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Betsy-Tacy #4
Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown
Betsy, Tacy, and Tib are twelve—old enough to do lots of things...even go downtown on their own. There they see their first horseless carriage, discover the joys of the public library, and see a real play at the Opera House. They even find themselves acting in one! Best of all, they help a lonely new friend feel at home in Deep Valley—the most wonderful place in the world to grow up. Ever since their first publication in the 1940s, the Betsy-Tacy stories have been loved by each generation of young readers.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1943
57 people are currently reading
1745 people want to read
About the author
Maud Hart Lovelace
57 books719 followersMaud Hart Lovelace was born on April 25, 1892, in Mankato, Minnesota. She was the middle of three children born to Thomas and Stella (Palmer) Hart. Her sister, Kathleen, was three years older, and her other sister, Helen, was six years younger. “That dear family" was the model for the fictional Ray family.
Maud’s birthplace was a small house on a hilly residential street several blocks above Mankato’s center business district. The street, Center Street, dead-ended at one of the town’s many hills. When Maud was a few months old, the Hart family moved two blocks up the street to 333 Center.
Shortly before Maud’s fifth birthday a “large merry Irish family" moved into the house directly across the street. Among its many children was a girl Maud’s age, Frances, nicknamed Bick, who was to be Maud’s best friend and the model for Tacy Kelly.
Tib’s character was based on another playmate, Marjorie (Midge) Gerlach, who lived nearby in a large house designed by her architect father. Maud, Bick, and Midge became lifelong friends. Maud once stated that the three couldn’t have been closer if they’d been sisters.
Maud’s birthplace was a small house on a hilly residential street several blocks above Mankato’s center business district. The street, Center Street, dead-ended at one of the town’s many hills. When Maud was a few months old, the Hart family moved two blocks up the street to 333 Center.
Shortly before Maud’s fifth birthday a “large merry Irish family" moved into the house directly across the street. Among its many children was a girl Maud’s age, Frances, nicknamed Bick, who was to be Maud’s best friend and the model for Tacy Kelly.
Tib’s character was based on another playmate, Marjorie (Midge) Gerlach, who lived nearby in a large house designed by her architect father. Maud, Bick, and Midge became lifelong friends. Maud once stated that the three couldn’t have been closer if they’d been sisters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 284 reviews
June 5, 2017
I continue to be amazed at how much I've been enjoying this series on this long-overdue rereading of it. I feel like I know the characters so well, but I found I didn't remember the incidents at all, so it all felt fresh and delightful. My favorite part of this particular book was the Christmas shopping chapter, but I also was very amused at the part when Betsy Tacy and Tib attempt to hypnotize Winona. I'm not particularly a fan of Lois Lenski's illustrations, which I find blocky and wooden (and writing this, I realize that this probably contributed to a false impression on my first reading that the text was correspondingly wooden). However, the picture of the three girls staring at Winona is hilarious.
September 13, 2012
9/2012 Six stars. Ninety-six stars. Down Town is my favorite of the first four books and ranks near my favorites in the series entire. I'm prissy about my copy, which is, in fact titled Down Town. None of this namby-pamby Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown stuff. Nope, just Down Town, because like Winona, I like to go in doors marked "Private, Keep Out."
There are so many good stories twining though this book- Mrs. Poppy's, of course. We meet Miss Sparrow here, the librarian who gets so many great lines ("Tom Sawyer- classic- going to be!") and we learn some things about Mrs. Ray's childhood. The Christmas shopping trip! The bobsled, where we first meet Betsy's trick ankle. What fun these people have, and how they love each other.
And did you ever notice how in this book Lovelace draws attention to Margaret's thick and lovely eyelashes?
12/2009 This is my favorite of the pre-high-school Betsy-Tacy books. Among the BT cognoscenti, whole weeks have been devoted to debating which books in the series are the best. This does sometimes devolve into name-calling and braid-tugging, but generally Down Town ranks near the top.
The girls are 12 and they don't quite fit anywhere- not with Julia and Katie who are being walked home from school by boys, and not with Margaret and Freddie who are rioting through the streets shouting. They want to be one or the other but they can't quite decide which. Their parents are becoming more interesting, with backstories of their own- but at the same time less central to the lives of the girls. Betsy is developing some of that tender empathy which will both help her and break her heart in future books. Tacy is settling into her role as champion and cheerleader and Tib... is just like Tib, forever and ever, amen.
