News & Events

Visit our Betsy-Tacy Calendar of Events at the bottom of this page!

Click on the new blog - Betsy-Tacy's Deep Valley!

Congratulations to the Betsy-Tacy Society Restoration Committee!

The Betsy-Tacy Society received a $3,740 grant from the City of Mankato Community Grant Program for 2013. This grant will allow the society to continue with the restoration of the childhood home of Maud Hart Lovelace (Betsy's House) to it's original 1900 condition, funding the restoration of the second floor. The Betsy-Tacy houses were designated in 2010 as historic literary landmarks and are located in the heart of the historic Lincoln Park neighborhood. Betsy's house restored as a museum furnished to the 1900 era when the author lived here and upon which the Betsy-Tacy series of books are based and Tacy's house an interpretive center together serve to educate the community and visitors about Mankato life at the turn of the century. The grant was written and submitted by the BTS Restoration Committee: Michelle Mays, Julie Schrader & Candy and Doug Laven.

Thank you for supporting the Betsy-Tacy Society

during the Barnes & Noble Bookfair!

A Trip To The Library

"Are you looking for the Children's Room?" she asked. Betsy beamed in response. "Well not exactly. That is, I'd like to see it. But I may not want to read just in the Children's Room." "You don't think so? asked the young lady, sounding surprised. "No. You see," explained Betsy, "I want to read the classics." "You do?" "Yes. All of them."

Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown by Maud Hart Lovelace

New Saturday Hours Beginning April 6, 2013 from 1 - 3 PM

The Historic Betsy-Tacy landmarks in Mankato are open for visitors.

The 2013 Season opened for Saturday Tours & Visits on March 2nd. We are ready for guests and to share new items added to the museum at Betsy's House and the interpretive center at Tacy's House.

Congratulations to the Betsy-Tacy Society Archive Committee!

The Betsy-Tacy Society received a $3,000 grant from the Carl and Verna Schmidt Foundation. This grant will allow the society to acquire the needed items and supplies to properly display, archive and store their growing Lovelace collection. The grant will fund a new computer system, camera, MultiMedia & Digital Imaging for PastPerfect museum software, museum display cabinet, lighting and archival storage supplies. The grant was written and submitted by the BTS Archive Committee (Candy Laven, Julie Schrader, Lona Falenczykowski and Kelly Reuter).

The BTS archival collection consists of historical and personal items that belonged to the author Maud Hart Lovelace and her family. The collection also includes period household items and furniture displayed in the childhood homes of Maud Hart Lovelace and Frances ‘Bick’ Kenney (Betsy and Tacy houses). These houses were designated literary landmarks in 2010 and are furnished to the 1900 era when the author lived here and upon which the Betsy-Tacy series of books are based.

November 10th: Book Release for Collected Stories of Maud Hart Lovelace and Delos Lovelace

12 published short stories written by Maud and Delos Lovelace (individually or in collaboration) between the years of 1915 – 1928. Original illustrations and magazine covers included. Edited by Julie Schrader, Minnesota Heritage Publishing.

"Having watched other collaborators getting into each other's hair and on other's nerves, we have reached the conclusion that happy collaborations, like happy marriages, are made in heaven." -Maud hart Lovelace

Order this book today!

Home for the Holidays (Mother-Daughter Book Club #5)

Heather Vogel Frederick honors Maud Hart Lovelace with her fifth installment of the Mother-Daughter Book Club — "Home for the Holidays."

In this edition, Becca, Megan, Emma, Cassidy and Jess have plenty of reading material to bring on their trips because the book club is tackling the Betsy-Tacy series before their next meeting on New Year's Eve. But unfortunately, nothing goes quite as planned for any of the girls.

The author visited Mankato to research this book and the BTS is thrilled that a M-D Book Club fans will learn all about Betsy, Tacy and Tib! The BTS has signed copies of Home for the Holidays in the shop ready to ship.

Order this book today!

New Betsy-Tacy Treasury now on sale

The first four books in the beloved Betsy-Tacy series are ready to delight a new generation of readers—and to bring a grownup generation of readers back to the engrossing stories of their youth. Following the childhoods of Betsy Ray and her friends in the late 1800s and early 1900s, this handsome anthology collects the original Betsy-Tacy as well as Betsy, Tacy and Tib, Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill, and Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown. Forewords by Judy Blume, Esther Hautzig, and Johanna Hurwitz, and illustrations by Lois Lenski, will make readers of all ages feel at home in the imaginative life of young Betsy Ray as she awakens to the challenges and triumphs of her home in quaint Mankato, Minnesota.

