma Carroll's other books and really liked them.
I'd give this book 5 stars because I really enjoyed it and couldn't put the book down. I just wanted to keep on reading!