Q: Do you have a list of the Betsy-Tacy books? Should
they be read in order of publication?
A: Thirteen books were published between 1940 and 1955. The ten
"mainline" Betsy-Tacy books are listed below, followed by the three
related "Deep Valley" books. The first four titles focus on younger children (the characters age from 5
to 10). Heaven to Betsy brings the characters to high school, and
in each book they age another year until most marry in Betsy's Wedding. Carney's House Party and Emily of Deep
Valley can be read before Betsy and the Great World and Betsy's Wedding, but
both have only cameo appearances by Betsy Ray. Most people read the Betsy-Tacy
books straight through and then go on to the Deep Valley titles. Winona's Pony
Cart returns to the earlier days of the series, when the girls were about
eight years old, and is really a stand-alone book.
THE BETSY-TACY BOOKS
Betsy-Tacy (1940)
Betsy-Tacy and Tib (1941)
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill (1942)
Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown (1943)
Heaven to Betsy (1945)
Betsy in Spite of Herself (1946)
Betsy Was a Junior (1947)
Betsy and Joe (1948)
Betsy and the Great World (1952)
Betsy's Wedding (1955)
THE DEEP VALLEY BOOKS
Carney's House Party (1949)
Emily of Deep Valley (1950)
Winona's Pony Cart (1953)
If you are interested in purchasing Betsy-Tacy
books, we urge you to do so through your local bookstore, as this is the best
way to keep the books in print. However, you may also order them from
our shop or via
Amazon.com (if you use this link the BTS will get a portion of the
proceeds). Maud and Delos also wrote short stories, and some of
those are also available through the BTS shop. Unfortunately most of the
high school books have again gone out of print. Please buy the first four so
we can keep them around for future generations!
Q: Did Maud Hart Lovelace write any
other books?
A: Mrs. Lovelace wrote several other books for children, and six novels for
adults (two with her husband Delos). She also wrote numerous short stories.
OTHER CHILDREN'S BOOKS
The Golden Wedge Indian Legends of South America (1942) with Delos
Lovelace
The Tune Is In The Tree (1950)
The Trees Kneel At Christmas (1951)
What Cabrillo Found (1958)
The Valentine Box (1966)
ADULT BOOKS
The Black Angels (1926)
Early Candlelight (1929)
Petticoat Court (1930)
The Charming Sally (1932)
One Stayed At Welcome (1934) with Delos Lovelace
Gentlemen From England (1937) with Delos Lovelace
Q:I have a copy of a book by Maud Hart
Lovelace. Can you tell me how much it might be worth?
A:The volunteers who run
the Betsy-Tacy Society are just fans like everyone else, and we have no
special knowledge of values for Lovelace books. So we're unable to provide
estimates of what her books might bring on the collectible market. The books
certainly have commanded astronomical prices at times, especially Carney's
House Party, Emily of Deep Valley, and Winona's Pony Cart, since they were
out of print for decades. Although all of the books were reprinted in the
1990s and early 2000s, sadly most are again out of print. To see what prices the books are attaining
these days, it's helpful to check such websites as eBay,
the Advanced Book Exchange,
and Bookfinder.
Remember that purchase prices are always subject to condition and
edition, and non ex-library copies, especially with dust jackets are usually
more sought after than library discards. |