Best Selling Books by Natalie Babbitt

Critically acclaimed when it was first published, Tuck Everlasting has become a much-loved, well-studied modern-day classic. This anniversary edition features an in-depth interview conducted by Betsy Hearne in which Natalie Babbitt takes a look at Tuck Everlasting twenty-five years later. What if you could live forever? Is eternal life a blessing or a curse? That is what young Winnie Foster must decide when she discovers a spring on her family’s property whose waters grant immortality. Members of the Tuck family, having drunk from the spring, tell Winnie of their experiences watching life go by and never growing older. But then Winnie must decide whether or not to keep the Tucks’ secret—and whether or not to join them on their never-ending journey. Praise for Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt: “A fearsome and beautifully written book that can''t be put down or forgotten.” —The New York Times “Exciting and excellently written.” —The New York Times Book Review “With its serious intentions and light touch the story is, like the Tucks, timeless.” —Chicago Sun-Times “Probably the best work of our best children''s novelist.” —Harper''s “Natalie Babbitt''s great skill is spinning fantasy with the lilt and sense of timeless wisdom of the old fairy tales. . . . It lingers on, haunting your waking hours, making you ponder.” —The Boston Globe “This book is as shapely, crisp, sweet, and tangy as a summer-ripe pear.” —Entertainment Weekly This title has Common Core connections.

Gaylen, the King''s messenger, a skinny boy of twelve, is off to poll the kingdom, traveling from town to farmstead to town on his horse, Marrow. At first it is merely a question of disagreement at the royal castle over which food should stand for Delicious in the new dictionary. But soon it seems that the search for Delicious had better succeed if civil war is to be avoided. Gaylen''s quest leads him to the woldweller, a wise, 900-year-old creature who lives alone at the precise center of the forest; to Canto, the minstrel who sings him an old song about a mermaid child and who gives him a peculiar good-luck charm; to the underground domain of the dwarfs; and finally to Ardis who might save the kingdom from havoc. The Search for Delicious is a 1969 New York Times Book Review Notable Children''s Book of the Year.

From the moment young Egan arrives in Instep for the annual fair, he is entranced by the fable surrounding the misty peak of Kneeknock Rise: On stormy nights when the rain drives harsh and cold, an undiscovered creature raises its voice and moans. Nobody knows what it is—nobody has ever dared to try to find out and come back again. Before long, Egan is climbing the Rise to find an answer to the mystery. Kneeknock Rise is a 1971 Newbery Honor Book.

Every now and then, the Devil likes to pop up into the world for an adventure. He''s a trickster and a mischief-maker, and just as full of vanity and other human failings. But he''s also a gifted storyteller. The Devil''s antics are presented in these two collections of stories, The Devil''s Storybook and The Devil''s Other Storybook, together in one volume. They make for delightfully wicked reading and are accompanied by charming illustrations by Natalie Babbitt.

Nellie, a cat marionette who loves to dance, finds adventure and freedom on a moonlit hilltop.

In this collection of essays and speeches written over the course of four decades, beloved storyteller Natalie Babbitt explores what it was like to be a “little dog” in the literary world, continually being forced to justify her choice to write books for children—instead of doing something more serious. Babbitt offers incisive commentary on classic children’s books as well as contemporary works, and reveals colorful insights into her own personal creative life. Filled with a voice that rings with truth, wisdom, and humor across the years, the essays gathered in Barking with the Big Dogs exemplify on every page true reverence for children and an endless engagement with the challenge to write the books that shape them.

When the brig Amaryllis was swallowed in a hurricane, the captain and all the crew were swallowed, too. For thirty years the captain''s widow, Geneva Reade, has waited, certain that her husband will send her a message from the bottom of the sea. But someone else is waiting, too, and watching her, a man called Seward. Into this haunted situation comes Jenny, the widow''s granddaughter. The three of them, Gran, Jenny, and Seward, are drawn into a kind of deadly game with one another and with the sea, a game that only the sea knows how to win. The Eyes of the Amaryllis is a 1977 New York Times Book Review Notable Children''s Book of the Year.

The new novel by Natalie Babbitt, author of Tuck Everlasting Joe Casimir needed help with the choice he had to make. But how do you choose the person who will help you choose? Mr. Boulderwall, the millionaire, knew exactly what he wanted Joe to choose. And millionaires are experts at making choices. Well, aren''t they? But Vinnie, the number-two man down at Sope Electric, didn''t much approve of millionaires. He said to Joe, "Listen, kid, all of ''em act like they''re the only ones with a ticket to the show!" But he didn''t have any real advice to offer. Joe''s Gran didn''t either, as it turned out, and neither did Aunt Myra. The good advice was there, though. Right across the street. Just waiting right across the street. There are a lot of good things just waiting. You''ll see.

Mylo...is afraid of an indefinable Something coming in through his window at night. Given some modeling clay by his concerned mother, he finally succeeds in making a statue of the Something...The clever, ironic story interprets common childhood fears of the dark in a way that should prove highly amusing to many small children."--Starred/Booklist

"Phoebe Euphemia Brandon Brown hated the bows, frills, ruffles, sashes, and curls that were the fashion in 1904...The story of Phoebe''s one-woman revolution and its outcome is sure to strike a spark in other little girls with minds of their own."--Booklist

The Devil is back, just as full of vanity and other human feelings as he was in Natalie Babbitt''s first collection, The Devil''s Storybook.

