New Releases by Natalie Babbitt

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 of this play is also available.)

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

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.

Introduced by Gregory Maguire, a special 40th Anniversary Edition of the beloved children’s classic with more than more than 10 million copies sold. From Newbery Honor and E. B. White Award–winning author Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting is a spellbinding modern-day masterpiece about immortality, friendship, and growing up that’s sure to be an all-time favorite for every generation. 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. A staple on home bookshelves and in classrooms and libraries for nearly half a century, Tuck Everlasting is brought to life for new readers and long-time fans in this special anniversary edition, which includes an introduction from the bestselling author of Wicked Gregory Maguire, a Q&A with Natalie Babbitt, and exciting bonus materials. Praise for Tuck Everlasting: “Probably the best work of our best children''s novelist.” —Harper''s “Exciting and excellently written.” —The New York Times Book Review “A fearsome and beautifully written book that can''t be put down or forgotten.” —The New Yorker

Twenty short stories display Satan''s vanity and other failings as well as his unflagging gusto for dirty tricks.

The new novel by Natalie Babbitt, author of Tuck Everlasting. Struggling to make an important decision, Joe considers the advice of a successful, decisive millionaire before finding help through an unexpected source.

"The truth is that Mylo was very much afraid of the dark," so begins Natalie Babbitt''s beloved picture book The Something. 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 The Something was made into a short animated film of the same name in 2015.

The Devil''s Storybook is a 1974 New York Times Book Review Notable Children''s Book of the Year and a 1975 National Book Award Finalist for Children''s Books. An ALA Notable Book Chosen by School Library Journal as one of the Best of the Best Books

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.

Experience love and loss in this enchanting sea mystery from Natalie Babbitt, The Eyes of the Amaryllis, the basis for the 1982 movie adaption of the same name. 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.

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."

Natalie Babbit''s memorable first novel, The Search for Delicious, about a boy who nearly causes a civil war in the kingdom all because of his work on the royal dictionary. 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. Featured in 4 episodes as part of the Jackanory BBC children''s television series.

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.

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

It is about a family, named Tuck, that can live forever because they drank from a spring in some woods that belongs to the Fosters, a rich family nearby. They find Winnie Foster, the only child of the Fosters, at the spring. They then take her home where they explain how living forever is not a good thing...

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.

A young man starts out to be a pirate, but just doesn''t seem to have the knack for it and seeks a new career.

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.

This tale from Grimm -- far less familiar than many of the others -- has been given a brisk retelling by Natalie Babbitt and witty, spectacular, sumptuous pictures by Fred Marcellino. The story tells all about young Marco, who leads a charmed life if anyone ever did, starting off as nobody special and ending up king. Not that it''s an easy path, the most dangerous part being an errand that takes him down into Hell. But thanks to the Devil''s grandmother, as good an old girl as grandmothers everywhere, it all comes right in the end.

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

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 ?

Rude métier que celui de Diable ! Une réputation à tenir, et la lourde charge de l''Enfer. Alors, pour se changer les idées, le Diable descend, de temps en temps, faire un petit tour sur terre pour y tenter quelque mauvais coup.