A Little Less Girl Theme of Home

Home is where the heart is, right? But what happens when you've never had a home? While most of the characters in A Little Less Girl are born and raised in Raynesville, Dani and her mom have never had an actual place to call home. They've just jumped around from rentals to hotels, and in Dani's case, to foster homes. No fun. When they finally move into Grammie's house, they can both settle down and start living the good life. A house might not automatically be a home, but this one sure feels like it to Dani. Yay.

Questions About Home

  1. Why didn't Dani want to go live with her grandmother and cousin instead of her drug-addicted mom? What does this tell you about Dani's concept of home?
  2. How do Jake and Dani have differently attitudes toward home? Be specific. What does this tell you about their characters?
  3. Does Dani's mom change her tune about their new home throughout the novel? If so, why?

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

Dani doesn't want to change anything in Grammie's house because she loves that the place reminds her of her dearly departed family members. It's part of why it feels like home.

Dani's mom comes to see Grammie in a new light once she lives in her home (and starts going through her record collection).