The lost uncle plotline makes me weep as hard as the Ladies Home Journal story in teeny-tiny writing makes me laugh.
There are so many good stories twining though this book- Mrs. Poppy's, of course. We meet Miss Sparrow here, the librarian who gets so many great lines ("Tom Sawyer- classic- going to be!") and we learn some things about Mrs. Ray's childhood. The Christmas shopping trip! The bobsled, where we first meet Betsy's trick ankle. What fun these people have, and how they love each other.
And did you ever notice how in this book Lovelace draws attention to Margaret's thick and lovely eyelashes?
12/2009 This is my favorite of the pre-high-school Betsy-Tacy books. Among the BT cognoscenti, whole weeks have been devoted to debating which books in the series are the best. This does sometimes devolve into name-calling and braid-tugging, but generally Down Town ranks near the top.
The girls are 12 and they don't quite fit anywhere- not with Julia and Katie who are being walked home from school by boys, and not with Margaret and Freddie who are rioting through the streets shouting. They want to be one or the other but they can't quite decide which. Their parents are becoming more interesting, with backstories of their own- but at the same time less central to the lives of the girls. Betsy is developing some of that tender empathy which will both help her and break her heart in future books. Tacy is settling into her role as champion and cheerleader and Tib... is just like Tib, forever and ever, amen.
The lost uncle plotline makes me weep as hard as the Ladies Home Journal story in teeny-tiny writing makes me laugh.
December 11, 2019
I think that Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown may be my favorite book yet, in Maud Hart Lovelace's series of children's novels devoted to the adventures of three young girls growing up in late nineteenth and early twentieth-century Minnesota. Now twelve years old, Betsy, Tacy and Tib find their horizons expanding, as they venture into town on their own, see a horseless carriage for the first time, attend a thrilling performance of
Uncle Tom's Cabin
at the Opera House, and (in Betsy's case) discover the joys of the new Carnegie Library.
The girls find a new playmate in Winona Root, the sometimes exasperating daughter of Deep Valley's newspaper editor, and a true friend in plump Mrs. Poppy, who gives them a lovely Christmas party. But the most thrilling experience of all comes when they are chosen to participate in a performance of Rip Van Winkle , and make a surprise discovery with implications for Betsy's family...
Like some other reviewers who first read this as an adult, I was able to guess all the developments well in advance. But somehow, the pleasure of "discovery" was in no way diminished - a testament to Lovelace's immense skill as a storyteller. I enjoyed all the adventures chronicled herein, particularly the Christmas "shopping" expedition, and was charmed to follow Betsy's growth as an author. I laughed over her attempted sentimental novel, The Repentance of Lady Clinton, and thrilled to her first success, with the publication of the poem, The Curtain Goes Up. As Lovelace observes at the close of this entertaining and heartwarming story, the curtain is going up on the girls' adolescence, and I, for one, am looking forward to watching it!
The girls find a new playmate in Winona Root, the sometimes exasperating daughter of Deep Valley's newspaper editor, and a true friend in plump Mrs. Poppy, who gives them a lovely Christmas party. But the most thrilling experience of all comes when they are chosen to participate in a performance of Rip Van Winkle , and make a surprise discovery with implications for Betsy's family...
Like some other reviewers who first read this as an adult, I was able to guess all the developments well in advance. But somehow, the pleasure of "discovery" was in no way diminished - a testament to Lovelace's immense skill as a storyteller. I enjoyed all the adventures chronicled herein, particularly the Christmas "shopping" expedition, and was charmed to follow Betsy's growth as an author. I laughed over her attempted sentimental novel, The Repentance of Lady Clinton, and thrilled to her first success, with the publication of the poem, The Curtain Goes Up. As Lovelace observes at the close of this entertaining and heartwarming story, the curtain is going up on the girls' adolescence, and I, for one, am looking forward to watching it!
April 29, 2022
Really loved a lot about this one, such as how Betsy's parents encouraged her toward reading better books and the way Tacy and Tib supported her and how they broadened their friend group.
The hypnotizing part wasn't my favorite and I don't know that my kids understood it at all. I forgot about the blackface mention until I read the reviews, since it was so brief and I skipped over it when reading aloud. Still, it's an unfortunate part of history.
The hypnotizing part wasn't my favorite and I don't know that my kids understood it at all. I forgot about the blackface mention until I read the reviews, since it was so brief and I skipped over it when reading aloud. Still, it's an unfortunate part of history.
