The Little Match Girl Strikes back is a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic folk tale, but with a social justice focus.  In this version, the little match girl has a name- Bridie.  She sells matches made in the factory where her mother works.  Despite long hours in dangerous working conditions, their family struggles to pay rent and put food on the table.  Bridie decides to strike her last three matches instead of selling them, and experiences a bit of magic that shows her a better life for her family and how to accomplish this.  Once the magic wears off, Bridie helps to lead a strike at the match factory, demanding pay increases and a safer work environment.  The author’s note reveals that this is based on a true story of a London strike in 1888.  This chapter book would be most appropriate for upper elementary/middle school students.  Readers will enjoy Bridie’s tenacious and fiery spirit, which is reflected in the illustrations that are black and white, save for Bridie’s red hair and the red of the match flame.  This is a quick read as the pages are small in size and the font is larger, but the living and working conditions described in the text and the power of the women to improve them, will stick with readers long after they finish reading.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library