Lenski, Lois Books

Betsy-Tacy

Maud Hart Lovelace

Amazon Price: $5.99 List Price: $5.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperCollins Amazon Marketplace: 200 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lenski, Lois

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 34 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Wonderful series of books, however... 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I was recently reminded of the Betsy-Tacy books I loved so much when I was a young girl. You can not imagine my horror at seeing the current editions' illustrations of the girls, though. Part of the original books' charm was the simple illustrations. Whoever decided to change them should be ashamed. Ashamed and fired. Seriously.

Contact me if you want to join a campaign to have the real drawings returned to future editions of these timeless classics so many of us loved so much.

Editorial Review:

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 becoms 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.

 

Betsy-Tacy and Tib

Maud Hart Lovelace

Amazon Price: $5.99 List Price: $5.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperCollins Amazon Marketplace: 111 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lenski, Lois

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Wonderful Book in a Great Series! 5 out of 5 stars.
20 of 20 people found this review helpful.

Betsy, Tacy, and Tib is a wonderful book in a great series. Maud Hart Lovelace did a spectacular job writing these stories. My mother read the books and loved them, my sister and I read the books and loved them, and now my little girls are reading them and loving them. These books never seem to grow old even though they are set during the turn of the 20th century. As a child, I not only read them, I wore the books out! I read and re-read the books, I couldn't put them down. I talked about them so much to my friends, they started checking them out from the Library and we would play Betsy-Tacy during recess. Now set in a period of a hundred years ago, they are still captivating kids today. My husband read the first four books in the series to our kids (Ages 7, 5, 3, and 1 at the time) and they love them all. My oldest begged me to let her keep my copies in her room so she could read them herself.

There are many great books in the series, this one in fact is not the first in the series. Check out the other books in the series, Betsy-Tacy, Betsy-Tacy Go Over the Big Hill, Betsy-Tacy Go Downtown, Heaven to Betsy, Betsy in Spite of Herself, Betsy was a Junior, Betsy and Joe, Betsy and the Great World, and Betsy's Wedding. The books take Betsy through grade school and high school, to Europe right before the 1st world war, then back to America for her wedding and the joys and troubles of married life. Some other books not in the Betsy-Tacy series but also by Maud Hart Lovelace and worth checking out are The Trees Kneel at Christmas, Winona's Pony Cart, Carney's House Party, and (my personal Maud Hart Lovelace favorite) Emily of Deep Valley.

Editorial Review:

Three of a Kind

Betsy and Tacy are best friends. Then Tib moves into the neighborhood and the three of them start to play together. The grown-ups think they will quarrel, but they don't. Sometimes they quarrel with Betsy's and Tacy's bossy big sisters, but they never quarrel among themselves.

They are not as good as they might be. They cook up awful messes in the kitchen, throw mud on each other and pretend to be beggars, and cut off each other's hair. But Betsy, Tacy, and Tib always manage to have a good time.

Ever since their first publication in the 1940s, the Betsy-Tacy stories have been loved by each generation of young readers.

 

Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill (Betsy-Tacy)

Maud Hart Lovelace

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperCollins Amazon Marketplace: 78 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lenski, Lois

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A celebration of American life 5 out of 5 stars.
11 of 13 people found this review helpful.

This is my personal favorite of the Betsy-Tacy series (although picking a favorite is akin to naming your favorite child). It chronicles a pivotal year for Betsy, Tacy and Tib, when they finally have "two numbers in their age". Betsy prophesizes that their tenth year marks the beginning of great things for the trio, like falling in love and traveling the world.

Providentially, the handsome young Alphonso the Thirteenth is crowned King of Spain, giving the girls a convenient target for their first crush. While busily writing a love letter to their idol, the three stumble upon a colony of Syrian immigrants, who aren't always treated so well by their neighbors in Deep Valley. Betsy, Tacy and Tib proceed to make many new friends and learn a few lessons about prejudice and the American dream in the process.

MHL's gift for weaving together uplifting moral lessons with high-spirited adventure makes this a truly special book. She always somehow manages to get across a spiritual message without being heavy-handed, sentimental, or pedantic. Above all, her books are great fun and a pleasure to read.

Editorial Review:

Betsy, Tacy, and Tib can't wait to be ten. After all, getting two numbers in your age is the beginning of growing up--exciting things are bound to happen. And they do! The girls fall in love with the King of Spain, perform in the School Entertainment, and for the first time, go all the way over the Big Hill to Little Syria by themselves. There Betsy, Tacy, and Tib make new friends and learn a thing or two. They learn that new Americans are sometimes the best Americans. And they learn that they themselves wouldn't want to be anything else.