March 18, 2013
This wonderful children's/young adult series makes me nostalgic for the childhood I never had.
September 6, 2022
I just finished the fourth Betsy-Tacy book, Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown, and I'm all teary. It was so good! Probably my favorite of the series so far. There were so many lovely parts - the horseless carriage; Betsy, Tacy and Tib trying to hypnotize Winona by staring at her all day (that made me laugh out loud); Betsy getting the writing desk from her mother; her magical first trip to the new library; Betsy's story of poor Flossie (another part that made me laugh); the girls' Christmas shopping trip with their dimes. And of course the reunion with Uncle Keith at the end. I loooved Mrs. Poppy. What a wonderful character. The whole book was just so fun and sweet and special. :)
December 31, 2019
This ode to books and love letter to libraries opens with a crisis. Betsy has read all of the books in her house. What is an aspiring writer to do? She borrows some scandalous dime novels and Tacy follows Betsy’s example, with disastrous results (a wink and a smile to fellow fans of Victorian sensation novels):
“You remember,” she said, “Rena loaned me Lady Audley's Secret. Well, Papa found it.” Tacy began to sob. “Papa said he was amazed and astounded. He said he thought he had brought us up to appreciate good literature. He said there was a set of Dickens in the house, and Shakespeare, and Father Finn, and how did a child of his happen to be reading trash?”
“Trash!” cried Betsy. “I’m trying to write books just like it.”
The very first library in town finally opens and saves Betsy’s literary life.
She tried to act as though it were nothing to go to the library alone. But her happiness betrayed her. Her smile could not be restrained, and it spread from her tightly pressed mouth, to her round cheeks, almost to the hair ribbons tied in perky bows over her ears…. She seated herself in the chair nearest the fire, piled the books beside her and opened Tanglewood Tales. But she did not start to read at once. Before she began she smiled at the fire, she smiled at her books, she smiled broadly all around the room. Betsy…opened her book and forgot the world again.
The literary references throughout are charming. There’s even a reference to “a new song called The Rosary”, of The Rosary fame. Betsy’s passion for books of all sorts makes her a kindred spirit indeed.
My only disappointment in this book is the unexplained absence of their friend Naifi and the lovely Syrian community, all of whom we met in the previous book. Such a lovely series!
“You remember,” she said, “Rena loaned me Lady Audley's Secret. Well, Papa found it.” Tacy began to sob. “Papa said he was amazed and astounded. He said he thought he had brought us up to appreciate good literature. He said there was a set of Dickens in the house, and Shakespeare, and Father Finn, and how did a child of his happen to be reading trash?”
“Trash!” cried Betsy. “I’m trying to write books just like it.”
The very first library in town finally opens and saves Betsy’s literary life.
She tried to act as though it were nothing to go to the library alone. But her happiness betrayed her. Her smile could not be restrained, and it spread from her tightly pressed mouth, to her round cheeks, almost to the hair ribbons tied in perky bows over her ears…. She seated herself in the chair nearest the fire, piled the books beside her and opened Tanglewood Tales. But she did not start to read at once. Before she began she smiled at the fire, she smiled at her books, she smiled broadly all around the room. Betsy…opened her book and forgot the world again.
The literary references throughout are charming. There’s even a reference to “a new song called The Rosary”, of The Rosary fame. Betsy’s passion for books of all sorts makes her a kindred spirit indeed.
My only disappointment in this book is the unexplained absence of their friend Naifi and the lovely Syrian community, all of whom we met in the previous book. Such a lovely series!
July 3, 2022
We’ve really enjoyed the first four books of the Betsy-Tacy series. They’re funny and sweet and show life from a different time. This one was no exception, but it’s the one I’ve liked the least in the series. I can’t really put my finger on it, but it just seemed to be lacking in the charm the other books have.
Here’s what I loved though: the girls trying to hypnotize Winona with their eyes was hilarious, and I loved Betsy’s first trip to the library and how her parents encouraged her budding writing talents by making her a desk and enabling her to read quality books. We also liked seeing the town’s reaction to the first “horseless carriage”.
What I really didn’t love was the book’s treatment of Mrs. Poppy, the wife of the town’s rich hotel owner. She is portrayed as being kind and generous which is great, but the author goes out of her way to point out repeatedly how large this woman is. She’s based on a real person (my copy has photos of the real inspiration for the character), and I imagine that was painful to read herself described that way so often. Here are a few direct quotes:
“Although she was so large, Mrs. Poppy looked young after her hat was removed.”
