Book Review: Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace, illustrated by Lois Lenski

Release Date: 1940; paperback reissued in 2000
Publisher: HarperCollins
Age Group: Children
Pages: 144

Source: My local library.

Summary:
Best Friends Forever
There are lots of children on Hill Street, but no little girls Betsy's age. So when a new family moves into the house across the street, Betsy hopes they will have a little girl she can play with. Sure enough, they do—a little girl named Tacy. And from the moment they meet at Betsy's fifth birthday party, Betsy and Tacy becomes such good friends that everyone starts to think of them as one person—Betsy-Tacy.
Betsy and Tacy have lots of fun together. They make a playhouse from a piano box, have a sand store, and dress up and go calling. And one day, they come home to a wonderful surprise—a new friend named Tib.
Ever since their first publication in the 1940's, the Betsy-Tacy stories have been loved by each generation of young readers. (From HarperCollins.com)
______________________________________________
I was in a reading slump in the last week of July; I started book after book, but none of them held my interest. A couple weekends ago, the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace came up in a conversation with one of my co-workers at the library, and I decided to try the first book in the series, Betsy-Tacy. This series has been on my reading list for nearly a year since I received review copies of reprints of Lovelace's Deep Valley books and fell in love with Lovelace's prose and the Betsy-Tacy universe.*

As soon as I picked up Betsy-Tacy, my reading slump un-slumped.

For children, it's an easy-to-read, yet artfully told story about two best friends who go on adventures and make up games in their own backyards.

For parents or people working with children, it's a great read-aloud option.

And for childless adults and young adults, it's a mini time travelling vacation to all the good things of childhood. Lovelace has a knack for switching from realistic description to make-believe and back again. Betsy and Tacy's friendship begins around Betsy's fifth birthday, and I had fun watching that friendship grow and reading about their cute--and sometimes hilarious--made-up games.

I also enjoyed the illustrations by Lois Lenski, who won a Newbery for Strawberry Girl in 1946. They go well with Lovelace's poetic imagery.** Here's one of my favorites from Betsy-Tacy:

Image source: a clock without hands

Beautiful.

I recommend Betsy-Tacy to beginning chapter book readers who like stories about unlikely friendships, as well as readers of all ages--especially historical fiction enthusiasts--who are looking for a quick, amusing, and heart-warming read. Lovelace's prose felt worn-in, classic, and infinitely re-readable. I'm already looking forward to reading the next Betsy-Tacy book, Betsy-Tacy and Tib.***
______________________________________________
*Emily of Deep Valley and Carney's House Party and Winona's Pony Cart
**If it were a contest, Maud Hart Lovelace would be in the running for Queen of Description.
***Which I will have to ILL, since--sadly--I can't find a public or university library in town that owns it.

Book Review: Carney's House Party and Winona's Pony Cart by Maud Hart Lovelace

Release Date: October 12, 2010 (reprint)

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Age Group: YA/children's/crossover
Pages: 448

Source: Review copy from publisher.

Summary:

It is the summer of 1911 and Carney Sibley is back home in her beloved town of Deep Valley, Minnesota. She's looking forward to hosting a month-long house party, with guests including her Vassar college roommate Isobel Porteous and old chum Betsy Ray. With lots of the old Crowd and a new friend -wealthy, unkempt but lovable Sam Hutchinson-around, the days are filled with fun. And romance seems to be in the air. But Carney can never be romantic about anyone but Larry Humphreys, her high school sweetheart, who moved to California four years ago. Then Larry returns to Deep Valley and sets the town abuzz. Will Larry propose? And will Carney say yes?
Included with Carney's House Party is the bonus children's novel by Maud Hart Lovelace, Winona's Pony Cart. Winona Root is almost eight years old. More than anything in the world, she wants a pony for her birthday. She wishes so hard for a pony that she's sure to get one-at least, that's what she tells her friends Betsy, Tacy and Tib. It's only when the exciting day grows near that Winona begins to wonder: What if her father meant it when he said she couldn't have a pony? (From HarperCollins)
___________________________________________________
Carney and Winona* are characters from Maud Hart Lovelace's wildly popular Betsy-Tacy books. If you haven't heard of the series, you're not alone--the series began in 1940. Carney and Winona were first published in 1949 and 1953, respectively. The Betsy-Tacy books have maintained a loyal following ever since.** And from what I can tell, the people who like Maud Hart Lovelace's books really like them.

Carney and Winona join Emily of Deep Valley in a reprint of Two Deep Valley Books featuring characters from the Betsy-Tacy series. I recently read Emily and fell in love with Deep Valley, the setting of Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy books.

I expected to like Carney, and I did. The beginning of the book finds Carney at Vassar, finishing her sophomore year of college. There are pompadours, class day dresses, massive daisy chains, and hot cocoa parties. Everything about this novel is cute and cozy, yet smart. Lovelace brings up complex, real-life problems and offers insightful ideas that, as far as I can tell, are standing the test of time. (About sixty years, anyway.) Carney has been in love with Larry, who moved to California while the two were in high school, for years. They've been faithful pen pals, and she's sure he's the one. Like life, though, things don't always go how one expects. I won't spoil the story, but I will say that the romance is squeal-worthy. Carney contains one of my new favorite kissing scenes.