Ever since their first publication in the 1940s, the Betsy-Tacy stories have been loved by each generation of young readers.

 

Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown (Betsy-Tacy)

Maud Hart Lovelace

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperCollins Amazon Marketplace: 80 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lenski, Lois

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Best Girls Book Series 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I first read Betsy Tacy Go Downtown over 40 years ago. This book and all the Betsy/Tacy books have had a huge impact on my live. Imagine, finding out I was not the only one. Through the wonders of cyberspace I have found a whole communinty of Betsy/Tacy fans. There have been trips to "Deep Valley" and discussions of the books and characters. It is wonderful to find others who love the books as much as I do.

Betsy Tacy Go Downtown is a sweet book and colorfully paints a picture of a simpler, gentler time. These books have stood the test of time and are a wonderful read for all ages. I read them out loud to my daughter when she was 4, over 17 years ago. She enjoyed them and I am sure most people will.

Editorial Review:

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.

 

Cowboy Small (Lois Lenski Books)

Amazon Price: $9.56 List Price: $11.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Random House Books for Young Readers Amazon Marketplace: 50 new & used starting at $2.52

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lenski, Lois

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Every Child needs Cowboy Small 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a great book, very light hearted and catchy. Be prepared to keep it handy, it's one of those books you will read to your child, niece, nephew.... over and over again.

A New Connection 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I bought this for my "almost" grandson's first birthday. I remember it from my farm and ranch childhood and now it will enchant another generation. It is somewhat "Dick and Jane"--very easy to memorize. Also it is nice to now have the board book for the really little ones.

Great for Little ones who love horses 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

My 14-month-old loves this book. We read it over and over again! We live in a fairly rural area and we walk every day to see horses. The book's simple drawings of horses (and cowboys) working and going about their day capitvates my daughter. It's suggested for kids around four, but it's a real hit with our toddler. I wish they had a Cowgirl Small, but that's just me.

Editorial Review:

Cowboy Small takes good care of his horse, Cactus. In return, Cactus helps Cowboy Small get work done on the range. Together they round up cattle for branding and live the good life. At night, Cowboy Small eats at the chuck wagon, sings with his friends, and sleeps under the stars.

The Little Train

Amazon Price: $11.16 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Random House Books for Young Readers Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $1.78

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lenski, Lois

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Have A 'Thomas' Fan? "The Little Train" Might Be a Good Book for Them! 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

My 4 year-old Thomas and Friends fan likes this little book which features Engineer Small and his black and shiny engine. While the book doesn't have the Thomas-and-Percy-like personalities which so engage small fry, it does have plenty of drawings of trains and a great deal more factual information than the Rev. Awdry series.

For example, I had no idea that trains have anything called a `sand dome'. This is a dome that looks like the steam dome only -according to Wikipedia-it holds sand in case the tracks get icy or slick and the engine can't gain traction. (huh-who knew?) The book also demonstrates how coal and water are added to the tender, and how switches and what-not are dealt with.

Four Stars. An informative book about trains for young children.

Editorial Review:

Mr. Small does it all!

In this adventure, Engineer Small drives his little train from Tinytown to the city-and back. Along the way, the little train passes tunnels and stops at stations to pick up cargo and passengers.

Presented in full color for the first time, Lois Lenski's The Little Train will delight a whole new generation of readers as they learn all about the ins and outs of a working train.

The Little Fire Engine (Lois Lenski Books)

Amazon Price: $11.16 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Random House Books for Young Readers Amazon Marketplace: 35 new & used starting at $1.77

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lenski, Lois

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This Book Sends The Wrong Message 1 out of 5 stars.
7 of 14 people found this review helpful.

Fireman Small rushes to a house that is on fire with smoke coming out all the windows and doors. Nevertheless, there is a picture and text "The family carry sofa, lamps, tables, and chairs out of the house." And yet, they still manage to leave a girl child and her pet cat upstairs.

What kind of message is this? Aren't you supposed to grab your family and get out of the house if there is a fire? What's all this about moving all of your furniture and leaving your kid and cat behind?

