Hitty Her First Hundred Years

Rating:
Summary: Unthinkable
Review: I am a thirteen year old reader who is simply outraged. Having not read this book, I suppose that I shouldn't be writing this, but I hope you read it anyway. To rewrite such a marvelous book as Hitty is simply scandalous. There is absolutely no point in destroying a masterpiece. The oringinal book is so rich with character. Why should we need to "update" a book about a doll that was already old-fasioned from the original publishing date?
On principle, I would never read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Hitty a Wonderful Doll Heroine
Review: I can't imagine a better way to enjoy a sunny summer day than with a book that begins by carrying the doll heroine, and you,the reader, off to sea in a sailing ship to visit exotic locations both far and near. (Notice the world map at the end of the book to help trace Hitty's journeys.) Hitty is a wonderful doll heroine. Her human companions can be naughty or nice, but Hitty makes her own eventful way through decades. Be ready to enjoy this book -- whether a seasoned reader or young chlld who delights in dressing and decorating their well-loved dolls -- you will find HItty will capture your heart. And if you do love dolls, doll houses, and creating clothes and household items for your dolls from scraps of fabric, bits of shiny paper, beads and buttons, your imagination will also be captured by reading any of the several books by Rumer Godden. I especially recommend "Miss Happiness and Miss Flower," "The Kitchen Madonna," and "Candy Floss." If they have not recently been reprinted you may be able to find them at your local library.

Rating:
Summary: What adventures that doll can tell!
Review: This book was extraordinary. I usually don't trust the library's choice of books, but in this I was mistaken. I completed the book in two days-and one was a school day! In parts I almost cried, but in the next instant, I could rejoice and cheer for the brave, spirited little Hitty. Some of the charecters I wish I knew more about -Andy, my favorite charecter, as a start- but it made it more realistic-Hitty would concnetrate most on her current owner, I suppose. That's really it's only flaw that I could find. Good reading!

Rating:
Summary: Do classics have to be PC?
Review: This version of the classic children's book covers roughly the same ground as the original, but the text has been revised and shortened (in spite of the "new adventures"), and lavish color pictures replace the original black-and-white illustrations. The damage to the text's interest is quite substantial. Although the original Hitty definitely reflected an upper middle class WASP world view, she was a genial doll inclined to think well of those who treated her well, and there is no need to censor her or to strip her and her adventures of their character. The original Hitty is still in print and at a lower price, and I recommend it to all. The only reason to consider this alternative is the illustrations which, although well-done, do not have the charm of Dorothy Lathrop's original drawings.