Week Two of my #SummerofVintageKidLit – Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill!
I’m eager to begin week two of my #SummerofVintageKidLit! If you haven’t yet heard about my summer reading challenge, you can take a look at my recent blog post that has all the details.
Last week we read The Four-Story Mistake, and you can read my quick recap in the comments of this post 🙂
The book we’re reading this week is Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill by Maud Hart Lovelace. It’s the third book in the beloved Betsy-Tacy series, and it’s definitely a fun one to revisit. I believe I was seven years old the first time I read it, and I was utterly enchanted by Betsy, Tacy, and Tib’s preparations for their “Queen of Summer” extravaganza. I hope you will enjoy it as well!
Here’s a summary about this book from Goodreads:
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.
Happy Reading! Feel free to discuss this book by leaving a comment below, or tweet about it using the hashtag #SummerofVintageKidLit! Or join my Facebook group to be alerted of all the latest posts.
Recently Read: A Name for Herself: Selected Writings: 1891-1917 by L.M. Montgomery, Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink, Time at the Top by Edward Ormondroyd
Currently Reading: The Secret of Crossbone Hill by Wilson Gage, Cobblers’ Knob by Eleanore M. Jewett
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“Betsy and Tacy Go Over The Big Hill” is one of my favorite Betsy and Tacy books. I love the Pre teen ones. The girls learned that meeting different people aren’t really any different than those they are familiar with.
Marion
Yes, the early books are so much fun!
“Betsy and Tacy Go Over The Big Hill” is a good book to learn about different cultures. They learn a lesson in accepting all kinds of people.
Joan
It’s such a sweet story 🙂
“Betsy and Tacy Go Over The Big Hill” is one of my favorites in the series. I like when Tib is included in the story. She was a different type of character, with her short hair. Short hair was not too common in that era. I loved all the adventures when the three girls were involved. Betsy,Tacy and Tib all had different personalities that blended for a true friendship.
Marilyn
They made a great trio!
UPDATE 7/3
I breezed through this one over the weekend, captivated all over again by the sweet, familiar story. There are so many humorous subtleties in this book that I don’t think I fully appreciated as a child reading it 🙂 I love the drama of their determination to collect the most votes for queen, and the delightful resolution – especially the discovery of Naifi’s royal heritage!
Structurally, this is one of Maud Hart Lovelace’s strongest books. Each element of the book is woven carefully together, and the characters are just as beautifully rendered as ever.
What are your favorite elements of this story? I’d love to hear them! 🙂