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22nd out of 48 books
—
17 voters
The Racketty-Packetty House
Acclaimed illustrator Wendy Anderson Halperin celebrates Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic, a tale of two dollhouses, just in time for its 100th anniversary. When Tidy Castle arrives, brand-new and grand in every way, the Racketty-Packetty House has never looked shabbier, and it is shoved in the corner of Cynthia's nursery. But the Racketty family still dances, sings, and...more
Hardcover, 96 pages
Published
September 26th 2006
by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
(first published 1906)
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Racketty-Packetty House has seen much better days, as have its inhabitants - Meg, Peg, Kilamanskeg, Ridiklis, Gustibus, and Peter Piper. They are a rag-tag bunch - damaged and woefully unfashionable 'dutch jointed dolls'. At one time they were loved and treasured, but now they are neglected hand-me-downs. Cynthia, who favors Tidy Castle and its haughty residents, only feels contempt and shame for them and their ramshackle little abode. She shoves them all in the corner - out of sight and out of...more
I read this book aloud to my 6- and 8-year-old girls. It begins with a letter from the narrator, the fairy Queen Crosspatch: "Now this is the story about the doll family I liked and the doll family I didn't." It's a charming story about 2 dollhouses and the "families" that inhabit them. Tidy Castle is full of wealthy, well-dressed, high-bred, haughty dolls with lots of servants. Racketty-Packetty house is in the bad neighborhood behind an armchair and is full of poor, ragged, jolly dolls.
We enjo...more
We enjo...more
Originally published in 1906, this is a charming, classic story (by the author of A Little Princess and The Secret Garden) of two dollhouses and their inhabitants and the little girl who is their careless and untidy owner. With the advent of the new, modern Tidy Castle and its inhabitants, the old-fashioned hand-me-down dollhouse and family gets dubbed Racketty-Packetty, and moved to an out-of-the-way corner of the nursery and ignored. But the old doll family continues to live life to the fulles...more
I discovered this novella tucked amongst my favorite Burnett books on the library shelf. It was an absolute delight to read and ranks as one of my favorite Burnett books of all time. It is sweet and charming, featuring Burnett's classic themes of humanity and pride. It is very clean, with only some innocent romance, as I recall.
***
An older review salvaged from my blog:
This silly little tale recounts the comical ordeal of the homely residents of Racketty-Packetty House when a spiffy new dollhouse...more
***
An older review salvaged from my blog:
This silly little tale recounts the comical ordeal of the homely residents of Racketty-Packetty House when a spiffy new dollhouse...more
This is one of those childhood books I always remembered, not the title, just the story of a neglected dollhouse and the wonderful dolls within it. Then I was browsing Amazon and there it was. I ordered it to read on Christmas and it was as wonderful as I remember.
It was worth reading again. I always missed it a little. I enchanted me just as it did when I was a child. This is a childrens tale I would recommend to all. After all it has stayed in print for over one hundred years.
It was worth reading again. I always missed it a little. I enchanted me just as it did when I was a child. This is a childrens tale I would recommend to all. After all it has stayed in print for over one hundred years.
In true Burnett fashion, this lovely story takes its time and uses wonderful period language, but is accessable to modern young readers. The only issue is that despite the happy ending, a romance is alluded to that doesn't ever find any sort of closure, which doesn't bother children, but might irk adult readers. The illustrations in this version are particulary charming, simple and whimsical.
Read with my eight-year-old daughter. A lovely moral teaching us not to judge others based on their appearance nor neighborhood. Could be interpreted as sappy, but my daughter only found it delightful.
I feel especially fortunate as this was a difficult book to locate. I happened upon a used copy on Amazon and when it arrived it was in beautiful condition and had been signed by the illustrator!
I feel especially fortunate as this was a difficult book to locate. I happened upon a used copy on Amazon and when it arrived it was in beautiful condition and had been signed by the illustrator!
I had always heard of this classic children's story but never read it. It's one of those dolls-and-dollhouses-come-alive books that turn up so often in children's literature. It's a classic tale of the shabby-but-happy triumphing over the new/rich-but-haughty. A short and charming tale with the bonus of little fairies to help the heroes.