A Classic! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This is my two and a half year old son's ABSOLUTE favorite book. He asks to read "Fireman Small" every day at naptime and at bedtime too. ( we usually read it several times each sitting!) He has had this book since he was 12 months old and it was an instant hit with him. His favorite part is when fireman small saves the little girl and her kitten, he throws his arms up and yells Hooray! It is a great book about an everyday hero (fireman small). The classic illustrations are wonderful and a breath of fresh air in this computer generated age. I would highly reccomend this book for any toddler.

Editorial Review:

Mr. Small does it all!

In this adventure, Fireman Small rushes to battle a fire in town. When the alarm bell rings, Fireman Small suits up and roars down the road in his shiny red fire engine. When he helps extinguish the fire and rescues a young girl, Fireman Small becomes a hero in Tinytown.

Now back in print in full color, Lois Lenski's timeless story of Fireman Small and his little fire engine is sure to delight a new generation of young readers.

Strawberry Girl 60th Anniversary Edition (Trophy Newbery)

Amazon Price: $5.99 List Price: $5.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperCollins Amazon Marketplace: 85 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lenski, Lois

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 34 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Birdie Boyer was a Florida Cracker. She belonged to a large "strawberry family," who lived on a flatwoods farm in the lake section of the state. They raised strawberries for a living.

Through all the hazards of the uncertain crop -- battling against dry weather and grass fires, the roving hogs and cattle of their neighbors -- Birdie dreamed of an education that would include playing the organ. In the end she won not only the title of "strawberry girl," but book learning as well.

This is a story full of enterprise and fun and tire excitement of real life in this interesting part of America.

Lois Lenski has used again her gift for catching the flavor and drama of life in a remote corner of America. It is the second of a series of regional stories through which she promises to introduce other fascinating and little-known backgrounds to boys and girls. This story will take a place beside her popular Louisiana story Bayou Suzette in the affection of readers.

The eighty-four illustrations are distinguished for their action and fascinating detail. They add greatly to this true picture of Florida life at a time when old Florida ways were changing to new.

Winner, 1946 Newbery Medal
Notable Children's Books of 1945 (ALA)

Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperCollins Amazon Marketplace: 189 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lenski, Lois

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 75 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

An interesting book! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book for my 11 year old daughter who enjoys biographies, especially about women and girls. I actually ended up reading the book before she did, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much *I* enjoyed it. It gives a realistic view of Mary's life after being kidnapped by indians, and her physical, mental, and emotional struggles over losing her family and having to adapt to a new way of life. It's a great book, and I recommend it for any pre-teen, but especially for young girls who enjoy reading true stories about girls close to their own ages.

Fantastic! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Indian Captive was probly one of THE best books I have ever read. The story line was great and had many supporting details. As a summary the book is about a girl who's family gets attacked by Indians and she was kept as a captive. Molly has to learn the way of the indians. Sometimes she got so homesick, She even attempted to run away. She made a hard decision in the near end. The big question of who will she choose to live with?
So read the book! It has so much more to it.
I promise to you that you will find this book amazing. I give it a positive 100%. SO what are you waiting for hurry and read it!

Editorial Review:

In this classic frontier adventure, Lois Lenski reconstructs the real life story of Mary Jemison, who was captured in a raid as young girl and raised amongst the Seneca Indians. Meticulously researched and illustrated with many detailed drawings, this novel offers an exceptionally vivid and personal portrait of Native American life and customs.

1942 Newbery Honor book

The Little Airplane (Lois Lenski Books)

Amazon Price: $9.56 List Price: $11.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Random House Books for Young Readers Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $4.42

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> Picture Books

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A great series that grows with your child 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

While the text may be lengthy for toddlers (I have a 3-1/2 year old who loves this book, borrowed from the library, that I'm buying him a copy), this is certainly a book that grows with the child. The engaging, simple pictures allow for much imaginative story telling (who ever said parents are supposed to read every word when the child isn't ready?), moving into reading more and more of the text as the child grows older. I trained for a private pilot license, and the details given are simple and factual; just the kind of real stuff that children interested in airplanes would want to know; it's stuff they absorb readily if the subject interests them. I'm glad to see these books back in circulation. The other books in Lois Lenski's series are great, too.

I don't know what the board book is like, but the rating of Baby-Preschool isn't accurate, at least for the 56-page Hard- and Paperback editions. This book is also great for older children who want to know more about the basic mechanics of airplanes and flight.

Editorial Review:

Mr. Small is a high-flying pilot in this adventure! Pilot Small prepares for his flight, and then enjoys the bird’s-eye view from above. As fresh today as when it was first published, this fun and informative look at flying is perfect for airplane trips.