Maud Hart Lovelace based her books on her childhood, but she knew how to combine reality and fiction to make a good story. My favorite thing about the character of Carney is her ability to think and reason through her feelings. She's a strong, self-confident young woman.

Winona is short, sweet, and funny. Basically, Winona wants a pony. She also wants to invite lots of people to her birthday party. Misunderstandings both embarrassing and hilarious give way to a satisfying ending. Both Carney and Winona are written clearly (with younger readers in mind) and with the same sweet humor that stays just shy of too sugary. Carney was my favorite work of the two, but Winona seems like she'd be a favorite with children, especially when read aloud. In any case, don't let the children's lit category put you off these books. Carney's House Party and Emily of Deep Valley are easily some of the best books I've read in the last few years. They've earned the right to be called modern classics, and they possess enough humor and insight to satisfy all ages.***
___________________________________________________
*I keep wanting to call her Ramona; it's easier to type.
**The Betsy-Tacy Society in Mankato, MN. How many series with full blown historical societies do you know of?
***This book also contains a foreword from Melissa Wiley, another reader who discovered Lovelace's works as an adult. If you've ever wondered what prefacing a favorite--and classic--book is like, check out my interview with Mitali Perkins on prefacing Emily of Deep Valley.

Book Review: Emily of Deep Valley: A Deep Valley Book by Maud Hart Lovelace

Release Date: October 12, 2010 (reprint edition)
Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Age Group: Defies Categorization
Pages: 336

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Summary:
Emily Webster, an orphan living with her grandfather, is not like the other girls her age in Deep Valley, Minnesota. The gulf between Emily and her classmates widens even more when they graduate from Deep Valley High School in 1912. Emily longs to go off to college with everyone else, but she can’t leave her grandfather. Emily resigns herself to facing a “lost winter,” but soon decides to stop feeling sorry for herself. And with a new program of study, a growing interest in the Syrian community, and a handsome new teacher at the high school to fill her days, Emily gains more than she ever dreamed...

In addition to her beloved Betsy-Tacy books, Maud Hart Lovelace wrote three more stories set in the fictional town of Deep Valley: Winona’s Pony Cart, Carney’s House Party and Emily of Deep Valley. Longtime fans and new readers alike will be delighted to find the Deep Valley books available again for the first time in many years. (from Harper Perennial)
_______________________________________________
This is the first book I've read by Maud Hart Lovelace. I know of the Betsy-Tacy books, but I've never tried them; all I know was that the people who like them really like them.*

And now I think I know why.**

The first fifty pages of Emily of Deep Valley are charming--frilly dresses, a phonograph, ice cream and old-fashioned celebrations. They are also a little dull. Emily Webster loves high school. She likes learning and being on the debating team. Unfortunately, graduation day comes and spoils that. Most of Emily's friends are heading to college and starting new chapters in their lives, but she is stuck in Deep Valley. Her parents are dead, and she lives with her good-natured grandfather, who is too elderly to be left alone, so Emily gives up college to stay with him.

While fun-loving, Emily was never the center of her social circle, and she lives through her friends' pre-college jitters. She also has a crush on Don, a boy she is clearly too good for. In one scene, Don drops by unannounced and says,
"What, no cookies?"
"Why should there be cookies?" [Emily asked.]
"I'm used to having cookies brought out at my approach."

Emily gets him some cookies. Don continues to behave obnoxiously, and Emily makes excuses for his pomposity.

When Emily's friends leave for college, she becomes downcast--but the book becomes excellent. Emily of Deep Valley was originally released in 1950, but I found it still relevant. Girls are still making excuses for impolite boys, people still feel confused after high school, and dark moods still feel like this:

Depression settled down upon [Emily], and although she tried to brush it away it thickened like a fog. . . . "A mood like this has to be fought. It's like an enemy with a gun," she told herself. But she couldn't seem to find a gun with which to fight.

Emily eventually defeats her bad mood, and she decides to pick herself up and make something of her time. Through her new activities, Emily makes new friends and discovers that her education can continue without college.

She meets boys, too. Emily's love story is beautiful, and I'm having a hard time not posting spoilers. Suffice it to say that the romance is cute, semi-unexpected, and enjoyably sensible. Emily is a girl with a spine.

The most important thing Emily does with her time, though, is reach out to the community of Syrian immigrants just outside Deep Valley. The townspeople and children give the immigrant community a hard time because of their odd manners and broken English. Immigrants still come to America, and people still forget that poor English is not a synonym for "stupid." While idealistic, Emily of Deep Valley challenges readers to rethink their gut reactions to people who are different in manner and custom.

What really kept me reading, though, was the fun and romance. I loved being in Emily's world. (It's reminiscent of the Anne of Green Gables movies. No, I haven't read those books either. Shame on me.) Since the book is meant for children, it's written clearly, which means a fast, effortless read for teens and adults. That said, this book isn't reserved for children. I recommend Emily of Deep Valley to anyone looking for a cozy hot cocoa read with a brain, a heart, and enduring appeal complete with turn-of-the-century up-dos and manners. I'm adding the Betsy-Tacy books to my reading list.
 ___________________________________________
*The Betsy-Tacy Society, anyone?
**I didn't expect to be completely enamored of this book, but I can't stop telling my roommate how much I like it. She's going to throw something at me soon.