“In spite of her weight Mrs. Poppy danced lightly, with a skill that fascinated Tib.”
Is it really necessary to speak so negatively about her? I would rather have the author focus on Mrs. Poppy’s generosity and kindness because she sounds like a delightful person. Her weight has absolutely nothing to do with the story. I don’t want my daughter hearing that her weight was all that mattered about her. Thankfully this was a read aloud, not audiobook, so I just edited that wording out on the fly.
There are also mentions of people using black face in plays but it’s not shown. And Betsy writes a weird story about a decapitated girl walking around holding her head in her hand. It’s supposed to be so-bad-it’s-funny, but it just came out sounding creepy and weird.
Anyway, this was an okay book but with a lot of caveats. The rest of the books in this series are when the girls are in their teens and young adult years, so we’ll be stopping here.
Here’s what I loved though: the girls trying to hypnotize Winona with their eyes was hilarious, and I loved Betsy’s first trip to the library and how her parents encouraged her budding writing talents by making her a desk and enabling her to read quality books. We also liked seeing the town’s reaction to the first “horseless carriage”.
What I really didn’t love was the book’s treatment of Mrs. Poppy, the wife of the town’s rich hotel owner. She is portrayed as being kind and generous which is great, but the author goes out of her way to point out repeatedly how large this woman is. She’s based on a real person (my copy has photos of the real inspiration for the character), and I imagine that was painful to read herself described that way so often. Here are a few direct quotes:
“Although she was so large, Mrs. Poppy looked young after her hat was removed.”
“In spite of her weight Mrs. Poppy danced lightly, with a skill that fascinated Tib.”
Is it really necessary to speak so negatively about her? I would rather have the author focus on Mrs. Poppy’s generosity and kindness because she sounds like a delightful person. Her weight has absolutely nothing to do with the story. I don’t want my daughter hearing that her weight was all that mattered about her. Thankfully this was a read aloud, not audiobook, so I just edited that wording out on the fly.
There are also mentions of people using black face in plays but it’s not shown. And Betsy writes a weird story about a decapitated girl walking around holding her head in her hand. It’s supposed to be so-bad-it’s-funny, but it just came out sounding creepy and weird.
Anyway, this was an okay book but with a lot of caveats. The rest of the books in this series are when the girls are in their teens and young adult years, so we’ll be stopping here.
October 22, 2007
This is the last of the "younger" Betsy books, taking us to turn of the century Minnesota, horse-less carriages, and many wonderful new friends. BTGD introduces us to Winona Root, Mrs. Poppy, and some of the places and items we will know and love in the "high school" books. A wonderful look at the transition into adolecense. We also read about the tradition of the annual christmas shopping trip that Betsy and Tacy take together. On a personal note, this is a tradition that my sisters and I do every year in honor of the books and it's a blast.
The Betsy-Tacy books were highly autobiographical and Lovelace perfectly captures the innocence and magic of childhood. If you read this book and love it, please read the series. It will be books that you will never forget as long as you live. I also recommend the "Betsy-Tacy Companion" which is an amazing book that disects each book and compares it to it's real-life counterparts, including pictures of the "real" Betsy, Tacy, Tib and all the gang.
I had the pleasure of visiting "Deep Valley" (aka Mankato, Minnesota) for a Betsy-Tacy convention back in 1996. It was incredible to step back in time and enter Betsy's world. We toured the city and I was actually able to step foot in "Tacy's" bedroom and sit on the famous bench at the top of the big hill. It was truly a life-altering experience. I have to thank my sister, Julie for introducting these books to me and changing my life.
It's obvious how much these books mean to me. My first born child was named Tacy Kelly Maloy. Please read and enjoy. They are a treasure!
The Betsy-Tacy books were highly autobiographical and Lovelace perfectly captures the innocence and magic of childhood. If you read this book and love it, please read the series. It will be books that you will never forget as long as you live. I also recommend the "Betsy-Tacy Companion" which is an amazing book that disects each book and compares it to it's real-life counterparts, including pictures of the "real" Betsy, Tacy, Tib and all the gang.
