No School To-Morrow

Margaret Ashmun's 1925 novel for young girls, No School To-morrow, is a charming and evocative depiction of an American school vacation from 90 years ago. It begins on that first day in June, when "the long vacation lies before you, going on and on, almost forever." Nine-year-old Louise Martin has no end of things to occupy her, whether playing with her friends or her cat Flora, going swimming, reading books, picking strawberries, or playing in the barn. There are movies to see, boat rides to enjoy, bonfires, fireworks, and picnics. And just like today - the days go faster and faster as the summer rolls on. This edition begins with a short preface by Amy Wilentz, winner of a 2013 National Book Critics Circle Award for her memoir Farewell, Fred Voodoo. Ms. WIlentz first read No School To-morrow in 1962 when she was 8 years old. Asked by The Los Angeles Times to write about a book that mattered in her life, she wrote recently, "No School To-morrow was the first chapter book I ever read. Every moment of it shone out for me with the reality of true experience. I lived inside this book and read it over and over ... In rereading it as an adult, I realized that this plain book, with its modicum of story and its radiant language, was what set me on the path to becoming a writer."