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The Betsy Tacy Treasury
(Betsy-Tacy #1-4)
by
“Some characters become your friends for life. That’s how it was for me with Betsy-Tacy.” —Judy Blume
The First Four Books in the Betsy-Tacy Series in One Volume
With Forewords by Judy Blume, Ann M. Martin and Johanna Hurwitz
The first four books in the beloved Betsy-Tacy series, together in one volume, ready to delight a new generation of readers—and to bring a grownup gener ...more
The First Four Books in the Betsy-Tacy Series in One Volume
With Forewords by Judy Blume, Ann M. Martin and Johanna Hurwitz
The first four books in the beloved Betsy-Tacy series, together in one volume, ready to delight a new generation of readers—and to bring a grownup gener ...more
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Paperback, 736 pages
Published
November 8th 2011
by William Morrow Paperbacks
(first published July 1995)
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It's so very hard to ever pick one single favorite book from one's childhood, but I have such an easy time picking out tons of 'favorites.' The Betsy-Tacy books would definitely be up there on the favorites list.
If there was ever a book character in child form who came close to who I was a child, it would have been Betsy, the star of these books. She was all over the place, and I loved her for it. Her crazy schemes ...more

Here's what I recommend for every jaded, bitter, exhausted human being who feels like the years are getting past them, nothing's ever as good as it once was, and life just isn't as wonderful as it seemed like it might be when we were young: read the Betsy and Tacy books. They possess innocence and a wide-eyed sense of simple discovery to the extreme, so much so that it's like drinking a magic elixir that briefly makes the world appear gentle and perfect. There's no brilliance here, and barely ev
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Sep 27, 2020
Ivonne Rovira
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Ivonne by:
Manybooks
Shelves:
children-literature,
children-classics
The Betsy-Tacy Treasury lives up to its name: It’s a real five-star treasure. It contains the first four books in Maud Hart Lovelace’s series: Betsy-Tacy, Betsy-Tacy and Tib, Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill, and Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown. The books are charming and nostalgic, but never twee or maudlin. It’s no wonder that these books are still in print 80 years after Lovelace published the first book based on her own Mankato, Minn., childhood.
This omnibus relates the adventures of Betsy Ra ...more
This omnibus relates the adventures of Betsy Ra ...more

My 5-year-old is basically obsessed with this book (we've read it twice; note it is 700 pages). I dig it too. Maud Hart Lovelace understands a lot about childhood, and somehow writes about it genuinely without nodding too hard to parents in the process.
...more

I absolutely loved this so, so much! At first I was a little afraid that I wasn’t going to enjoy it as much since the books are written for children and therefore the writing is simple. But I shouldn’t haven’t worried. In no time at all, I fell in love with the simplicity of it. Maud Hart Lovelace wrote about childhood so well. I felt like I was visiting being a little girl again.
Numerous times I laughed and smiled and felt the excitement these girls found. It was just a joy to read! So much fu ...more
Numerous times I laughed and smiled and felt the excitement these girls found. It was just a joy to read! So much fu ...more

I would hope that every little girl met Betsy, Tacy, and Tib as a child, but, sadly, I don't think that's the case. I was fortunate enough to read these several times throughout my childhood, so I was thrilled when my friend Trish from TLC offered this new collection of the first four books in the series for review. If you aren't familiar, these books were written in the 1940's and 50's by Maud Hart Lovelace and are based on her own turn of the century childhood. Betsy, Tacy, and Tib are three l
...more

I gave this to my granddaughter Paige for her birthday, and then I decided I absolutely had to have a copy for myself. It's the first four Betsy-Tacy books, in one volume! When I was in elementary school, I had to wait for them to be returned to the school library, and hope I got to them first. (No such thing as requesting them on line, back then.) Now I was able to read all four in the right order, unlike 56 years ago, when I read whichever one came in. They're absolutely delightful, just like
...more