I had the pleasure of visiting "Deep Valley" (aka Mankato, Minnesota) for a Betsy-Tacy convention back in 1996. It was incredible to step back in time and enter Betsy's world. We toured the city and I was actually able to step foot in "Tacy's" bedroom and sit on the famous bench at the top of the big hill. It was truly a life-altering experience. I have to thank my sister, Julie for introducting these books to me and changing my life.
It's obvious how much these books mean to me. My first born child was named Tacy Kelly Maloy. Please read and enjoy. They are a treasure!
August 9, 2024
Another great read with grandkid #6. . . joyful time well-spent!
March 11, 2020
I loved this book when I was growing up and read it many, many times. I always wanted to write stories like Betsy did.
3/10/20: While sorting through storage bins in the garage, I came across this childhood favorite. It's the only book in the Betsy and Tacy series I ever read and as far I'm concerned that's fine with me. It was an absolute perfect book for this born reader and writer-wannabe. I loved Betsy. I knew exactly how she felt making her first trip to the town's brand new Carnegie library. I still remember my mom taking me to ours and how excited I was to get my first library card (with a metal piece in it and the ka-chunk noise the machine made when the card was used to check out books). I, too, had little notebooks in which I wrote miniature stories. For me, it was mysteries featuring the "Crime Club"--a group of friends not too unlike Trixie Belden and her Bob Whites. Unlike Betsy, I did not shove them in the fire and move on to writing classic-like stories. But I have no idea what happened to those little notebooks with "The Diamond Bracelet Mystery" and others in them...
There are so many things to like about this book. The friendship between Betsy and Tacy and Tib. The way they try to hypnotize Winona Root into taking them to the theater and the friendship that develops thereafter. Winona's surprise for Betsy and her poem. Tib's ride in the town's first-ever horseless carriage. Mrs. Poppy, her quest to belong in her new town, and the heart-warming surprise she makes happen for Betsy and her family. The girls' Christmas shopping trip. The Christmas traditions of Betsy's family. And--Betsy's love of books and story-telling. A truly heart-warming book that was just as much fun to read as an adult as it was when I was young.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
3/10/20: While sorting through storage bins in the garage, I came across this childhood favorite. It's the only book in the Betsy and Tacy series I ever read and as far I'm concerned that's fine with me. It was an absolute perfect book for this born reader and writer-wannabe. I loved Betsy. I knew exactly how she felt making her first trip to the town's brand new Carnegie library. I still remember my mom taking me to ours and how excited I was to get my first library card (with a metal piece in it and the ka-chunk noise the machine made when the card was used to check out books). I, too, had little notebooks in which I wrote miniature stories. For me, it was mysteries featuring the "Crime Club"--a group of friends not too unlike Trixie Belden and her Bob Whites. Unlike Betsy, I did not shove them in the fire and move on to writing classic-like stories. But I have no idea what happened to those little notebooks with "The Diamond Bracelet Mystery" and others in them...
There are so many things to like about this book. The friendship between Betsy and Tacy and Tib. The way they try to hypnotize Winona Root into taking them to the theater and the friendship that develops thereafter. Winona's surprise for Betsy and her poem. Tib's ride in the town's first-ever horseless carriage. Mrs. Poppy, her quest to belong in her new town, and the heart-warming surprise she makes happen for Betsy and her family. The girls' Christmas shopping trip. The Christmas traditions of Betsy's family. And--Betsy's love of books and story-telling. A truly heart-warming book that was just as much fun to read as an adult as it was when I was young.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
February 23, 2009
Once again, this fourth book in the Betsy-Tacy series is well written and full of emotionally lovely moments. As an adult reading it for the first time, I saw the story lines coming from a million miles away but I thoroughly enjoyed them anyway. Some of the more old-fashioned stuff such as the furs and performance of the play Uncle Tom’s Cabin (the latter of which I’m sure was ahead for its time) rubbed me slightly the wrong way, and I’d have loved to hear more about the new library and Betsy’s library books, but I loved the parts about Mrs. Poppy and, as usual, everything about the friendships of the girls. These books are a real pleasure. The next two: Heaven to Betsy and Betsy in Spite of Herself, which I’ll read next, are the only two I read when I was young, at least I’m reasonably sure that I did; I’m eager to find out what I remember from them.
December 2, 2022
Sooo did Uncle Keith go fight for the socialists in Spain?
April 11, 2022
Another fun filled entry in the series!