I have an ancient copy of this book that I got from my grandmother. It's a charming story, and I have many fond memories of reading (and re-reading) this as a child. Of course I was also the kind of girl who adored the Oz series and A Little Princess, so it may be less attractive to a newer generation.
My 5 year old picked this one out, and we really really enjoyed it! It is beautifully illustrated and a charming old fashioned read..The story was written over 100 years ago, but the updated illustrations make it seem more current.
a lovely readaloud or chapter book for the early grades
a lovely readaloud or chapter book for the early grades
Love this book. Love the funny dolls who live in Racketty Packetty House, and how they gain the love of the other, snootier dolls. And that the princess in the end loves them best is just perfect!
If you put dolls and FHB together in a book, you have a sure fire childhood winner to me, that is just the facts. It's reminiscent of the Rumer Godden doll books which is high praise to me.
(Also, did you know: FHB lived in Knoxville, TN. This fact is blowing my mind.)
(Also, did you know: FHB lived in Knoxville, TN. This fact is blowing my mind.)
Plenty of humor, less sappy than most of the era. (1906) I skimmed this today on gutenberg.org, but I'd be willing to bet I read it as a child 40 years ago, too.
Doesn't hold up as well as The Secret Garden but I'm looking forward to seeing 100th Anniversary edition which I somehow missed when it was released - curious to see how Wendy Anderson Halperin interpreted the story.
My gran used to read this book to me when I went to stay at her house. I remember it to this day and the memories are very fond.
A must read for all little girls! Too sweet ~ my little one couldn't wait to go to bed so we could read this.
It was a wonderful story it was a cheerful and friendly story I loved it
I like Lady Patsy the best. And her real name is Pratrilla.
read aloud to my daughter
This book was delightful and I enjoyed reading it to my older girls. I love any books about toys and dolls who come to life when people aren't around. I LOVE dollhouses..so it was delightful. Since this book was first published around 1906....I did have to go to the dictionary to check out some of the vocabulary!
just a delight!
just a delight!
A beautiful rendering of one choosing how to perceive one's experiences and to make the most of life. Knowing that this story is also autobiographical to a certain extent of FHB's life makes it even more enjoyable - to appreciate the human spirit and the gift of choosing our viewing of our lives.
This is a FABULOUS treasure! I absolutely love this book! It takes about and hour and a half to read if you read it aloud, all at once, but it also has beautiful illustrations. So it's a picture book AND a chapter book! What a treat! Plus, the story is wonderful and uplifting. This is a rare find. I need to buy my own copy instead of getting it a bazillion times from the library!
What a precious book!
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/8574/8...
Quick and easy chldren's tale with lovely illustrations. It has a moral sense, of course, but not quite so hard over the head as some by Burnett and none of the just odd little touches that can appear. Fun way to while away the time waiting for pipes to run.
Quick and easy chldren's tale with lovely illustrations. It has a moral sense, of course, but not quite so hard over the head as some by Burnett and none of the just odd little touches that can appear. Fun way to while away the time waiting for pipes to run.
Still brilliant after 100 years! Read it aloud.
My only beef with this near perfect book is that there are a couple of editing issues that have been neglected for over 100 years! Was that not enough to make corrections?
My only beef with this near perfect book is that there are a couple of editing issues that have been neglected for over 100 years! Was that not enough to make corrections?
Sweet memory from my childhood. I loved this book, and just stumbled across the title again.
It's a sweet story about an abandoned doll house and the adventures of the old, forgotten dolls inside.
It's a sweet story about an abandoned doll house and the adventures of the old, forgotten dolls inside.
A short, sweet story about a family of dolls who have fallen on hard times. By the same author who wrote 'The Secret Garden' and 'A Little Princess'
Short sweet, and very cute. If you love Toy story, this was written years before.
May 19, 2013
Keroppi
marked it as to-read
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Frances Eliza Hodgson was the daughter of ironmonger Edwin Hodgson, who died three years after her birth, and his wife Eliza Boond. She was educated at The Select Seminary for Young Ladies and Gentleman until the age of fifteen, at which point the family ironmongery, then being run by her mother, failed, and the family emigrated to Knoxville, Tennessee. Here Hodgson began to write, in order to sup...more
More about Frances Hodgson Burnett...
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