Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is available in versions that are annotated, illustrated, zombified, and spun off into tales of supporting characters and future speculation. Enter into the field this delightful diary version designed to introduce young readers to the classic. Capturing the quick-witted Elizabeth's personality, the story is told in journal entries, augmented with the author's visually appealing illustrations (people, pets, sidenotes, etc.), all attributed to Lizzy as if she were painting them herself. The book also includes scrapbook-like features, such as notes to flip open, as well as announcements, a playbill, and the Meryton Ball schedule of events. (Although the scrapbook entries are of high-quality heavyweight stock, the question of how long the notes and letters will last in a library remains.) Still, this is the perfect read-together for a mother, grandmother, older sister, or aunt, with a delivery method that makes the well-worn story immediate and accessible.

Pride and Prejudice's Lizzy Bennet tells her story in an illustrated-diary format. Williams embroiders the original narrative with details of life in Regency England; lines from Austen's novel are woven smoothly into the entries. Foldout letters pasted to the pages, archival images, and superimposed photos of pressed flowers add a period feel to the whole. This offers a pleasing if less rich variant on the classic novel.

Young readers not quite ready to tackle Pride and Prejudice directly but who are yet intrigued by it might enjoy this loving tribute by the indefatigable Williams. The entire story of Jane Austen's masterpiece is told in diary format by Lizzy herself, including all the important particulars: the arrival of Mr. Bingley to Netherfield Park, her meeting with the "disagreeable" Mr. Darcy, the proposal of the insufferable Mr. Collins, the antics of Lizzy's giddy sisters and the loss of her beloved sister Jane's heart to Mr. Bingley. Although Lizzy notes that she is 20, the tone is very much that of a younger girl, as is suitable for her audience. Tiny sketches, watercolors, recipes and wonderful little foldouts of invitations, letters and other minutiae encourage much perusing. Dried flowers, reproductions of paintings and other objects are worked into the diary collages, as are comments by Lizzy about dresses, ribbons and delicacies. Her delight in walking through the fields and opening her mind to many things is evident, and of course, it all ends with the appropriate weddings. Whether there's a readership for this is open to question, but it is certainly done well. Miss Austen would probably be pleased. (Dear Reader note) (Fiction/pastiche. 8-12)

Gr 5-8 Well before graphic novels became popular with children, Williams was offering graphical versions of classics with her retelling of Don Quixote (1993), which she followed with versions of myths, legends and folklore, including The Canterbury Tales (2007) and Robin Hood (1995, all Candlewick). Here she offers Pride and Prejudice in an illustrated diary with elements of a scrapbook. Williams incorporates invitations and letters (sometimes abridged but in the original language of the novel) as fold-out additions to Lizzie Bennet's narrative. The text, which is skillfully written, retains the spirit of the novel and is true to the plot. The writing is crisp and spare as a diary might be. The illustrations are delightful. Williams includes miniature portraits of some of the key characters, including the diarist herself. The other illustrations reflect beautifully the time and place of the novel. Among the tiny drawings are those of birds, flowers, fashion, the waistcoat Lizzie is sewing for her father, food, people, places, and things. Williams's feathers, leaves, and flowers are drawn so expertly that they beg to be touched. Photos and maps are also effectively incorporated into the diary. Readers who love Pride and Prejudice , and appreciate graphic novels, will savor the book, and any reader who hasn't read the original is likely to be motivated to do so. Maralita L. Freeny, District of Columbia Public Library