This time around, the girls attend an incredibly racist performance of Uncle Tom's Cabin, and befriend a lonely former actress. Winter frolics abound with sledding, and a merry Christmas celebration, AND Betsy begins to take her writing (and reading) more seriously.
Looking forward to number five.
This time around, the girls attend an incredibly racist performance of Uncle Tom's Cabin, and befriend a lonely former actress. Winter frolics abound with sledding, and a merry Christmas celebration, AND Betsy begins to take her writing (and reading) more seriously.
Looking forward to number five.
August 30, 2017
Loving this series! Pretty sure I didn't choke up last time I read it...
January 30, 2020
Loved the chapter on Betsy's first solo expedition downtown to the new library!
April 27, 2023
Happy Birthday to Maud, Happy Birthday to Me.
July 22, 2024
One of my favorite books in the series so far! MHL perfectly captures that growing up middle age. I loved the reunion at the end!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2014
The story is about two little girls growing up in Minnesota at the turn of the century, a time when cars and telephones were new and exciting inventions. The book opens with references to Lady Audley’s Secret and contains many delightful allusions to books throughout its pages.
Twelve year old Betsy is an aspiring writer. Unfortunately she’s been influenced by sensational and melodramatic novels and is writing stories with similar themes (“Lady Gwendolyn’s Sin”). Betsy’s mother and father handle this problem with gentleness and sensitivity. Instead of condemning her, her father gives her a library card and 15 cents for lunch so that she can spend all day Saturday in town, reading the classics. Her trips to town open up a new world to her.
Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown is a book about simple pleasures and great kindnesses. With its references to classic books, it’s good writing, and it’s pleasant tone, I (who am 52 years old) found it hard to put down.
Twelve year old Betsy is an aspiring writer. Unfortunately she’s been influenced by sensational and melodramatic novels and is writing stories with similar themes (“Lady Gwendolyn’s Sin”). Betsy’s mother and father handle this problem with gentleness and sensitivity. Instead of condemning her, her father gives her a library card and 15 cents for lunch so that she can spend all day Saturday in town, reading the classics. Her trips to town open up a new world to her.
Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown is a book about simple pleasures and great kindnesses. With its references to classic books, it’s good writing, and it’s pleasant tone, I (who am 52 years old) found it hard to put down.
July 27, 2015
This is probably my favorite book of the Betsy/Tacy series. Betsy, Tacy, and Tib are now twelve years old and are old enough to go downtown alone. Even though the girls are a bit older, they still have time for fun. They try to hypnotize Winona into taking them to see a play, Tib gets a ride in an automobile, and the girls get to go see a play.
I think the part I really liked was when Mrs. Ray fixed up Uncle Keith`s old trunk to make a desk for Betsy. It shows she really encourages her daughter's writing. And the part where her parents suggested she go to the library to read the classics. It reminded me of when I used to spend my Saturdays at the library reading and writing, too.
So overall this book is great. I
The simple pleasures in life really are universal, no matter what year it is, and that's where this book hits home.
I think the part I really liked was when Mrs. Ray fixed up Uncle Keith`s old trunk to make a desk for Betsy. It shows she really encourages her daughter's writing. And the part where her parents suggested she go to the library to read the classics. It reminded me of when I used to spend my Saturdays at the library reading and writing, too.
So overall this book is great. I
The simple pleasures in life really are universal, no matter what year it is, and that's where this book hits home.
October 28, 2018
This fourth book features Betsy going downtown by herself, to go to the library and have a meal by herself in a restaurant. I think every girl of twelve would feel quite grown up and excited by this. I also love the Christmas "shopping." I definitely remember picking out what I would buy if I could. I think we all still have fun with this!
I do wish there had been more about the library, actually. How did she get all her books home--they could check out so many at once. Did she explore the stacks beyond the children's room? How did she really feel about all those classics?
I do wish there had been more about the library, actually. How did she get all her books home--they could check out so many at once. Did she explore the stacks beyond the children's room? How did she really feel about all those classics?
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June 1, 2015My Evelyn says, "This is a really, really good book and I wish it had never ended....or any other of these books, either. I wish they never ended!"
This may be my favorite one so far in this series. The adventures of Betsy, Tacy and Tib (and their new friend Winona!) get a little more exciting with each book. Still very simple, these stories continue to delight and entertain us. So happy to be reading these with my daughter as I didn't read them myself as a child.
