From: Ginny Gustin <ggustin>
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 16:00:23 -0800 (PST)

On Thu, 11 Nov 1999 AlwaysErin at aol.com wrote:


They were released over a period of 15 years from 1940 to 1955.

I immediately thought of the Betsy/Tacy series, Anne of Green Gables and its sequels, and Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books as examples of series in which we watch a character grow up.

Is it troubling for young readers to discover that Betsy and Tacy are now in high school, Anne Shirley has become a university student, or Laura is old enough to be a teacher? Does it make a difference if a series already exists in its entirety and we know the final book is called Betsy's Wedding? Is it disappointing for a child who has eagerly awaited the arrival of the next book in a series to open it and find that a beloved character is more grown up than in the previous book?

My niece became quite annoyed with Betsy, Tacy, and Tib for suddenly being ten, and then twelve, while she was only eight, which made me realize she wouldn't be ready for their high school adventures for a few more years.

If there are members of this list who read the Little House or Betsy/Tacy books as they were being released, it would be interesting to hear about their experiences.

I hope this isn't straying too far from Harry Potter -- if it is, I apologize and will go shut my ears in the oven now!

Ginny Gustin Santa Monica Public Library ggustin at pen2.ci.santa-monica.ca.us
Received on Thu 11 Nov 1999 06:00:23 PM CST