I love these books. I wish I had read them growing up, but I'm so happy to have read them at all. This was the second time I've read these and I was moved by different things this time around, but still moved. I love these characters so much. Thanks to all of you who are participating in the readalong and I am greatly enjoying seeing the other videos people have created about these books.
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The Betsy-Tacy Treasury is the first four of the Betsy-Tacy books: Betsy-Tacy, Betsy-Tacy and Tib, Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill, and Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown. Included in the book are great forwards by current authors that are also fans including Judy Blume, Ann M. Martin, and Johanna Hurwitz. There are also sections at the end with background about Maud Hart Lovelace, illustrator Lois Lenski, and each of the four books included. I loved all of this information and found it very interes
...more

(This is a review of the whole series, by the way.)
Maud Hart Lovelace was born in 1892 in Mankato, Minnesota, the town she later immortalized as Deep Valley in her beloved series of Betsy-Tacy books. These follow the adventures of childhood friends Betsy Ray and Tacy Kelly from the age of five, when they meet for the first time at Betsy's birthday party, through the school years to marriage and beyond.
The books are based largely on Lovelace's own life, and I think this is what gives them their ...more
Maud Hart Lovelace was born in 1892 in Mankato, Minnesota, the town she later immortalized as Deep Valley in her beloved series of Betsy-Tacy books. These follow the adventures of childhood friends Betsy Ray and Tacy Kelly from the age of five, when they meet for the first time at Betsy's birthday party, through the school years to marriage and beyond.
The books are based largely on Lovelace's own life, and I think this is what gives them their ...more

I really enjoyed this. It was only through friends that I ever heard about the Betsy-Tacy books, and finally got around to reading them. Now I know why they're so loved. These first four books in the series are so heartwarming, sweet and with a lovely sense of humour.
...more

This series is so delightful. I'm so glad that it was recommended to me. I love how the novels evolve as Betsy does, particularly in Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown. I'm excited to keep going.
...more

My only regret is that I didn't discover these marvelous books until I was an adult! Never fails to bring me bucketfuls of joy, comfort, and inspiration.
...more

Delightful read aloud with my girl. We found friends in Betsy-Tacy and her little group that grew over the period of these four books.
Whimsical time period where all was well in the world and the naughtiness of children was what plagues most of children still today, which is relatable for readers then as well as now. We enjoyed seeing some of the scrapes the girls would get into as well as the fights and how these were gently resolved and wrong was forgiven. Maybe it would seem too picture perf ...more
Whimsical time period where all was well in the world and the naughtiness of children was what plagues most of children still today, which is relatable for readers then as well as now. We enjoyed seeing some of the scrapes the girls would get into as well as the fights and how these were gently resolved and wrong was forgiven. Maybe it would seem too picture perf ...more

Each successive book is better as Betsy & co grow and start to have concrete plans and goals.
The forth book does talk about a performance of Uncle Tom's Cabin and the prospect of blackface is briefly mentioned but not executed by the girls, although it's clear that the actors in the play were white actors in blackface (burnt cork is mentioned) which was a little bit of a bummer, especially for books written and released in the '40s.
I am interested in continuing with the series as I'm not sure I ...more
The forth book does talk about a performance of Uncle Tom's Cabin and the prospect of blackface is briefly mentioned but not executed by the girls, although it's clear that the actors in the play were white actors in blackface (burnt cork is mentioned) which was a little bit of a bummer, especially for books written and released in the '40s.
I am interested in continuing with the series as I'm not sure I ...more

I thought it was about time to revisit these favorite classics from my childhood, and I had a grand time doing so. The "Betsy-Tacy Treasury" consists of the first four books in Maud Hart Lovelace's series: "Betsy-Tacy", "Betsy-Tacy and Tib", "Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill", and "Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown". These four books meant so much to me in my childhood, and I haven't read the books in the series where the girls grow to high school, college and adulthood-age, but now I really want to
...more