This may be my favorite one so far in this series. The adventures of Betsy, Tacy and Tib (and their new friend Winona!) get a little more exciting with each book. Still very simple, these stories continue to delight and entertain us. So happy to be reading these with my daughter as I didn't read them myself as a child.
November 20, 2015
Loved. Reading these makes me think of the experiences my grandma Anne must have had growing up in Winnipeg during this time period. Love watching these girls grow-up. This was a great one - from the horseless carriage to the library to the play - thoroughly enjoyed.
April 30, 2020
2013 - read aloud with E age 5.
2020 - read aloud with E age 12 and W age 5.
2020 - read aloud with E age 12 and W age 5.
February 15, 2021
Delightful series!
September 8, 2025
Probably my least favorite of the quartet featuring the pre-adolescent Betsy and Tacy. Some of the book has not aged well, including the fact the girls and their school friend, Winona, attend a production of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in which the leads are in blackface (it doesn't say specifically the leads are doing this and the illustrations, thank goodness, don't reflect this, but it's clear based on contextual clues and comments about other performers and productions). This was jarring to read, especially with a 2025 lens. (I can't remember if I picked up on this as a child). The writing also likes to remind the readers about how heavy Mrs. Poppy, the wealthy woman who befriends the Betsy, Tacy, and Tib. There is also a "twist" at the end which relied a bit on coincidence, but I have to admit that I still found the scene heartwarming.
Moments that save the book are Betsy becoming more of a writer, including her visit to the library as a new patron and making a day out of it. Her day in town sounded heavenly! And the scene when Betsy, Tacy, and Tib try to hypnotize Winona is hysterical. (Lois Lenski's illustration of that scene really seals the deal.)
Off to re-read the high school and older adventures of Betsy. (If I recall, the high school and adult era novels almost read like a separate series, but stay tuned!)
Moments that save the book are Betsy becoming more of a writer, including her visit to the library as a new patron and making a day out of it. Her day in town sounded heavenly! And the scene when Betsy, Tacy, and Tib try to hypnotize Winona is hysterical. (Lois Lenski's illustration of that scene really seals the deal.)
Off to re-read the high school and older adventures of Betsy. (If I recall, the high school and adult era novels almost read like a separate series, but stay tuned!)
February 28, 2025
Another great Betsy and Tacy book! Betsy, Tacy and Tib are up to their usual hijinks. The chapter where they try to hypnotize their frenemy Winona into taking them to see a play via the power of their collective thoughts is hysterical. And Betsy’s dramatic reading of the story she wrote, “Flossie’s Accident,” which involves a girls head literally falling off of her body and she has to keep on tragically living while carrying her head around, is fantastic. The girls’ friendship with Mrs. Poppy is so sweet, as well as the Uncle Keith sideplot, and I found myself desperately trying not to cry by the end of the book.
September 2, 2025
Betsy, Tacy, and Tib go the library and read CLASSICS, many of which I'm reading to the kids this year during school hours (and if you think I didn't pull that lever to get them excited about school, you're mistaken :)). They also go to the theater and meet the lonesome, generous wife of the theater owner, Mrs. Poppy, and her scenes made me weepy but in a good way. Lovelace writes simply and that makes the emotional moments surprisingly sophisticated.
We're going to pause here for a few years before picking up the rest of the series.
We're going to pause here for a few years before picking up the rest of the series.
July 10, 2017
I am loving all these books! I somehow missed out on reading them as a kid and now I'm finding in them the perfect summer reading experience for an old-fashioned grown-up girl like me. Lovelace was such a fabulous writer. My reader's heart loves all these characters, and as a mom reading these books I aspire to be just like Betsy's mom. I hope to share these books with my three daughters so they can grow up with Betsy and Tacy.
October 6, 2018
These books are excellent.
Yes. They are dated. There are references to theatrical practices that have thankfully gone away.
However, these books are so matter-of-fact to the heart of how girls grow up. Stripped of technology and peer pressure and too-busy-ness of the present day, this is how it is to be twelve.
My daughter would adore the library day (me too) that Betsy has. It's magic.
Just read them and judge for yourself.
Yes. They are dated. There are references to theatrical practices that have thankfully gone away.
However, these books are so matter-of-fact to the heart of how girls grow up. Stripped of technology and peer pressure and too-busy-ness of the present day, this is how it is to be twelve.
My daughter would adore the library day (me too) that Betsy has. It's magic.
Just read them and judge for yourself.
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