Customer Reviews
I can't think of many better examples of a good children's book 
2008-06-16
I have been meaning to read Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field (illustrated wonderfully in what I assume is pen and ink by Dorothy P. Lathrop) for a rather long time. Several years ago my mother bought me a reproduction Hitty doll by Robert Raikes (big deal carver of dolls and bears though he no longer seems to be making Hitty dolls).
After buying the doll, and doing a bit of research, we found an edition of Field's novel with the original 1929 text and illustrations. There is another, newer, edition with updated text by Rosemary Wells and illustrations by Susan Jeffers. The newer book came out, I believe, to celebrate the seventieth anniversary of Field's original novel. I never read this version, actually sending it back upon realizing it was an adaptation, but other reviewers' outrage at the changes suggest I was right to do so. If you haven't guessed already, Hitty fans are numerous and loyal.
Hitty, amazingly, was real. Hitty.org is but one site dedicated to chronicling the life and history of this amazing doll. The site includes the picture of a Daguerreotype actually mentioned in the novel as well as a variety of other interesting photos and well-researched facts.
As the subtitle suggests, Hitty is already a centenarian at the start of Field's fictionalized account of her adventures. Safely ensconced in a New York antique store equipped with quill and paper, Hitty decides it is high time to begin setting her story down for posterity. What follows is a children's novel that truly deserves the Newberry Medal it received in 1930 for "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."
Hitty begins her life as a lucky piece of mountain-ash wood carried by an old peddler. In exchange for lodging during a particularly bad Maine winter, the Old Peddler decides to carve his piece of wood into a doll for the family's seven-year-old child, Phoebe Preble. Hitty and Phoebe have their share of adventures during their time together. More, it might be argued, than one doll could manage (including a section that reads very much like part of Moby Dick geared to a much younger audience). But, as readers realize soon enough, Hitty is no ordinary doll. As the story progresses, Hitty passes through many hands and a variety of owners. Like most things, some owners prove better than others in the same way that certain events of Hitty's life are more worthy of space in her memoirs than others.
When you realize that this book is from 1929, well before any other doll novels were published, it becomes clear that Hitty is something special because Field did it first. At first, I thought the novel might come off as dated since it was written so long ago. But I was happily proven wrong and found that the text stood up to my modern standards as well as Hitty's chemise survives her first century. Many of the insights that Hitty expresses throughout the book remain very accurate to this day. Hitty's calm demeanor and buoyant spirit also help to make this doll downright lovable.
Field's prose is wonderful. Even though I knew Hitty was safe in the antique shop, each new peril left me fearing for Hitty and in a state of suspense until I found out if she had survived. The people that Hitty passes during the course of her first century are equally well-realized in the text. In terms of classic children's literature (especially for a younger child), I can't think of many better examples.
If, you want still more Hitty, you can check out Gail Wilson's website. This very talented (and expensive) doll makers features her own version of Hitty available both ready-made and as a kit.
geography for the fun of it 2007-09-18
hitty....oh what fun we had reading this together as a family. i certainly did not know what i was geting in to when i started reading it aloud. very well written book; descriptive; memorable. after reading each chapter we wanted to rush to the library to find out about the place she had been. we also cooked a few things from different countries. we did not have a plan; it was so spontaneous; i think that is what i loved about it so much....learning at its best. my older children, after five years still remember vividly certain paragraphs. and we all smile thinking about how much fun we had reading this book together. i can hardly wait to read it to the younger ones. recently i purchased it for my shelf. it is certainly a keeper. copywork, narration, cooking, art, geography/history, a little science, etc... a years worth of curriculum in one book. all you need is a math book and your set. honestly, each chapter is like a springboard and it should not be hard to find a topic to learn more about. make some happy memories, read hitty aloud to your children. they will love it! (and you will, too...)
This book is awesome! 2007-05-29
Many may remember Hitty from decades ago; I was introduced to her just a few years ago. Hitty: Her First Hundred Years is a wonderfully written, beautifully illustrated "children's" book that should be on everyone's reading list, regardless of age.