I can't believe I didn't even know about these books as a child. I was busy reading the Beverly Cleary, Laura Ingalls Wilder, E.B. White and Catherine Wooley books, among many others. Fortunately a good friend of mine loved them and encouraged me to read them. They bring back memories of innocence and creativity from my early years, and invoke a strong sense of neighborhood, family and loyal friendship.
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We stopped reading after making it through 3 or the 4 books in this treasury, because I think they were getting a bit too complex for my 5-year-old, but she really wants to keep going with them, and so do I—when she's a bit older, we'll definitely continue this delightful series, which rings so true, even 70 years later.
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I'm giving this edition to my 10 year old "niece" for Christmas this year. I loved this series as a girl, in fact I named my daughter after the MC, and I'm always happy to share it with girls today. I chose this version over the hardback as this retains the original illustrations by Lois Lenski. (I dislike the newer childish illustrations the hardback version uses.)
This series is unusual in that the first books are written as easy readers, and as the friends grow up the books get harder. But no ...more
This series is unusual in that the first books are written as easy readers, and as the friends grow up the books get harder. But no ...more

Harper Perennial has made a project of reissuing the works of Maud Hart Lovelace during the last three years, and they’ve now worked their way back to the beginning. Unlike some of her later books featuring an older Betsy Ray, the earliest of Lovelace/’s autobiographical children’s novels about Betsy and her friends have rarely been out of print, but now the first four books in the series have been collected in a one-volume “Modern Classics” edition, featuring the original illustrations. Like th
...more

Jan 18, 2018
Sara
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
for-my-daughter,
classics,
kindle,
library-book,
kids,
cannot-live-without,
series,
ebook,
2018
There's a little history here...I read these years and years ago when I was in elementary school. I used to check them out of the library...at least the first two. I don't remember the others. But I used to read it over and over again. As the years went on, I always remembered the images this book gave me, but I had forgotten the titles. I only remembered that one of the girls was named Betsy. I thought the other was named Tracy, but I was wrong. I tried to remember the titles and have been sear
...more

I can't recommend this book (set of books) enough. They are really wonderful and every girl should read them. Betsy, Tacy, and Tib are three friends in Minnesota that live in the early 1900s, and like the Edward Eager "Magic" books, really do a great job of showing what it's like to be a kid. I got this book for my daughter for Christmas and we've been reading it off and on for the past month or two. Great great book!
Ok...now that I'm done, I still stand with this decision. Can't get enough of t ...more
Ok...now that I'm done, I still stand with this decision. Can't get enough of t ...more

It is a rare children's book that can transport this adult reader in 2019 so convincingly back into the nostalgic childhood of the late 1800's-early 1900's that I was not only fully persuaded that it was my own, but whenever I saw my teens distracted on their phones, I desperately ached for it to be their's as well. No technological distractions, no "noise" from the world, just fresh air and wide-eyed innocent adventure. I felt like I was exploring "the big hill" and the whole of "Deep Valley" i
...more

Jun 13, 2012
Margaret Chind
marked it as hardcopy-review-to-read

Aug 22, 2007
Erin
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Children 5 and up, and people who love good kid-lit
Shelves:
favorites,
young-adult
I was so thrilled to find this hardcover collection of the first four Betsy-Tacy books (BETSY-TACY, BETSY-TACY AND TIB, BETSY AND TACY GO OVER THE BIG HILL and BETSY AND TACY GO DOWNTOWN)...a great set of memories from my childhood reading list, and it lead me to Betsy's high school adventures, which I hadn't read. An excellent gift for an elementary school reader!
...more

Can't believe I missed these as a child. They are great children's stories about precocious little girls (I guess by the 4th one they are actually already 12). The first 2 deal with death in a child-like way, so that's helpful if you want/need to explain this to a child. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
...more
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Maud 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 Mankat ...more
Maud’s birthplace was a small house on a hilly residential street several blocks above Mankat ...more
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Betsy-Tacy
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“Do you girls have hope chests?' Lloyd asked.
We certainly do.'
I don't,' said Betsy. 'My husband and I are going to use paper plates and napkins.'
Poor Joe!'
Lucky Larry!”
—
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We certainly do.'
I don't,' said Betsy. 'My husband and I are going to use paper plates and napkins.'
Poor Joe!'
Lucky Larry!”
“Some characters become your friends for life. That’s how it was for me with Betsy and Tacy. —JUDY BLUME”
—
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