Order this book today!

Share your Betsy-Tacy story!

Check out the new feature on our website. Click on the Share Stories button found at the top of this page. We invite you to share your Betsy-Tacy stories or experiences with us. Tell us why you like the Betsy-Tacy books and what they mean to you or tell us about your visit to Mankato (Deep Valley) and the Betsy-Tacy houses. Did you meet Maud? If so, tell us about it! We want to hear from you.

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Emily of Deep Valley, Carney's House Party and Winona's Pony Cart now available!

On October 16, the Betsy-Tacy Society celebrated the rerelease of the Deep Valley books: Emily of Deep Valley and Carney's House Party/Winona's Pony Cart.

The forwards for these reissued books were written by Melissa Wiley and Mitali Perkins. The books also include supplemental biographical information on each of the characters immortalized by author Maud Hart Lovelace. Each book also includes a new biography and photo of illustrator Vera Neville. The books are for sale in the BTS online gift shop.

Learn more about the reissues in this article written by Sara Gilbert Frederick, which was published in the Mankato Free Press December 17, 2010.

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BTS donates six Betsy-Tacy storybook kits to Traverse des Sioux library system

Thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, BTS was able to create six storybook kits built around themes extracted from Betsy-Tacy, Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill and Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown. There are three distinct kits, designed sequentially, and BTS created duplicates to make the kits easier for people to access. The storybook kits will circulate throughout the nine county library system serving southern Minnesota. Each kit offers a book and several activities designed to enhance comprehension of the stories, themes and setting. If you live in the area, check them out — literally!

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Betsy-Tacy houses designated National Literary Landmarks

In May, the childhood homes of Maud Hart Lovelace and Frances "Bick" Kenney were designated National Literary Landmarks by the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of the American Library Association. Funding for the plaques was made possible through an Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund grant. The Betsy-Tacy Society held a dedication ceremony on May 20, 2010. Click here for photos.

Betsy-Tacy houses designated Literary Landmarks by ALTAFF - Jillian Kalonick - American Libraries Magazine - May 28, 2010

Betsy and Tacy Houses dedication inspires Return to Past - Pat Christman - The Free Press - May 21, 2010

Literary Landmarks A Boon - Our View - The Free Press - May 21, 2010

Minnesota, Hail to Thee - Cheryl Harness blog - May 21, 2010

Betsy-Tacy Houses Dedicated as Literary Landmarks - Heather Ivester blog - May 18, 2010

Betsy-Tacy houses named literary landmarks - Tanner Kent - The Free Press - May 6, 2010

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Out of Print Books Available

Looking for the Betsy-Tacy Companion or a hardcover copy of Winona's Pony Cart or Emily of Deep Valley?

Several NEW out of print books were donated to be used to raise funds for the Betsy-Tacy Society.

Your purchase helps support the BTS. Click on the link below for visit our online gift shop.

Betsy-Tacy Companion

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NOW BACK IN PRINT!

The Betsy-Tacy high school books - $14.95 ea.

These Harper Perenial Modern Classic editions feature two novels in one volume, original cover artwork by Vera Neville, and forewords by bestselling authors Meg Cabot, Laura Lippman and Anna Quindlen.

The Black Angels was Maud's first novel, published in 1926 and has been out of print for years. Set in Minnesota in the 1860s, "The Black Angels" is the name given to a family who are passionate about singing. These musical prodigies decide to organize a concert troupe and start out with a covered wagon to the the country and make their fortunes. This historical fiction novel was based on the Andrews Opera Troupe who played in hundreds of communities in the Midwest during the mid-late 1800s. Click here to read the author's description.

Limited edition - Get your copy now! $12.95

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ATTENTION BTS MEMBERS -

Members - Renewal notices are being sent for those members who were on the calendar plan. Please renew today. Your continued support if vital to our mission!

If your membership status is current, all you need to do is create a password to access the “members only” pages of our site. If your membership has expired, it will not allow you to create a password until a new expiration date has been entered.

MEMBERS: We need your current e-mail address if you wish to receive special announcements.

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