Hitty: Her First 100 Years- Rachel Feild by A. Walker 
2006-04-28
This book was interesting and fun to read. Ride along with, the doll, as she tells her life story. Watch as she goes from one owner to the next. This book is an adventure to read. Hitty has seen so much you forget she is a doll. This book pulles you in like a vacuum cleaner. You'll love it when she travles to New York. You'll jump out of your seat when she goes whale hunting or when she gets stuck in a tree. There is a couple of settings but it doesn't jump around. The message that i got out of the story is live life to it's fullest I would recomend this book to preteen girls that like history and fiction. This book was fantabouls!!!!!!!!!!
Old Fashioned Charm 2005-09-30
Hitty: Her First Hundred Years, as originally written by Rachel Field in 1929, is delightful. The story follows the adventures of a doll, carved by a peddler from a piece of mountain ash, as told in her own words. From being proclaimed a "heathen" goddess on a South Seas Island, traveling with a snake charmer in India, being alternately a fashion plate and a demure Quakeress in the midst of the Civil War, Hitty and her story are truly captivating. Rachel Field has given the world a wonderfully exciting and deeply touching glimpse at history through the eyes of this remarkable doll. The charm of this old fashioned story is enduring, powerful enough to endear itself to each new generation of readers that discovers it.
Lucky to have read the original 2005-02-04
Presented for the first time in audio, here are the charming and adventurous memoirs of an exceptional doll named Hitty. Her story begins in Maine in the early 1800s, where she is transformed from a piece of sturdy mountain-ash wood into the valued playmate of a young girl named Phoebe Preble. When the inseparable pair join Phoebe's father on a journey aboard his whaling ship, Hitty's one hundred years of exciting adventures begins! Join this doll of great charm and character as she travels all over the world, from India to Philadelphia to New York. Whether she is traveling with a snake charmer, attending the opera, meeting Charles Dickens, becoming a doll of fashion, posing as an artists' model, or being stolen away on a Mississippi riverboat, one thing is certain... no doll has led a life like Hitty's!
The 1930 Newbery Award winner.
The reprint of the original has an orange-and-tan cover 2004-12-20
Some confusion is probably created by Amazon.com's policy of repeating staff and reader reviews in the listings for every version of a book--even when the versions are substantially different from each other, as in this case. Amazon sells one version of "Hitty: Her First Hundred Years" that is an unchanged reprint of the original 1929 book. The reprint, like the original, has an orange-and-tan patterned cover. But Amazon also sells a newer, substantially revised, version of "Hitty." The same reviews appear with both versions, although they are essentially different books. (They share a title, but their texts and illustrations are different.) I wanted to clarify this point for customers who, like me, are looking for the original version of this book.
A �classic� of sorts, outdated, but still cute� 
2004-07-23
This is the story of the life of one adventurous wooden doll named Hitty. First made for a young girl in Maine, the doll travels around the world and back passing from one youngster to another and recounts her journey along the way. Since the book was written in 1929, it gives it a certain charm to the author?s writing, at the same time though; the author occasionally uses terms that would not be considered ?politically correct? today. I know many older books do this, but since this book is geared towards children, I think I might substitute in more appropriate words if reading to a youngster. However, despite this, I found this book a cute story that gives you a look at how people were viewed and supposedly acted during the 1800s, where the story takes place.
A stunning classic 2002-03-27
My mother passed her copy onto me and now it has passed to my daughter. I buy copies for all my nieces. It's a real treasure. The text is marvelous and the illustrations are never to be forgotten. I understand there's a new version out, but I can't imagine it holding a candle to the original (I haven't heard good things). I have so many wonderful memories of that book: Hitty stuck in the horsehair couch, life with the little Quaker girl, weeks spent in a crow's nest. It brought my own traditional dolls (not Barbie!) alive for me. It also presents a vivid historical portrait of the lives of American girls. Don't let this one go out of print!
Hitty 2000-07-19
Hitty is a very well written book.It is about a doll and the 1st hundred years of her life.When she lost an owner or something bad happened you felt the saddnes or anger. It was a very good book but I felt it needed a sequel.
