AR: 4.0

I read these back in elementary/middle school, borrowing them from my library. I remember loving them and could not remember the name of them so that I can revisit them for years. The name just popped in my had a second ago and I am so happy! I remember these books filling me with magic and joy as a kid, I wonder if they would be worth rereading as a 24 year old. lol. ( )

Not my cup of tea. The photos at the end, which were the inspiration for the drawings throughout, were fun to see and my favorite part. ( )

These books bring back such sweet memories for me... times I spent with my grandmother playing and dressing up and cutting paper dolls... I love this series! ( )

First sentence: It was difficult, later, to think of a time when Betsy and Tacy had not been friends.

Premise/plot: Betsy meets Tacy, her new neighbor, at her fifth birthday party. The two girls become instant best friends, near sisters. These two are inseparable. They want to do everything together--always together. This book focuses on their time together--at home, at school, etc. The book concludes with the two meeting another little girl near their own age, Tb.

My thoughts: I have no memory of reading Betsy-Tacy growing up. I'd heard of the book series certainly. But if I'm honest, I thought it was literally about ONE girl named Betsy-Tacy. These books are set around the turn of the twentieth century. Yes, it was published originally in 1940...but Betsy and company would have been born in the 1890s.

The book is interesting in that it feels TIMELESS and time-specific. The two things shouldn't both be true. The book feels timeless because it captures childhood realistically--family life, friendship, thoughts and feelings about school. Some things never change. It feels time-specific because of the descriptions and illustrations. It feels delightfully historic. I like that about it. ( )