I used to borrow this book from the library over and over! (About 20 years ago...) I couldn't remember the correct spelling of the character's name - so I've had some difficulty finding it. I'm so happy to finally find it! It was absolutely my favorite childhood book for a few years (probably from about age seven to ten). It's poignant and sweet and I recommend it for any young girl who likes classics and is a bit of a dreamer. It's quirky - like The Ordinary Princess (another one of my childhood favorites).

I was so disappointed to hear that this book has been taken out of print. It was a favorite of mine when I was in grade school (probably third grade or so).

The book details the adventures of Luvvy and her boarding-school classmates in early twentieth-century Maryland. Luvvy is a bit of a tomboy, and she is constantly getting into trouble. While she is a constant source of concern to the nuns who run her school, Luvvy has a good heart. She befriends a lonely orphan named Agatha and takes her along on her crazy adventures. This is a wonderful book to give to a little girl who loves to read and doesn't quite fit into the traditional feminine mold.

In this "prequel" to "Luvvy and the Girls", Luvvy's half sisters come from boarding school to live with her and the rest of the Savage family for the summer. Luvvy wants desperately to be "one of the girls", but is ultimately left out with the "little kids". When tragedy strikes the Savage family, the perspective of everyone changes, and any separation of "them and us" falls away- along with some of Luvvy's innocence. Luvvy is accepted into the "Girls" circle,where she sees how unimportant her desperation has been. I recommend this from ages 10 and up; there is some intense emotion. A wonderful look at American lifestyle in the era, and well-written with exceptional insight into a young girl's complex emotions.

This is the wonderful story of a group of girls living in an orphanage in France. It is a tale of love and friendship and adventure. It comes away with the message that your family is whoever happens to love and care for you. With beautiful illustrations by Garth Williams. This was one of my favorite books as a child, and I finally got one located through amazon.com-every time I see it on the shelf, I get a little whif of childhood, and it's a perfume for all ages.

I was a little girl when I read this book. Now I am grown and I have always wondered where to get this book. I even remembered the name of it after all these years.

The Family Under the Bridge is about an old crabby hobo named Armand who had nothing but the raged clothes on his back and a little baby buggy with his belongings. He lived in crowded corners and alleys and then in the winter he would live under a bridge. One winter, he was surprised to find three children living under his bridge, and to make matters worse, Armand absolutely hated children. He decided to find another bridge since there were many bridges in Paris, but the children begged him to stay. He softened his heart and decided to stay with the three children and their mother. Armand took the children along with him while he traveled around the streets. It was not long before Armand realized he had gotten himself a family- one he loved with all his heart. They stayed together and Armand soon found a job and got a house for the five of them to live in.

I enjoyed The Family Under the Bridge but it wasn't one of my all-time favorites. It was fairly entertaining. Many parts of the book were exciting and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next, but there were also some slow parts. Overall I thought it was a pretty good book.

This book, The Family Under the Bridge, is about an old hobo named Armand. He and a family live in Paris.
Armand the old hobo pushed all of his belongings around in an old baby buggy, that had no hood.
One day Armand took the Calcet children, Suzy, Paul, & Evelyne to see Father Christmas.
A whilr later, Armand took the children and their mother to a gypsy camp where they lived for a few days. But then the gypsys moved away and they were again homeless.
And because Armand loved the children so much he got a job at the Halles. And while he was there he could picture the wholr family sitting and playing in the house.
And until then they have lived happily ever after.

Armand is a hobo who lives in Paris, under a bridge. He begs and does odd jobs for money to take care of himself and buy food. One day he finds a mother and her three children in his "home", under the bridge. At first he is gruff and unhappy about sharing the bridge, but in time he begins to like and help care for this poor homeless family. As Christmas nears, the children ask for nothing except a home of their own and Armand comes up with a plan to make their wish come true. Natalie Savage Carlson has written a beautiful, sensitive story full of humor, insight and wisdom. With fast paced, interesting scenes, young readers will be able to identify with the characters of the children in the story and begin to understand the meaning of family and the rewards of giving and accepting help from others. Perfect for children aged 9-12, this is also a great read-aloud book the entire family can enjoy and discuss. The Family Under the Bridge is a thoughtful, heartwarming story and Ms Carlson deserved all the awards this book won.

As a child, this was one of my favorite books. I loved the idea of running away if I was spanked for being naughty, as Marie Louise does in this book. Marie Louise, a mongoose, visits several other species of mothers in her search for a new mother. After consulting the mysterious star-spangled Witch Toad (my favorite character) she discovers that her own mother is running away, too. They decide to return to their thatched hut in the sugar cane field together. This ending appealed to me in a variety of ways. Marie Louise discovers that her own mother is the best, after all. When I was six, it was hard to believe that at times, but "Runaway Marie Louise" helped me realize that your parents will still love you even when you're naughty. Maybe I should have read this book as a teenager, too. Marie Louise's mother says, "It would be lonely with no one to love and care for." That applies to everyone. We all desire solitude, but after a time crave loving companionship, and someone to "make a fluffy, puffy omelet" for us.