An out-of-work actor, Hercules Feltwright, stumbles into a job tutoring Willet Goody, the only child of a widow living in a large, lonely house. Willet quickly involves his tutor in the search to discover the truth about his father. The mystery unfolds with the discovery of hidden treasure, a gypsy séance, and the frightening exploration of the tomb of Midas Goody.

A gifted artist and writer, Natalie Babbitt''s novels are inspired by a brilliance and imagination that is completely original. She began her career in 1966 with the publication of a picture book, The Forty-Ninth Magician, a collaboration with her husband, Samuel Fisher Babbitt. Her first novel, The Search for Delicious, established her gift for writing magical tales with a more profound meaning embedded within them. Kneeknock Rise earned her a Newbery Honor Medal, but it is Tuck Everlasting which has insured Babbitt''s place in the history of children''s literature. Babbitt has written six more novels including The Eyes of the Amaryllis and Goody Hall—each one presenting her unique vision of an enchanted world. Her latest novel, Jack Plank Tells Tales, was published in Spring 2007. Natalie Babbitt lives in Providence, Rhode Island, and is a grandmother of three. When asked what she wants readers to remember about her books, she replied, "the questions without answers."

From the author of Tuck Everlasting comes a powerful, multi-layered story about a man who never felt complete, the family he is unable to fully love, and the fabulous amusement park that he created. Everyone in town knows Herbert Rowbarge as the wealthy creator of the Rowbarge Pleasure Dome, a fantastic amusement park. But his past is murky. Even his twin daughters believe that their father has led a lonely but prosperous life, inheriting his wealth from various deceased relatives. What the town doesn’t know is that Herbert was born a penniless orphan, sustained only by his desire to create something beautiful: An amusement park with a carousel featuring pairs of identical animals. Everything he’s achieved has been a product of that single-minded determination. What Herbert himself doesn’t know is that he is a twin. All he knows is that he has never felt complete. When he gazes into the mirror, he glimpses some lost part of himself. When he looks at his twin daughters, he feels a stab of something like jealousy. Told from the point of view of Herbert and his daughters, this is a family story about how people can long for a part of themselves that they never knew they lost. Natalie Babbitt is at her best in this stunning novel for adults. "Herbert Rowbarge has . . . an almost folktale-like tone and plot. Never mind that it contains its share of Buicks and bridge parties; it still possesses the hushed, concentrated, stripped quality of a legend. And like a legend, it draws us in. It’s spellbinding.” —Anne Tyler, The New York Times Book Review

In this magical adaptation of Natalie Babbitt’s classic tale, a troupe of actors recreate a mythical medieval kingdom in the midst of a fierce disagreement over the most “delicious” food. To avoid a civil war, the kingdom sends 12-year-old Gaylen (and his loyal horse, Marrow) on a journey to settle the definition once and for all. On their quest, Gaylen and Marrow must face the evil Hemlock who wants to overthrow the King and Queen, seek the help of enchanted characters (a mermaid, dwarfs, and the 900-year-old woldweller), and calm the increasingly scared villagers of the kingdom. Defining a word has never had higher stakes. Music, comedy, and a look at human foolishness come together in a joyous conclusion. A full-length version is also available. A Free Resource: Lesson Plan for The Search for Delicious is also available. Play with music One-act. 45-55 minutes. 10-25+ actors possible

When the King and the Queen try to find out what is best for the Prince, everyone in the castle has a different opinion.

Oui, c''est bien vrai! Jack Plank a d''abord été pirate et ses acolytes l''ont beaucoup apprécié. Leur bateau, l''Avarice, était magnifique. Mais, peu à peu, il devenait évident que Jack n''excellait pas dans l''art du pillage. Que pouvait-il y faire sinon regagner la terre ferme et chercher un autre type d''emploi? Sa quête avait débuté à Saltwash, une ville côtière de la mer des Caraïbes. Il avait bénéficié des nombreux conseils des gens de la pension DelFresno où il habitait, mais curieusement, aucun métier ne lui convenait. Et ainsi, chaque soir, durant le dîner à la pension, il expliquait les inconvénients liés à tel ou tel travail : Après tout, qui voudrait travailler dans un endroit où il pourrait y avoir des Trolls? Et que dire du risque de voir un crabe se prendre aux poils de sa barbe? Sans parler des crocodiles amateurs de musique... Décidément, Jack n''était pas fait pour la vie à terre Il aurait dû se résoudre à retourner en mer, à moins que le destin, comme c''est souvent le cas, en décide autrement...

The Prime Minister is compiling a dictionary and when no one at court can agree on the meaning of delicious, the King sends his twelve-year-old messenger to poll the country.

Winnie découvre dans le bois d''en face une source. Elle y rencontre une étrange famille, et c''est le début d''une grande aventure. Winnie arrivera-t-elle à préserver le secret de la famille Tuck ?

Natalie Babbitt''s elegant writing style & the totally engaging characterizations in her illustrations combine to create a memorable picture book. Fairy godmothers are supposed to set things right, but Elsie''s fairy godmother sometimes sets things wrong. When she changes one Elsie into 8, the results make a mess for everyone, from Elsie''s cat right on up to the Mayor. And the noise! Well, it''s so bad that Elsie & her family, including cat & goats, have to look for somewhere else to live. But all comes out right in the end -- unless you are a mouse.